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4
5[[quoteright:230:[[Series/{{Glee}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gleefurt_7.png]]]]
6
7->''"Does jerking off to your straight black Superman-type roommate make you gay?"''
8-->-- '''Lionel Higgins'''' search question, ''Series/DearWhitePeople''
9
10LGBT representation in the media has grown in prominence over the past few decades. As the visibility grew, a common romance trope was employed over and over again enough that it became cliché: A gay teenage boy (who is the AudienceSurrogate) with a [[CampGay campy]] or nerdy personality falls in love with a popular, muscular and often-closeted jock.
11
12So many gay stories use this trope for several reasons, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20180415113853/http://brenthartinger.com/2013/05/01/why-are-so-many-gay-teen-stories-about-a-geek-in-love-with-a-closeted-jock/ best written by Brent Hartinger]], author of ''Literature/GeographyClub''.
13
14#The StarCrossedLovers trope is OlderThanDirt and used for so many love stories already, so it stands that it can be used for a same-sex tale of romance and woe.
15#RuleOfDrama: The geeky gay and jock not only come from different "[[PopularityFoodChain classes]]" (so to speak) but also face different hurdles in a ComingOutStory: The geeky gay always is less conventionally masculine, so he doesn't have much to lose by being honest and open. The jock character, by contrast, is a StraightGay, and by coming out may lose a lot more, especially dropping down the social ladder which can lead to tons of conflict and obstacles for the pair getting together.
16#Most of these writers and creators are gay themselves and this trope could be construed as a form of WishFulfillment: The shy, awkward boy landing a popular handsome athlete is a pretty common fantasy amongst gay men, so it stands that this convention would be pretty prominent.
17
18In decades past when queer people had a much harder time finding partners, especially teenagers, the fact that these two boys were both gay and navigating their sexuality together would be romantic enough. But in more recent years, readers may note that, other than their sexuality, it's unlikely for them to actually have anything in common. The more thought-out stories may address this by giving the boys at least one shared interest on which they can build a relationship.
19
20See also SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan, MasculineFeminineGayCouple, and StarCrossedLovers. Frequently employs {{Gayngst}} and the ArmoredClosetGay trope. See also SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy and AllGuysWantCheerleaders for the heterosexual versions of this trope.
21
22----
23!!Examples:
24
25[[foldercontrol]]
26
27[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28* ''Manga/BlueFlag'': [[spoiler:Completely inverted. The LovableJock BigManOnCampus Touma Mita is in love with his OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent ChildhoodFriend Ichinose. The finale, however, plays it straight, as Ichinose was revealed to have feelings for Touma that end in their marriage.]]
29[[/folder]]
30
31[[folder:Comic Books]]
32* In ''ComicBook/GothamAcademy'' [[spoiler:Colton Rivera]] starts out crushing on school tennis star Kyle Mizoguchi and his attraction to him only becomes more pronounced over the series though he never outright admits it to Kyle. While Kyle almost puts it together during the second semester he gets distracted and is still in love with Olive anyway.
33[[/folder]]
34
35[[folder:Fan Works]]
36* In general, this is a very popular ship dynamic for male/male {{Shipping}}, often referred to as "jock/nerd".
37* ''Fanfic/ADanceOnTheMats'': The [[CampGay effeminate and scrawny]] Caramel has a crush on the muscular and athletic Anon. Anon [[ObliviousToLove is oblivious to Caramel's feelings]], at least until the end of the story.
38* Parodied (like a lot of things) In ''Fanfic/ThoseLackingSpines''. Vexen, Lexaeus, and Xaldin our roaming around a world dedicated to roasting the HighSchoolAU and all associated tropes, and an entire subplot is devoted to how Riku [[Anime/{{Gintama}} Ginpachikun]] (a TransparentCloset case to the nth degree) has it ''bad'' for the local idiot and captain of the school football team Sora [[WesternAnimation/FindingNemo Wanahakaruugi]], tries desperately to keep up appearances, but continually [[FreudianSlip slips up]]. For example, he dares Sora to make resident nerd Kairi into the Prom Queen. If Sora fails, Riku says he will give him a kiss.
39-->'''Sora''': ''*double-take*'' What?\
40'''Riku''': I mean... a ''kick''. In the ass. I'll kick your ass if you don't. Because I'm not gay or anything.
41* ''FanFic/TotalDramaLegacy'' is a ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' FlashForwardFic which portrays [[BrainsAndBrawn Cameron and Lightning]] as a HappilyMarried couple.
42[[/folder]]
43
44[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
45* One of the subplots in ''Film/AnotherGayMovie'' was between the nerdy Griff and the athletic Jarod figuring out their feelings for one another.
46* The British film ''Get Real'' had the ShrinkingViolet Steven discovering jock and SchoolIdol John was gay after he found him cruising in public toilets. They later start a relationship.
47* ''Film/WereTheWorldMine'' has Timothy, the only openly gay boy in his class, in love with LovableJock Jonathon, the captain of his school's rugby team.
48* The film adaptation of ''Literature/ThePerksOfBeingAWallflower'' plays this out just like in the novel (see below).
49* Genderflipped in ''Film/ShowMeLove'', where the quiet and almost completely isolated Agnes falls in love with LovableAlphaBitch Elin. [[spoiler:They get together.]]
50* In ''Film/BeautyAndTheBeast2017'', Lefou becomes an IgnoredEnamoredUnderling to the local JerkJock Gaston via AdaptationalSexuality.
51* ''Film/TheHalfOfIt'' has a female version of this: Ellie is a nerdy lesbian seeking Aster, the popular girl. In an interesting twist, Paul - the male jock - befriends Ellie after [[PlayingCyrano hiring her to secretly write love letters]] because he ''also'' seeks Aster.
52* ''Film/Pitch2009'': Jim lusted after the football team in high school.
53* ''Film/{{Trevor|1994}}'' is a 1994 short film about the ComingOutStory of a boy in his early teens. Trevor falls in love with Pinky, his buddy who is a star on the school baseball team. Sadly for Trevor, Pinky does not reciprocate.
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Literature]]
57* ''Literature/BasketballJones'', a gay African-American romance novel by E. Lynn Harris featured a smart, studious man carrying on a secret affair with a basketball player.
58* ''Literature/TheBestAtIt'': 12-year-old Rahul is unconsciously enamored with Justin, a football jock on the middle school team.
59* ''Literature/GeographyClub'' used this trope in ''1998''[[note]]Written in 1998 but not published until 2003 after many revisions[[/note]] with the geeky Rusty falling in love with Kevin, a closeted baseball player. GenderFlipped with his best friend, the bisexual AsianAndNerdy Min secretly dating soccer player Terese, and in a later book in the series, falling in love with a cheerleader.
60* Played with in ''Literature/TheGoldenFeather''. The main character is socially awkward and dorkish but also happens to be well-built. The love interest on the other hand is the classic jerkish, popular type but also happens to be short, thin, and a closet literature snob.
61* In ''Literature/Kiss2007'' by Creator/JacquelineWilson, Sylvie has an IncompatibleOrientation crush on childhood friend Carl, who is secretly gay and has a crush on Paul, a popular lad on the football team.
62* ''Literature/ThePerksOfBeingAWallflower'' has [[spoiler: Patrick, falling in love with Brad, the star athlete]], as does its movie adaptation (see above).
63* "[[https://www.shousetsubangbang.com/mirror/this-years-prom-king/ This Year's Prom King]]" depicts this kind of relationship, with the twist that the ''jock'' is the main character doing most of the pursuing as the gay geek is a sarcastic loner who thinks that [[JerkJock all jocks are jerks]] and hates that he's attracted to one.
64* ''Caught Running'', a gay romance novel, has this -- only this time, it's ten years after high school; the gay guy is a biology teacher, and the popular jock is the baseball coach. Given that it's a romance novel, it ends happily.
65* While Simon from ''Literature/SimonVsTheHomoSapiensAgenda'' isn't specifically seeking a jock, he doesn't mind staring at them. Then at the end [[spoiler: it turns out Blue is a jock, as Bram is on the soccer team]].
66* "[[http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/college/educating-alex/ Educating Alex]]" is an early original slash webfiction about openly gay college student Ryan crushing on the athletic Alex who turns out to like him back.
67* Inverted in ''Literature/YouKnowMeWell'', where baseball player Mark harbors a crush on his sensitive poet friend Ryan.
68[[/folder]]
69
70[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
71* ''Series/{{Glee}}'' has CampGay social outcast Kurt crush on Finn, the quarterback, freaking the latter out. Later, they become friends and stepbrothers after Kurt's dad marries Finn's mom.
72** This is later inverted: [[ArmoredClosetGay bullying jock Karofsky]] has a crush on Kurt.
73* ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'' first had the CampGay Marco and his relationship with star hockey player Dylan, and then later flipped the trope with popular ArmoredClosetGay football player Riley and his feelings for the artistic, and very much out of the closet, Zane.
74* ''Series/{{Undressed}}'':
75** In an episode, former high school geek is hit on and makes out with the (closeted) former high school jock that tormented him. His FagHag teases him about it being the ultimate fantasy of bedding a jock, which he admits.
76** Inverted in another episode, where a [[LovableJock popular football player]], Henry, is more open about being gay than his insecure nerd boyfriend, Brian. Meanwhile, another closeted football player, Nate, is trying to break them up because he wants to be with his teammate. But Henry actually [[OppositesAttract loves the fact that he and Brian are so different]] and is determined to hold onto him.
77* Played with on ''Series/TheKingOfQueens''. When Danny goes to his ClassReunion, he is MistakenForGay and manages to accidentally pick up the former football team captain.
78* On ''Series/TheHardTimesOfRJBerger'', Guillermo was having a secret relationship with [[JerkJock Max]], who more publicly dated girls like cheerleaders Jenny and Robin.
79* This was the initial setup for Creator/BillyCrystal's character Jodie in ''Series/{{Soap}}'': he was carrying on a secret relationship with a pro football player, and willing to undergo a sex change to maintain it publicly. The jock later dumps him for a woman implied to be TheBeard, driving Jodie to a (failed) suicide attempt.
80* Kevin and Moose on ''Series/{{Riverdale}}''. Moose is a closeted bisexual/gay jock who is on the football team and has a girlfriend, while Kevin is an openly gay boy. They are mutually attracted to one another but have not hooked up due to Moose's girlfriend and their one attempt to do so being ruined by discovering the corpse of a murdered classmate.
81* Inverted by ''Series/LoveVictor''; Victor is the popular (but closeted) jock who's interested in Benji, the sensitive, openly gay artist.
82* ''Series/{{Heartstopper}}'' Charlie (nerd) and Nick (jock), though the infatuation is mutual.
83[[/folder]]
84
85[[folder:Music]]
86* This is the entire premise of 'The Football Song' by Matt Fishel.
87[[/folder]]
88
89[[folder:Music Videos]]
90* The music video for ''Shura'''s "What's It Gonna Be?" is modeled on '80s teen movies, with the twist that the nerd ends up with the LovableJock while, in a gender flip of this trope, the dorkish girl ends up with the [[LovableAlphaBitch popular girl]].
91* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9fmM_hb6p8 the music video]] for Chance Calloway and AJ Rafael's cover of "I Know Him So Well" from ''Music/Chess1984'', one of the protagonists is an EmoTeen while the other is a LovableJock.
92[[/folder]]
93
94[[folder:Podcasts]]
95* ''Podcast/TheBrightSessions'': One of Dr Bright's patients, [[LovableJock Caleb]], [[TheEmpath an empath]], befriends lonely classmate Adam on her recommendation after having difficulty shutting out Adam's [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer powerful negative emotions.]] As they start to genuinely become friends, Caleb begins describing how he feels [[WhatIsThisFeeling butterflies]] from Adam. [[spoiler: Caleb realises the butterflies he's feeling are also coming from his own emotions and they get together.]]
96[[/folder]]
97
98[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
99* More a case of CampStraight Guy Seeks Popular Jock, but it fits. On ''[[Wrestling/{{WWESmackDown}} WWE [=SmackDown!=]]]'' in 2003, Wrestling/{{Rico|Constantino}}, a GorgeousGeorge character, was, initially, much more enthusiastic about teaming with [[Wrestling/TheWorldsGreatestTagTeam Charlie Haas]] than Haas was.[[note]]RealitySubtext: Rico's valet, [[Wrestling/JackieGayda Miss Jackie (Gayda)]], was dating Haas in real life and they later married.[[/note]] They actually made a pretty good team and had a brief run with the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-t.html WWE ([=SmackDown!=]) Tag Team Titles]].
100[[/folder]]
101
102[[folder:Theater]]
103* Appears in ''Theatre/ZannaDont'', though due to the gay AlternateUniverse of the musical, the LovableJock is actually closeted ''straight'', and Chess is cooler than Football in any case.
104[[/folder]]
105
106[[folder:Visual Novels]]
107* ''VisualNovel/ComingOutOnTop'': Brad, the star quarterback for his college's top football team, is a romantic interest for Mark, if you play your cards right.
108[[/folder]]
109
110[[folder:Web Animation]]
111* ''WebAnimation/InAHeartbeat'' plays with this. Sherwin has a huge crush on the popular boy Jonathan, but he isn't a jock, and Sherwin is afraid of being outed. Plus, they're both in middle school.
112[[/folder]]
113
114[[folder:Web Comics]]
115* Omocat's ''[[http://www.omocat-blog.com/post/67079004346/a-project-i-literally-did-overnight-gonna-make-it Pretty Boy]]'' kind of inverts this trope; the ''jock'' starts to fall in love with a [[PrettyBoy pretty]] little gay {{Otaku}} (and YaoiFanboy as one panel reveals). [[spoiler:They eventually get married]].
116* ''WebComic/CheckPlease'' seems to avert this, as Bittle, a gay former figure skater and hockey player, never seems to have an interest in anyone through his whole freshman year. [[spoiler: Second year plays straight, as he falls for Jack, the team captain. By the end of Bitty's Sophmore year, they start to date.]]
117* Happens with the possibly bisexual Teddy in ''Webcomic/BestFriendsForever'', where he has some unspoken feelings for his best friend and star quarterback Vincent. [[spoiler: Interestingly, it's inverted as well, since a lot of the conflict for Vincent in the story is [[{{Gayngst}} dealing with the fact that he's in love with Teddy]] and discovering that he's gay.]]
118* In ''Webcomic/{{Avialae}}'', Gannet is initially very keen on getting a chance to "wrestle" with Luke, the only member of the wrestling club who doesn't act homophobic towards him. He ultimately ends up with bird geek Bailey instead... though it should be noted that Bailey is also a member of the track team and has the build to show it.
119* Inverted in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'', as LovableJock GentleGiant Elliott, who already knows he's bisexual, [[ShrinkingViolet pines for]] and works up the courage to nervously court tiny nerd Clinton, and serves as ''his'' ClosetKey.
120* ''Webcomic/{{Heartstopper}}'': out gay high school student Charlie crushes on apparently straight rugby jock Nick, who is surprised to find himself reciprocating. Charlie is into classic literature, science, and philosophy it turns out that it's Nick who is a bit of a comic book and Marvel movie geek however.
121[[/folder]]
122
123[[folder:Western Animation]]
124* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': In the 2023 reboot, CampGay Bowie falls for the jock Raj. He [[ComingOutStory comes out]] to Wayne and he and Bowie becoming a couple.
125[[/folder]]

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