The Libby - Television Tropes & Idioms

alt title(s): Alpha Bitch

I take it as a rule of nature that all American high schools are ruled by a pack of snobs, led by a supremely confident young woman who is blond, superficial, catty, and ripe for public humiliation. This character is followed by two friends who worship her, and are a little bit shorter. Those schools also contain a group of friends who are not as popular and do not think of themselves as pretty, although they are smarter, funnier and altogether more likeable than the catty-pack.
— Roger Ebert, review of Sleepover

Veronica: Heather, why can't you just be a friend? Why do you have to be such a mega-bitch?
Heather Duke: Because I can be.
— Heathers

In every High School, our heroes will have to deal with The Libby. See that attractive blonde cheerleader looking down her nose and sneering at the frumpy girl in glasses? That's her.

The Libby is the girl who, with an iron fist of terror wrapped in a leather glove from Prada, dominates those around her in a way that would make Josef Stalin blanch. Despite being an unpleasant, bullying and mean-spirited snob determined to put down everyone except an elite few deemed worthy of her goodwill — and she's usually still pretty snide even to them — the Libby is somehow the most popular girl in school, and she aims to keep it that way. Usually a junior Rich Bitch, the Libby is a Spoiled Brat possessing an out-of-control sense of entitlement and a ruthless aim to demolish all perceived competition with catty remarks, backhanded compliments, cruel pranks and manipulation — and the heroine, especially if she's a Cool Loser, will inevitably find herself in the role of chief rival. Expect conflict to form around rivalry and jealousy over possessions, boyfriends or roles in the school environment.

The Libby is usually at the centre of a fawning Girl Posse who suck up to her and act as her faithful minions. She is always somehow elected Homecoming or Prom Queen, which may seem mystifying considering how horrible she is to almost everyone whose votes she depends on — she usually uses her position as sex symbol and devious, underhanded tactics to secure the title. Her boyfriend will be the most popular and handsome boy in school, ensuring the envy of all the other girls; either the athletic Jerk Jock or the suave Big Man On Campus. She'll also be head cheerleader, which ensures that every guy in school is automatically programmed to lust after her. Of course, she'll reject any guy she considers beneath her, whether through blunt dismissal (“Ewww, as if, loser!”) or, in particularly heartless cases, through a cruel Prank Date. In a Betty And Veronica situation, she will usually be "Veronica"

The Libby is usually not very bright — Popular Is Dumb, after all — and, in contrast to the smart, savvy heroine, will be a mean-spirited version of The Ditz or the Brainless Beauty. However, she understands people, and can manipulate them with an insight that would terrify Machiavelli himself. Whilst she may be a cruel, horrible bitch-queen from Hell to anyone unfortunate enough to get in her bad books, she will be a Devil In Plain Sight to authority figures, as sweet as sugar to anyone who could punish her for her behaviour.

A common subversion / Freudian Excuse for the Libby is that she is, deep down, actually quite insecure, tragic, sympathetic or even nice. Often, she'll have been spoiled rotten either because she's either the apple of Daddy's eye and his indulgence of her has gotten way out of hand, or because her parents are cold, selfish and distant types more interested in themselves than raising a child, and have substituted material goods for actual affection. She'll often live in a superficial environment, usually raised and bullied by a mother who is herself an ex-Libby and who forces her daughter to follow the same path in order to compensate for her own failed and wasted life. Expect this to prompt a Broken Aesop on the heroine’s part about pitying/respecting/trying to befriend her because of the Freudian Excuse. She may also be the subject of a Very Special Episode about anorexia or bulima. Do not expect this revelation to make the Libby any nicer or cut the heroine any more slack; if it does, she may become a Fallen Princess. Even more rarely, the Libby and the heroine may decide to bury the hatchet, or even become friends.

Like the Jerk Jock, if the Libby ever receives comeuppance, it'll be with such vicious delight that it seems the writers are working through their own high-school issues in the process. A grown-up Libby is usually likely to end up a frumpy, failed housewife, a puddle-shallow Stepford Smiler trapped in a failed, empty and lonely life with an obsession with living the 'perfect' life and a a bit too much fondness for booze, or a just-as-nasty but more bitter grown-up Rich Bitch, often with Blonde Republican Sex Kitten tendencies. She will often be unhappily married to the former Jerk Jock, an equal victim of bad karma. And to add insult to injury, the people she so cruelly bullied in high school will have become more successful and attractive than she is.

She is unlikely to be a Fille Fatale. She's too outwardly mean for that. Frequently on the Snob end of Slobs Versus Snobs. Its A Costume Party I Swear, the Prank Date and the Party Scheduling Gambit are just some of the many nasty tricks she plays.

Named after the character from Sabrina The Teenage Witch.