History Main / NerdsAreSexy

This trope shows what happens when a character finds that a nerd is, indeed, sexy. The nerd's "objective" looks could fall anywhere within the wide spectrum of human attractiveness; all that matters is that a character finds something about the nerd that arouses their interest. If said character is in high school, they may grow up to be a HotScientist.

* Joseph Carrion in the ''Literature/MediochreQSethSeries'' doesn't seem that nerdy [[OvershadowedByAwesome next to Mediochre]], but he's still a PopCulturedBadass, university professor, [[HotScientist scientist]] and former TeenGenius, and is described as well-built and handsome.

* Literature/WhateleyUniverse: brilliant inventor Spark is pursued by Reach throughout the story "The Big Idea". [[HotScientist Genius inventor]] Bugs on the other hand, is regarded as one of the sexiest girls in SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy.

Compare EndearinglyDorky, where characters are charmed by dorks (who may or may not be nerds as well). See also HotLibrarian, HotScientist, GeekyTurnOn, BespectacledCutie, GlassesAreSexy, {{Nerdcore}}, LovableNerd and GiveGeeksAChance. Sometimes [[JewishAndNerdy overlaps]] with MatzoFever.

** Subverted with [[StudentCouncilPresident Tatsuya]] [[CharClone Yuuki]] who's the typical popular guy in school. However, his fangirls see his Gunpla obsession as his only major flaw... that is [[DoubleSubversion until he pulls off]] a [[CurbStompBattle Curb-Stomp Gunpla Battle]] against the protagonist's model kit.

* In ''Anime/BlackLagoon'', Jane makes out with Benny immediately after Benny showed off his hacking skills.

* Richard from ''LightNovel/TheCaseFilesOfJewelerRichard'' is the most attractive human being Seigi has ever seen and draws incredible attention from everyone...but he reads grammar books for fun and has a master's degree from Cambridge.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Charlie, the AmbiguouslyBrown IT guy from the series of AT&T wireless [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fTrZEVCc4F8 network commercials]], who finds a way to make cheesy pick-up lines his own.

* A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFKwnHJQXsY 2009 Intel commercial]] featured a male Asian office worker freshening his cup of coffee. Semi-porn background music can be heard. All the women are staring hungrily at this guy, who sees it but acts too cool to respond to it, like this is normal for him. At the end, a voice over identifies this normal-looking nerd as the inventor of the USB port. (He was actually just an actor, but it gets the job done.)

Compare EndearinglyDorky, where characters are charmed by dorks (who may or may not be nerds as well). See also HotLibrarian, HotScientist, GeekyTurnOn, BespectacledCutie, {{Nerdcore}}, LovableNerd and GiveGeeksAChance. Sometimes [[JewishAndNerdy overlaps]] with MatzoFever.

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[[quoteright:234:[[Webcomic/SandraAndWoo https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sandra_and_Woo_319_7038.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:234:And by little, she means "[[BigDamnKiss French]]."]]
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* [[ComicBook/AmadeusCho Amadeus Cho]], the 7th smartest person on Earth (as verified by a soap company - oh, and Reed Richards), who managed to win the heart of a PerkyGoth Amazon Gorgon girl.
* Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing ComicBook/SpiderMan. A science geek and somewhat socially awkward, but none of this has stopped him from being a ChickMagnet. And he became positively handsome as the years went by.
* Believe it or not, ''[[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]]'', at least post-crisis. Ever since Clark allowed more of his real personality to show through, the Midwestern farmboy is every bit a ChickMagnet as good 'ol Peter Parker. Some such as Cat Grant, were explicitly attracted to Clark Kent, and ''not'' Superman. Of course, being built like the [[{{Hunk}} Man of Steel]] couldn't have hurt, despite everything he does to [[ClarkKenting downplay those looks]].

* Ellie Dee from ''Cherry Comics'', who manages to nail the science teacher all of the girls are lusting after.

This trope shows what happens when a character finds that a nerd is, indeed, sexy. The nerd's "objective" looks could fall anywhere within the wide spectrum of human attractiveness; all that matters is that a character finds something about the nerd that arouses his or her interest. If said character is in high school, they may grow up to be a HotScientist.

[[caption-width-right:234:And by little, she means "[[TheBigDamnKiss French]]."]]

Another name for this trope would be sapiosexual.

* 16-year-old Ally Hayden in ''Film/TRexBackToTheCretaceous'' seems to provoke this reaction to certain reviewers.

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'': Frederica Greenhill had been carrying the torch for the socially awkward Yang Wenli ever since she first met him.

This trope shows what happens when a character finds that a nerd is, indeed, sexy. The nerd's "objective" looks could fall anywhere within the wide spectrum of human attractiveness; all that matters is that a character finds something about the nerd that arouses his or her interest. If said character is in high school, he or she may grow up to be a HotScientist.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' has [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Quarian]] Machinist Tali'Zorah, who not only receives positive attention from Joker, Javik, Kenneth Donnelly, and Kal'Reegar, but has two potential [[LoveInterest love interests]]. Namely [[PlayerCharacter M!Shepard]] and [[FriendlySniper Garrus]].

Compare EndearinglyDorky, where characters are charmed by dorks (who may or may not be nerds as well). See also HotLibrarian, HotScientist, GeekyTurnOn, {{Meganekko}}, {{Nerdcore}}, LovableNerd and GiveGeeksAChance. Sometimes [[JewishAndNerdy overlaps]] with MatzoFever.

* This is practically the mission statement behind ''Comicbook/GoldDigger,'' a comic about Gina Diggers a really hot, really ... [[ReallyGetsAround "friendly"]] woman who's also a [[{{Meganekko}} bespectacled]] supergenius, and her friends, many of whom are just as hot and almost as smart as she is (though they're generally less nerdy).

* In ''Film/HowToMarryAMillionaire'', Creator/MarilynMonroe's character avoids wearing [[MegaNekko much-needed glasses]] as long as she can to retain her beauty. When her love interest finally persuades her to put them on, he immediately says, "You're crazy."

** Ray himself counts. His TallDarkAndHandsome appearance, [[SmartGuy intelligence]], and love for ''Series/DoctorWho'' were all reasons Felicity listed as to why he was practically the perfect man. He's a contender for ''the'' nerdiest character in the Arrowverse, played by an actor who once portrayed ''[[{{Hunk}} Superman]]''. That in itself should indicate how much he qualifies.

* Mira in ''Manga/AsteroidInLove''. From the [[AMinorKidroduction kidroduction]] and her recollection of the event as she drafts her Shiny Star Challenge entrance essay, it is clear that Ao gave her a very deep impression since Ao knew a lot about astronomy and is passionate about the field--or, in short, Ao was (and still is) an astronomy geek. Given Mira's feelings to her were at one point romantic since she mistook Ao for a boy, this indicates this trope is in operation.

** Cisco in ''Series/TheFlash2014'' is no slouch on the department himself. [[DatingCatwoman Lisa Snart]] even outright says "Smart is sexy" when he gives her the name Golden Glider, and it's repeatedly shown that she genuinely finds him charming.

* The ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' episode "Crusade" is when we first met ComicBook/LoisLane. After Martha says "Trust me, that can happen to the best of us" about falling for a "farm-boy type", Lois replies "Not me, give me a nerd with glasses any day of the week".

* Believe it or not, ''[[{{Superman}} Clark Kent]]'', at least post-crisis. Ever since Clark allowed more of his real personality to show through, the Midwestern farmboy is every bit a ChickMagnet as good 'ol Peter Parker. Some such as Cat Grant, were explicitly attracted to Clark Kent, and ''not'' Superman. Of course, being built like the [[{{Hunk}} Man of Steel]] couldn't have hurt, despite everything he does to [[ClarkKenting downplay those looks]].

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' has Felicity Smoak, the Oracle to Oliver Queen's Batman. She is tech savvy and innovative enough to thoroughly impress the crew at Star Labs in the first of a few crossovers with ''Series/TheFlash2014'' and if it wasn't apparent already, the LittleBlackDress she rocks on a double date with Barry, Iris and Eddie seals it- the woman is a FOX. Very telling is the fact that besides her brief flirtation with Barry Allen, she's had both Oliver(Arrow) and Ray Palmer (Atom,) two billionaire superheroes, in love with her almost from the word go.

* This is pretty much the entire point to ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''. The boys on the show don't get laid in spite of their geekiness (except Sheldon, for whom sex is less exciting than video games), they get laid pretty much ''because'' of it.
** The TagLine is "Smart is the new sexy".
** In one episode Leonard shows Penny what he does in his laser lab. It's been implied that Penny's never actually seen his work, either due to lack of interest or a fear that she just won't understand it. Once Leonard demonstrates it for her, Penny promptly tears his clothes off.

* This is pretty much the entire point to ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''. The boys on the show don't get laid in spite of their geekiness (except Sheldon, [[{{Asexuality}} for whom sex is less exciting than video games]]), they get laid pretty much ''because'' of it.

See also HotLibrarian, HotScientist, EndearinglyDorky, GeekyTurnOn, {{Meganekko}}, {{Nerdcore}}, LovableNerd and GiveGeeksAChance. Sometimes [[JewishAndNerdy overlaps]] with MatzoFever. Compare EndearinglyDorky, where characters are charmed by dorks (who may or may not be nerds as well).

See also HotLibrarian, HotScientist, EndearinglyDorky, GeekyTurnOn, {{Meganekko}}, {{Nerdcore}}, LovableNerd and GiveGeeksAChance. Sometimes [[JewishAndNerdy overlaps]] with MatzoFever. Can be caused by a case of HollywoodNerd. Compare EndearinglyDorky, where characters are charmed by dorks (who may or may not be nerds as well).

* All the time on ''Series/{{Bones}}''. Not only are they all {{Hollywood Nerd}}s, but they all really appreciate one another's giant, sexy brains.

** The Mask is too strong and wild but most girls who are put off by him can see that he is cute, kind, sweet, well-mannered and polite gentleman who can also be a nerd as well as he transforms into different forms that most of them are from pop culture which also makes him a fan of it as well like Stanley.

** Eve finds Stanley very attractive like the girls do with him so she falls in love with him at first sight and Stanley does admit that he does find her a cute, polite, kind and good-hearted woman who is also very attractive as well which does lead him to consider let her be around for a while but then wonders what their children will be like among other reasons as well so he decides not to let her be around for a while even if he feels guilty for taking her face off.

** Xander, Willow, and Wesley are all sexy nerds in their way, but It's Giles who's sexy ''because'' he's a nerd (or, as a love interest put it, "a sexy fuddy-duddy").