Additionally, Kevin Thompson of Daria, which satirized high school life, conformed to the "dumb" athlete stereotype, though was never mean towards lead character Daria Morgendorffer and her friend Jane Lane; another jock character, Mac Mackenzie, was depicted as intelligent and cordial to the main characters, and was never shown to be a bully even though he was often disturbed by Kevin's dimness. This change often means a cessation of athletics or some other equivalent social sacrifice, which leads to the character no longer being considered a jock. Please get reacquainted with Cormac McLaggen, Team Gryffindor's resident keeper who had a crush on Hermione Granger. In the 2006 hit movie High School Musical, Troy Bolton was a star jock of East High School in addition to other characters Chad Danforth, Zeke Baylor, and also Troy's father Jack Bolton. "Jocks" is also a slang term used by the English and Welsh to refer to Scots. Students have an easier time embracing the differences in others. Huskies’ Adventures in Wonderland: Children’s Literature, Spring 2013, March 2, 2013. The girl that never wants to leave the house – This role is always played by a girl and does not have … As a protagonist, the jock is often a dynamic character who through an epiphany or new understanding will lead to a change in the values of the jock. 0. The "Dumb Jock" When Sandy first started at Rydell High School, she dated Tom, who portrayed the stereotype of a dumb jock. Stereotypes and Athlete Essay 1223 Words | 5 Pages. Considering that Zac Efron is a gift from the Bro Gods, this is a big deal. Overall, I feel as though the stereotype of the dumb jock is exaggerated due to movies and television making a character to please the audience they are making it for. Schools recruit students to their athletic teams, but require a student maintain a certain grade-point average (GPA) in order to have the scholarship renewed. Aspire 8 years ago Actually Dr House is wrong WAY more than half the time. Real Time With Bill Maher: Web Exclusive New Rule - School of Jock (HBO) - Duration: 0:33. This blog post written by student Aubree DuBlois for a literature course at the University of Connecticut at Storrs lists examples of dumb jock stereotypes found in popular children’s media. Rob just wanted to achieve his high school baseball dreams and be the best jock he could be, guys! In the United Kingdom, the term 'Jock' is a stereotypical (possibly, but not necessarily, derogatory) term for a Scotsman.[6]. Stereotypes set the tone of the movie – which is often funny or silly or critiquing society, like a parody or satire. This movie screams stereotypes all over it. You know him well: He's tall, he's handsome, he's much better at tackling helmet-wearing bros than tackling his homework, and he may or may not dare his best friend to date the school nerd just to be a jerk. The Prodigy. I & Il), television situation comedies (Coach in "Cheers"; "Coach"), and television commercials (including some for athletic shoes) perpetuate and profit from the dumb jock image, facilitating its acceptance among the American public. Jocks are often contrasted with another stereotype: nerds. I’ve already talked about stereotyping in comics and movies, but I’d like to explore how the duo are perfect stereotypes for geeks and jocks. [1][2] It is generally attributed mostly to high school and college athletics participants who form a distinct youth subculture. The stereotype extends beyond the high-school and collegiate age group, trickling down into media intended for younger audiences. Examples from television shows include Nathan Scott in the teen drama series One Tree Hill, Whitney Fordman in Smallville and Luke Ward in The O.C.. As antagonists, jocks can be stock characters shown as lacking compassion for the protagonist and are generally flat and static. Poor dude had to repeat his seventh year, perhaps due to a bludger to the head, but probably due to cliché overload. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. This jock stereotype is often found in movies, television shows, and books, which in most cases involve the colleges and high school athletes and students. © 2021 Condé Nast. Jocks are often contrasted with another stereotype: nerds. To illustrate how stereotypes have developed in Hollywood, DW analyzed tropes used in more than 6,000 Oscar-eligible movies since 1928. Jocks are often contrasted with another stereotype: nerds. Similar words that may mean the same as jock (in North America) include meathead, musclebrain, and musclehead. The mass media borrows many stereotypical characteristics of athletes, and they are commonly used to portray a character who is relatively unintelligent and unenlightened, but nonetheless socially and physically well-endowed. Often in high school comedies or dramas where the main characters are not popular, the jock is the chief antagonist and cruel to the main characters. Frequently given privileges, such as undeserved passing grades or excused from bad conduct, to maintain eligibility for sports. Not to be dramatic, but the day Will Belmont died in Scream was the worst day of our lives. Guest. October 2011 Jock stereotype Stereotypes are different thoughts that a variation of people hold about people who are different from them. [3] Jocks are usually presented as practitioners of team sports such as football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and hockey. For many young athletes, this is imperative as they could not afford higher education on their own. Heathers' "Kurt" and "Ram" roles, the Spider-Man character Flash Thompson, high school football jocks and Connie D'Amico's cronies Scott and Doug in Family Guy, high school football captain Oliver Wilkerson in The Cleveland Show, Jean Grey's first boyfriend Duncan Matthews in X-Men: Evolution, middle school bully and "Crush Ball" quarterback Rodney Glaxer from Lloyd in Space, and Massimo Lenzetti (Justin Chambers) in the film The Wedding Planner are such examples. Another popular trope, the prodigy is used in some of the greatest football films, such … He might be more than his varsity jacket, but dude still spends his time wearing a Nike man-tank, that's all we're saying. The stereotype is a staple bordering on cliché nowadays, for example Tim Riggins in the early episodes of Friday Night Lights, a show about a high school football team in Texas. Other notable portrayals of the stereotype include the popular athlete and love interest "Tommy Ross" in Carrie, the spoiled bullying antagonist Luke Ward in the first season of The O.C., and Kim's wealthy and athletic boyfriend Jim in Edward Scissorhands. If the '90s taught us anything, it's … Plus, he lost his girlfriend to the "class nerd," and considering his girlfriend was circa-1998 Jennifer Love Hewitt, this was a huge fail. Because of course! Between the skin-tight wrestling tanks and the fact that he seemed to think high-waisted jeans + an unbuttoned top = an acceptable outfit, Slater was a true gift. [2] It is believed to be derived from the word "jockstrap," which is an undergarment worn to support/protect the male genitals while playing sports.[5]. The dumb jock syndrome, Destani explained, is a stigma surrounding athletes that says they focus the large majority of their time on physical pursuits as opposed to intellectual pursuits. Will served up jock realness like it was his job: he was cocky, athletic, and all about living that "Sports Scholarship Life." In the United Kingdom, the term 'Jock' is a stereotypical (possibly, but not necessarily, derogatory) term for a Scotsman. He is disliked by the nerds and other people who are considered unpopular, and usually has an unfortunate (and in some cases, violent or fatal) ending. The jocks often get portrayed in movies as dumb. Prior to 1990, many researchers were critical with respect to the impact of extracurricular activities and athletics in particular on education. Dream combo, right?! Obviously, the killer is the most important figure in most horror movies. Check out the most clichéd (but occasionally lovable) jocks from movies and TV in the list below. Generally you’ll see a guy wearing ripped jeans a plaid shirt with a beater watching nascar and having a drink. You might remember Paul Walker as the shirtless dude with frosted tips in She's All That. It arguably doesn’t ruin the movie, but it’s hard not to notice just how poorly that particular scene has aged. The character of Buzz McCallister in the 1990 film Home Alone and its 1992 sequel, Lost in New York, is implied to be a jock due to his love for basketball and his being a fan of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as well as his bullying of the protagonist character, Kevin McCallister. Now while there are going to be many different 'takes' on this subject matter, one thing seems to be clear above all else: there are some great stereotypes and there are some awful ones within this genre.. RELATED: 10 Best Medical Dramas (Aside From Grey's … He was a cute football player that she dated to make Danny jealous. Much like his girlfriend, The Cheerleader of the Brainless Beauty variety, he's more concerned with his image than school work. Sure, The Breakfast Club is all about breaking social stereotypes, but Andrew's called "The Athlete" for a reason. The pretty boy. In this regard, there may be significant overlap with the preppie stereotype. However, later studies present a strong evidence that athletic or cultural extracurricular activities in school would increase school attendance, self-confidence, grade (in some instance), and college attendance but would reduce performance in standardized test. The Ditzy Diva With A Heart Of Gold And A Brain That Doesn't Quit. Hollywood history provides many examples of racist caricatures. Stereotypes can be expressed in either a negative or positive way. These groups were glorified in this film. Not only was AC Slater the owner of the greatest mullet of all time, he happened to be a jock. The general perception that athletes are unintelligent is derived from the idea that athletic and academic success are mutually exclusive. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. The jock is the alpha male of a group of cool boys who follow him in his every move. This fun-loving lacrosse player is probably best known for his infamous mom, but he can always be relied upon to a) make everyone uncomfortable, b) be shirtless, and c) use phrases like "vagina shark" (which, ew). Beezley (1983) chronicled the development of the dumb jock stereotype The basic stereotypes have always remained the same (princess, jock, nerd,etc) in all of John Hughes movies (such as The Breakfast Club) and as well in movies played today such as Mean Girls; the only difference today is that the background of the characters are much more diverse. The Bad Ass Loner is the coolest male stereotypes on movies. Stereotyping in comics and movies have a deeper effect than previously thought. Real Time with Bill Maher Recommended for you Despite his personality, he is one of the most popular guys in school. According to some KSC student-athletes, that stereotype is unfair and inaccurate. Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entertainment. This stereotype typically comes from movies. Jocks are often contrasted with another negative stereotype, nerds. AP psychology video assignment. Teen Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Unlike his jock predecessors, Aaron Samuels was a pretty nice — if slightly simple — fellow. This dichotomyis a theme in many American movies, television shows, and books. The thing that makes Joey so special is that he has the attitude of a jock, but he's actually an aspiring male model/hair gel enthusiast. There’s a million and a half ways East is different from the movies — like when cheerleaders walk through the halls on game day it’s not set to Guns N’ Roses and students don’t relish ding-dong-ditching the principal — but in my mind there is just one. Also, remember when this happened? The movie accepts the stereotypes it presents with a defeatist attitude, resigning itself and its viewers to the fact that stereotypes are an inherent part of our society. Kind of a jerk, yeah, but he's basically the '90s' answer to Cupid. On the show Pretty Little Liars, Emily Fields is the athletic one of the group. Examples of how Coming of Age stereotypes have changed since the 1950s: 2. He is a good-looking boy who usually engages in a team sport such as football, basketball, lacrosse, etc. Not all “rednecks” watch it. movies .Org in Revenge of the Nerds. All rights reserved. Ad Choices, The 10 Most Clichéd Jocks in Pop Culture History. And, yes, he was part of a bet to get his girlfriend to sleep with him. The most recent standards passed by the NCAA, which will apply to all incoming college freshmen beginning with the class of 2016, requires that 16 core high school courses be completed by the student-athlete, 7 of which must be either math, science, or English, and 10 of those 16 classes must be completed prior to their senior year of high school. Tim created the perfect representation of a dumb jock being incredible good at what he does, but Joe seems to be an exception to this stereotype. The stereotype is most prevalent in movies for teenagers such as College, American Pie, and the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Look, we know Rob Gellar posed as a high school student (#creepy), but don't you dare judge him, sob. There are also numerous jock antagonists found in teen dramas such as the rapist Dean Walton from Degrassi. In 2013's Monsters University, Johnny Worthington is the proud leader of Roar Omega Roar (RΩR). Exactly What It Says on the Tin.. A jock isn't always a jerk.Sometimes he is instead (or as well) Book Dumb (at best) or is Too Dumb to Live at worst.