Line #36 Series/TheHardTimesOfRJBerger


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3	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_hard_times_of_rj_berger_5.jpg]]
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5	''The Hard Times of RJ Berger'' is a sitcom created by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith for Creator/{{MTV}} that ran for two seasons from June 6, 2010 to May 30, 2011 before being cancelled in August 2011. The show originated from a short film that one creator directed and the other produced; the two summarized the short as an {{homage}} to ''Film/BoogieNights'', and later summed up the show as [[JustForFun/XMeetsY a cross between]] ''Series/TheWonderYears'' and ''Film/{{Superbad}}''.
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7	RJ Berger is an unpopular, nerdy, socially awkward high school sophomore. He's horrible at sports, even worse at talking to girls, [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents his parents are embarrassing]], and he's got more pairs of glasses than friends -- but he has a big secret. A ''very'' big secret.
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9	[[GagPenis A macrophallically big secret.]]
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11	The show's plot gets set in motion when an unfortunate series of events leads to RJ being exposed in front of his entire high school. However, RJ gets a sudden boost in popularity, and the show then follows him and his two best friends, [[BromanticFoil Miles Jenner]] and [[AbhorrentAdmirer Lily Miran]], as he deals with the changes and tries to use the fame to his advantage.
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13	The first season mainly follows RJ's pursuit of his long-time LoveInterest Jenny Swanson, whom he never interacted with out of fear of her JerkJock boyfriend Max Owens. Meanwhile, he also deals with the effects his popularity has on Miles and Lily, as Miles' ambitions for fame of his own cause conflict between him and RJ, and Lily has secretly been lusting after RJ. The second season begins with RJ and Jenny as an OfficialCouple, trying to make the relationship work despite several hindrances. All the while, RJ is trying to deal with his parents' divorce, his mom dating his coach, and the new hot tutor he's been given that starts to drive a wedge between him and Jenny. Had the show not been cancelled, the third season would've followed RJ dealing with [[spoiler:Lily's pregnancy]] and Max keeping his own little secret under wraps.
14	----
15	!!This show provides examples of:
16	%%* AbhorrentAdmirer: Lily.
17	%%* AlphaBitch: Averted with Jenny. [[RichBitch Robin]] plays this straight.
18	%%** Lily plays this straight for a while when she gets her settlement, although by the end of the episode she averts it.
19	* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: RJ's are probably the most over the top example ever, taking it to near abusive levels. In just one example, his mother shouts encouragement to him as he makes out with Jenny Swanson - and then ENTERS THE ROOM to help him remove Jenny's bra.
20	* AnalogyBackfire: When RJ and Jenny are running for Mr. and Mrs. Pinkleton, RJ at once appeals to the student body by speaking to those those who don't have "perfect teeth and perfect skin". Throughout the whole series only one of the main characters gets acne and she's one of the popular kids. The whole cast has perfect teeth.
21	%%* {{Animesque}}: So far, most of the art found in the series is like this.
22	%%* ArmoredClosetGay: [[spoiler: Max, as of the Season 2 finale.]]
23	* AshesToCrashes: In the Season 2 premiere, RJ gets [[spoiler:Kevin's]] ashes blown right into his face.
24	%%* BeautyIsBad
25	%%* BettyAndVeronica: Jenny (Archie) between RJ (Betty) and Max (Veronica). RJ (Archie) between Lily (Betty) and Jenny (Veronica) is a rare example of the Veronica being much more likeable than the Betty.
26	%%** A better example of a Betty is Clair, who RJ shows some interest in and who is also much better pick than Lily.
27	%%** Now, we have Amy as Betty and Jenny as Veronica.
28	* BilingualBonus: Most likely unintentional. Just try learning Spanish, and see a show where the main character has a GagPenis and it's called ''Berger''.
29	%%* BromanticFoil: Miles to RJ.
30	* {{Butterface}}: Lily. Miles [[LampshadedTrope lampshades ]] this when he described her as a combination of "Bettie Page and a woodchuck."
31	* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: [[spoiler: At the end of the second season finale, Lily reveals that she's pregnant with RJ's baby, resulting from the first and ''only'' time they ever had sex together.]]
32	%%* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: The result of the opening scene.
33	%%* CursedWithAwesome: RJ considers his penis to be this at first.
34	%%* DoubleEntendre: The dinner RJ has with his parents and their friends in the pilot is filled with this.
35	* FreudianSlip:
36	** "I'd love to study you. Study ''with'' you."
37	** It's tit o' clock -- uh, two o' clock.
38	%%* GagPenis: Pretty much the point of the entire show.
39	%%* GangBangers: Hamilton and his gang
40	* GayGuySeeksPopularJock: Guillermo and [[spoiler: Max]]. The last episode implied that their feelings for each other were genuine, what with the mutual eye contact while RJ was giving his speech about love.
41	%% Before adding an example for Getting Crap Past the Radar, be sure it matches the current definition.
42	%%* GratuitousJapanese: Sprinkled around the pilot episode.
43	* HollywoodPudgy: Invoked/Lampshaded in one episode where [[MistakenForCheating Max was caught with panties that aren't Jenny's]], to prove his innocence he shows RJ that the panties are a size Medium and he doesn't date "fatties", [[OnlySaneMan RJ is not amused]].
44	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: When Jenny and Max break up and despite the fact he had a good chance with her, RJ tells Jenny that Max didn't cheat on her rather than take advantage of the situation.
45	* {{Jerkass}}: Coach Sinclair. He purposely made it look like Max cheated on Jenny so he would play basketball better.
46	%%* JerkJock: Max, though it's more PlayedForLaughs than played straight.
47	%%* MsFanservice: Jenny. Amy.
48	%%* MushroomSamba: The Lock-In
49	%%* MarijuanaIsLSD: See above - The Biscotti was laced with "Acapulco Gold".
50	* NerdsAreSexy: Despite RJ being portrayed as a very realistic nerd, he continues to have a large fanbase among the female population.
51	%%** Amy. Just Amy.
52	%%* SarcasmBlind: Miles, to tragic effect.
53	%%* SchoolPlay: [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Vamp]] [[Theatre/WestSideStory Side Story]]
54	* ShoutOut:
55	** [[MeaningfulName Mrs. Robbins]], a friend of RJ's parents and middle-aged woman, lures RJ into her bedroom in an attempt to seduce him. [[Film/TheGraduate This sounds strangely familiar]]...
56	** While rehearsing for the school musical, the director mentions that [[Literature/PrideAndPrejudiceAndZombies students don't like reading Jane Austen unless it has zombies in it]].
57	** Miles' shirt in the lunch scene in The Berger Cometh is from [[Film/{{Adventureland}} a particular Pittsburgh amusement park]].
58	** Music/{{Weezer}}, with the high school being named Pinkerton, and the band makes a cameo as themselves in an episode.
59	** The second season finale has an animated sequence comparing the machine war in ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' to what Pinkerton High being ruled by the JerkJock and the AlphaBitch would end up as.
60	** Other animation sequences are drawn in the style of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{King of the Hill}}''.
61	%%* SlapSlapKiss: [[spoiler:Miles and Lily]], although it was because both of them were drunk.
62	%%* StraightGay: [[spoiler: Max.]] Also counts as FlyingUnderTheGaydar.
63	* SuddenDownerEnding: The final episode to season 1 is much more dramatic compared to the previous episodes. [[spoiler: The opening scene takes place shortly after Lily has been hit by a bus, and the rest of the episode has RJ blaming himself for it.]]
64	** The season 2 finale is also an example. At the end of episode, things are looking pretty good for most of the main characters, and since ''The Hard Times of RJ Berger'' was cancelled and this was the last episode, it would've served as a decent enough conclusion for the whole series... But then, literally at the last minute, Lily walks in and [[spoiler:announces that she's pregnant, and that RJ is the father]], so the series [[CutShort ends abruptly]] with a {{cliffhanger}}.
65	%%* TemptingFate: "At least he's still got his jockstrap o--" [[HilarityEnsues In comes the plot]].
66	* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The sneak preview for episode 7 of season 2 (the Weezer episode) shows [[spoiler:Amy kissing RJ]], which is literally the last 5 seconds of the episode.
67	* UngratefulBastard: Max. Not only does RJ tell Jenny the truth when [[spoiler:the coach framed him for cheating on Jenny]] he saves him from being the victim of a hit from the GangBangers [[spoiler:or so he thought]], yet Max STILL acts like a {{Jerkass}} to him. Although, this is more to play the JerkJock trope straight.
68	** DoubleSubverted in the second season finale - [[spoiler: Max thanks RJ for not revealing he's gay to the student body, but says that it doesn't mean he won't still mess with RJ.]]
69	* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Jenny and Max. Sure he's the good looking BigManOnCampus and he at least tries to be nice in front of her but there are still many moments where he acts like a big {{Jerkass}} to her.
70	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Claire, the NewTransferStudent who becomes RJ's first real girlfriend, is never seen or mentioned again after she breaks up with RJ, even though she still presumably goes to Pinkerton High, and would probably want to hang out with the other nerds there.
71	* WomanScorned: Lily initially in the second season was this towards RJ, and tries numerous times to [[RelationshipSabotage sabotage]] him and Jenny. She moves on eventually.
72	%%* YankTheDogsChain: Happens to RJ (and to a lesser extent, Miles) pretty frequently, and he lampshades this.

Context Series / TheHardTimesOfRJBerger