History Main / Fratbro

The Fratbro is a male college student or alumnus depicted in a stereotypical fratboy-ish manner. They're almost always [[PopularIsDumb unintellectual]] and usually want to [[TwentyFourHourPartyPeople party and drink]] all day, try to get laid all night, and will likely engage in WackyFratboyHijinx. Despite the name, they don't have to be (or have been) in a fraternity.

* Even as far back as TheMiddleAges in England and continental Europe, there are records of university students being condemned for drunkenness, getting into violent brawls or throwing people in rivers, and engaging in all sorts of mistreatment of women including rape, making this OlderThanPrint.

* The video game company Creator/ActivisionBlizzard was rocked by a large scandal in late July 2021, following the suicide of a female employee. The incident made way for a grand-scale reveal that the company had massive systematic issues with a toxic workplace culture and a slew of allegations about widespread sexual harassment and sexism against employees. The "work ethics" (or lack thereof) of the employees and higher ups who were responsible for the toxic workplace environment were described as a "frat boy culture" (they would drink, party and play video games all day while the harrassed employees, often female, would endure humiliations, do all the work and not get paid fairly for it).

** Season 19 features stereotypical frat bros who are all obsessed with [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad enforcing Political Correctness to the extreme]], with one of them being the new principal of South Park Elementary.

* ''Film/SororityBoys'' is about three members of the "KOK" fraternity who dress up in drag to infiltrate a rival sorority. The film serves to deconstruct frat bro antics, especially regarding their treatment of women. The climax takes place on a party cruise with KOK alumni, including main character Dave's father, who all ''still'' act like college boys despite their age and careers.

[[folder: Webcomic]]

* '''Film/SororityBoys'' is about three members of the "KOK" fraternity who dress up in drag to infiltrate a rival sorority. The film serves to deconstruct frat bro antics, especially regarding their treatment of women. The climax takes place on a party cruise with KOK alumni, including main character Dave's father, who all ''still'' act like college boys despite their age and careers.

As far as academics go, they live by the motto "C's get degrees," and the more well-off bros are often guaranteed a job under one of their parents regardless of school performance. For this reason they often study straightforward, business-related majors like accounting, marketing, real estate, etc. Rare is the fratboy that is studying to be a schoolteacher or physician where they'd ''have'' to rely on their own skills and not personal connections. They're in college to ''party''.

This is a subtrope of MenAreUncultured, specifically designed around the idea that it's "normal" for young men to behave this way and sow their depraved "oats" before stepping foot in the real world. The ones who can't let go of this phase in their lives may grow up to be a JadedWashout or TheStoner.

Fratbros are usually AcceptableTargets in pretty much any work not aimed at this demographic (but to their credit, most fratbros aren't above [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales self-deprecating humor]]). Often used as a BromanticFoil to the male lead. One popular {{Aesop}} for this type of character is to become a LadykillerInLove, especially if they CantActPervertedTowardALoveInterest. Whether or not it works is a toss-up, as this sort of character can easily imply that the audience [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing Should Not Do This Cool Thing]].

* Even as far back as TheMiddleAges in England and continental Europe, there are records of university students being condemned for drunkenness, getting into violent brawls or throwing people in rivers, and engaging in all sorts of mistreatment of women up to and including rape, making this OlderThanPrint.

* The video game company Creator/ActivisionBlizzard was rocked by a large scandal in late July 2021, following the suicide of a female employee. The incident made way for a grand-scale reveal that the company had massive systematic issues with a toxic workplace culture and a slew of allegations about widespread sexual harassment and sexism against employees. The "work ethics" (or lack thereof) of the employees and higher ups who were responsible for the toxic workplace environment were described as a "frat boy culture" (they would drink, party and play video games all day while the harrassed employees, often female, would do all the work, endure humiliations and not get paid fairly for it).

* In 2021, the video game company Creator/ActivisionBlizzard was rocked by a large scandal in late July 2021, following the suicide of a female employee. The incident made way for a grand-scale reveal that the company had massive systematic issues with a toxic workplace culture and a slew of allegations about widespread sexual harassment and sexism against employees. The "work ethics" (or lack thereof) of the employees and higher ups who were responsible for the toxic workplace environment were described as a "frat boy culture" (they would drink, party and play video games all day while the harrassed employees, often female, would do all the work, endure humiliations and not get paid fairly for it).

As far as academics go, they live by the motto "C's get degrees," and the more well-off bros are often guaranteed a job under one of their parents regardless of school performance. For this reason they often study straightforward, business-related majors like accounting, marketing, real estate, etc. Rare is the fratboy that is studying to be a schoolteacher or physician where they'd ''have'' to rely on their own skills and not personal connections. They're in school to ''party''.

The Fratbro is a character depicted in a stereotypical fratboy-ish manner. They're almost always [[PopularIsDumb unintellectual]] and usually want to [[TwentyFourHourPartyPeople party and drink]] all day, try to get laid all night, and will likely engage in WackyFratboyHijinx. Despite the name, they don't have to be (or have been) in a fraternity in college.

As far as academics go, they live by the motto "C's get degrees," and the more well-off bros are often guaranteed a job at their parents' company regardless of school performance. For this reason they often study straightforward, business-related majors like accounting, marketing, real estate, etc. Rare is the fratboy that is studying to be a schoolteacher or physician where they'd ''have'' to rely on their own skills and not personal connections. They're in school to ''party''.

Fratbros are usually AcceptableTargets in pretty much any work not aimed at this demographic (but to their credit, most fratbros aren't above self-deprecating humor). Often used as a BromanticFoil to the male lead. One popular {{Aesop}} for this type of character is to become a LadykillerInLove, especially if they CantActPervertedTowardALoveInterest. Whether or not it works is a toss-up, as this sort of character can easily imply that the audience [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing Should Not Do This Cool Thing]].

The Fratbro is a character depicted in a stereotypical fratboy-ish manner. They're almost always [[PopularIsDumb not very intelligent]] and usually want to [[TwentyFourHourPartyPeople party and drink]] all day (and try to get laid) and will likely engage in WackyFratboyHijinx. Despite the name, they don't have to be (or have been) in a fraternity in college.

Fratbros are usually AcceptableTargets in pretty much any work not aimed at this demographic. Often used as a BromanticFoil to the male lead. One popular {{Aesop}} for this type of character is to become a LadykillerInLove, especially if they CantActPervertedTowardALoveInterest. Whether or not it works is a toss-up, as this sort of character can easily imply that the audience [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing Should Not Do This Cool Thing]].

* The infamous Bullingdon Club is basically a cross between this trope and a BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats. They recently got some rather unfavourable media attention after allegations were made that [[UsefulNotes/DavidCameron a fratbro who went on to become Prime Minister of Great Britain]] had to perform an indecent act with the severed head of a pig as part of the InitiationCeremony.

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': "What If...Thor Were An Only Child?" suggests that without Loki around to inadvertently teach Thor some life lessons in responsibility, Thor would basically become on these. He dubs himself "God of Parties" and is more concerned with drunken debauchery than studying to be the next Asgard ruler. The only thing that stops him is Jane tattling on him to his mother Frigga.

* In ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Calvin's father, ''the'' poster boy for MiseryBuildsCharacter, is often alluded to have been one [[FormerTeenRebel when he was younger]], with his son pulling out old pictures of him from college where he apparently did headstands on beer kegs.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has the aptly-named Bro Strider (also known as [[spoiler:Dirk Strider]] in an alternate universe). He outright says that he aspires to be the ultimate "bro". He's obsessed with baseball hats (if he can't wear one, he does the next best thing and wears a t-shirt with a picture of a hat on it), rap music, videogames, unhealthy snack foods, extreme sports, and videogames about extreme sports and unhealthy snack foods. Bro's brother, Dave, copies many of these interests to an extent, but he's doing it [[SoBadItsGood "ironically"]] while Bro's {{irony}} is so far gone that it's completely indistinguishable from sincerity.

Compare LifeOfTheParty and WackyFratboyHijinx. Also compare and contrast with HardDrinkingPartyGirl, TheLadette, and AllGuysWantSororityWomen, the rough {{Distaff Counterpart}}s.

* Website/CollegeHumor: Played with in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaS6mlUS5Kw "If I were a Bro"]], wherein Sarah dresses up as a stereotypical frat boy [[OneOfTheBoys hanging out with the rest of the dudes]].

* John "Bluto" Blutarsky of ''Film/AnimalHouse'' is the TropeCodifier. Frequently drunk, and always on the lookout for mischief, he neglects his studies to the extent of receiving a grade point average of exactly 0.0. His many fratboy activities include starting a cafeteria FoodFight, spying on women students changing and smashing someone's guitar in the middle of a song. When the dean expels him and his frat brothers, Bluto rallies them to commit one last act of mayhem at Homecoming.

* Web serial ''Literature/{{Barkwire}}'' gives us Clumpy, the stray dog loved by college students (and tragically lost to liver failure).