History Main / GiveGeeksAChance

-->'''Max''': ''(thinking)'' "I can have a little fun with Warren for a change. And ''he's'' the one who wants to "Go Ape!" and sometimes... [[WillTheyOrWontThey you have to take a chance and see what happens."]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'': Flik is a bumbling inventor and Princess Atta is the Queen Ant's gorgeous but stressed-out daughter. While it's strongly implied that Flik has liked her all along, Atta's just annoyed and frustrated with him since his inventions often cause more problems for the colony, and [[SlapStickKnowsNoGender injury to herself]]. No surprise, she warms up to him over the movie.

* Another gender-inverted example is good-looking, popular athlete Calvin and bookish, frumpy Meg from Creator/MadeleineLEngle's [[Literature/AWrinkleInTime Time Quartet]] who eventually get married. (Although ''Literature/ASwiftlyTiltingPlanet'' implies that Meg, like her HotScientist mother, grew up quite nicely from her 'awkward geek' teenage years.)

Related to UglyGuyHotWife, and subject to the same DoubleStandard as traditionally for women in media, [[MenActWomenAre looks are the only thing that does and ''should'' matter]]. If a HollywoodHomely geek girl (or HollywoodHomely non-geek girl, for that matter) sets her sights on a hot guy, she might be able to win him over if she [[SheCleansUpNicely gets a makeover]] or [[TheGlassesGottaGo takes off the nerdy glasses]] to reveal she was BeautifulAllAlong. But it's more likely she'll just be the AbhorrentAdmirer who makes him run away in terror, hence why this trope is beginning to experience some backlash lately. That said, SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy stories do sometimes feature a nerdy girl pining for and eventually ending up with the hot BigManOnCampus. Cue lots of "ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe."

Related to UglyGuyHotWife, and subject to the same DoubleStandard as traditionally for women in media, [[MenActWomenAre looks are the only thing that does and ''should'' matter]]. If a HollywoodHomely geek girl (or HollywoodHomely non-geek girl, for that matter) sets her sights on a hot guy, she might be able to win him over if she [[SheCleansUpNicely gets a makeover]] or [[TheGlassesGottaGo takes off the nerdy glasses]] to reveal she was BeautifulAllAlong. But it's more likely she'll just be the AbhorrentAdmirer who makes him run away in terror, hence why this trope is beginning to experience some backlash lately. That said, SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuyInSchool stories do sometimes feature a nerdy girl pining for and eventually ending up with the hot BigManOnCampus. Cue lots of "ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe."

A trope common in {{Romantic Comed|y}}ies and Teen Comedies, in which a dorky ([[NerdsAreSexy not necessarily]] ''[[NerdsAreSexy ugly]]'', just... geeky) guy ends up with the totally hot babe. Generally, the geek begins the story as an outcast to whom the beautiful girl would never be attracted. He may be a band geek, or a scientist with all the social graces of a tube worm, or a ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' player who still lives in his mom's basement. And through the course of the story, she begins to see through his spaz-like exterior to the [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan decent, love-worthy man within.]]

Related to UglyGuyHotWife, and subject to the same DoubleStandard, since gender inversions are practically non-existent; there may be more to the male geek than his pocket protector, but for women, looks are the only thing that does and ''should'' matter. If a HollywoodHomely geek girl (or HollywoodHomely non-geek girl, for that matter) sets her sights on a hot guy, she might be able to [[SheCleansUpNicely make a]] [[BeautifulAllAlong few slight]] [[TheGlassesGottaGo alterations]], but it's more likely she'll just be the AbhorrentAdmirer who makes him run away in terror. Hence why this trope is beginning to experience some backlash lately.

Also extremely [[Film/RealGenius rare]] is the male geek that actually considers a similarly geeky girl, due to the latter's rarity in media in general, unless the geeky girl is a "nerdslut" who ReallyGetsAround with nerds in general, in which case she's at best a second choice in comparison to the hot babe. This holds even for works aimed at a female audience, and therefore any nerdy girl ''will'' eventually be revealed to be BeautifulAllAlong.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' has a tag-team battle with two [=NPCs=]: an Aroma Girl (a YamatoNadeshiko-type girl) and a Collector, a {{Nerd}}. The pre- and post-combat dialog indicates that they've just recently started a relationship.

** Some of this dynamic is there in the LoveTriangle of [[spoiler:Snape, Lily and James. All of them were brilliant students but Lily and James were popular and socially charismatic while Snape was asocial and unpopular. Nonetheless Lily and Snape, owing to their childhood friendship remain friends Rowling states that if Snape had never gotten into the Dark Arts and the Death Eaters, a romantic relationship might have developed between him and Lily. She only dated and married James long after their friendship was over, thanks entirely to him]].

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' being set in a British Boarding School generally doesn't quite have the same coding, and most students tend to be AcademicAthlete in general:
** Ron and Hermione reverse this. By ''Prince'', Ron's technically a jock, and Hermione's still a geek. Not to mention Cormac, who is also a good-looking Quidditch player (though it's subverted in that Hermione thinks he's an idiot and only dates him once, [[OperationJealousy to annoy Ron]]). Before that there was also ''Goblet of Fire'', when the popular and athletic Viktor Krum is smitten with Hermione, but Krum is also an AcademicAthlete, and a brilliant and talented wizard in his own right. Ron was also an InsecureLoveInterest who felt overshadowed by Harry, even if Harry wasn't an especially brilliant student himself, and was likewise a jock.
** Harry felt this way in ''Goblet of Fire'' in the small LoveTriangle between him, Cho and Cedric. Cho and Cedric were both AcademicAthlete, highly popular and quite smart, while Harry was a famous celebrity with little experience in talking to girls, and who was also resented by HufflepuffHouse for overshadowing Cedric who got selected by the Goblet out of merit. [[spoiler:Despite everything, he and Cedric actually become good friends]].

In general this is slowly [[DiscreditedTrope becoming obsolete]] as "nerd" and "geek" become less pejorative.

* In ''Webcomic/PixieTrixComix'', pro wrestler Tess initially finds Aaron, who is written as the most irritating, socially inept sort of nerd, as annoying as everyone else does, only associating with him because she’s desperate for advice on various topics. However, she comes to find him amusing and even likeable, and ends up [[spoiler:using him for a night of rampant sex]], which actually goes very well. They have a weird sort of chemistry; it helps that she’s really not as cool as her image, while Aaron has been working out physically and very slowly improving his personality.

* The trope is played with slightly cynically in later ''Webcomic/MenageA3'' strips, as hopeless geek Gary is frequently pursued by various members of the comic's stunningly attractive female cast (plus at least one gay guy and one UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} woman). However, not many of them like him ''for'' his geekiness; their reasons include his blushing, bumbling cuteness, his supposedly glamorous status as a (wannabe) artist, and his fabled skill at cunnilingus. Zii’s attraction to him fits the trope more closely, but she fights it furiously.

* "Literature/TotallyHigh: Ian and Chanel. Ian is lucky enough to have a popular girl from "the libbys", Chanel is better off dating someone who ever she likes for now on, instead of being shallow all the time. She also made it clear that Ian better not be thinking about sex until she agreed to. Since the nerdy boy and the popular girl had spending a lot time with each other, Ian finally had his wish.

** [[TheLeader Will]] herself could count as the "geek" with her relationship with Matt Olsen who's a budding rock star that is shown to be a ChickMagnet to the extent that Will... [[ClingyJealousGirl doesn't appreciate that aspect of him]]. Will is not a typical nerd as she's BookDumb or at least [[EverybodyHatesMathematics hates math]], though she does have an obsession with frogs going by her possessions and in one of the cartoon's openings she's implied to be a fan of ''Franchise/{{TheMuppets}}'' and ''Pokémon''. And yet Matt has only ever shown interest in her, even with attractive girls making passes at him. Taranee and Hay Lin are geeky in their own way, being examples of NerdsAreSexy and a OtakuSurrogate respectively, again have no trouble attracting boys. And it's not just a Guardian thing, either, as Will's own mother dates her history teacher who is a good-looking NiceGuy that is still a total history geek and a contrast to her much smoother ex-husband, though Will's father's failings may be the reason she's looking for [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan someone different and more reliable]].

* The beginning of ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' [[ExploitedTrope plays out like this]], with nerdy and shy Ken Kaneki smitten with a beautiful and mysterious woman that frequents the same cafe. His best friend advises him to give up, because she's completely out of his league and a book-store date is a ''terrible'' idea. But Kaneki manages to work up the courage, and scores a date with the beautiful Rize Kamishiro. The two have a fantastic time and he walks her home, before mustering the courage to ask her on a second date. Rize admits that she's interested in him as well ...as a meal, that is. Turns out, Rize is a [[OurGhoulsAreDifferent ghoul]] and she likes to eat her dates.

** His cause is helped by the fact that after Steve Ditko left, his original plain and average features were altered by John Romita into a more handsome face and muscled body intended by Romita to suggest that College-Age Pete had grown up but on account of Romita's background in romance comics, ended up making Peter really really good-looking. In the movies, Creator/AndrewGarfield is closes to the handsome Peter while Creator/TobeyMaguire and Creator/TomHolland are Ditko-Peter.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' has a tag-team battle with two [=NPCs=]: an Aroma Girl (a YamatoNadeshiko-type girl) and a Collector (a Type 1 HollywoodNerd). The pre- and post-combat dialog indicates that they've just recently started a relationship.

* ''Anime/VariableGeo'': We never see how it starts, but it's clear that [[TheOjou Reimi]] [[LadyOfWar Jahana]] is secretly involved with [[RighthandHottie her personal assistant]], [[HollywoodNerd Washio.]] Such as when Chiho happens upon Reimi's private rooftop rose garden and [[InterruptedIntimacy finds them making out with each other.]]

* ''Fanfic/ArrowRebirth'': Sara Lance has slept with the likes of [[{{Hunk}} Oliver Queen]], [[PrettyBoy Dick Grayson]], and [[DarkActionGirl Nyssa al Ghul]]. The guy she ends up falling for, though? [[NiceGuy Barry]] [[HollywoodNerd Allen]].

Related to UglyGuyHotWife, and subject to the same DoubleStandard, since gender inversions are practically non-existent; there may be more to the male geek than his pocket protector, but for women, looks are all that ''should'' matter. If a HollywoodHomely geek girl (or HollywoodHomely non-geek girl, for that matter) sets her sights on a hot guy, she might be able to [[SheCleansUpNicely make a]] [[BeautifulAllAlong few slight]] [[TheGlassesGottaGo alterations]], but it's more likely she'll just be the AbhorrentAdmirer who makes him run away in terror. Hence why this trope is beginning to experience some backlash lately.

Also extremely [[Film/RealGenius rare]] is the male geek that actually considers a similarly geeky girl, due to the latter's rarity in media in general. This holds even for works aimed at a female audience, and therefore any nerdy girl ''will'' eventually be revealed to be BeautifulAllAlong.

A trope common in {{Romantic Comed|y}}ies and Teen Comedies, in which a dorky ([[NerdsAreSexy not necessarily]] ''[[NerdsAreSexy ugly]]'', just... geeky) guy ends up with the totally hot babe. Generally, the geek begins the story as an outcast to whom the beautiful girl would never be attracted. He may be a BandGeek, or a scientist with all the social graces of a tube worm, or a ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' player who still lives in his mom's basement. And through the course of the story, she begins to see through his spaz-like exterior to the [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan decent, love-worthy man within.]]

* During a MarsNeedsWomen strip in ''Webcomic/SinFest'', the meek and bookish Criminy is told [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2004-11-19 Sextron needs nerds.]]
-->'''Criminy:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint They must be having tech problems.]]

** Kida herself is a princess in a stripperiffic outfit, (for the standards of the era) but she soon learns to appreciate Milo. She always had interest in him though, because he can read her forgotten language.

* Averted and played straight in ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': IntrepidReporter [[BrainyBrunette Roxanne]] [[WhenSheSmiles Richie's]] camera guy Hal is introduced as a painfully awkward nerd who is completely in love with her, but she just sees him as a workmate. Later, [[spoiler:after he gets superpowers]] and makes his move, he's revealed to be an EntitledToHaveYou [[spoiler: [[PsychopathicManchild Psychopathic]]]] ManChild who doesn't take rejection well. Just because he's a nerd and likes her doesn't automatically make him [[spoiler:a good person]] or secretly the man of her dreams. However, Roxanne eventually falls for [[spoiler:Megamind, who's quite the "dweebie intellectual" himself.]]

* Nerd Like Me, a cheesy but catchy parody of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me". Where the girl identifies and ends up with the nerd, despite initially liking the jock. [[https://youtu.be/_O2KtZTP0iU]]

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'': [[spoiler: [[ButtMonkey Johnny Sasaki]] and Meryl got married at the end. Although this was a subversion, as Johnny revealed himself to be BeautifulAllAlong and his [[ToiletHumor bouts of diarrhea]] immediately stopped. So most of his geeky qualities were dropped once Johnny unmasked.]] [[spoiler: [[Otacon on the other hand averted this trope, the [[OverlyLongGag tradition]] of [[CartwrightCurse every girl he dated would eventually]] [[StuffedInTheFridge die once per episode]]. Alas, poor Otacon, he could [[DidNotGetTheGirl never get a girl alive]].]]

Also extremely rare is the male geek that actually considers a similarly geeky girl, due to the latter's rarity in media in general. This holds even for works aimed at a female audience, and therefore any nerdy girl ''will'' eventually be revealed to be BeautifulAllAlong.