History Main / GorgeousGeorge

ProfessionalWrestling bookers are known to use every dirty trick in the book to make a {{heel}} hated, and Gorgeous George is one of the most basic tricks there is. The archetypal "Gorgeous George" gimmick is an effeminate pretty-boy who, if he's not an [[CreepyCrossdresser outright drag queen]], at least dresses, looks, and acts very androgynous. He wears sequined robes and feather boas, he keeps his hair perfectly coiffed, his nails perfectly manicured, and if somebody [[NotInTheFace hits him in the face]], watch out! By presenting an effete image, coupled with the standard heel tactics of lying and cheating, he inflames the anger of the crowd. Gorgeous George never outright says that he's gay - it's [[AmbiguouslyGay constantly implied and hinted at]], but if he actually ''admitted'' it, it wouldn't be Gorgeous George anymore.

The original Gorgeous George was Wrestling/GeorgeWagner, who began wrestling in the 1930s, making this trope OlderThanTelevision. Wagner became popular in the wrestling circuit for his outrageous gimmick, and with the advent of television became one of the biggest celebrities of the era. UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli and Music/JamesBrown both credited Wagner as part of their inspiration for their own flamboyant behavior, and it may require two separate wikis to list everyone whom THEY have influenced/inspired.[[note]]Ali was ''really'' inspired by Wrestling/FreddieBlassie, who he mistook for Gorgeous George, but that just goes to show how ingrained George was in public consciousness.[[/note]] Subsequent wrestlers took on similar personae, including Johnny B. Badd, Wrestling/{{Rico|Constantino}}, Wrestling/{{Goldust}} (who subverted the trope by [[HeelFaceTurn turning face]]), [[Wrestling/RickMartel "The Model" Rick Martel]], and [[Wrestling/AdrianAdonis "Adorable" Adrian Adonis]].

* In his days as a wrestler, before becoming the manager of Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors, Wrestling/PreciousPaulEllering dabbled in this trope. He had a massively muscular physique back in the days when this was a rarity in pro wrestling, and he showed it off at all opportunities. He also had long curly blonde hair and a gaudy robe. He never really acted effeminate, but he did sometimes offer to let his opponent feel his muscles.

The original Gorgeous George was Wrestling/GeorgeWagner, who began wrestling in the 1930s, making this trope OlderThanTelevision. Wagner became popular in the wrestling circuit for his outrageous gimmick, and with the advent of television became one of the biggest celebrities of the era. UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli and Music/JamesBrown both credited Wagner as part of their inspiration for their own flamboyant behavior, and it may require two separate wikis to list everyone whom THEY have influenced/inspired[[note]]Ali was ''really'' inspired by Wrestling/FreddieBlassie, who he mistook for Gorgeous George, but that just goes to show how ingrained George was in public consciousness[[/note]]. Subsequent wrestlers took on similar personae, including Johnny B. Badd, Wrestling/{{Rico|Constantino}}, Wrestling/{{Goldust}} (who subverted the trope by [[HeelFaceTurn turning face]]), [[Wrestling/RickMartel "The Model" Rick Martel]], and [[Wrestling/AdrianAdonis "Adorable" Adrian Adonis]].

** He was also, as noted by Website/{{Wrestlecrap}}, an extremely stiff ([[HehHehYouSaidX har har]]) worker, which he also used if anyone mocked him in bars (the old days of {{Kayfabe}} and all that.)

* Subversion: Wrestling/BuddyRogers imitated Gorgeous George's mannerisms, bleached hair and robes but put off audiences more with pure arrogance and obviously false claims prowess and pedigree than ambiguous homosexuality. His successor Wrestling/RicFlair looks even more like George by incorporating feather boas but is even more [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday non homosexual.]]

* Gorgeous Michelle Star of ECCW and All Star Wrestling in Canada, though he most definitely was ''not'' a pretty boy. His {{raunchy tongue}} more than made up for this.

** Narcis Prince on the Special Circuit (SNES) shows this via the blonde hair, and absolute rage he flies into, should the player manage to hit his pretty face.

* Long before the West Hollywood Blondes, Wrestling/{{WCW}} had Johnny B. Badd, one of the earliest face examples of this trope. Then again, possibly the only reason he was a face was because he was a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of Music/LittleRichard.

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fics by Creator/AAPessimal, the Tanty Prison in Ankh-Morpork is used as a means of taking all the prison tropes UpToEleven in a Discworld context. One of the most ''popular'' prisoners is called Gorgeous George, known as an amenable fellow who participates in recreational activities such as dressmaking and flower arranging. When an inexperienced officer charged with prisoner morale made the fundamental error of booking a conjuring act to enertain the inmates,[[note]]the performer hypnotised a guard and caused his issue cell keys to vanish, with predictable results[[/note]] George stepped in at the last minute to don the leotard and spangly tights of the indisposed Doris, and everyone agreed he was a smash-hit. But every so often, Gorgeous George reminds people of exactly ''why'' he was imprisoned in the first place...

* ''[[VideoGame/PunchOut Super Punch-Out!!]]'': Heike Kagero, an effeminate boxer on the world circuit with bishonen traits aplenty. He has a slim build, lilac trunks and matching lipstick, long silver hair which he uses as a lethal weapon, and skips back and forth when he knocks you down. Oh, and he gives a NoblewomansLaugh when he wins. According to the manual, Kagero was actually trained in kabuki (specifically the balletic arts of Nihon Buyo) before taking up boxing as a means of defending himself.
** Narcis Prince on the Special Circuit has traits of this as well, specifically the blonde hair, and absolute rage he flies into, should the player manage to hit his pretty face.

* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels had shades of this during his 1990s heel runs. He was a flamboyantly dressed, stripping narcissist who pranced around in front of a mirror and came out to a theme song called "Sexy Boy" and once posed for ''Playgirl''[[note]]Worth noting that Michaels honestly didn't know that the magazine was primarily read by homosexual men until after he had posed for it.[[/note]]. He also had TONS of HoYay with heel sidekicks Wrestling/KevinNash and Wrestling/TripleH. Parts of his heel runs subverted this, however, by having him hang around with [[Wrestling/SherriMartel Sensational Sherri]] or [gulp] Creator/JennyMcCarthy. His face runs tended to downplay the vanity and the HoYay (unless Triple H was around), but still pretty much ran with the trope.

* ''Anime/OnePiece'': Donquixote Doflamingo wears tight pants, an open shirt, and isn't wearing a feather boa so much as a feather longcoat. He's also an unrepentant and cruel CombatPragmatist.

See also SissyVillain, DepravedHomosexual, DepravedBisexual and PsychoLesbian. Contrast TheFightingNarcissist whose sexuality is rarely questioned.

* [[Creator/HardGay Razor Ramon HG]], could have been considered an example early in his Wrestling/FightingOperaHUSTLE career, besides the fact he was always a {{face}} but he eventually became so popular that the FanNickname Hard Gay stuck and the ambiguous elements were totally abandoned, making him more like an exotico.