History Main / TheBear

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Sabin refers to himself as a bear during the cut scene on Mount Kolts -- this is HilariousInHindsight, [[FridgeBrilliance even if intentional]]. Depending on the artist, Sabin certainly has more of the body type for it, with Amano tending towards the hairier with BadassBeard and CG art tending towards the smoother and beardless. None of this necessarily means Sabin is actually ''gay'' (it's still entirely possible he's not), but that he's a "bear" with a fittingly bearish body type. This, along with the fact that he's one of the only adult male main cast (along with Stragos) who is never shown expressing any kind of interest in women, has brought him more LGBTFanbase by far than any other male character in the game.

** Considering the [[OneGenderRace all-male]] nature of the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI Galka]] and the strong implications that they are [[NonHeteronormativeSociety predominantly gay]] (or at least were during their time alone without females for centuries), the fact that ''every'' Galka has at least a [[BadassBeard chinstrap beard]] immediately makes the whole race ''very'' bearish, with shades of BigBeautifulMan as well.

* The main character of ''VideoGame/AllWallsMustFall'' is the time-travelling STASIS agent Kai, a burly man with a BadassBeard and BaldOfAwesome. On missions, he navigates through various Berlin gay clubs, potentially [[HoneyTrap seducing the all-male security]]. Some dialogue draws attention to his bear status.

* On ''Series/{{Glee}}'', this trope is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] and discussed by [[spoiler:Kurt and David Karofsky,]] who we find out in season three has taken to hanging out at a local gay bar and been dubbed a bear cub because of his youth and rather burly stature. Kurt, apparently not knowing anything about the term, jokingly asks if he's a cub because he "looks like Yogi."

* In the Canadian mockumentary "Series/TrailerParkBoys", Randy is the always shirtless Assistant Trailer Park Supervisor (as wearing a shirt will give him a rash) and he also happens to have a very large, hairy gut for which he is frequently ridiculed. However, many on the show consider him attractive and he has many romantic involvements throughout the series, including a long term relationship with Jim and also dates Officer Ted at one point.

** Considering the [[OneGenderRace all-male]] nature of the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI Galka]] and the strong implications that they are [[EveryoneIsGay predominantly gay]] (or at least were during their time alone without females for centuries), the fact that ''every'' Galka has at least a [[BadassBeard chinstrap beard]] immediately makes the whole race ''very'' bearish, with shades of BigBeautifulMan as well.

[[caption-width-right:350:A [[VisualPun muscled bear]] and [[http://wolf.fang.or.jp/kazuma/ a musclebear]].]]

[[quoteright:350:[[http://wolf.fang.or.jp/kazuma/ https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kazuma_bear_778.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A [[VisualPun muscled bear]] and a musclebear.]]

* [[GayConservative Conservative]] blogger [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan Andrew Sullivan]], who has the body size, body hair, and beard to pull it off, has publicly self-identified as a bear since [[http://www.salon.com/2003/08/01/bears/ a Salon article in 2003]], and occasionally posts articles regarding the Bear community on his blog, [[http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/ The Dish]]. He also regularly comments on beards (a major element of Bear culture, but he seems to like it when any man grows a beard, whether he is gay or straight, large or small--he sees beard-growing as more natural).

* Jūichi in ''VisualNovel/{{Morenatsu}}'' is simultaneously TheBear, [[BeastMan the bear]], a {{Bara}} role, and a ''high school student''. He looks more like a 30something [[YoungerThanTheyLook than someone who's supposed to be 16 or 17]].

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[[folder: Western Animation]]

** Peter watches an episode of ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' where Grizzly Adams and his grizzly bear companion Gentle Ben are [[HoYayShipping an actual gay bear couple]].

* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman''. Bit character Jose Guererro is a homosexual and is literally a bear, but he isn't depicted any more testosterone-fueled or muscular than his of his lovers.

* [[GayConservative Conservative]] blogger [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan Andrew Sullivan]], who has the body size, body hair, and beard to pull it off, has publicly self-identified as a bear since [[http://www.salon.com/2003/08/01/bears/ a Salon article in 2003]], and occasionally posts articles regarding the Bear community on his blog, [[http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/ The Dish]]. He also regularly comments on beards (a major element of Bear culture, but he seems to like it when any man grows a beard, whether he is gay or straight, large or small--he sees beard-growing as more natural).

* On ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Peter watches an episode of ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' where Grizzly Adams and his grizzly bear companion Gentle Ben are [[HoYayShipping an actual gay bear couple]].

* The main character of''VideoGame/AllWallsMustFall'' is the time-travelling STASIS agent Kai, a burly man with a BadassBeard and BaldOfAwesome. On missions, he navigates through various Berlin gay clubs, potentially [[HoneyTrap seducing the all-male security]]. Some dialogue draws attention to his bear status.

* Pennsylvania state representative [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Sims Brian Sims]] is the first openly gay elected state legislator in Pennsylvania history. In addition to pursuing LGBT rights in his home state, he is also a member of UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}'s bear community and has a substantial social media following that owes no small part to his sex appeal. While he does keep his pictures modest due to being a politician, this arguably [[ForbiddenFruit adds to his appeal]].

* Pennsylvania state representative [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Sims Brian Sims]] is the first openly gay elected state legislator in Pennsylvania history. In addition to pursuing LGBT rights in his home state, he is also a member of UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}'s bear community and has a substantial social media following that owes no small part to his sex appeal. While he does keep his pictures classy due to his sensitive position, this arguably [[ForbiddenFruit adds to his appeal]].

* Creator/CaptainGerBear's ''Webcomic/{{Grant}}'' comic has two bearish main characters. And as the artist's moniker hints at, he draws a lot of bearish men.

* Pennsylvania state representative [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Sims Brian Sims]] is the first openly gay elected state legislator in Pennsylvania history. In addition to pursuing LGBT rights in his home state, he is also a member of UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}'s bear community and has a substantial Facebook following that owes no small part to his sex appeal. While he does keep his pictures classy due to his sensitive position, this arguably [[ForbiddenFruit adds to his appeal]].

* In one episode of ''[[Series/ThirtyRock 30Rock]]'', Jack decides to seduce his wife's gay interior designer so he can get his way on their home's wallpaper. He explains to Liz:

* Jūichi in ''VisualNovel/{{Morenatsu}}'' is simultaneously TheBear, [[{{Kemono}} the bear]], a {{Bara}} role, and a ''high school student''. He looks more like a 30something [[YoungerThanTheyLook than someone who's supposed to be 16 or 17]].

''Usually'' a subtrope of ManlyGay, and the aesthetic opposite of TheTwink, though cubs are similar in disposition. Frequently overlaps with BigBeautifulMan, CoolOldGuy, LeatherMan or PettingZooPeople. In fact this trope overlaps with BigBeautifulMan ''so often'' that some people would consider them the same trope--except that technically this trope is about body hair and the other trope is about body fat.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Circles}}'', Arthur is a gay bear in his 40s who is also… [[PettingZooPeople a bear]].

** Howlett, an alternate reality version of Wolverine appearing in ''X-Treme X-Men'' is also a bear, as is his canon lover Hercules. ''Get used to it.''

* Mike Flanagan in ''Manga/MyBrothersHusband'' is a big, hairy, masculine guy who fulfills all the bear stereotypes.

* Used in a GettingCrapPastTheRadar moment in ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''; Fear and Disgust have a brief argument over whether or not there are [[BearsAreBadNews bears]] in Riley's new home town of UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco. Anger chimes in to say he saw a big, hairy guy who looked like a bear.