Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Difference between revisions

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A very common trope, particularly in animation and sitcoms, is for a woman to be far more attractive than her significant other. This is largely a result of Hollywood-style casting for women's roles in which average-looking women are virtually unknown, leaving a large number of hotties needing work. Therefore even [[Hollywood Homely]] women who aren't supposed to be gorgeous are portrayed by supermodel-class women. Similar cases are almost unheard of for men. Since "average joes" and "funny fat guys" can still get work (especially when they're the producer as well as the lead), this pervades almost all forms of media, making this one of the most wide-spread cases of a [[Double Standard]] around.

 

== Anime and Manga ==

** This example illustrates yet another potential problem with this setup. If you're a big fat guy who manages to land a hot girl with a fat fetish, you're in serious trouble when somebody bigger comes along.

* While not married, worth noting is Danjuro Eiga & Miyako Miyazaki of ''[[Bamboo Blade]]''. Miyako is a bombshell, while Danjuro has a head shaped like an acorn. To top it off, "Miya-Miya" (as Danjuro calls her) is very loyal to her man, having joined the kendo club solely to be with him, and also deathly afraid of letting the darker side of her nature become known to him.

** It should also be noted that Kojiro stated that an ugly man should have a hot girl [http://www.mangareader.net/668-33072-17/bamboo-blade/chapter-4.html here]

* In ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'', Hatsujo, who is sort of unattractive, has a very beautiful girlfriend, just like every member of his team. Whenever the Cupids lose, we all know they're the ''real'' winners there.

* In ''Galaxy Express'' & other works by [[Leiji Matsumoto]], the impossibly beautiful [[Space Pirate]] Queen Emeraldas is hopelessly in love with the [[Gonk|impossibly ugly]] Tochiro.

* Hilariously subverted in ''[[Hajime no Ippo]]'', where Ippo's sempai Masaru Aoki has a penchant for ''ugly'' women. At first it's just a consequence of {{spoiler|his beautiful ex-girlfriend Miyuki having cheated on him when in highschool}}, but once he ''does'' settle down with female [[Gonk]] Tomiko (Kumi Mashiba's workmate), he ''does'' get to like her for the [[Genki Girl]] she is.

** To mark on the point even more, when Aoki finally got to challenge the champion of his boxing class, it turned out that Katsukata Imae had ''exactly'' the same penchant for ugly girls. Just look at his girlfriend Sachiko.

** Played straight with the Itagaki family though, the mom's a smoking [[Hot Shonen Mom]], the dad is, well, probably the biggest [[Gonk]] in the series. And a real [[Gonk]], unlike Tomiko who is more realistically plain, papa Itagaki is honestly freakish. [[Justified Trope]] in that, aside of their looks, the Itagaki parents [[Birds of a Feather|share very similar personalities and horrible senses of humor.]]

* In ''Legendz'', this is not only explicitly spelled out, but the ugly guy in question is himself concerned about the obvious disparity. "What the Hell does she see in me?" In fact, Meiko's [[Yandere]]-style obsession with the extremely fat and [[Gonk|Gonky]] [[Jerkass]] Hosuke is all around extremely questionable; NOBODY has a clue what she likes about him.

** Some would say that Shinji and Misono, Shiina's parents, counted in their youth. Doesn't really matter, [[It Got Worse]] soon.

* It's revealed late in ''[[Ranma One Half|Ranma 1/2]]'' that Genma somehow has ended up married to [[Hot Shounen Mom]] Nodoka Saotome. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] when Ranma, upon hearing this, punches his father in the face for having the gall to even suggest the possibility.

* As a [[Take That]] to the massive amounts of [[Mr. Fanservice]] in most [[Boys Love]] manga, a particular one-shot features a gay man who has had a penchant for ugly men since his youth, seemingly oblivious to society's take on beauty throughout. When the story begins he is fondly reminiscing ([[Bishie Sparkle|Shoujo Sparkles]] and all) his first love (a towering, awkward, acne-faced sports freak of a teenager)... Not a few pages later, he runs into his said first love. Who has, amusingly, turned into a rather attractive beautician (''not'' heartstoppingly gorgeous; he seems to have gotten over his teenage awkwardness, instead choosing to be cheerful, and as a beautician, has certainly learned about style). Soon after, the main character has a [[Freak-Out]] over how gross-looking his first love has become, and [[Hilarity Ensues]].

* [[Magical Princess Minky Momo|Minky Momo]]'s mother is much better-looking than her short, pudgy father.

* In ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'', following a timeskip, Dayakka and Kiyoh are married. Also, Makken is the husband of the [[Hot Scientist]], Leite. They even have three kids together.

* [[Big Bad]] Shishio and his (consort?) Yumi from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]''. His entire body is burned and charred, and he goes around almost completely covered in bandages. She's really beautiful and totally devoted to him. Observe [http://www.onemanga.com/Rurouni_Kenshin/68/11/ here].

* In just about every single work by Adachi Mitsuru, the heroine's parents are this. The heroine gets all of her looks from her mom since it just wouldn't make sense for anything male to want to get in your pants when you get your looks from "that." Heck, sometimes it would only make sense if the mom had cheated somewhere in their marriage. This would, of course, make the heroine [[The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter]].

* Played with in [[Tenjho Tenge]]. While Souchiro's mother Makiko Natsume is [[Hot Mom|naturally beautiful]], [[Good Scars, Evil Scars|the horrible scars]] [[Scars Are Forever|marring her face]] make for a strange inversion of the trope since {{spoiler|her ex-husband Sohaku}} is now more attractive than her.

 

 

*** Also, word of [http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/7223/1174082735731nl5.jpg certain other attributes] may have gotten around.

**** And his [[Healing Factor]] may increase the stamina.

* The Kingpin -- fat-looking and monstrous in size, has his gorgeous wife Vanessa and is totally devoted to her.

* In [[Love and Rockets]], Fritzi's two-time husband and "one true love" is Scott the Hog. He's fat, snaggle-toothed, and apparently has a short penis that barely works. She's beautiful, has huge breasts, a slim waist and curvy hips.

* ''[[Runaways]]'': Chase, the tall, blond athlete, ends up with Gert, the one girl on the team who isn't conventionally beautiful and thin.

 

== Film ==

* This device goes all the way back to the early days of silent movies, where Fatty Arbuckle's love interest was the lovely Mabel Normand.

* The Bollywood movie [[Partner]] takes this to a ridiculous extent with the beautiful heiress Priya and the doofy dork Bhaskar getting together in the end.

* The movie [[Johnson Family Vacation]]. Mr Johnson? Overweight and average looking Cedric The Entertainer. Mrs. Johnson? ''Miss America 1984'' Vanessa Williams.

* ''[[Before the Devil Knows You're Dead]]'' paired the overweight Philip Seymour Hoffman with the shapely Marisa Tomei. Ironically, it's ''she'' who is extremely insecure and in constant need of his assurance that he loves her.

** And when Eddie later jokes that Roger is presumably "a better lover than a driver", Jessica replies, in all sincerity, "You'd better believe it, buster."

** Inverted for the toon characters, who still see Jessica and Roger as an example of the trope...but to a one they all wonder how Jessica managed to land someone so out of her league.

* ''Couples Retreat'' featured an extreme version of the trope with an enormous, morbidly obese man and his hot twenty-year old floozy of a girl (he wasn't even rich -- but he acted like he had money, buying her a motorcycle). Lesser examples include the pudgy, slobby, older Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn being hooked up with the gorgeous Kristin Davis and Malin Akerman, respectively. Only one couple in the four featured in the movie could be described as a pair of attractive people -- Kirsten Bell and Jason Bateman. One critic even pointed out the implicit sexism going on here -- women providing [[Fan Service]] while dumpy men were shown for female viewers.

** Vaughn and Favreau actually were thin and decent-looking early on in their careers. Favreau has had weight issues for much of his life which would explain his looks but Vaughn's is a bit harder to figure out.

* ''Deck The Halls'' featured a tremendous example with the famously portly, ugly and bald Danny Devito being married to [[Kristin Chenoweth]], who, while short like Danny, is very beautiful, and portrayed as such.

* ''The Postman Always Rings Twice'' in both the original and the 1981 remake. Beautiful Cora, the main female character, was married to an ugly, old, boring husband. She was played by Lana Turner (1946) and Jessica Lange (1981) respectively, arguably two of the most sexy women of their time.

 

== Literature ==

* In [[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]], Winston Smith, a 39 year old man, somewhat over the hill by Oceanic standards, physically bent out of shape, and sporting what is apparently a highly unsightly varicose ulcer, manages to have a 4 month affair with Julia, almost ten years younger, described as being in much better physical condition, notably possessing stunning hair and breasts. Considering that both suffer crushing sexual repression and arguably have borderline nymphomaniac traits as well, they seem suited for each other. Julia's a member of a harsh chastity brigade, and sees sex as her best way of sticking it to [[The Man]]. So she's not terribly picky.

** She is, as Winston points out, "a rebel from the waist down."

** Possibly averted, if you consider that Julia may have been setting Winston up.

* Fiancé example: Zephaniah Cromwell and Emily Gibson in ''Cloud of Sparrows''. Emily is strikingly beautiful (at least by American standards), while everybody in the novel considers Cromwell incredibly ugly.

** Xanth has a few examples, as some attractive women (and they're pretty much ''all'' attractive in those books) have married actual ''monsters''. Tandy and Smash the Ogre for instance. He's half human, but still looks mostly like an ogre (who are ugly enough to curdle milk by looking at it).

** From the same author, in [[Incarnations of Immortality]], Thanatos (aka Zane), the incarnation of death is described as a fairly ugly man, the woman he dates, Luna, is described as one of the most beautiful women of her generation (this is stated as fact and recognized by immortal powers such as Satan, not a subjective opinion). It helps when the Incarnations of Faith & Time team up to do some match making.

* In [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s [[Vorkosigan Saga]], it must be noted that both Count Aral Vorkosigan (stocky, thick featured, scarred... the author once described him as Mussolini with hair) and his son Miles (under five feet, hunchbacked, and having a disproportionately large head) both managed to marry women who are quite attractive in addition to their other positive attributes.

** It should be pointed out: though each man is or will be a count, just heartbeats from the throne (or serving as Regent), they each marry their considerably-more-attractive wives for love. This is especially clear in Cordelia and Aral's case, since the reader learns his best and worst traits along with his future wife.

* Derk and Mara in Diana Wynne Jones' ''[[Dark Lord of Derkholm]]''. She's the 'glamourous enchantress', he's... middle-aged, overweight and balding. In fact, his concerns that she's going to leave him are one of his primary character drives. {{spoiler|In truth, she loves him immensely, and they go back to being [[Happily Married]] in the end. The sequel ''[[Year of the Griffin]]'' even shows (by the presence of two new children) that they're still busy.}}

* ''[[The Malloreon]]'', by David Eddings, ends, among other things, with Beldin, a deformed, short hunchback with a bad temper who is always described as incredibly dirty, finally going off with Vella, a Nadrak dancer. True, they both changed into hawks, but she was still in love with the guy from day one.

** Later, their daughter, Fleur, doesn't reject Bill Weasley after he is scarred in battle, because the scars mean nothing except "that [her] husband is brave."

{{quote| '''Fleur:''' "I am good-looking enough for ''both'' of us, I theenk!"}}

* Extreme example of Ugly Guy Hot Girlfriend in the [[Discworld]] Novel ''Thud!'' With exotic dancer Tawneee (yes, that's Tawneee with three E's,) and Nobby Nobbs, who requires signed papers from the Patrician to certify that he's ''human''<ref>In all probability, and that only after affidavits from his doctor and midwife.</ref>. It's later explained that [[Attractiveness Isolation|no man had ever asked her out before, all of them assuming she'd be out of their league, which led her to believe she was unattractive.]] Nobby on the other hand, is so used to rejection (as EVERYONE is out of his league) that he asks her out expecting rejection she's so desperate that she accepts. Despite this, she actually ''likes'' him. And he is later implied to have dumped ''her.''

** Nobby Nobbs is a very simple man, who might have been putting on a brave face for his friend Colon, but Tawneee simply couldn't cook.

* In "the Pillars of the Earth" the lovely Ellen had Jack Shareburg,who was described as being 'unsightly' with carrot colored hair and pale skin. although they never really stated if they were married or not and later their son Jack who looks like the father is described as being handsome and {{spoiler|While in france, he runs into his grandmother, who mistakes him for his father}}

* Played tragically in ''Eva Luna'', where [[Nice Guy]] with cleft palate Riad Halabi marries a pretty [[Old Maid]] named Zulema. Their marriage is ''very'' unhappy.

* ''[[According to Jim]]'', with Jim Belushi and Courtney Thorne-Smith.

** The end of this show prompted TV Guide to do a [http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Fat-Guys-Hot-1005918/1.aspx Top 10 Fat Guys with Hot Wives] list.

** This is probably because the show takes place in France (though made by Brits), which has a reputation for having women predisposed to... let's call it gratuitous love.

** Most of the women seem to find Rene exciting more than physically attractive. Which makes sense, since being the main character he's at the center of ''everything'' that goes on.

** For that matter, before he met Samantha, Darrin was engaged to an heiress played by [http://www.fanpix.net/picture-gallery/167/623167-nancy-kovack-picture.htm Nancy Kovack.] (In real life, winner of eight beauty titles.)

* ''[[The George Lopez Show]]'' features the plumper Lopez with a model-class wife that's way out of his league. He seems entirely aware of how lucky he is, and it's [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] often. George's best friend Ernie has had a crush on her since high school, and she knows it.

*** John Goodman does also happen to be considered the patron of the Bear scene in the gay community. [[Rule 34]]...

*** Roseanne is a shock-comedienne who plays off of her wanting appearance, ala Phyllis Diller, in anti-heroinne fashion.

** Kristin Davis also played Jerry's girlfriend on ''Seinfeld'' -- until, that is, George caused her toilet to turn into a geyser while she's using it-- causing the germophobic Jerry to say "have a nice life."

* ''[[Still Standing]]'', with Mark Addy and Jami Gertz. It's particularly egregious in the High School [[Class Reunion]] episode, when the wife is worried about not measuring up to the [[Alpha Bitch]]. She inexplicably abandons her usual tight shirts and jeans to wear unflattering, baggy clothing and a bad hairstyle. The [[Alpha Bitch]], played by the already-pretty Beth Littleford, wears the wife's usual clothes. The next episode has the wife right back to her usual clothes and hair.

** If I'm thinking of the right episode, most of that took place at a charity-event pancake breakfast, that took place the morning after their reunion party. The baggy clothes and hairstyle might have came from simply waking up and finding something comfortable.

** In fact, Sally thinks ''everyone'' in society is just as smitten with Don's "good looks" as she. One episode has Sally thinking she is too ''unattractive'' to believably be with someone like Don.

*** Although, Don was shown dating at least one very attractive female after he and Sally broke up.

* ''[[That 70s Show]]'' has Bob Pinciotti... who, not only started the series with a hot wife (played by Tanya Roberts), but also had a romance with Jackie's mother (played by Brooke Shields). At some point he even was seeing both of them at the same time.

* A [[Gender Flip]] in the British sitcom ''[[The Vicar of Dibley]]'', which sees plump Dawn French paired with tall, dark and brooding Richard Armitage--granted, she's the protagonist, and it was only in the season finale, but still. In [[Real Life]], Dawn French was married to Lenny Henry. The show played a little with the issue. Her significant weight gain and eventual loss was even made part of the storyline. So this can depend on which episode you watch.

{{quote| '''Karen:''' "Ugly guy, skinny wife? * shakes head* No, America is not ready for that just yet."}}

** For that matter, Karen and Stanley. Yeah, we never actually see Stanley on camera, but everyone on the show says he's a whale.

*** [http://www.seinology.com/lists/list-jerry.shtml This list] shows just how extreme an example this is. The list of ''notably'' gorgeous women who were his girlfriend at some point is truly remarkable. Jane Leeves, Courteney Cox, Teri Hatcher, Lori Loughlin, Christine Taylor, Kristin Davis, Debra Messing, Amanda Peete, Marcia Cross... it's good to be the Seinfeld.

** Kramer didn't do too badly either, although this was explained by his [[Kavorka Man]] appeal.

* ''[[Friends]]'': Although David Schwimmer is not ugly, throughout the series, we are given the [[Informed Attractiveness|impression that Rachel is WAY out of his league]] and it's a miracle he was ever able to end up with her. In fact, their relationship is often described as "every geek's dream that he can land a babe like her." Furthermore, Ross is consistently portrayed as the "Ugly Guy" is nearly ''all'' of his relationship when he's at-worst [[Hollywood Homely|odd-looking, not ugly]].

** Chandler receives the same treatment (despite being played by the handsome Matthew Perry) in his relationships and throughout the course of his relationship with Monica--in one of the early episodes Phoebe even mentions this trope in conversation with him:

*** Somewhat justified in that Chandler and Joey are classified as "the funny one" and "the cute one," respectively. Chandler isn't necessarily ''ugly''; he's just not the best-looking guy on the show.

* From ''[[Mad About You]]'', the beautiful Leila Kenzle with Richard Kind, who bears a marked resemblance to [[Magilla Gorilla]].

* Seen in the short-lived sitcom "[[Daddio]]", which had the schlubby Michael Chiklis playing househusband to a pretty attorney.

* Jay and Gloria on ''[[Modern Family]]''. Constantly [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] in the show, and many of the other characters (particularly Claire) assume she is a [[Gold Digger]] until they get to know her better.

* The early-'70s sitcom ''Arnie'' paired balding, middle-aged Herschel Bernardi with blonde stunner Sue Anne Langdon.

* ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' has this in the Fred (William Frawley) & Ethel (Vivan Vance) pairing. Vance may not have been strict supermodel material, but she's twenty years younger than Frawley - and it shows even with Vance playing down her own attractiveness to avoid ticking off Lucille Ball.

** Before she took the part, Vivian Vance played the femme fatale in her movie career and was quite beautiful.

* The early 70s sitcom ''[[The Don Rickles Show]]'' featured Louise Sorel as the star's wife.

** It's also implied with the Veals, but since Mr. Veal is played by [[Firefly|Alan]] [[Perverse Sexual Lust|Tudyk]]...

* ''[[Scrubs]]'' discusses the trope with the [[Patient of the Week]] being a smoking hot woman married to a rather large guy. What does she see in him? He was the only guy there after she dated the attractive jerky guys. J.D. often gets accused of this by watchers of the show, but he's not actually ugly -- it's just Hollywood casting for hot girls that makes everyone a model.

* In ''[[No Ordinary Family]]'', the large [[Michael Chiklis]] is paired with the smoking hot [[Julie Benz]].

* ''[[Mr. Belvedere]]'' has George Owens, played by Bob Uecker, who frequently jokes about his homely appearance in real life, paired with gorgeous Marsha played by Ilene Graff. She is beautiful and appears to be a generation his junior.

 

 

== Video Games ==

* Easily possible in any game including romantic subplots that allows you to design your own character's appearance.

* In [[Dynasty Warriors]], Meng Huo, fat king of the Nanman barbarian tribe, is married to a hot babe Zhu Rong, daughter of the god of fire.

** Meng Huo is also a [[Badass]] [[Large Ham]] who probably has [[Gag Penis|another large ham between his legs]].

** The Seeq is also quite friendly and supportive of the party's quest to save the Aegyl. OTOH, his wife is as cold and aloof as most of her race and just wishes her husband would leave the ship already. Which just raises more questions about how the hell they hooked up in the first place.

*** Keep in mind you talk to them on an airship and Virea are native to the forest. It's possible she just doesn't fly well.

* Ryu (the main character) and Patty's parents in [[Breath of Fire II]]. Their mom is a hot young winged women who can turn into a gigantic dragon while their dad, while not necessarily ugly, is a normal old human.

* ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'': [[Blood Knight|Bartolomeo]] [[Hot-Blooded|D'Alviano]] has seen many battles in his lifetime, and his heavily scarred face - and scratchy voice that sounds like he's been gargling sand - reflect that. Ezio is understandably surprised when he sees that his wife Pantasilea; A) is a woman and not a sword and B) is very attractive.

 

*** [[Beta Couple]] Betty and Barney ''do'' uphold the trope, though, much like Wilma and Fred.

* Peg from ''[[Goof Troop]]'' is seen by many fans as being really hot. Same can't be said for her overweight husband Pete.

* Jack and Maddie Fenton from ''[[Danny Phantom]]''. The answer (to the "what does she see in that big idiot?" question) may lie in the episode which shows an alternate universe in which Maddie ended up with Vlad Masters rather than Jack Fenton. She is with Jack because [[Birds of a Feather|they share many if not ALL the same interests.]]

** Jack, unlike a lot of guys on this page, is also extremely devoted and very competent at his job. And Maddie isn't much better with normal things than Jack is. Plus, Jack seems just like a large man (his stomach isn't wider than his shoulders) than fat and dumpy.

* ''[[Tripping the Rift]]'' has Chode, a disgusting purple alien with incredibly hot Six. Then again, Six is a sex robot that he owns, and we have no definition of Chode's relative attractiveness by the standards of his own species (as opposed to us humans, who aren't really qualified to judge). Also, an episode claimed that men and women are both held up to unreasonable standards for attracting the opposite sex, it's just that with women it's looks and men it's money.

* ''[[The Venture Brothers]].'' subverts this, as while she may be hot, most men seem put off by Dr. Mrs. The Monarch's (or just plain old Dr. Girlfriend) 6-packs-a-day voice. As for the men who aren't put off by her voice, The Monarch doesn't treat her like a trophy.

** Rusty also manage to seduce Dr. Quymn, possibly the hottest superscientist ever.

*** That may be due to UST from their childhood.

* ''[[WALL-E]]'' and EVE, being a rusted trash compactor and a sleek, top-of-the-line scout droid, respectively.

* Betty Boop, an iconic cartoon sex symbol, was, in many of her original appearances, the girlfriend of Bimbo, a short, round, goofy-looking dog. Of course this changed when her character design was changed to make her not only more beautiful, but human, and her relationship with Bimbo was downgraded.

* [[Cars]] 2 has {{spoiler|Mater and Holley. [[WALL-E|Pixar has a bit of a thing for pairing rusted male characters with sleek female ones.]]}}

* Greatly averted in an episode of ''[[Timon and Pumbaa]]'', "Beauty and the Wildebeest", where Rafiki helps an ugly wildebeest improve his looks and manners so that he can romance a beautiful gazelle that he has a crush for. In the end the gazelle, touched when the wildebeest is willing to reveal his hideous visage to scare of a rival at her birthday party, removes her makeup and reveals herself to be just as ugly as he is and they both share a kiss before the end credits. In this case it's Ugly Guy, Ugly Wife.

* Hermes and LaBarbara Conrad of ''[[Futurama]]'' fame.

* Subverted with Donna in ''[[The Cleveland Show]]''. Cleveland is very overweight and has a child-like demeanor while Donna appears to be pretty with a very pronounced butt. However, on several occasions, it was shown that Donna does a lot to make herself look pretty. Donna wears a wig to cover her short and gray hair, wears make up, wears a push up bra that keeps her breasts from sagging, and wears certain clothing to smooth her figure, to which she would look very overweight without it.