The Dumb Jock Trope, Explained
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2020
- In the perilous high school food chain, the jock is king of the jungle. He’s often seen on the arm of the Queen Bee, reinforcing her reign. But while she’s busy manipulating the system, the jock isn’t exactly known for being clever. In fact, he’s usually portrayed as exceptionally dumb. But as the jock character has evolved over the years, we’ve begun to see more nuanced versions of the trope that don’t always live up to the stereotypes. Here’s our Take on the dumb jock and his struggles to be taken seriously-and how our perceptions usually say more about us than him.
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Troy Barnes is a multitalented king and I love him
I have a big... BIG... BIIIIGGGGG... muscles!!! HAHAHA!!! What did you think I was going for? That's so DIRTY of you! GAGAGAGA!!! I am the funniest CZcamsr ever! Maybe that's the reason why I have TWO (!!!) HOT (!) GIRLFRIENDS. Thanks for being alive, dear raz
He is such a nerd though lol. I love it that time when him and Abed and arguing about it and Troy being adamant he is not a nerd and Jeff not paying attention is like "shush nerds, come on." That whole show is so freaking good, I love Britta the most though :)
MY EMOTIONS
@@fatalshore5068 I loooove Abed and Troy if there’s a movie and Troy and Abed don’t get to sing Troy and Abed in the movie I will boycott it
Troy and Abed in the morning....
I can’t believe I had to listen to Archie say that ridiculous line about highschool football in a serious video
I know right? I laughed when I heard that line.
I was waiting for it lol I kept thinking it the entire first half 😂
@@fantasyfiction101 same i facepalmed and laughed
"Drugs, dad. I took drugs for you," was also pretty terrible.
What minute
Please deconstruct the "Cheerleader" stereotype. She's typically presented in three categories: Dumb, Mean or Promiscuous! 🙄
Yesss!! This is a good one.
I think they did a cheerleader one already Idk for sure tho
They didn’t dona cheerleader one but they did do a dumb blonde one which was really good 😌
Bring it on changed this
Most cheerleaders I've met are usually 2 of the 3
An important influence that you left out completely: When sports became a major money maker for schools the messaging to athletes changed from 'sportsmanship and teamwork are what count to Win At All Costs, break bones if necessary, if you can injure the opposing star player enough then he can't play for the rest of the season. Also don't bother studying, you'll get passing grades.
That was my high school. I did know one guy there who was also nerdy and academic on top of playing football, but most of the guys on the team actively played up their disdain for learning (and were also really cruel), and were passed anyway. Our school completely catered to the football team.
My highschool found anyway it could to waveoff the grade need.
You described my high school.
Unless you’re a jock douchebag, they don’t care about your education.
*Trope Suggestions:*
The Final Girl
The Weird Boy (examples: Sheldon Cooper, Jughead Jones, any Tim Burton protagonist)
Latin Lover
Sibling Rivalry (examples: Azula & Zuko)
"In case you haven’t noticed, I'm weird. I’m a weirdo. I don't fit in. And I don't want to fit in. Have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? That's weird."
Agreed, the Final Girl would be brilliant to see, as well as the various deconstructions of it across the media! 😻
Put 'em all in. I like your suggestions.
What’s “Latin lover”?
@@giselec6846 Any time time you see a sexy Hispanic person in movies/tv, that's it.
Troy-Abed friendship is so wholesome
The origin of the stereotype in movies seems simple to me: screenwriters are usually much more likely to be males and have been nerds than jocks, so they begun to portray the latter as dumb and peaking in high school to deal with their own traumas or simply as a way of getting revenge. In reality, not only most jocks were probably not dumb, as the video shows, but since the skills they have (charisma, confidence, doing well in social situations, good physical condition) translate well to outside high school, they probably succeed later in life too.
Maybe but some really live up to the stereotype
I think a famous early representation would be Biff Loman from Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Biff's most successful moment was in the high school football team, and now he has been forced to confront reality. His father has failed as a salesman because he was sold a dream that they could be 'better', he didn't encourage his sons to be normal and instead made them hyper-competitive, so now they always feel like failures. Miller was deliberately being ironic about American culture though, it upends the accepted common sense answer that when people who find something they love, it gives them confidence. Physical fitness is good for you,, it makes you healthier, you could argue that the negative stereotypes of jocks; win at all costs, dumb, no future has been a particularly dangerous stereotype, as it pushes people, especially young men away from looking after themselves if they want to be taken seriously as aspirational, creative people i.e. only lower class people are healthy, but they obsess about it like losers so you don't want to be like them. Obesity is a huge problem that literally makes people sick, but you never see too much of that in the high school setting.
@@amandahannoon7864 Of course, there's always some jocks that are dumb and shallow. But I'm sure there's people of every type that fit that bill.
I was literally about to point this out.
@Glenna Smith exactly!
This was a great deconstruction of that trope. Most people join sports in high school to get into college/extracurricular credits. Plus you need to maintain a decent grade to stay in them
The question is whether or not the school treats the requirement as an obstacle or not.
Donald Glover's smile is sunshine on a face
❤❤❤
truly
Do good girl/bad guy romance next. Its gonna be interesting to hear what made the cinema romantisize this kind of relationship and why do we subconsiously like the idea that opposites attract. (Good example: Sandy and Danny from greece).
And as well why it is ok for a gg/bb romance but not the other way around, bg/gb romance. We are fine sympathizing with a good girl but not a bad one, and we are fine with bad boys because culturally, they are not viewed as *that bad* in comparison with bad girls.
They've already done a Bad Boys video which addressed this.
@@kahkah1986 the bad girl in films is a femme fatale like Mégara from Hércules
“The ePiC hIgHs aNd lOws oF hIgH sChOoL fOOt bALL” 😂😂😂 I can’t believe this show has gone on as long as it has
Could you please do Asian Exotic Girl or Latino stereotypes?
I feel like Asians, Native Americans, and Latinos are "othered" in the media and history.
Anyone who is not part of the White majority will always be otherized. In fact, I have read some comments on social media that imply a small percentage of people believe Native Americans don't even exist!
Especially on "The Spicy Latina" with a focus on Dawn Schaefer from the new Babysitters Club series, the girls from On My Block, Fabiola from "Never Have I Ever", Ugly Betty, Lupe "Hot Tamale" Velez, and a focus on Rita Hayworth's rise in Hollywood where Columbia Pictures had her look less Latina so she'd get white parts.
@@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254 Rita Hayworth was biracial, her mother was of Irish and English descent and her father was from Spain. Therefore Rita Hayworth was not necessarily Latina. However, Rita did undergo extensive hair electrolysis to increase the size of her forehead to reduce her Spanish looking forehead. The studio also wanted her to change her name to escape a Spanish sounding name. Margarita Casino choose her mother's maiden name and dropped the first 5 letters of her name.
@@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254 Less Latina? I'm so confused; please explain.
I made a video on the issues with reinforcing stereotypes and I touch base on not being latina enough if y'all would like to check it out. I am also going to do more videos about stereotypes regarding latinos and other topics regarding Latinos. Right now I am making a video about cancel culture that is taking most of my time, but it would be nice to dive deep into a series regarding these stereotypes in film and other aspects in life.
I think the trope has a lot more to do with the failings of American school systems. Because college is so unaffordable, many have to pursue sports in hopes of getting a scholarship.
And schools place more importance on sports (specifically football and basketball) victories rather than other extracurricular activities like academic competitions, chess club, debate team, drama club, art club, etc. The highschool experience is to centered around sports: games, pep rallys, fund raisers, school dances, etc.
I absolutely agree! This is also harmful to non-sport extra curricular activities that are academically based, such as music, art, and theater. They’re often among the first programs to be cut even though that’s where a great number of students thrive. Sports are prioritized in the school system even in financially struggling schools districts.
@Ooohbopbopboppadoohwah I live in Germany, where college doesn't exist (we have three types of secondary school, the highest of which includes what might pass for college in the US). University is free and you can get money from the state to pay for lodgings (no dorms here) and general life - but you'll probably need at least a side job to keep up with your financial needs, unless you manage to find a place at a university you can commute to from home. In school, people concentrate on what they want to do after school - some go for certain sciences, some go for languages, some go for sports, it depends on their life plan. For a long time (until that 'almost like college' level), we all have the same classes, there's no choosing what you want to learn. There is no need to go into a sport if you want to go to college for a stipend. If you're doing well enough in primary school, you can go to that highest type of secondary school and get your degree which opens access to university or job training in higher-paying jobs. You can also get that degree later, through evening or correspondence courses, of course. College the way it's seen in the US and the UK doesn't exist here - only people who want a degree of some kind go to uni, the others go into job training after school.
America isn’t the only country?
@@adaon2282 but the take is critiquing American movies and tropes. It’s based in America...
@@kilimanjaro5537
Sorry I get tired whenever someone brings up the American school system
Jamal from "On My Block" is one of the most interesting examples of a jock character i've seen because he doesn't like playing Football and because of how geeky he is the Audience assumes it's because he sucks at it but it's revealed that he's actually one of the best players at his school he just doesn't like getting hurt and only plays because his parents want him to.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
Albert Einstein
I absolutely dig your quotes, they're always on point, and I rarely diasgreee with them! 👌🎊
@@trinaq Well everyone can have their own opinion.
@@konraddygudaj257 she’s agreeing with you
@@sophiabalounsi7832 I know
Thank you for mentioning the most written quote on the whole internet.
i’m a simple girl, i see troy barnes, i click
Likewise, Troy was hilarious and sweet, and his bromance with Abed was one of the highlights of the show! 💙
I guess that makes us two
@@trinaq (b)romance
the show died when troy left, no doubt
It is even more poignant considering your profile pic!
"Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one"
Weird how often this is repeated without the end which really makes a big difference on the meaning of the phrase
Wow, I didn't know that there was a second line to that. Thank you!
It's kind of like the saying "curiosity killed the cat" but that is only half of the saying. The other half is "but satisfaction brought it back."
@@Passions5555 I think I like this one even better.
Welcome to the program "Sick Manipulative World"!
My older brother is a Jack of all trades in his case the master of none is simply untrue.
This trope was always weird to me because in real life jocks are supposed to keep their grades up to continue playing sports
Yeah but rich parents Pay to keep them in
Ik it’s weird jocks are stupid but if you play any sport including cheer you have to keep your grades up or you get kicked off the team lol makes No sense?
@Sho Tohara There was actually a good King of the Hill episode that illustrated that. Peggy had to sub high school and she noticed the start quarterback wasn't doing well academically. She gave him the grade he deserved and the school tried to make her change it. She refused, so they made Hank give the kid a "work-study" class to bypass it. He did it, but also realized how "dumb" the kid was. In truth, the kid wasn't really dumb. He was just never challenged and no one held him accountable, so he didn't try in school.
At my school the jocks were nice, friendly and funny guys which is why everyone liked them, while a lot of the nerds were smug and entitled assholes that thought they were smarter and better than others.
I'm a nerdy girl, but I've always avoided the nerdy guys like the plague. In my experience they tend to be misogynistic incels. I'd rather have a jock with a heart of gold, even if he's not the most brilliant.
Honestly, that's true. In my highschool, a good amount of the jocks I meet were pretty nice and kind. While a lot if the "nerds" were rude, smug, entitled, and just completely assholes. Greeks were mostly chill, some where incels or a girl version of an incel but yeah. Sometimes there are just bad eggs.
I haven’t really had bad experiences with neither jocks nor nerds. Both were pretty cool but I’ll stick with my nerds because jocks are just not my taste...we don’t match. And it’s such a cliche for the nerd to like the jock(I’m a nerd 😂) it’s annoying.
For me it was pretty mix we had good jocks and bad ones same with the nerds
I was a overweight nerd with glasses back in high school and I was bullied by other girls because I was dating a jock who those girls had crush on ~~
@@kimberlygonzalez3525 same.
Interestingly, Flash Thompson is traditionally portrayed as the stereotypical jerk jock but the current MCU version updates him to being just as nerdy as Peter but still a bully (implied to be because of his neglectful family).
I was hoping they'd discuss Flash in some capacity, particulalry how his characterization deepens with every film reboot. I will always love the scene in Amazing Spider-Man where he tries to console Peter after Uncle Ben's death and acknowledges Pete's aggression (like his own) is just a coping mechanism. I hope the MCU writers choose to elevate him from his current comic relief status and give him an actual arc. He deserves better.
The modern update absolutely doesn't work for me. One thing people miss about Jock Flash is that he didn't work in isolation. Like actual bullies he had friends and other classmates regarded him highly. He couldn't compete against Parker in a fight of strength, but he could absolutely torment Pete by turning his classmates against him. Nerd Flash is mean, but he isn't the king that Jock Flash was.
@@kingsleycy3450 I agree a lot of what made Flash... well, Flash has been removed from the MCU adaptation. They de-emphasize his athleticism and portray him as a bigger social outcast than Peter. I like how these choices point at a hidden vulnerability and inform us why he treats Peter so callously, but it ultimately makes him the butt monkey of the series for little more than laughter at his expense. I hope a third Spider-Man "Home" movie gives him greater purpose and an opportunity to mature as a character.
I have to say that I like the Spectacular Spiderman version of the flash. His character development in that series is heads and shoulders above what the movies do with his character.
@@SaccadicSableye nah it completely works for me, as some one who was in highschool when homecoming came out the old jock flash never really resonate with me because the dumbjock thing doesnt really exist anymore
can we PLEASE get a full video about the himbo trope?! they're stupid and handsome men like the dumb jock, but their dumbness makes them extremely friendly and accepting, often very wholesome, and blissfully unaware like a dog. the issue is that we almost exclusively see this trope in white men because we over-associate white features with kindness & innocence. we also forgive anything problematic these characters do because they don't know any better, like a puppy. the most textbook himbos are andy from parks & rec, jason from the good place, mr. peanutbutter from bojack horseman, or joey tribianni from friends.
Also Kelso from That 70s Show
And Brendan Fraiser as George of the Jungle
also worth noting how himbos are loved but bimbos are mocked. A lack of intelligence is usually only represented as charming for men
@@Urmom-ty7ll exactly!!!!!
Also Zack from The Big Bang Theory
I prefer the "jock" trope as it is now...using their popularity, emotional intelligence, and charm to influence other people rather than scare and intimidate others as the stereotypical "bully". BTW you should fo the "Bully Trope" next...
so then theyre manipulative?
I considered myself a "NerdJock" back in high school. I was on the starting line of my varsity football team while attending art club, anime club, and scifi-club. I was nerd with jock privilege and most of my peers at the time didnt know how to process that nor figure out where to put me on the social hierarchy. The most common thing said to me was "OMG you're on the football team? You don't seem like jock." I was very proud of that and didn't want to seem super jocky. Troy Barnes in particular was someone I saw myself as in terms of embracing my nerdiness in college. This video made me feel very seen.
" We were thinking "What if Troy did play for Greendale?". You'd be surprised how many of your favorite football players started at community college."
"Really. Name one."
"Who's your favorite football player?"
"Me. Whoa!"
It’s funny cuz IRL you have to be smart to be a jock. If your grades aren’t good enough they kick you off the team.
exactly!
Well. Good grades =/= intellegence.
Atleast not necessarily.
Could this aspect from college level athletes? Because when applying for colleges, yeah you still have to be good, but if you’re an athlete, you don’t have to be as good as other applicants.
Depends on the school and what college they want to get into. Some college completely let it slide and some highschool do as well. Others won't, so you have to have that A to play.
And sports are for thinking people
Man, I miss Community.
Same, still waiting on that movie tho
WHYYYYY??
“A Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one” that’s the full saying.
And that is what depicts a person with high functioning narcissist (Aka jocks, queen bees, etc)
I am from Asia, and I was always so confused about the American stereotype that the sporty guys are dumb! In our culture the smart AND athletic students were the best ones. I rarely met stupid af guys who were serious about their athletic path.
bruh in asia every parent dreams to have that Straight A, musically talented athlete as a child.... there’s even schools in my country that specialise in doing that
My sister-in-law is from China and she feels the same way, the dumb jock trope annoys her.
I think a lot of American movies have created satire of satire for so long high school movies are now basically set in a fictional universe, and don't represent people. Many characters are just one-dimensional caricatures- "the smart one" "the pretty one" "the mean one" - and they're stripped away of other features. It's become very boring and stale. People are complex, and currently in America's competitive system many students want to be everything, with some students achieving it.
I guess that simple characters are easy to write about though. The writers don't need to think.
@@MissMiserize In my high school many of the top students with high GPAs were also accomplished student athletes. And you're right tropes make for easier writing.
@@paemonyes8299 Ohhh god in my all girls Indian school the popular ones were those who got straight A s, athletic and also good in dance, music or art. If they weren't athletic then they have to be good in the other two departments. And my school was very against bullying.
The dumb jock trope makes no sense.
Being a star player in a team sport is not just physical prowess and hand-eye coordination.
One must excel at quick thinking, tactics, awareness of surroundings, adapting to change, psychology, leadership, etc.
In other words, you can't be a dumb jock and expect to perform well in a team sport. You need brains and brawn. [edited]
Kinesthetic intellegence.
***Brawn
Also, from the school I went to, for one to participate in sports they need to keep a grade a C or higher. Other wise they be not allowed for practice or games due to not keeping up with their classes. Though, I have heard coaches have brushed off some athletes when it comes to grades if they are the star athlete. Idk, I know high school movies are fictional, but it’s stuff like that where it makes it dismissive for me to watch a high school based show or movie.
Yes, but I think this is also a very American stereotype. Sports are a way to be popular and to get an athletic scholarship/future. One theoretically needs to have good grades, but when you look at the average reading level of a college football athlete it is not nearly as high as you would expect. I have also met and heard of high school/college athletes who have their homework done for them to keep their grades up so they have more time to practice and therefore earn more money for their high schools/colleges.
i've always thought this, and was confused as to why ppl thought jocks were dumb
Riverdale never portrayed Archie as a dumb jock and it's not just because the dumb jock conventions have become increasingly outdated, it's that Archie never portrayed a dumb jock in the comics either. He was always well-rounded even though he gets bad grades lol.
definitely. He's impulsive and naive but he's very sensitive emotionally and optimistic and tries to see the best out of things even when it all seems hopeless. Nuanced. And even with Reggie they tried to flesh him out a bit but ultimately he does not get a lot of storylines to himself so it's hard to develop him
i think its funny how apperantly girls need to be smart and manipulative to be popular and on top off the social hierarchy but boys just need to be handsome and good at sports
girls are also expected to be good at sports depending on social circles. some parents do put pressure on their kids in sports regardless of gender. also yea being pretty doesnt mean popular for girls. being manipulative is what it is so then for girls popularity is overrated bc you must be fake. so that can be true to real life as well. it depends on the parents, teachers, values, social circles etc
Both do 2 things so whata your're point?
Regardless of whether that's true or not...you are implying being handsome and good at sports is easier?
I love Troy and Abed's friendship. I came for the laughs, but stayed for those guys!
I love Kevin from Daria, because he's not a jerk at all. He fearfully follows the unwritten social hierarchy of the school, but he is constantly approaching Daria for help and advice and, if he wasn't aware of that hierarchy, he probably would be an (overt) friend. Also his flavor of dumb is hilarious.
I love The Take's videos. I make my friends watch them and then we discuss them over a blunt.
I wish I had friends to do this with happy for you :')
It's obviously meant to be an exaggeration, so I don't mind it in movies, but in real life, the people involved in sports in my school were never the bullies. They were always hard-working at their sport and tended to treat people pretty fairly. Which makes sense, as most of the sports were about teamwork. I wasn't very athletic myself back then, but I never minded them at all.
The bullies in school were usually the more apathetic people who weren't really involved in any clubs or sports and didn't care about anything. The people who had a purpose and direction in life weren't so miserable, while those who didn't took their angst and frustrations out on others and were far more petty and immature.
@Hip Sis I notice that you comment more or less this same point on every video. That's boring, and you should probably stop for the sake of not wasting people's time.
Plus, if you even were correct that they're lesbians, do you think they'd become less so if you keep making this point? There's millions of gay people throughout time and history who would disagree with your method. Not that it's offensive: it just doesn't work.
@Hip Sis Wow, I'm a group now! Made it, Ma!
Show me this data you speak of and I'll show you my amazing powers of rearranging reality. I'll try and create a new world where you don't speak exclusively from your tukkus.
@@picklesthewise And how someone can show data if youtube disables links? :^)
I am a few years late, but those who are angsty usually have some unresolved trauma. Something has happened to them that makes them mad at the world. I know to you it looks like they're just being overdramatic, but it's usually mental illness that I can empathize with (not sympathize). Personally, I was the same way. I got socially excluded and bullied, which made me "standoffish" and mean towards others because I was afraid of them. I thought the whole world was against me. I felt insecure around a lot of athletes because they looked so confident, respected, and perfect, while I felt very misunderstood and invalidated in my social anxiety. Now, as I've gotten older, I have a better handle on my mental health, but I do wish I had learned more about my social anxiety sooner.
I love that you included Nathan Scott. He seemed to be a stereotypical jock character in the beginning but we quickly learned what a nuanced character he was and I loved that. He was one of my favourites.
Another character that goes against the stereotype is Chad Michael Murray's character in A Cinderella Story
Nathan's character development is beautiful.
He wasn't the smartest academically, but he did try (eventually) and there was a pretty good reason for that. His Dad literally made him prioritise basketball, it wasn't that he couldn't be bothered or didn't want to study. And no one was there to help him either. His Dad only cared about basketball, and his Mum wasn't around much, and his friends were kinda idiots...And he worked to change and become a better person and do better in School and be good enough for Haley. All he needed was a positive influence and someone who believed in him... :(
I'm a simple girl, I see troy from community, I click
Boy here. But: same.
Why was that cringey Riverdale line there lmaooo
cause it spoke to the point they were trying to make
It made my day as a fan of both The Take and bombastic Riverdale lines ❤️
I don't know man...
9:50 I can't believe you included that quote, now I have to stare at my wall for three hours
The full phrase is "Jack of all trades, master of none, better than a master of one"
NFL - 68% African-American, NBA - 74% African-American. The sports in this video are mostly either basketball or football. The number African-Americans portraying jocks ... like three. Representation has been lacking in American film.
@akshay Viswambharan bro I don’t make the movies, I guess baseball isn’t as popular (because it’s not)
@akshay Viswambharan man I don’t know. I ain’t from there ... I’m writing this from Zimbabwe
"He is the smartest guy on the football team. Which is kind of like being the tallest dwarf"
Is it possible to do a breakdown on the Religious Nutjob trope? I think it would be interesting to see how religious characters have evolved over time and how certain stereotypes of religion can be constraining?
As a former athlete and current coach, I greatly appreciate this video!
I dated a girl in HS who introduced me to my friends by saying "he's a football player." I had a conversation with one of her friends for the first time and after about five minutes, she said "Wow, I'm impressed! I thought you were just a dumb jock!" and I was supremely offended by this 'compliment.'
I LOVE that community is finally getting the attention it deserves in some of your recent videos. You also have an amazing video about abed and it is really great. You guys should definitely do more and analyze all of the characters or how the show was kinda ahead of its time. Thank you guys you are awesome
Can you do the "cancer as a character development trope". I hate when they romanticize illnesses to use it for the building of relationships and the yolo before dying.
Growing up I was into reading, art and music but earlier this year I finally decided to fulfill a dream of mine I've had since I was young. I started taking an adult gymnastics class. And let me tell you, there is SO MUCH mental work that goes into it. You have to focus on several different things at the same time, while trying to NOT focus on several different things and everything has to happen in an instant.
"Core is strong and tight, don't think about hitting your head, Arms out, but don't lock your joints, lengthen your spine, try and make yourself taller but keep your shoulders down, tuck your head, but not yet, don't think about crashing, ready? You have one second. Go!"
Studying wasn't easy but at least I could read and play at my own pace. The idea that athletics don't require much brain power is a lie.
There's always gonna be dumb people and bullies but not every athlete are these traits. The dumb jock in media use to make feel terrible about being an athlete I'm so glad there's better portrayal in media. Unfortunately so many people in my life still believe this terrible outdated trope and are really surprised when they find out I'm an athlete bc I really don't fit the trope. Anyway so glad you touched upon this trope
I live for The Take.
Ditto, it's my favourite analysis channel of all time! 😻
I just want to thank you so much for this! I've been wanting your spin on it, and it's clear you've heard and delivered. I love this channel!
The perfect partnet trope.
I was watching Emily in Paris and I couldn’t stop myself into realizing how the hot neighbor the main character is involved never shows any kind of struggle or needs any assistance with anything while he’s always magically appearing to help her all the time. And made me think about several other movies that script could apply too.
I think that's just bad writing.
seems like he's not really a well developed character, just a plot device
@akshay Viswambharan not really?? rom coms often have complex male love interest characters bc the plot of the rom com centers around their misunderstandings and drama
"Jack of all trades, master of none is oftentimes better than a master of one"
Looking back, I realize just how much I was affected by media portrayals of jocks and nerds. When I was a kid, people would often be surprised that I was stronger or faster than they expected, but I still never applied myself, because I pegged myself as the brainy-nerdy type. I just assumed I wasn't born for it, and that being the nerd was somehow more ethical than being a jock.
Troy and Abed in the Morrrnning
One factor that needs to be considered: America's most popular sport (arguably) is football. Football is a heavy contact sport which makes it much harder to study/stay focused. It is a serious problem that is researched within the NFL (look at Will Smith's movie "concussion"). This most certainly played into the trope we see today.
I was looking for a comment like this. Yeah, there's rugby and hockey and soccer hooliganism. But in America, football is probably the most popular collision/contact sport. The most popular guy in school is assumed to be the high school quarterback. And it's a brutal sport to encourage children to play. The CTE could easily correlate to the aggressive and emotional behavior seen with this trope as well as the learning difficulties.
I wonder if it's too specific of an ask to see if The Take can talk about "the blue streak" character trope (female characters with blue streaks/coloured hair, commonly Asian, to represent their weirdness or edginess)
Omg if they do they must give Ebony from My Immortal a honorable mention
@@iranouchka *Enoby 😉
Enoby Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way
@akshay Viswambharan XD well as someone who momentarily had a clip on blue streak when I was younger, I suppose it's a early lesbian phase
One of the worst people I've ever met is a nerd who is getting an engineering degree. I became roommates with him because I thought, "I get along with nerds and people who like math must certainly be quiet introverts, just like all the people I've met so far in my life. He will be a good roommate for me." Boy, was I wrong! He was very extroverted, was annoyingly loud most of the time, treated his girlfriend with great contempt, and yaked on the phone more than any other girl or woman I have ever met. He was also a bully and threatened physical violence against me when he didn't get his way with my property. It was really bad. Thank God he moved out. This was definitely a great life lesson--don't judge books by their covers. Math-loving nerds can be just as nasty and toxic as the worst dumb jocks.
by far one of my favorite tropes! I have seen how much it has changed over the years and shows like One Tree Hill and Friday Night Lights, really did change my perspective on the trope
A person i really admire, had said something similar in his TED talk. He highlighted how physical fitness was important for a healthy mind, how this was what the ancient Greeks and Romans focused on, and how this impacts success. As usual, great video by the take❤️🙏
I’ve never seen the original Karate Kid or the Cobra Kai series, but I do really like the idea of revisiting old stories and retelling/expanding them from a different character’s perspective. It’s a refreshing “middle-ground” between simple remakes and complete revamping.
I’m always so excited when this channel posts a new video 🥰🥰
I'd love to see a video on the stage mom or other types overbearing parents who live vicariously through their kids.
Beverly Goldberg from "The Goldbergs"
Interestingly, this Trope is VERY American, in the UK, there is no (lack of) association between brains and athleticism, there is a very class based system about what 'types' of games people play, but nothing to do with being smart or dim.
Would've been interesting to look into how Nate from Euphoria fits into this...he's got the star jock pressures and everything but is also an "evil mastermind" if you will.
Amazing work as always- the pictures of the athletes with Say Her Name made me tear up
I’m a simple man. I see a community character, I click
And the dumb jock trope is especially sad in the light of brain scans that tell us that football players are usually getting degenerative brain damage from all the tackling, brain damage that often leads to more aggressive and reckless behavior, and that damage slowly gets worse for the rest of your life even if you only played in high school
I was thinking about this throughout the video.
I want a movie where the jock is a bully and the nerd is an incel but turns out they're both closeted and they confessed to each other in the end and finally kiss.
i see troy barnes, i click
Here's an exchange I overheard in high school (while in drama club):
Regular kid: Before you, I never talked to football players.
Football player who likes theater: Man, I suck at football.
I really enjoyed the subversion of this one in "book smart". Really enjoyed that movie in general
Omg Troy Barnes and Kevin Thompson in the thumbnail, perfection
They really put the Riverdale clip in there.
Love when they combine the two and make a terrifying villian who is both physically intimidating but behind the scenes even scarier is his smarts that allow him to manipulate and stay on top
See Nate in Euphoria!
TROY BARNES! I still feel sad thinking about his last episode and that hug with Abed.
this video made me so happy 😭 jocks in media have been so good lately
I absolutely loved this video. I became more and more aware that not only women suffer from stereotypes/tropes, but men as well. The way masculinity is portrayed in the media makes a lot of young men ashamed to behave otherwise because that would not be "cool" or "male enough". So they are left to be pressured into behaviour they may not have done without the judgement or insecurities these tropes create.
Needs more Community.
I love that you included Finn from Glee. i always thought it sad we lost Cory Montieth when we did and we didn't get more of older Finn after he graduated cus from the beginning they were shaping and molding him into being a natural leader. a teacher. he always stepped up and had a devour loyalty to his friends. he wasn't the best singer or dancer and wasn't the smartest in terms of academia but he led with his heart and his emotions and you could tell that being good at football and also being good in Glee club meant a lot to him. he was passionate about life. He always saw the best in people. when he became a brother to Kurt, supported Santana in her coming out, his loyalty to Rachel, his kindness for Quinn, his determination to make Puck a better person. One of my fave jock subversions in popular culture.
Troy and Abed in the takeee
I love Troy Barnes, but where was Troy Bolton in this video?
I love it how you explain the importance of skill combination. Like the author KM. Weiland once quoted on her site:
'The brain is part of the body.'
Since I only have one body I take that sentence downright serious. The connection here is positivity, something that has been put to the sideline in our often more technologically advanced society to the point where isolation (even before Corona) became the result of the technology that initially was invented to unite us.
Physical training (body building or any other sport)
Spiritual training (meditation - improved focus, enhanced empathy, self-love, sharpened sences and feeling happy for feeling happy)
Mental training (a skillset of your choice)
Diet training (healthy, simple and vegetarian - go Vegan if you can afford it)
Philosophical training (learning to think correctly - positive while staying equal to others)
Social training (Respecting everyone - no exceptions - and learning the differences between how men and women think)
And above all, knowing very well that no matter how much you grow, you will never ever outgrow another person. And you don't want to, or else you'll end up the loniest person on this planet, rather you'll see it or not.
The high school I went to limited a lot of extracurriculars to those who had good grades, so often the jocks were also the honors students, and student body officers. Additionally a lot of they did choir and/or theatre, which were popular at my school, so a lot of them were the leads in the school musical as well.
so excited for this, love himbos
* sees troy in the thumbnail * don't do troy like that!!!!!
I saw troy, so i clicked
I would love it if you guys did videos about "Cobra Kai" (and as I'm typing this, you just mentioned them)! But a deep dive into this amazing show would be SO good! Its the odd show in which there are very few truly "bad guys", also its a pretty good takedown of toxic masculinity.
Could you please do the “cheerleader trope” as a cheerleader myself I would love to see this trope deconstructed and cheerleaders being portrayed in a good light for once
Another amazing video
When they said the jock holds on to the glory days of high school I immediately thought of Al Bundy constantly reminding everyone about "scoring four touch downs in one game at Polk High" lmaoooooo.
The levels of competitiveness are also absurd in the academic world.
with all these glee examples I now long for Glee characters' analysis like the Friends ones you did... PLEASE
Quinn fabray needs tons of videos such a queen
Okay but this was a great opportunity to talk about Troy from HSM too!
man do i wish this video was around to help Troy Bolton back in the spring of his junior year
The way my heart leapt with joy every time I saw Nathan Scott.......
Me too! Everytime I saw him on screen I found myself screaming his name. I gotta say I never thought of Nathan as a dumb jock though, but I understand where they're coming from.
@@ForeverRememberable SAAAME
Right off the bat they showed him as a kid just trying to keep up with his dad's demands
He's got one of the best character arcs in One Tree Hill and the way he had completely changed by season 2 oof
But yes he was also a dumb jock 😂
1:58 but in "real life" shows a clip from the social network and I see thumbnail about how that moved "lied to us" in the side bar from the same channel lol.
i really like The Take and their film discussion videos. Seeing film portrayals over the years change and reveal things in our society is really great. I try to watch more of their female tropes centered content and as a male find it a bit uninteresting or unrelatable but i just want to say keep up the great work!
Nice to see Community, Arrested Development (Steve Holt!) and even the Office included in this trope. There are a few more relevant TV moments that fit: the old jock peaking in high school applies perfectly to Al Bundy in Married With Children; pressures on players to win at all cost include use of steroids that endanger their health, which was emphasized on a more serious than usual episode of Coach, the ending of which is brilliantly chilling.
Yey, I was going to re-watch another of your videos, still waiting for the "Hot exotic girl" trope
Wouldn't Thor from Marvel, especially the MCU, fall under this category at times?
In a way, yeah: He is more or less defined by his physical strength and warrior mentality, but he can also be surprisingly intelligent and he deeply cares for the people he's close to. Even when he goes all "Lebowski" in Endgame, he's still as fierce a fighter as ever, proving that Jocks can come in all non-prefect shapes and sizes.
@@Hallows4 Yes, I would say he's an interesting subversion of the trope.