History Main / GirlsHaveCooties

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think that heterosexual relationships are disgusting. Likewise, a girl who doesn't outgrow this trope may become a woman who DoesNotLikeMen. Compare AllergicToLove. If a child of either gender hates ''all'' affection, regardless of gender or whether it's romantic or platonic, see AffectionHatingKid.

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think that heterosexual relationships are disgusting. Compare AllergicToLove. If a child of either gender hates ''all'' affection, regardless of gender or whether it's romantic or platonic, see AffectionHatingKid.

* In the ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' novel ''The Wonderful Doctor of Oz'', when the Thirteenth Doctor inadvertently gives Missy (who she's meeting out of order) a hint about her next incarnation, Missy's reaction is "Not back to a stinky boy! I might give myself cooties!"

* Patrick from ''WebOriginal/TheWarComms'' is this combined with HeManWomanHater.

* In the LiveActionAdaptation of ''Film/SpeedRacer'', Speed's kid brother, Spritle, and his [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys pet chimp]], Chim-Chim, [[NoFourthWall break the fourth wall]] to give a "cooties warning" when Speed and Trixie are about to kiss. Earlier they interrupted a kissing scene and followed up with the classic ''cootie shot''.

* ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS'' is once called on this in a late 2007/early 2008 strip, and admits it... except that he's fine with his mother, Mrs. Wilson, and the local {{tomboy}}.

* Being a small puppy, ComicStrip/{{Scamp}} usually doesn't like girls (especially not his sisters), although this varies DependingOnTheWriter.

* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowlAndTheTimeParadox'', 10-year-old Artemis says of [[spoiler:Holly and 14-year-old Artemis]] kissing that you wouldn't catch ''him'' wasting time like that. Not as vehement as some of the other examples, but does contain built-in proof he'll grow out of it: Within three years, back in the second book (or at least non-U.S. editions thereof), he's consciously aware that he'll be attracted to Holly when he's older.

* Downplayed in ''Literature/HenryHuggins''. Henry is a 10-year-old AllAmericanBoys who thinks that girls are rather silly, and reacts with disgust if he sees a girl act particularly girly. However, his usual hang-out group (consisting of himself, Robert, Scooter, Beezus and Mary-Jane) include two girls, and he regularly visits Beezus's house to play checkers with her, even though he is rather reluctant to be hang out with her alone in public.

* Damian Wayne (Franchise/{{Batman}}'s biological son) turns up his [[RoyalBrat brattiness]] UpToEleven whenever he deals with Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) or Supergirl. Both of them are blondes with blue eyes. Maybe he HasAType.
* In one pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}}''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}'' story, [[KidHero Billy]] fights a gang of female villains called the Rainbow Squad. However, their mysterious boss, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Mr. Mind]]]], tells them how to fight Captain Marvel off--whenever he shows up, five of them ([[AmbiguouslyGay the sixth]] [[DoesNotLikeMen refuses]]) run up and start kissing him all over. Despite the fact that pre-Crisis Captain Marvel was supposed to be a SuperPoweredAlterEgo, the fact that he's (apparently) based on Billy's own personality means that he freaks out and runs away.
* In ''ComicBook/AdventureTimeWithFionnaAndCakeCardWars'', the slug boys in the gaming club are initially hostile to Cake joining, they claim because she isn't a slug. But when they later insult Fionna as "the chick" their true attitude becomes clear.
* In ''ComicBook/SamAndMax'' this is mostly how Max's dislike of girls is portrayed. Given that his mentality resembles that of a highly impulsive child. In the later video games, a time travel incident causes him to overcome this and become extremely flirty with certain female characters.

* Being a small puppy, ComicStrip/{{Scamp}} usually doesn't like girls (especially not his sisters), although this varies depending on the writer.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Dennis the Menace|US}}'' is once called on this in a late 2007/early 2008 strip, and admits it... except that he's fine with his mother, Mrs. Wilson, and the local {{tomboy}}.

* The title character in ''Agnes'' has the "boys have cooties" variant, although she still engages in a kind of passive-aggressive flirting with a boy at school named Bob.

* ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' and their "He-Man Woman Haters Club".
* In the LiveActionAdaptation of ''Film/SpeedRacer'', Speed's kid brother, Spritle, and his [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys pet chimp]], Chim-Chim, [[NoFourthWall break the fourth wall]] to give a "cooties warning" when Speed and Trixie are about to kiss. Earlier they interrupted a kissing scene and followed up with the classic ''cootie shot''.
* ''Film/LittleManhattan'' has the narrator, Gabe, discussing girls and puberty, mentioning that, once upon a time, word was they gave you cooties.
* The eponymous eighteen-year-old trio in ''Film/MysteryTeam''. Jason outgrows this when he meets Kelly, but the others show no signs of progress, going so far as trying to [[ComicallyMissingThePoint pay strippers to leave them alone]].

* Louis has this reaction in ''Film/TheLastStarfighter'' when he sees his brother Alex, and Alex's girlfriend Maggie kissing.

* ''Film/Spiderman3'' has a little boy repulsed by the idea of Spiderman and Gwen Stacy kissing for a picture, and he is even more repulsed when they do kiss.

* William Brown in the ''Literature/JustWilliam'' books can be quite the KidAnova with his chivalrous pining for GirlNextDoor Joan and susceptibility to pretty actresses. But Violet Elizabeth Bott leaves him shaken to the core:
-->"I'm not going to have anything to do with any old girl ever again," said William.\\
"It's all very well saying that," said Douglas, who had been deeply impressed that morning by the inevitability and deadly persistence of the sex, "it's them what has to do with you."\\
"Well, I'm never going to marry any old girl," said William.\\
"It's all very well saying ''that''," said Douglas. "But some old girl is prob'ly going to marry ''you''."
* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl and the Time Paradox'', 10-year-old Artemis says of [[spoiler:Holly and 14-year-old Artemis]] kissing that you wouldn't catch ''him'' wasting time like that. Not as vehement as some of the other examples, but does contain built-in proof he'll grow out of it: Within three years, back in the second book (or at least non-U.S. editions thereof), he's consciously aware that he'll be attracted to Holly when he's older.
* The book ''No Talking'' by Andrew Clements features an entire group of children who are said to be at the point where they should have gotten over this, but never did. In order to try to prove that one group (either boys or girls) are better than the other, they stage a "no talking" contest. In the end, the group largely gives up on cooties.

* In ''Literature/TalesOfAFourthGradeNothing'' by Creator/JudyBlume, Sheila Tubman used to tease Peter Hatcher by touching him and saying he's got the cooties, even up to when she is ten years old. It's after Peter's brother Fudge falls off the jungle gym set, thinking he's a bird, and loses his top two front teeth that she finally stops with the cooties.
* Bran and Arya Stark of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' dislike -- and complain about -- the "kissing stories" their elder sister Sansa likes.
* Jackie and Jaymee's initial attitudes toward each other in ''Literature/WeCantRewind'', though true to the more recent innovations, they're well over it and into being FlirtyStepSiblings by about a third of the way through the novel.

* The eponymous character from ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' believes this throughout most of the original series (as he's a teenager in ''Alien Force'', he's outgrown it). He does make an exception for Kai Green, a Navajo girl seen in one episode... but Kai takes his attention and runs with it...to creepy, creepy places.

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-zagged]] [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on the episode]]. Sometimes, the title character shows interest in girls. In one episode, he's disgusted to have been kissed by a girl.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Having grown up with Kim as his best friend, {{Fanon}} is at odds at whether or not Ron Stoppable went through this stage.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess.'' Derek and Odette have an ArrangedMarriage, so their parents make them spend every summer together from a young age. The first time we see this, Derek's mother forces him to [[IKissYourHand kiss Odette's hand]]. He finds this absolutely disgusting and wipes his mouth after. (For the record, [[TomboyPrincess she looked about ready to sock him]] herself.)

* Simba and Nala from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' don't think the other sex is "icky" but as cubs, they don't seem to like the idea of them being mates due to this.
* ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania2'': The wolf pup Winnie instantly falls in love with Mavis' son Dennis, but he just squirms away from her. It's pretty clear by the end that [[PuppyLove he does like her too, though]].
* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': After much gender-based rivalry throughout the movie, at one point Carl asks Jimmy for confirmation that they still don't like girls. He assures him that they do [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial in a suspicious sort of way]].
* In the [[AMinorKidroduction kidtroduction]] to ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'', Elsa gags at her little sister [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel Anna adding romance]] into their story.

* Ben from ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' believes this throughout most of the original series (as he's a teenager in ''Alien Force'', he's outgrown it). He does make an exception for Kai Green, a Navajo girl seen in one episode... but Kai takes his attention and runs with it... to creepy, creepy places.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeverlyHillsTeens'': Normally averted with Chester, who is quite interested in female attention (and gets much more than some of the older boys). However, in one episode [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Jillian]] responds to a remark about "embracing" boys with "how totally yucky". She changes her mind after a few minutes, when she is thrown into the air and Troy catches her.
* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', Tails' belief that girls have cooties is very pronounced.
* Having grown up with [[WesternAnimation/KimPossible a girl]] as his best friend, {{Fanon}} is at odds at whether or not Ron Stoppable went through this stage.
* ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids'': The gang all act like this when forced to hang out with Donald's cousin Betty (who has the double whammy of being a girl ''and'' a southerner) in "The Stranger". She gradually wins them all over, except for HeManWomanHater Rudy.

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think that [[HetIsEw heterosexual relationships are disgusting]]. Compare AllergicToLove. If a child of either gender hates ''all'' affection, regardless of gender or whether it's romantic or platonic, see AffectionHatingKid.

* ''Webcomic/OriginalLife'' did [[http://www.jaynaylor.com/originallife/archives/comic-51-100/ a whole storyline about cooties]], and it's http://www.jaynaylor.com/originallife/archives/2009/11/052.html monstrously over-the-top]].

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'': Negi's friend Kotaro plays this fairly straight (especially the romance thing), with a few exceptions in his adoptive sisters and girls who can fight. That said, he still thinks kissing is gross.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think that heterosexual relationships are disgusting. Compare AllergicToLove. If a child of either gender hates ''all'' affection, regardless of gender or whether it's romantic or platonic, see AffectionHatingKid.

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think that heterosexual relationships are disgusting. Compare AllergicToLove. If a boy hates ''all'' affection, regardless of gender or whether it's romantic or platonic, or if a girl feels the same way, see AffectionHatingKid.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin's [[FunWithAcronyms GROSS]] ('''G'''et '''R'''id '''O'''f '''S'''limy girl'''S''') club. "I know that's redundant but otherwise it doesn't spell anything. Now go away." Calvin also notably attempts to see movies like "Vampire Sorority Babes". He might just be overacting to shut Hobbes up about [[ToyShip Susie.]] Calvin wants to see the movies solely because he knows [[ForbiddenFruit they are considered "grown-up" and "naughty"]]; he never displays any understanding of ''why'' those sorts of movies are considered "grown-up" or "naughty". (He once asks Hobbes what "contains adult situations" means; Hobbes says that the movies show people paying bills, going to work, etc., and he's always wondered how movies like that make any money.)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' has Chester [=McBadbat=], who spends one episode desperately trying to avoid girls, while A.J. keeps offering them a dead frog.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]](and especially if [[{{Shojo}} it's aimed at 10-year-old girls]]). ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' is one example.

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think HetIsEw. Compare AllergicToLove. If a boy hates ''all'' affection, regardless of gender or whether it's romantic or platonic, or if a girl feels the same way, see AffectionHatingKid.

* In Chapter 4 of ''VideoGame/BlazBlueChronophantasma'', Makoto warns Noel that she'll "get Kagura cooties" if she touches a woman's undergarments. Justified on Makoto's behalf in that [A] Noel is technically single-digits in age (most of what Noel knows about sexuality she likely learned from [[BiTheWay Makoto]] in the first place) and [B] Kagura is a [[HandsomeLech raging perv]] (not to mention [[{{Fratbro}} hung over]] at the time they meet).

* In the intro to ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'', a young Elsa is grossed out by romance in stories.

If the boy does ''not'' get over his dislike of women when he grows up, he might be a HeManWomanHater, or think HetIsEw. Compare AllergicToLove.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Many anime titles tend to avert this, especially those aimed at actual 10-year-olds (and especially if [[{{Shojo}} it's aimed at 10-year-old girls]]). ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' is one example.