History Main / UglyGuyHotWife

* ''Series/HenryDanger'': Henry and Piper's mom and dad, Jake and Kris match this trope quite well. Henry and Piper's mom, Kris, is a gorgeous blonde that Ray Manchester/Captain Man, the superhero who is Henry's (and eventually Piper's) boss on the show, can't resist having an obsessive crush on despite the fact that he's fully aware that she's married. Henry and Piper's dad, Jake on the other hand, is not necessarily ugly, but he is very plain and average-looking compared to his stunning wife, and he has a tendency to be quite eccentric and quirky compared to her on top of the fact that he's not as attractive and appealing as her. **This is even lampshaded in a couple of episodes where in one episode, Piper actually asks Kris "What did you see in this guy?", to which Kris replies, "Right now, I don't even know."

** Considering that Jake is not quite the best looking guy on the show and is not as conventionally attractive and appealing as the other male characters on the show, compared to his son Henry, this could also be described as a gender -inverted case of TheUglyGuysHotDaughter.

* ''Series/TheThundermans'': The parents of the Thunderman kids, Hank and Barbara (Barb) Thunderman (''Thunder Man'' and ''Electress'') match this trope, given the fact that since they're retired from their superhero work and since he doesn't get to exercise and work out as much as he did when he was a full-time superhero, Hank gains a considerable amount of weight compared to Barb who is pretty slim. Although he's not obese, it is clear that Hank is slightly overweight and that he doesn't pay too much attention to healthy dieting and exercising like Barb does. And besides his weight,even though he's not ugly per se, he's not nearly as good-looking as Barb who's played by former model-turned-actress Rosa Blasi.

* ''Series/TheThundermans'': The parents of the Thunderman kids, Hank and Barbara (Barb) Thunderman (''ThunderMan'' and ''Electress'') match this trope, given the fact that since they're retired from their superhero work and since he doesn't get to exercise and work out as much as he did when he was a full-time superhero, Hank gains a considerable amount of weight compared to Barb who is pretty slim. Although he's not obese, it is clear that Hank is slightly overweight and that he doesn't pay too much attention to healthy dieting and exercising like Barb does. And besides his weight,even though he's not ugly per se, he's not nearly as good-looking as Barb who's played by former model-turned-actress Rosa Blasi.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still some leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher. In order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain looking, overweight, past a certain age or any combination of the above rarely get to portray main characters. In many cases, they even struggle to land roles as side characters or extras. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still some leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher. In order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain looking, overweight or past a certain age rarely get to portray main characters and in many cases, they even struggle to land roles as side characters or extras. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

* [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench French movie]] ''La Lectrice'' is typical of French cinema in the seventies and eighties, where it seems a universal rule that French women in cinema are beautiful, elegant and timelessly chic. But the ''men''... In this movie, the beautiful Miou-Miou hooks up with a man who is nerdy, neurotic, and in physical appearance, would make Serge Gainsborough look like a Hollywood hero. This is not untypical of French cinema of TheSeventies and TheEighties.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still some leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher. In order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles and in many cases, they even struggle to land roles as side characters or extras. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher. In order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles and in many cases, they even struggle to land roles as side characters or extras. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

A popular use of the trope is to have the hot wife be [[BeautyIsBad beautiful on the outside only]], and on the inside she's a [[ManipulativeBitch manipulative]], [[GoldDigger materialistic]], spiteful bitch who doesn't deserve her HenpeckedHusband's kindness, especially if he is just a MealTicket for her. This could lead to AnAesop that looks aren't everything and that appearances are often deceptive.

** Mario and Peach. Mario, being one of the world's most iconic characters in games, has a pleasant and decent physical appearance, and could hardly be called ugly. But safe to say, he is more cartoonishly designed than the absolutely stunning Peach.
** Wario, who has raspy voice, stinky breath fat belly and zig-zagged mustache, has several girlfriends, who are more beautiful than him - Princess Shokora, Captain Syrup (for ''Wario Land: Shake It''), Mona and Queen Merelda.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher. In order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles and even being cast as side characters or extras is challenging for them. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher. In order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain-looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles and even being cast as side characters or extras is challenging for them in many cases. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

This is very common in DomCom situations (Oftentimes because the star of the sitcom is also usually the executive producer, [[ExecutiveMeddling thus has say in which actress gets to portray his partner]]). It also pervades in cartoons and comic strips due to TertiarySexualCharacteristics; the men can liven up the artists' art styles, but the women have to be differentiated. This requires [[HartmanHips round hips]], [[BuxomBeautyStandard big bosoms]], full lips, and exquisitely-designed hair ([[ImpossibleHourglassFigure and often an abstract shape]]), resulting in a beautiful woman and a cartoonish husband.

* At the start of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' both Bob and Helen are physically fit and in their prime, but the outlawing of superheroes means in the following years Bob gains weight and has some signs of male pattern baldness. In comparison Helen, although she ages, seems a lot more attractive with the stereotype being a "[[HartmanHips Pixar Mom]]" very ''very'' much at play. Bob does try and get back in shape through the course of the movie, but its still clear by the end of the film he is far from his peak physical condition of his youth.
** Highlighted more in the sequel where Helen is chosen as the public face of a campaign to rehabilitate the superhero image. Admittedly Bob's culpability in the train accident at the start of the first film which ''lead'' to the ban in the first place is a reason why Helen is chosen over him.

* In 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." Sometimes it would only make sense if the mom had cheated somewhere in their marriage. This would make the heroine TheUglyGuysHotDaughter.
* In ''Manga/AstroBoy'', Ochanomizu/[[DubNameChange Elefun/O Shay]] builds robotic parents for Astro Boy. The mother is a tall, svelte, elegant 60s mother type. The father is a short, fat and buffoonish man with a large nose and lined face. This is downplayed in some later adaptations [[AdaptationalAttractiveness where the father is a little less goofy looking.]]

* ''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}}y JerkAss Hosuke is all around extremely questionable; NOBODY has a clue what she likes about him.

* Not married, but ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/HarleyQuinn probably count. While not conventionally ugly, The Joker certainly looks twisted and freakish. [[SexyJester Harley, on the other hand]]...

** Deadpool and Death.
** Deadpool and Outlaw arguably count, although it's more ShipTease that anything else.
** Also, ComicBook/{{Thanos}} and Death. Yes, Deadpool and Thanos are romantic rivals and they are {{literal|Metaphor}}ly {{Death Seeker}}s.
*** Now also true for OfficialCouple Thanos and ComicBook/{{Hela}}. The latter is a statuesque, beautiful, death goddess and the former is... still Thanos.
** Also, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} and ComicBook/{{Cable}}...What? [[WordOfGod It's true]].
** And now, Deadpool and Shiklah.
* The [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Black Order]] take after their boss Thanos. Their dog-faced leader Corvus Glaive is married to the Order's lieutenant, [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe blue-skinned]] StatuesqueStunner Proxima Midnight. Turns out in the Black Order miniseries, that Corvus wasn't the only ass-ugly to be in love with Proxima. The team muscle, Black Dwarf was also in love though he's happy for the pair and now has his sights set on the beautiful Black Swan, who's the team's powerhouse.

* MadScientist Doctor Thaddeus Sivana, nemesis of [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], could be charitably described as a hideous little troll of a man who makes Dennis Kucinich look like Fabio. His wife Venus Sivana, on the other hand, lives up to her name. By way of an explanation, the GoldenAge version of Sivana was characterized as a kind, benevolent man who was driven to villainy and madness after his wife's death and the [[TheyCalledMeMad scientific community's rejection of his ideas]]. This was the pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} origin, it makes less sense with the latter versions who seem to always have been mean.

* Obadiah Horn and Sahara from ''ComicBook/{{Elephantmen}}''. She's a tall, slim, curvy African goddess, and he's a rhino-human hybrid.
* Another [[UnholyMatrimony villanous example]] from Marvel: the Absorbing Man (originally a member of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor's]] RoguesGallery) and Titania (ComicBook/SheHulk's {{archenemy}} and EvilCounterpart).
* ComicBook/{{Cerebus|TheAardvark}} and [[spoiler:Red Sophia, Astoria, Jaka (in a what-if story) and New Joanne]].

* Implied to be the future case in ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZelda'' comics, based on the two NES games in the franchise. Link and Zelda are teenagers, so not married yet, but it's all but stated that they will be eventually; and while Link isn't exactly ugly, he's sort of goofy-looking, with a longish nose and somewhat dorky mannerisms. Standing next to the stunningly beautiful princess doesn't help his case. But she loves him anyway.
* [[OfficialCouple Made official]] in ''ComicBook/FantasticFour2018'' between the blind artist Alicia Masters and test pilot turned 'idol o' millions' [[ComicBook/TheThing Ben Grimm]]; whatever can be said about his character, even she will not call him ''conventionally'' attractive.
* In ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'', Otto Sump, the ugliest man in Mega-City One, eventually marries a ridiculously gorgeous exotic dancer. She makes no bones about marrying him for his money and never pretends to love him, but she does really like him as a person and is genuinely upset when he dies.
* ''ComicBook/SinisterDexter'' has crime lord "Holy" Moses Tanenbaum and his stunning TrophyWife, Demi Octavo. He's basically a Kingpin {{Expy}}, while she's a smoking hot nightclub singer. Of course, given his position as the biggest mafia boss in Downlode, this is almost certainly a marriage of convenience for Demi, which eventually leads to [[spoiler:her taking out a contract on her husband's life]]. Interestingly, the inciting incident for her actions was Moses ordering the murder of her lover, Max Vactor, a SerkisFolk movie star who's a geeky-looking dweeby guy that she was head-over-heels in love with.

* In ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'', Jon and Liz are also a good example of this; although at the moment, they're just dating. Jon is not particularly ugly, but he's incredibly dorky and has a horrible taste in clothes.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'': Walt is extremely fat and bald, while Connie is drawn in the style of the teenage girls seen on the strip (not exactly a stunner given the strip's loose art style, but still).

* The main couples of ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' and ''ComicStrip/MisterBoffo'' feature balding overweight guys married to pretty blondes.
* Many readers were dismayed when the unstudly Anthony married the lovely Elizabeth when ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' ended. Part of the surprise came because the strip (unlike the rest of the comic strip examples) was drawn by a woman.

* [=MacManus=]' couple was actually preceded by over a year by F.M. Howarth's ''The Love of Lulu and Leander'' on the rival Hearst chain, Lulu being probably the funny pages' first MsFanservice, drawn as a "Gibson Girl".

* ComicStrip/AlleyOop, who looks-wise is your stereotypical caveman, has a smoking hot, devoted wife in Ooola.
* In ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', Opus and Lola Granola would have become this trope had their much-hyped marriage not been annulled by ResetButton:
-->'''Opus''': You look beautiful.\\
'''Lola''': You look handsome.\\
'''Opus''' ''(thinks)'': She looks beautiful.\\
'''Lola''' ''(thinks)'': He looks like a toadstool.

* ''Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast'' has this between the titular [[MeaningfulName Beauty]] and [[PunishedWithUgly the Beast]], although it takes quite some time for Beauty to fall in love with him. Of course, this trope is subverted when the Beast changes into a handsome prince right after Beauty confesses her love for him or agrees to marry him, but it's still played straight in adaptations like ''Heart's Blood'' or ''Literature/RoseDaughter,'' which either portray the Beast's ugliness as something he was born with instead of magically cursed with or have him remain a Beast in the ending.

* King Fergus and Queen Elinor from ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}''. She has preserved her looks and her figure quite well for a greying mother of four (including triplets!). But he... remains strong and in excellent condition. Justified as theirs was an arranged marriage, but it seems to [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage have worked out okay]] (and, considering how young Merida is expected to marry, it isn't impossible that Elinor is only in her thirties).

* Quasimodo and Madellaine from ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameII'', as pictured above.
* ''WesternAnimation/WallE'': WALL•E and EVE, being a rusted trash compactor and a sleek, top-of-the-line scout droid, respectively. Although WALL•E may be rusted, you gotta admit that he's pretty [[UglyCute adorable]]!
* Felix and Calhoun from ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' are an Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend example. Though Felix isn't ''ugly'' (he's actually widely considered to be very cute), he's rather goofy-looking, especially compared to [[StatuesqueStunner Calhoun]]. [[spoiler: This is played straight when Felix and Calhoun get married in the epilogue of the movie.]]

* Xibalba and La Muerte from ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife''. They are currently estranged, but still married. La Muerte is a beautiful goddess of the dead made out of sweet candy, but Xibalba is basically a skeleton with wings, armor, and a SicklyGreenGlow, made out of tar and everything icky in the world. It's mentioned that only she can love someone like him, and even someone like him would love her.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', the Darling parents fall under this trope, with the father drawn more cartoonishly to go with his angry boorishness, and the mother drawn more realistically with elegant features befitting a ProperLady of TheEdwardianEra.
* At the start of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' both Bob and Helen are physically fit and in their prime, but the outlawing of superheroes means in the following years Bob gains weight and has some signs of male pattern baldness. In comparison Helen, although she ages, seems a lot more attractive with the stereotype being a "[[HartmanHips Pixar Mom]]" very ''very'' much at play. Bob does try and get back in shape through the course of the movie, but its still clear by the end of the film he is far from his peak physical condition of his youth.
** Highlighted more in the sequel where Helen is chosen as the public face of a campaign to rehabilitate the superhero image. Admittedly Bob's culpability in the train accident at the start of the first film which ''lead'' to the ban in the first place is a reason why Helen is chosen over him.

* This device goes all the way back to the early days of silent movies, where Creator/FattyArbuckle's love interest was the lovely Creator/MabelNormand. While the male actors weren't necessarily ugly, they usually had things like exaggerated make-up, oversized clothes, and dorky antics.
* Charlie Chaplin was also paired up with several beautiful actresses. The trope is sometimes subverted, however. The final scene of "City Lights," features the beautiful blind girl, who regains her sight thanks to Chaplin, looking shocked and disappointed when she finally sees her benefactor.
* And of course, who could forget [[Film/Frankenstein1931 Frankenstein's monster]] and his lovely [[Film/BrideOfFrankenstein Bride]]? In the film itself, this is something of a tragic plot point: the original male creature is crudely and rather hideously manufactured from various corpses, while the female is created with the help of a more experienced MadScientist and from a combination of one beautiful woman and some unexplained alchemy, resulting in a dazed, frightened CuteMonsterGirl who wants nothing more to do with the ugly brute she's been presented to than any ordinary woman would.
* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' featured ''Film/AttackOfTheGiantLeeches'' has Dave and Liz Walker. Between this trope and Liz' complete lack of affection for Dave, it comes as no surprise when she's caught cheating.
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'' played with the mythological ur-example by having Vulcan (Hephaestus) played by a 20-pints-over-the-hill Creator/OliverReed and Venus (Aphrodite) by the then-18-year-old Creator/UmaThurman.
* The Bollywood movie ''Film/{{Partner}}'' takes this to a ridiculous extent with the beautiful heiress Priya and the goofy dork Bhaskar getting together in the end.

* ''Film/JurassicPrey'': [[https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ2MzE4NDA2MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjIyMTgyMTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg This is Andy]], and [[https://www.filmous.com/static/photos/182943/16_midi.jpg this is his wife]].
* The movie ''Johnson Family Vacation''. Mr. Johnson? Overweight and average looking Cedric The Entertainer. Mrs. Johnson? ''Miss America 1984'' Vanessa Williams.

* In ''Film/KnockedUp'', the premise is that Seth Rogen's character gets a girl who is way out of his league pregnant and manages to turn it into a real relationship.
%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''Film/MeanGirls'': Regina George's parents.
* The Creator/JohnWayne western movie ''War Wagon''. The youngest member of the gang gets snarled at when he smiles at what he thinks is the [[UglyGuysHotDaughter grizzled old codger's pretty daughter]]. It turns out she's his wife, whom he bought off her parents in exchange for a horse. But the old codger gets killed and the kid forgoes his share of the gold to ride off with her instead.
* {{Lampshaded}} all the time in the case of Film/AustinPowers. Austin has dorky glasses, bad teeth and an excessive CarpetOfVirility, but women treat him like a sex god. Mrs. Kensington notes that physical perfection wasn't as important in the sixties, and [[KavorkaMan it's Austin's personality that makes him so irresistible]].

* Subverted with ''Film/ShallowHal'', in which the schlubby Jack Black ''thinks'' he's the "Ugly Guy" because he sees his girlfriend Rosemary as the lovely and svelte Gywneth Paltrow, when in reality, she's considerably overweight. Played straight by Hal's disabled friend, who has a sickly thin old woman for a girlfriend. She's actually pretty but rotten on the inside. Disabled isn't ugly, though, at least not the way the trope uses "ugly." Walt, the disabled character has spina bifida, but he actually isn't bad-looking. He's very athletic, and while he's older than the woman he's dating, and probably than Hal, he's not bad-looking at all. He's stinking rich, too, [[GoldDigger which is why the woman is dating him]]. It's not the fantasy mismatch of the truly ordinary-in-every-way guy with the beautiful woman.
* In ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'', the ugly, creepy science teacher played by Creator/VincentSchiavelli turns out to have an astonishingly hot wife (played by Creator/LanaClarkson).
* Creator/LaurelAndHardy have various wives throughout their films. They are disproportionately attractive, but compensate by being either extremely bitchy or [[DragonLady outright evil]].

* In ''Film/{{Gothika}}'', Creator/HalleBerry finds herself in a mental asylum accused of murdering her husband. Her husband ''Charles S. Dutton''.
* ''Film/TheDilemma''. Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are average-looking at best and are both overweight, but their ladies are played by the lovely Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder, respectively.
* In ''Film/DeathBecomesHer'', Madeline Ashton (played by Meryl Streep) takes a potion that makes her permanently young and beautiful, while her husband Ernest (played by Bruce Willis) ages worse than normally, being an alcoholic. Madeline makes up for it, however, by being pure evil. Ernest's ex, Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), has also taken the potion, and uses it to seduce him back. The rest of the plot has Madeline and Helen, two drop dead gorgeous women, fighting over poor over-the-hill Ernest.

* In ''Film/TimeBandits'', the group encounters an old, broken down and hideous ogre whose wife is, inexplicably, Katherine Helmond. Helmond's character was originally supposed to be a female ogre until Helmond suggested that she be a normal woman, with no explanation.

* ''Film/CouplesRetreat'' featured an extreme version of the trope, with the overweight Faizon Love and his hot twenty-year old floozy of a girl, played by Kali Hawk (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.
* ''Film/HorribleBosses'': Harken's wife is a very beautiful glamorous seductive blonde with a massive set of cleavage as opposed to him being very ugly walking on a hunchback semi-bald and very grumpy.
* ''Film/DeckTheHalls'' featured a tremendous example with the famously portly, ugly and bald Creator/DannyDeVito being married to Creator/KristinChenoweth, who, while short like Danny, is very beautiful, and portrayed as such.
* ''Film/{{Flashdance}}'': Tina tends to wear more revealing clothing than the other cabaret dancers, while her briefly seen boyfriend is bespectacled and balding.
* ''Film/ThePostmanAlwaysRingsTwice'' 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 Creator/JessicaLange (1981) respectively, two of the most sexy women of their time.
* The entire plot of ''Film/{{Hitch}}'' centers around a pick-up artist who coaches unattractive men on how to win the hearts of their dream women. The film actually ends up justifying the trope, with the overweight, bumbling Albert succeeding in winning over the beautiful Allegra due to his charming earnestness and personality, as opposed to any of Hitch's actual dating tactics.
* The baker (played by James Corden) and his wife (played by Emily Blunt) from ''Film/IntoTheWoods''.
* Oh Dae-su and Mi-Do in ''Film/{{Oldboy 2003}}''. [[spoiler:It turns out that they've been hypnotized into falling in love with each other.]] And that's not ''nearly'' the worst revelation... [[spoiler: turns out they fulfill UglyGuysHotDaughter, too.]]
* ''Film/Plan9FromOuterSpace:'' he's an aging, withered Creator/BelaLugosi, she's Vampira.
* In ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'', Columbus was a geeky shut-in with no friends, while Wichita was a beautiful popular girl. They hook up, aided considerably by their lack of options.
* The ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' films pair Chevy Chase with Beverly D'Angelo as Clark and Ellen Griswold. While Clark is no worse than average-looking, he definitely falls under both the 'dorky acting' and 'personality issues' elements, being not only a BumblingDad but also Mr. SeriousBusiness when it comes to family events. Ellen, on the other hand, is not only very beautiful but a total sweetheart with a ''ton'' of patience.
* Arthur and Ben in, well, ''Film/BenAndArthur''. Somewhat subverted in that the marriage between the two eponymous men is not recognized by the State of California.
* The drunk couple in the beginning of the horror movie ''Film/TheRefrigerator''. One is a fat hairy guy who looks to be in his 40s, while the other looks like she is in her 20s. It almost turns to Fan Disservice when they (almost) have sex, before the guy dies of a heart attack.
* In ''Film/TheJerk'', Creator/SteveMartin's boss (Jackie Mason) introduces his hot wife, carefully explaining how vital his business is to him. Without its profits [[GoldDigger she'd leave him in a second]]. She nods.
* An in-universe example appears in ''Film/TheBrassTeapot'', where several characters are baffled by how John Macy ended up married to someone as hot as Alice (Juno Temple), acting as if this trope was in play - even though John is played by Michael Angarano, who is not exactly ugly.
* ''Film/JamesBond'' villains naturally have their PaidHarem or {{Femme Fatale}}s, but there's also a RunningGag where the head of the KGB always turns out to have a hot lingerie-clad mistress in his bed.

* ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' and the sequel ''Film/TwentyTwoJumpStreet'' have ''Creator/JonahHill'' hooking up with Brie Larson and Amber Stevens West. It probably helped that Hill also co-wrote and co-produced the movies.

* Inspector Lestrade and his wife in ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'', although Holmes thinks it is the other way around.
* ''{{Film/Vamps}}'': Dr. Van Helsing is short, elderly and balding. His wife is at least twenty years younger, tall, blonde and attractive.
* George and Cindy Stone in ''Film/TheSuckers''. Cindy looks like a model (and, as a fashion photographer, she could even be an ex-model; although that's probably giving the film more credit than it deserves). George looks like he works manning the token booth at a peepshow. Their sex scene borders on FanDisservice.
* ''Film/AmericanHustle'': Irving is overweight and balding, with a combover that doesn't help much, but is married to a gorgeous blonde while dating an equally gorgeous redhead. Sydney even says in her narration that while Irving wasn't very attractive, she was still drawn to him because of his confidence.
* ''Film/MyCousinVinny'': The titular Vinny is portrayed by the short, rough-looking Creator/JoePesci, while his fiancée Lisa is played by Creator/MarisaTomei, who is taller than him and much more traditionally good-looking. Despite the difference in looks, the two couldn't be more suited for each other, being tough, street-wise working class New Yorkers.

* In ''[[Literature/NineteenEightyFour 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 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. Winston even tries to ''discourage'' her from banging him, asking why she hasn't chosen somebody her age. Julia replies that honestly, she couldn't care less.
* Creator/PiersAnthony:
** Good Magician Humphrey of ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' and all five and a half wives (long story)[[note]]Such a long story, it got it's own book; ''Question Quest''[[/note]]. Humphrey, even as a young man, has always been short, gnome-like, and grumpy, while his wives have ranged from "merely" pretty (Sofia Socksorter) to inhumanly beautiful (Dana Demoness).
** Xanth has a few examples, as some attractive women (and they're ''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).
** In ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'', 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 Fate & Time team up to do some match making.

* 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.

* Eddings's ''Literature/TheElenium'':
** Grizzled, weather-beaten and [[GagNose broken-nosed]] old knight Sparhawk marries the beautiful and considerably younger Queen Ehlana. Note that she almost has to ''order'' him to marry her - not because he doesn't love her, because he very much ''does'', but because he doesn't want to saddle her with an old, battered husband.
** Short, scarred, bandy-legged nomad Kring ends up with Ehlana's bodyguard, the AmazonianBeauty Mirtai.

* Played tragically in ''Eva Luna'', where NiceGuy with cleft palate Riad Halabi marries a pretty girl named Zulema, who accepted him only because she was getting into an OldMaid category. Their marriage is ''very'' unhappy since she refuses to see the kindness under his deformity.

* This is the case with Creator/JamesJoyce's major protagonists: [[Literature/{{Dubliners}} Gabriel Conroy]], a "portly", plain and middle-aged English teacher, is paired with Greta, who is described as a classically Gaelic beauty; [[Literature/{{Ulysses}} Leopold Bloom]] with the Mediterranean and exotic Molly; and [[Literature/FinnegansWake HCE]], an aged publican, with Anna Livia Plurabelle, the beautiful personification of the river Liffey.

* ''Literature/LandOfOz'': In ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' the protagonists encounter a giant named Mr. Yoop, locked up in a mountain cell; he's the typical giant, big, ugly, dumb, crude, and a cannibal, the last one being the reason he's locked up. In a later book, they meet his wife, who's a knockout. (Unfortunately, while not a cannibal, she's just as evil, using magic [[ForcedTransformation to turn victims into animals]] and keep them as pets.)

* ''Series/{{Rome}}'': Creator/KevinMcKidd's rather handsome by modern standards, but in-universe Lucius Vorenus and Niobe are seen as this.
** Doubles as HollywoodHomely. The Romans had different ideas about male beauty, which didn't really include the rugged look.
** Caesar's former slave Posca and his much younger wife Jocasta. Who is shown to have married him because she has been raped and her family killed and their wealth confiscated.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QtCCpnksVIQ/TZEC0DbMuaI/AAAAAAAAAHA/OjPyimSQAws/s1600/neelix122.jpg Neelix]] and [[http://www.vidiot.com/st-voy/images/VoyagerLien1.jpg Kes]].

** If it's any comfort, keep in mind that both are [[VoluntaryShapeshifting magical giants of godlike power who can easily change size, with Surtr growing as small as a normal human and Sinmora being able to grow to several hundred meters of height]].
* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' cosmology, Glasya, the daughter of Asmodeus, was once the consort of Mammon, the ruler of the Third Layer of Hell. She was [[HotAsHell a gorgeous temptress devil]], while ''he'' was a hideous monster, very much resembling a pit fiend. Eventually, they were forced to annul their marriage as part of Mammon's punishment for his part of the Reckoning, a political struggle that spanned all of Hell; ''however'', after Glasya [[TookALevelInBadass became far more powerful]] and became the ruler of the Sixth Layer, one rumor claims they might have rekindled their romance. (Although, another rumor claims she despises him for not defending their relationship in the first place. This being Hell and both being devils, a race that revels in grudges and double-dealing, it's entirely possible ''both'' are accurate.)

* Easily possible in any game including romantic subplots that allows you to design your own character's appearance.
* In ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'', Meng Huo, fat king of the Nanman barbarian tribe, is married to a hot babe Zhu Rong, daughter of the god of fire.

* Seen in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', with the short, fat, unsuccessful Roman Bellic and his attractive longtime girlfriend (later wife), Mallorie.
* Mario and Peach from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series. Mario, being one of the world's most iconic characters in games, has a pleasant and decent physical appearance, and could hardly be called ugly. But safe to say, he is more cartoonishly designed than the absolutely stunning Peach.
** Luigi and Daisy to a extent.
** Wario, who has raspy voice, stinky breath fat belly and zig-zagged mustache, has several girlfriends, who are more beautiful than him - Princess Shokora, Captain Syrup (for ''Wario Land: Shake It''), Mona and Queen Merelda.
* In the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series:

** And inferred from Haomaru's ending in the first game, the Shiranui (hint, hint) pairing will inevitably bring to the world '''the''' foremost name in {{Stripperific}} {{Fanservice}}.
* Adell's parents in ''VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories''. Even with the extra eye and tail, Mom is hot enough to attract the attention of ''far'' younger men. Dad, on the other hand, is a [[ZombieApocalypse zombie]] "but without the stench."
* Sergeant Allen O'Neil's wife in ''VideoGame/MetalSlug''. However considering Allen is an [[ImplacableMan unkillable]], [[TestosteronePoisoning manly]], Badass, with an incredible physique, its {{Justified|Trope}}.
* The Kramers from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII.'' Cid is a [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/File:Cid_%28Final_Fantasy_VIII%29.jpg grandfatherly, slightly ogre-ish fellow]] who bears more than a passing resemblance to Creator/RobinWilliams, and his wife Edea [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/File:Ff8-edea.jpg is ridiculously hot and looks at least twenty years younger than him]].
* A rather tragic version: Vega's parents, according to his backstory in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''. [[spoiler: A teenage Vega saw his [[{{Gonk}} very ugly father]] go {{Yandere}} and murder his beautiful mother under the belief that she was cheating on him. Vega went AxCrazy and became a SelfMadeOrphan by killing his dad to avenge his mom, this being his StartOfDarkness]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIIRevenantWings'': A minor character is a Seeq married to a Viera. Seeq are hideous pig like things, Viera are [[CuteMonsterGirl beautiful]] [[LittleBitBeastly bunny girls]]. 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 they hooked up in the first place.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** Chubby Torneko Taloon and his hot wife in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV''. One NPC even complains about how unfair it is.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has Rodrigo and Romana Briscoletti. He is fat and bald, and his wife is considered to be very beautiful; though Rodrigo is kind, charismatic and rich, so the marriage isn't that unbelievable. Also, he went through quite a lot to win her hand in marriage.
** Two examples in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''. In both, the male is the usual "old man" sprite. In the couple that appears in Coffinwell, the wife is a bunny girl. In the Dourbridge couple, she's a dancer. They're treated differently, though: in Coffinwell, they seem to genuinely care for each other. In Dourbridge, the wife is an obvious GoldDigger, and her husband overcharges outrageously in his store to keep her happy.
* Ryu (the main character) and Patty's parents in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII''. Their mom is a hot young winged woman who can turn into a gigantic dragon, while their dad, while not necessarily ugly, is a normal old human.
* Hades and Persephone in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series. Even though Hades ''isn't'' portrayed as an evil god, he's pretty dumpy, covered in spikes and hides his disfigured face with an intimidating helmet. Persephone, meanwhile, is a beautiful queen [[spoiler:who tries to destroy the world in revenge for being stuck as Hades' wife]].
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'': The game features Thor in all his beer-bellied hobo brawler finery, including a mop of shaggy red hair that almost obscures his face. Just like the myths, he's married to Sif, who is a beautiful blonde goddess.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'': [[BloodKnight Bartolomeo]] [[HotBlooded 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 [[ICallItVera not a sword]] and B) is very attractive.
* ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'' has Jack the Raging Bull and his wife "Rosy Lips" Gina.
* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'': In the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue of ''Hordes of the Underdark'', it's revealed that the stunning FieryRedhead Sharwyn eventually became a famous bard among the nobility. There, she fell in love with a hideous man and fled a chance at a life of riches for the chance to be with him.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** In the series backstory, St. Alessia, the "Slave Queen", was a BeautifulSlaveGirl before [[BornIntoSlavery escaping slavery]] and starting a rebellion to free her people from the rule of their [[AbusivePrecursors cruel Ayleid masters]]. During the rebellion, known as the Alessian Revolt, Alessia prayed to the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Aedra]] for divine aid. As part of a BargainWithHeaven, they answered, and sent her assistance. One being they sent was the demi-god Morihaus, the "[[OurMinotaursAreDifferent Man-Bull]]''. Morihaus fell in love with Alessia, and [[DivineDate became her consort]], despite warnings from the other Aedra. However, Morihaus felt that his form was too ugly for Alessia, especially when she disrobed for him. Still, they stayed together until Alessia's death, and their progeny [[MonsterProgenitor became the first Minotaur]].
** The [[OurElvesAreDifferent Bosmer (Wood Elves)]] were [[http://www.daryam.com/michael/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Bosmer.jpg originally designed]] for this to be a trait of their race. Downplayed in their final designs for ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', where the Bosmer males are [[TinyGuyHugeGirl much shorter than the females]] and generally uglier, but not to the extent their early designs called for. By ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', any disparities between the males and females (attractiveness, height, or otherwise) are dropped completely.
* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' has Crash and Tawna, [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome but only in the first game]]. Crash is designed very much like a ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' character, with stubby proportions and wacky facial expressions, while Tawna is designed to be the attractive Jessica Rabbit to his [[Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit Roger Rabbit]]. While she disappeared in the second and third games including in the remakes/reboot, she makes her reappearance in the ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'' and it's implied that she and Crash are still a couple.
* ''VideoGame/ClarencesBigChance'': [[spoiler:Clarence and the girl in the Best Ending.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'': Downplayed with Heihachi and Kazumi Mishima in ''VideoGame/Tekken7''. Although Heihachi is still well-muscled, he clearly looks like he's in his 70s, what with his gray hair and dour facial expressions. Despite being around the same age, Kazumi is much more fresh-faced and youthful, to the extent that [[OlderThanTheyLook she can be easily mistaken to be Heihachi's daughter rather than his wife]]. Justified by the fact that [[spoiler:[[DeadAllAlong Kazumi has been dead for decades]]]].
* [[UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar Caesar]] and [[UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII Cleopatra]] from ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' are this. Cleopatra is named one of the most beautiful women in existence, while Caesar is an AdiposeRex. However, they care for each other very deeply, and Cleo's (mostly) gotten over the fact that her old lover isn't as much of a looker as he once was. Considering that their greatest regret is that they were unable to spend their lives together, it seems like an extra hundred pounds are a pretty minor obstacle (not to mention, Caesar is so charming and charismatic that it's a party buff skill for him).
* Downplayed in ''VideoGame/{{Rakuen}}''. In the fantasy world Kisaburo's counterpart is a goofy looking fishman creature, while his wife Kazuko's counterpart is an elegant lady whose only inhuman features are colorful hair and fins on the side of her head.
* ''VideoGame/ShotgunKingTheFinalCheckmate'': Both the Black and White King resemble chess pieces with cartoony faces that would be {{Gonk}} by human standards. The White Queen (formerly the Black Queen) in contrast is [[NonStandardCharacterDesign depicted as a beautiful human woman]] instead of a cartoon-faced chess piece.

* Luk River and Hala from "Irregular Elis", a lucky man married with a hot mom alien.

** Davan with any girl he's dated, though this is largely InformedDeformity.
* Pip in ''Webcomic/SequentialArt'' -- and if the penguin looked dorky ''in glasses'', he looks plain ludicrous without them -- and... [[spoiler:Hilary]] "have become ''good'' friends". Quoth Kat when she saw a kiss, "Oh, ''God''... For the love of all that's good and holy, ''don't'' do that again..."
** It later turned out that she was using him, and she dumped him as soon as she had what she wanted.
* ''Webcomic/LeagueOfSuperRedundantHeroes'' has Lazer Pony, a blind superhero with a rather silly costume including a horse bit in his mouth, in a relationship with blonde bombshell ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}-clone Mary Sue. In-universe it works because while Lazer Pony is a genuinely good, kind, and well-meaning person and hero, he's so pathetically incompetent as ''either'' that ''everybody's'' out of his league. Just staying in a relationship with him without horrible things happening (possibly to the entire universe) demands somebody so [[PuritySue sweet and hypercompetent]] she can ignore what should be relationship-enders (or life-, world-, universe-...). Out-of-universe, reader comments suggest the fans recognize this is what it takes to give Lazer Pony a girlfriend, they like him having a girlfriend, and when Mary Sue's insistent glaring perfectness is mostly occupied (on-panel) by being his girlfriend she's actually likeable.
* ''Webcomic/{{Overcompensating}}'': Parodied in a television pilot Jeff tried to pitch, "Fat Jerk And His Attractive Italian Wife".
* ''Webcomic/IDontWantThisKindOfHero'': Bidan is a beautiful winged humanoid figure who looks like an angel. She ends up dating Gregor, a ''giant cockroach,'' although he is a nice guy.
* ''Webcomic/FlorkOfCows'' has Conneticut Clark, a shrimpy, badly-drawn fellow with BlackBeadEyes and a big nose, and Malfina the witch, a tall, busty, much more realisticly-drawn woman who's [[TinyGuyHugeGIrl literally about four times taller than Clark]].

* Aphrodite and Hephaestus of ''[[http://www.o-cast.com O-Cast]]'', based on the aforementioned Ur-example in Greek myth. Though the actor for Hephaestus is HollywoodHomely.
* In ''Literature/ThaliasMusings'', how Aphrodite sees her ArrangedMarriage to Hephaestus. [[UltimateBlacksmith Hephaestus]] is considered the least attractive of the Olympians, especially compared to his brother [[WarGod Ares]]. However, it's implied that this designation is highly relative.
* In the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', supervillain Gizmatic is a short, nerdy, ugly dork with a 'shy chin' who has a still-hot wife.

* ''WebVideo/{{Dad}}'': Dad has a "dad-bod", a balding head, and looks like an average middle-aged man. Mom looks young and attractive, with long dark hair and a good physique.

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2'' has [[spoiler:Hiccup's parents]]. The couple could be mistaken as ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'''s Fergus and Elinor from this article's picture. Though it is debatable whether Stoick is ugly or just big and burly while still good looking.

* ''Manga/GalaxyExpress999'': Like in other works by Creator/LeijiMatsumoto, the eye-meltingly beautiful SpacePirate Anime/QueenEmeraldas is hopelessly in love with the [[{{Gonk}} impossibly ugly]] Tochiro.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes (especially in comedy, which is one of the main reasons why this trope is so common in sitcoms. Another reason is because the star of the sitcom is also usually the executive producer, [[ExecutiveMeddling thus has say in which actress gets to portray their partner]]). The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher; in order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain-looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles. Heck, being cast as side characters is challenging for them more often than not. Even female characters [[HollywoodHomely who are supposed to be unattractive in-universe]] are often portrayed by supermodel-class women who have undergone some type of BeautyInversion. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

This is very common in DomCom situations. It also pervades in cartoons and comic strips due to TertiarySexualCharacteristics; the men can liven up the artists' art styles, but the women have to be differentiated. This requires [[HartmanHips round hips]], [[BuxomBeautyStandard big bosoms]], full lips, and exquisitely-designed hair ([[ImpossibleHourglassFigure and often an abstract shape]]), resulting in a beautiful woman and a cartoonish husband.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes (especially in comedy, which is one of the main reasons why this trope is so common in sitcoms. Another reason is because the star of the sitcom is also usually the executive producer, [[ExecutiveMeddling thus has say in which actress gets to portray their partner]]). The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher; in order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain-looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles. Heck, even being cast as side characters is challenging for them, even if the character [[HollywoodHomely is supposed to be unattractive in-universe]]. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes (especially in comedy, which is one of the main reasons why this trope is so common in sitcoms. Another reason is because the star of the sitcom is also usually the executive producer, [[ExecutiveMeddling thus has say in which actress gets to portray their partner]]). The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher; in order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain-looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles. Heck, even being cast as side characters is challenging for them. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

The trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes (especially in comedy, which is one of the main reasons why this trope is so common in sitcoms). The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher; in order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Women who are plain-looking, overweight or past a certain age are rarely cast in leading roles. Heck, even being cast as side characters is challenging for them. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

A very common trope, particularly in animation and sitcoms, is for a woman to be far more attractive than her significant other, even when the husband does not have a prestigious, high-paying job. This is largely a result of HollywoodBeautyStandards. Average-looking women are rarely cast in lead roles and even being cast as side characters is challenging for them. Therefore even HollywoodHomely women who aren't supposed to be gorgeous are often portrayed by supermodel-class women.

In addition, the trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness as well, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes (especially in comedy, which is one of the main reasons why this trope is so common in sitcoms). Many times, the guy is overweight due to the stigma. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher; in order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

A very common trope, particularly in animation and sitcoms, is for a woman to be far more attractive than her significant other, even when the husband does not have a prestigious, high-paying job. This is largely a result of Hollywood-style casting for women's roles in which average-looking women are virtually unknown and unwanted in lead roles, leaving a large number of hotties needing work. Therefore even HollywoodHomely women who aren't supposed to be gorgeous are portrayed by supermodel-class women.

In addition, the trope both reveals and helps maintain one of the most wide-spread cases of a DoubleStandard around with regards to acceptable levels of attractiveness for leading actors and actresses. While actors are generally held to a high standard of attractiveness, there are still leading roles available for plain looking guys, [[BigFun funny fat guys]], and average joes (especially in comedy, which is one of the main reasons why this trope is so common in sitcoms). Many times, the guy is overweight due to the stigma. The beauty standard for women, however, is much higher; in order to be a leading lady it is an unspoken prerequisite that you are at the very least physically attractive. Therefore, the reverse (HotGuyUglyWife) is almost unheard of. And if it is present, it is [[UnfortunateImplications usually played for laughs]]. Basically, it's positive discrimination for men in-universe while remaining plain old-fashioned discrimination out-of-universe.

[[NoAccountingForTaste love may be blind]], but this one is [[TrueLove true]]."]]