The Smart Girl Trope, Explained

Get 20% off Brilliant: brilliant.org/... | She's a Smart Girl, and it's never been cooler to be one, to be proud of what you know and what you can achieve. So how has this archetype evolved, and what does it really mean to be a smart girl today? If you like this video, subscribe to our channel or support us on Patreon: / thetake
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[@azikiwesnay7718]

I want monica and chandler. You ouwe us that. Remember? You people support the toxicity of Rachel and Ross but refuse to support the beautiful and healthy relationship that is Monica and Chandler. Joey and Phoebe were covered and they were never a couple even Gunther and Janice. Please guys Monica and Chandler are worth mentioning they should be celebrated

[@trinaq]

@@azikiwesnay7718 Seconded, they already have Roschel and Joebe centred videos, now all we need is a Mondler one!😻💘

[@azikiwesnay7718]

@@trinaq Yes please Mondler should be iconic. Now thats the kind of love people should aspire to, stop celebrating the toxic Ross and Rachel

[@JB-ex8ko]

Why are you still promoting this scam?

[@azikiwesnay7718]

@@JB-ex8ko me?

[@anaespinosa5084]

The worst part about having been the smart girl your entire life is when you realize you were only smart in comparison to your peers but in the real world your intelligence is mostly average. Suddenly the one quality you once thought gave you an advantage over others isn't even real anymore.

[@divpreetkaur8381]

Why u exposing me like that?lmaaooo

[@clementiefreya]

and now you dont even know what youre good at anymore and suddenly your future goals dont seem reachable anymore

[@marif2993]

wow thanks for expressing my worst fear :)

[@beashemmad.sayson545]

facts bestie

[@bull3tcoff1n]

You really do be here calling us out, this is exactly how I feel.

[@DKsilverghost]

I really dislike how a lot of those 'overly perfectionist' type of smart girl are portrayed. It's almost like they can't just show a girl who's smart and really ambitious - they have to make her almost neurotic too. As if a girl can't get good grades just because she's smart and curious and enjoys studying.

[@BeeHatGuy]

That would make the character a Mary Sue

[@kaitlnwhite6809]

I disagree. I’m intelligent and ambitious and while I’ve run into problems with the idea of perfection, I don’t see why you have to be vilified or seen as a lesser person because of it. You should never be fault for doing what you care about or doing what you love. Being passionate about learning and knowledgeable is a fundamental part of this archetype and many real people.

[@izzydog111]

@@BeeHatGuy they can make them smart without this specific stereotype. Eg. I'm a complete idiot but I still stashing As

[@mercygal1]

This trope makes for some weird IRL stereotypes too. I wasn't a good student in high school, but in college I started studying and consistently got straight A's. And once during college, my grades were brought up and my older neighbor was like "what happens if you get a B?" And after a bizarre line of questioning, it became apparent that she didn't think that I would be able to emotionally handle getting a B. I barely graduated highschool. She was there. Like how in the hell would getting good grades instantly destroy my ability to cope with minor disappointment?

[@Yuyupi14]

I believe this media portrayal of 'smart girls' and irl 'smart girls' influence each other. The trope considers how much societal pressure affects young women, since the tiniest mistake can invalidate their intelligence and make them the subject of mockery. I don't think this is explicitly shown quite enough, but it is able to explain the neuroticism in some of these characters. Personally, I do find myself relating to the overly perfectionist type. Societal stereotypes and parental expectations for East Asians, I believe, have helped shape my own expectations regarding academic achievement. That aside, perhaps Maeve from Sex Education is a good divergent example of this trope?

[@samynaxaidan]

I think one key point missed is that the smart girl is smart because she is a hardworker. There's still the trope that she has to work hard, to study hard to achieve the same success. Not often will they be simply a genius.

[@joaninha3484]

Excellent point. The smart guy is often a natural genius whereas the smart girl has to work for it.

[@lorrie9462]

This is because smart women are questioned of their legitimacy in the way that smart men aren’t, so she has to be seen working twice as hard

[@joanageorge205]

I think Lindsay from Freaks and Geeks is a nice exception. If I remember correctly she even has a line that goes something like "I can't be in the top 1%! I don't work that hard. Are the kids in Michigan that stupid?". The video didn't do justice to her character at all. She really doesn't fit this trope at all.

[@leannepardypower397]

you're comment makes me really angry and immediately defensive but I guess that's how I know you're right. These stereotypes are honestly so depressing.

[@spinacetta89]

Agree that it wasn't pointed out in the video, but some of the characters portrayed are actually smart without seemingly working too hard: Lindsay from F&G, Cady from Mean Girls, and I'd argue even Rory to a point, particularly when confronted with Paris (they are both shown to study really hard, but while Paris pushes extra hard, Rory still seems to perform better, and more effortlessly, in the end); the whole point of Booksmart was that the main character thought that to be successful academically she had to work hard but she discovered that others, who wheren't so focused on studying, were equally successful (hence the title). Princess Shuri is the ultimate genius, and is never shown to study, she is the smartest person in the MCU universe, does everything effortlessly.

[@adeladybughowell1703]

Remember٫ there is a difference between doing good in school and being smart.

[@susanjoyce4244]

This needs more likes

[@swl6786]

That's true. The example is me, a good student but dumb as hell. :")

[@flowergirl5962]

*doing well

[@evitasidera7259]

So many people seem to just not understand that

[@justanotherpersonthatdraws8232]

Nice, now your giving me a headache thinking about if I'm smart or just good in school XD

[@umbrellacorporation4435]

Heathers is one of the few 80's movies that depict a multi-layered smart girl. Veronica is a mix of the tough girl, the cool girl and the smart girl.

[@tychowozniaki9269]

And through the Heathers she also gets to be the superficial pretty girl.

[@FabalociousDee]

Heathers is amazing. One of my favourite movies.

[@mysticc6232]

And played by Winona Ryder so like she's perfection

[@xubs5919]

YAS

[@mariunfabregas7533]

And then the musical came and ruined her character by turning her into just another one-dimensional, quirky, "I'm NoT lIkE tHe OtHeR gIrLs" girl. Don't get me wrong, the soundtrack of the musical was a banger, but I always hated the way they devolved her badass character. Along with the fact that they turned JD into this emo, tragic, soft boi UwU™ character instead of portraying him as the manipulative psychopath he truly was :/

[@ellie4328]

“This says women can either be smart or pretty” Guess I break the stereotype as I’m not either

[@fluffybirdy7720]

I bet this is not true.

[@izzydog111]

A mood

[@zigzaglychee7324]

Lmaooo same girl same

[@marie-henrietterixhon1882]

Ooh self burn. Those are rare

[@goodnightmyprince2716]

Same

[@sugaredoleander409]

I love seeing women in media who get to be smart but also pretty or athletic or extroverted or assertive or a basket case or all of them while also having their individual flaws and strengths. It's just a lot more reflective of reality and real women who are always multi-dimensional.

[@Ps3luvr260]

You know all people are multi-dimensional right not just women

[@Bloomingtide]

@@Ps3luvr260 Yes obviously, and still you often get subpar, one-dimensional/cliche writing when it comes to female characters in particular, whereas male characters are put front and center in stories and its narrative. Things are slowly changing thankfully but equal representation is still far from where it should be.

[@Ps3luvr260]

Bloomingtide thats a simply untrue fact in modern Hollywood. Just remember time does move so it’s not always going to be 20 years ago when these things were true. Modern Hollywood is clearly pro feminism with a vast focus on female leads and main characters as a posed to males. Just because female characters were one dimensional in the past doesn’t mean it’s okay to act like there the only ones who face this treatment. A one dimensional character is bad whether or not they are a female

[@Future_Pheonix]

@@Ps3luvr260 I think they meant that most female characters in the past were often even more one dimensional and were simply put in place either to be eye-candy, the bitch, or just "that one female character". Of course, this wasn't true in all cases and sometimes the man was one dimensional too, but they'd often be glorified for it rather than vilified or ridiculed. And today we're facing the perfect mary-sue type of character, that isn't helping women's image in society at all. But things are slowly changing and I hope women and men start being represented more realistically in popular media soon.

[@nicelypenn]

@@Bloomingtide Tell that to Homer or Sophocles.

[@UATU.]

Hi Take, would you consider covering the trope of ugly=evil? In lit and films unattractiveness is often used as an indicator of character and motivation but you never see much analysis of the trope. Love your channel ❤️

[@trinaq]

I second that! In the "Wizard of Oz", Glinda tells Dorothy that "Only Bad witches are ugly", which sends an unfortunate implication in that villainous women are unattractive, while the heroines are typically conventionally cute.

[@All-Hail-Gayle]

Old as evil too

[@kerrychristensen7204]

Harry Potter!

[@UATU.]

Kerry Christensen That was at the top of my mind. Rowling did it a lot with the Slytherin characters, e.g. “pug-faced Pansy Parkinson”. I’ve always thought it pretty damned lazy writing.

[@kerrychristensen7204]

@@All-Hail-Gayle the old Crone, bitter and plotting to take down other women/ manipulate men because she's lost her youth/beauty

[@asterfall8019]

My favourite is elle woods, she proves you can be good at anything and still be that girly girl.

[@Passions5555]

YES!

[@imsad8531]

and also be friendly and help other students instead of viewing everything as a competition

[@Passions5555]

@@imsad8531 this!

[@asterfall8019]

im sad right

[@Underpants678]

Long live Queen Elle!

[@jazzy3037]

you should analyze "the redhead girl" trope.. aways an eccentric weirdo or an overly sexed up siren

[@aliowens1870]

Jasmine Welter Absolutely!!!!! Please do this!!!

[@crod9905]

Except for Agent Scully!

[@jazzy3037]

C Rod shes an outlier 😌

[@KindredKeepsake]

+Jasmine Welter Or a massive mega-bitch. T_T It's so mean.

[@talknight2]

Well, I still haven't met a redhead who was a "normal, average person".

[@megasocky]

Ooh thats where the "i hate highschool" quote came from. Other than that, the whole "being attracted to the freaks of the school" feels so real. Not because theyre quirky, but theyre usually the most real and accepting of you. Theres an egotistical part of me that wishes to be more popular and distance myself from them, but i always feel drained and surrounded by shallow people when i try to chase after the upper people

[@hayleysataniaa_]

what film is that? can u pls tell me :(

[@hadild.8007]

sayaka igarashi it’s a tv show called Freaks and Geeks

[@nataliemunoz8600]

I hope my story helps someone: I've been the "smart girl" my whole life. And this is 100% accurate. I was also good at athletism and have other talents as good at drawing, artistic, good at languages (my native language is spanish) etc. That's also a lot of pressure you put to yourself. You have to be always right, and be excellent at everything. I studied Industrial Design because it combines art and technical skills. What I can confirm, is being the smart kid can be lonely at times. For some reason, people don't like when you are smarter than them, have multiple talents or you are right most of the time. Specialy men (as a romantic interest). You can be as smart or less smart than them, but never smarter. You can be, but then you will be just friends. Now I'm 37, and after years of analizing and overthinking about people, I have reached a level of understanding of "this is just the way it is". It's not bad or wrong, it's just human nature. And now, I don't give a shit of what people I don't know think about me. I can act or be stupid sometimes, but I know I'm mostly smart. I can make mistakes and not feel pressure to be always right. It also helps that I work for one of the most important tech companies, and they embrace learn by doing and trial and error. Also there a lot of smart people in there, so you feel like just another one. But for sure, I can recommend: use your full potential, do not hold back just to fit in. If the people around you is not happy with that then change your circle of friends. Be the best, and try to join the best. And if you can't, then do it alone. But do it. Some of the worst things in life, is to waste your talents. That's why they are called "gifts". Use them.

[@RealNormHall]

When it comes to dating smartness can be the same money for women where she might want you if you are rich as her or richer than her but NOT poorer than her, sad! But as with everything not everybodys the same, eg I know many women who know many guys that are into them intelligence and all but choose the guys that are problematic instead and leave the other guys in the friend zone.

[@nataliemunoz8600]

@@RealNormHall interesting comparison.

[@sunny100294]

I'm not super smart, but probably above average. Most men I have dated were "not as smart" as me, or at least they were always in awe of how smart I was. Also in my group at friends (we're master's students and some starting their PhDs now) all men feel attracted to smart or even smarter women. I am 25 so maybe times have changed and maybe I'm just not so smart, that it would intimidate men, but yea can't fully confirm that.

[@vsboardza]

Thank you!

[@rhyscooper3693]

One of the reasons that "smart people" can feel alienated or attacked is because of a culture of competition. It can also make the smart person act from a position of supremacy and thus patronising, rude and obnoxious. Even the way that you've phrased the above, being "the best" means you've put yourself into an elite place in the hierarchy. If someone else has skills or talents that you don't have, you will often make a hierarchy of hierarchies so that you continue to feel validated. Bullies drag you down when they can't compete with you fairly. Everyone is insecure and defensive in a context like this.

[@irenelehane290]

You should do "philosophic, smart, depressed" trope and "morally grey, cold, smart, ruthless, powerful, manipulative " trope I dont know if they exist but i would love to watch it 👌👌

[@usushshshshhshahahs9661]

hah basically maeve wiley

[@arkieologist]

First trope sounds like me

[@trinaq]

One thing I love about contemporary media is many works show that you can have brains AND beauty, you don't have to choose between them. I adored how in "Booksmart", they showed that just because the popular kids MAY focus on partying and having fun, doesn't mean that their futures are less bright than brainy protagonists Molly and Amy. It's cool to be smart, as fellow smart girls Matilda Wormwood, Annie Edison and Lisa Simpson demonstrate!💜📚

[@unprofessionalcritic3107]

This is the main reason I loved booksmart so much. I've never seen any other media demonstrate this. It's not like there's only a couple brainy students in any institute. A lot of them ARE very smart but not all of them are nerdy - glass wearing- don't know how to dresss or party type.

[@adotburr6494]

This is unrelated, but I like your profile picture (The Addams Family is awesome)

[@trinaq]

@@adotburr6494 Oh, thank you very much!😊 You're a fellow musical theatre fan, I see, "Wicked" is one of the BEST musicals ever created!💚🎭

[@Pikachu-vu2ri]

I totally agree!! Do you know what show is 11:00????

[@GreenWhimsy]

YES! Matilda definitely should have been included! Though I guess she's too young to be struggling with the same level of social pressures at school as the more common teen smart girls.

[@tamarag9975]

I feel like you should evaluate some of these tropes. The dumb jock, the blank protagonist, the new girl/guy, the delinquent with a heart of gold, the nice guy, good girl and bad guy love story, "she can fix him" cliche Please reply some of your favorites and I'll edit them here

[@keilamedrano1298]

The nice guy trope

[@trinaq]

The "Good Girl" being attracted to the "Bad Boy" and the "Nice Guys Finish Last" trope!😊💗

[@afiamahmood1313]

The bastard boyfriend and the bastard girlfriend trope where a characters abusive attitude towards their love interest is romanticized.

[@Firegen1]

There isn’t much to say about the “blank protagonist”. It’s an audience insert character. They are built so audience can put their own personality on top supposedly. It’s deeply silly as people always engage with motivated characters who think like them instead of the blank slate but that’s all there is to it.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

I can't help but think of Nancy Wheeler as a Smart Girl and a Tough Girl. (Thanks for including her in a clip) I love that you tied this in with your dumb blonde video. Joan Holloway is both Mean Girl and Cool Girl (except not freaking skinny) and the Smart Girl.

[@analeonorcastilloramirez5085]

Jessica Victoria Carrillo remember that the cool girl stands for men’s fantasy, and in the sixties curves where the thing.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

@@analeonorcastilloramirez5085 True

[@ryleehiggins2142]

Wow that’s so true about Joan! Ugh I love her

[@ethicallysourceddonuts]

Nancy Wheeler is one of my favorite characters. I love how they bring Robin and not even a strand of competitiveness is put between the two. Although i think Robin's sexuality might have something to do with it, but i'll take whatever i can get man. In my opinion Nancy is at core a smart girl, which is true to her introduction and until the last season when she's fully aware that she's way overqualified for her job. What's great about nancy i feel like we need to give some credit to prominent male characters in her life too, such as 1. Presumably her dad who taught her how to use a gun, and 2. Jonathan who ditched his job because he believes in his girlfriend's vision. The truth is you can never really change a smart girl, not even a system, or collective shaming, stereotyping or sometimes downright ostracizing, so the least you can do as a part of a group who isn't a smart girl is just let her be who she is, or at times give her a little hand to be the awesome person that she is. Because best believe even without your help she's gonna get there herself so at least what we should do is make the world a little less hostile. And as for why i think she's a smart girl first, i think she became tough BECAUSE she is smart, the fuck-it-ill-do-it-myself type.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

@@ethicallysourceddonuts Honestly I always thought her sarcastic "Have you seen my parents?" Meant that Ted and Karen are neither outdoorsy people who get their hands on heavy duty weapons or tools

[@sokkvabekkr5973]

actually I think the glasses being associated with intelligence might come from the fact that reading a lot (like, a LOT) will hurt your eyes. I had perfect eyes as a kid but now as a teenager I had to get glasses and my eye doctor said it was because of how much I read as a kid and as a teenager. And usually ppl who read a lot are more educated and thus seem/are smart

[@dustydoe7436]

What if you read fan fiction porn all the time? It's still reading are those people smart?

[@childofgod759]

@@dustydoe7436 pfffttt-

[@AD-eg9cw]

And we're all reading right now...

[@funkyfranx]

When people read, or stare at screens, they tend to blink less. This dries your eyes out and can potentially harm your vision. Not specifically reading books.

[@sokkvabekkr5973]

@@dustydoe7436 and that's why I said *usually* lol

[@rosejasminegwyn-willis824]

May I point out some badly made trends and misunderstandings with this trope? 1. The smart girl being used as google search. The only time she talks is when the movie/story wants to pass some information to the audience. 2. Being smart= being 100% logical. They dont have morals, emotions or pretty much any feeling that makes them something other than a robat. 3. Look stereotypes. More glasses and less blonds are typical for this role 4. The smart girl that needs help. Dont even let me get started on this one. The smart nerdy girl that is just so desperate for love until the moment her party girl friend gives her the makeover and removes her glasses and suddenly she is saved and is allowed to shine. Great. Just great. 5. The girl that we are constently told that is smart (usually by the love interest) while there is nothing to show that since she is too busy being romantic and pretty. 6. The smart girl being compared to the main character, often trying to say that the main character is the real genius here while the smart girl is just a bookworm know it all. Because that would glorify the main character. 7. This character rarely shows up as main character and when she does she is changed to make sure she wont bore everyone with constant lectures. 8. Again the problem with being one dimensional. The smart girl can't fight, can't be pretty, can't like music, is too busy correcting people's gammatical mistakes and oh she absolutely can't have bad grades because being smart equals being best at school right? 😑

[@caseywilde7931]

Dude I hate these stereotypes. Hollywood really went all out on making the most one-dimensional character ever with this trope. I'm glad smart girls are starting to turn into real characters now. Although, I do ironically fit into the stereotype of a smart brunette with glasses xddd

[@rosejasminegwyn-willis824]

@@caseywilde7931 i do too 😂

[@dax_enfinity]

@@caseywilde7931 Same I also fit into the stereotype of being a brunette smart girl with glasses and I’m also tall

[@christianali5431]

Not another teen movie: "how can a girl with a ponytail AND glasses ever be beautiful enough?" The real-world facts of life: because that girl is going places and is probably destined to get a really awesome and high-paying job, which means that whoever was lucky enough to become her husband, can kick back in life and have virtually no responsibilities at all, except maybe homemaking and caring for his children. I don't know a man alive that wouldn't want that. Getting a job is boring AF.

[@luhaguilar]

Jesus Christ, I just found out that I’m a walking Hollywood trope. The ovethinker, hypersensitive and insecure girl whose grades always preceded me. The only difference is that I’m so insecure that sometimes I don’t even have the confidence that the usual smart girls do have. Nice...

[@debbieuzo9362]

Me too😪

[@ingeborg418]

Same

[@hindsightpov4218]

Luiza Aguilar Have confidence by trusting your instincts. When you see your instincts led you to making good decisions, use that to build your self esteem.

[@rainbowcake4771]

Agatha z No. Hollywood tropes are taking certain characteristics of real people and then reducing them to extreme stereotypes.

[@Missmaddiemac]

I’m in this post and I don’t like it 😩🙃

[@robertaavila4744]

I'd like to see a "crazy/messed up / junkie girl" trope explained (Effy Stonnen)

[@fernandaisidora2027]

Dark Paradise yasss

[@slulshie4851]

YESSSS

[@ashleyen1]

That would be interesting!

[@adannayaelicia9342]

Thats the woman child trope

[@adannayaelicia9342]

They already have a vodeo on that

[@realsanmer]

Amity Blight is a fantastic take on this trope. Used-to-be perfectionist and a hostile star student that gradually shifts into a loving, awesome girlfriend for the main protagonist, as well as making amends with those she hurt in the past, *while* keeping her characteristic organization and intelligence intact. The Owl House is such a good show, I swear.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

If you like this, I also suggest the Trope Talk playlist from Overly Sarcastic Podcast. Very different style, but also a great take on a lot of tropes.

[@climbinguphill]

I’m sorry but Rory is not idealistic, she can be extremely selfish and manipulative. She can be a pretty bad friend, daughter, or girlfriend at any given time. I am not really sure what Alexis was referring to...

[@steamboatwill3.367]

So are a lot of male characters but no one brings that up.

[@climbinguphill]

Steamboat Willie. I agree, and they aren’t idealistic either. I would never want anyone regardless of gender to think that someone who uses other people or leads them along is an ideal.

[@danix4919]

climbinguphill ikr I think Alexis was saying her opinion on Rorys character change from after college. How she was a perfect student and became a mess

[@MrDavidKord]

Rory started out idealistic, and the writers didn't realize they were ruining her character with some of their decisions. The trope still applies, imo.

[@MrDavidKord]

@@climbinguphill Jess didn't arrive until season 2, homeslice. It was Dean only season 1.

[@kal2487]

It's like someone finally sees me. This was worth several years of therapy.

[@000-m7q]

I have associated myself with the Smart girl for the most part of my life. Yet I also have a strong feeling that I'm not actually one. More of a good liar who pretends to be extremely put together, hardworking and nice while at school. At home I just lie down for the most part, or play music, or draw. I have quite big problems with my diet. And overall my image of the Smart one is so not true that I feel like a liar most of the time. It's exhausting.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

Евгения Левушкина sounds like you have good work-life balance to me

[@eltiospike7672]

Well, there are two possible explanations for that. 1. You Are pretending to be smart and deep inside you know that you are not 2. You are suffering from Impostor Syndrome. In both cases, you shouldn't be worried tho.

[@5-starmichelin760]

If you're seen as hella smart and spend lots of time doing "nothing", I may tell you you're actually *very* smart, since you barely need effort to get there.

[@robinfa1477]

I know she was in the tough girl video, but I think Mulan is a smart girl as well. Her way of thinking is ahead of its time and she has a hard time fitting in because of it. She wants to be able to speak her mind more freely, and is a creative problem solver, coming up with strategies that Li Shang (who was first in his class in military matters) or any other soldier couldn't come up with. It seems like even her martial arts skills may have tapped in when she tried studying them from an intellectual perspective. We also see the creative way she feeds the chickens, her chess (or go or whatever that game was) skills, and how hard she is on herself. She was even asked to be on the council. In books and comics, she is also seen as very intelligent as well, with a strong desire to learn.

[@melikec6996]

Can't get enough of these archetype videos because I feel like I do some sort of psychonanalysis on myself

[@katykinard1610]

This hit me right in the feels. As a “smart girl”, I always felt the pressure to perform and achieve. I’m in my 30s now and I’m very privileged that I was able to pause my career and be a SAHM (this has greatly improved my mental health) but I still feel the weight of others expectations

[@kinrateia]

I was put into smart girl trope since really young age. It's so refreshing to watch this and relate, I finally feel like someone understands

[@Sophia.Stark17]

You guys should really do an analysis on How I met your Mother at some point! (yes of course the ending was crappy, but still it has some brilliant writing moments)

[@bbrbbr-on2gd]

I wish Major Margaret Houlihan was included in this. She had a great episode in M*A*S*H* where she explains how she feels to the other nurses and about being left out as a peer. It's an amazing episode that's honestly one of the shows best.

[@Georgie13]

I love that episode. She was never my favourite character when I was younger but after rewatching MASH as an adult she became one of my favourites because she was so driven.

[@aryssamansfield9735]

That episode hit my soul

[@nrkgalt]

bbr64 bbr64 The other nurses assumed that she would regard fraternizing with them as a breach of military protocol, especially since she was an Army brat and was raised in the military.

[@aryssamansfield9735]

@@nrkgalt the reason she was so intense on the military protocol was because she never fit in with the other nurses. She feels alone and isolated by her ambition and dedication to regular army. She wants to prove she's better/the best but also wants to be included. top tier smart girl trope

[@douglasphillips5870]

great example!

[@VultureClone]

"Don't give me that women's libs crap." Imagine having a character say, "Don't give me that black rights crap." Or, "Don't give me that gay rights crap." You wouldn't dare. But for some reason it's acceptable (still) to ridicule women's rights..

[@toomuchinformation]

Because the above egs include MEN.

[@greatwavefan397]

Reminds me of a meme: "Me running from the library after putting a book on women's right's in the comedy secton:"

[@collegestudent967]

Idk based on that woman’s hair in that clip, that show came out a while ago. That absolutely wouldn’t fly by today’s standards and if it were in a show, that character would most definitely be one dimensionally bad

[@renato_steveng]

I can't believe that the 2010's ultimate smart girl, Spencer Hastings didn't even get a clip.

[@ComfortablyPlump]

Can you do some underrated black movies for Black History Month? Like Belle, Queen of Katwe, Dreamgirls, and Beyond the Lights?

[@parisedits5453]

joseph adel I lost braincells reading this... your joking right? Because that would be the only reason you would type something like this 😂🤦‍♀️

[@alext3480]

@@parisedits5453 this person is a FOOL

[@shinobukouchou680]

Hey girlie, I'm guessing you are a black girl and wanted to see this channel seek out more black girls to represent those tropes. I, too, am also a black girl. This channel focuses on tropes portrayed in movies not analysis of the movies themselves. We have so little representation in movies that we don't even get to see ourselves much in tropes. Please ignore the two heartless, condescending comments above mine. Their ignorance blinds them from the understanding where you are coming from. You are not stupid nor are you a fool. You just noticed we black girls don't even have enough characters to even have tropes. I mean this so lovingly (:

[@jbennett87]

Id love to get into the "angry black woman" trope, or even the "best friend" trope, who are usually women of color supporting White women (but not always, Lucy and Ethel).

[@isabellegrayson9134]

This is one of the most psychologically intellectual channels I’ve seen on KZbin. Their analyses are so socially intelligent and they covered many common tropes in movies/shows that usually put into words descriptions I normally couldn’t or skip over.

[@femininefamous22]

The "bad guy who gets nice after you spent time to get through his layers" trope

[@kirk001]

As the sheldon cooper stereotype myself, I really appreciate the smart girl/smart woman types, especially awkward ones. LOL

[@livlaughloveanime]

This reminds me of the Candy Apple books I read when I was in middle school. There was one I really liked where a smart, social outcast started running for class president under the assumption that the preferred candidate, a pretty and popular girl, was only running for status and didn't actually care about making the school a better place. It wasn't until she actually talked to the popular girl that she realized how intelligent and caring she actually was, and how all of the stereotypes she had generated were unfair and wrong.

[@idontknow7005]

I love how now everyone in the comments has suddenly got an IQ of 150

[@klegenda2493]

I really love Diane Nguyen from Bojack. At first I was like "oh shit, a smart Asian, I hope I'm not a stereotype anymore", but I was totally wrong. A very well written and complex gray character, very different from what I see about other "smart girls"

[@carom4996]

I think I’m a smart girl, but I’m lazy AF

[@aimdog2000]

you don’t have to box yourself into one personality

[@arricherie]

A C thats so true, thank you

[@nrkgalt]

Being smart but lazy has its advantages. You will be motivated to work more efficiently.

[@KatherinaBathory]

Overthinking is any smart person's kryptonite!

[@ntellaS2]

I was the "smart prodigy girl" and people demanded so much from me that I lost will to make any effort I'm recovering now, I'm an art major, which disappointed a lot pf people who hoped I'd do something "smart girl" related like engineering, medicine, laws etc I relate to Rebecca from CXG a LOT and I love that you put her in. We both have BPD, we both were the "smart girl" with no friends, we both attempted to end our lives and we both kinda gave up on our dreams of working with art and acting to follow what our parents wanted for us gladly I was able to leave psychology college and enter art college still as a teen

[@shoujokadyan5502]

I really hope you girls analyze the show Crazy Ex Girlfriend soon!

[@siddhiraskar5464]

Your channel is gold!, love these stereotype breakdown series

[@Sugarskulls_forever]

This made me feel better. Thanks for calling me out on being concerned on trying to get so many things done. I’ll take better care of myself. Also thank you for reassuring us smart girls 🌷💗🌺💕

[@cjohn64]

Would be interesting if you analyzed how the smart guy has shifted from the 80s to the 90s then shifted back to 80s tropes in the late 2000s. See Revenge of the Nerds vs Quantum Leap/Sliders vs Big Bang Theory

[@hindsightpov4218]

Daria is one of my favorite tv characters ever.

[@MrPolyalert]

This is why I love Book Smart! It really puts into perspective how the old “smart girl trope” affects girls in how they perceive themselves and others. Wish I saw that movie when I was in high school...

[@nickymo]

Really enjoy this channel! You ladies broke off from screenrant or watchmojo or whatever right? I’m loving the super clean professional style as applied to more specific meaty topics like this, keep up the great work and thanks so much!

[@christienolasco7783]

Feeling super seen by this explanation of the smart girl trope. While I do enjoy the introduction of a woman capable of beauty and intelligence, the conversation begins to shift the requirement of women 'doing it all'. My reasoning derives from during the period when women began entering the workforce but were still having to do household work and childcare. regardless, I still love these videos. my interest in media and culture really pushes me to have a critical approach since tv and film reach such a big audience.

[@vluessky]

Your KZbin channel should become a Netflix show, not because Netflix deserves it, but because all of these videos you guys make should be watched by everyone, especially girls!!!!

[@lindtkugel7]

What about “the quirky girl“? Can you make one about that pleaseee

[@oscarwilde9581]

Wow I never realized how much I identified with all these characters when I was growing up

[@romynorthcoast7591]

I hated that especially in highschool when I was more into my looks and I had new classmates so whenever I would get a good mark they thought I cheated until the day I was debating with a teacher and they were like " so you're actually smart!" like IDK SURPRISE I HAVE A PERSONALITY AND INTRESTS !!

[@amgm1996]

When they showed greta and malala 💙

[@anjalmehta2237]

pls do an analysis on all the main characters from bojack season 6. one especially for princess carolyn! THIS SHOW IS A MASTERPIECE!!

[@nezzylearns]

😭😭 🤣🤣why did I identify with this video. Over-thinking, over-analyzing, trying time feel like you belong. It explains so much. Great video

[@wakandaforever4994]

Watching this video made me realise from the over analytical and painfully self aware traits of the smart girl that I am in fact the smart girl. Such a confidence boost but man... it’s fuckinh hard

[@megasocky]

I never felt more understood Also i feel like marjane from persepolis is a great smart+rebellious type character. She has hints of tomboyish and rebellious characters while standing up for justice, but she also has a strong feminine side that she still keeps (which is her cause for justice for equality)

[@gamerdru101]

Hello!! I just want to say Thank You for all these wonderful videos that you do. I'm in the middle of trying to write a story with a strong, cool, independent, tough female protagonist and your work has provided priceless insight into various tropes and pitfalls of these genres. Some of it was really eye opening for me! Keep up the fantastic work!! 🖤

[@aliciavance4228]

The makes me love Beth Harmon even more. She wasn't regonized as "The Smart Girl" because of her good grades, but because of her natural talent and potential in chess, an intellectual game known as being "just for men". And she could be girly, witty and sassy at the same time, becoming interested in style and beauty even though "it isn't natural for a nerdy girl". Such a Queen! ❤

[@laurenpaz4375]

When u explained why the smart girl is so intrigued with the “cool” ppl and likes to analyse them it would explain a lot of why hermoine chose to go into gryfindor when she would have for perfectly in ravenclaw.

[@kaylabrandon4705]

The Sorting Hat put her in Gryffindor, because being intelligent was just one of her traits; she is also incredibly brave. And, even if she and anyone else couldn't see it yet, the sorting hat senses what's more prominent inside a student as far as their skills, and she must've shown signs of being especially brave. Maybe, he even knew that she would be essential in helping Harry defeat Voldermort... just a thought. But, I don't think she chose Gryffindor to try and study them; Harry is literally the only one the hat placed in Gryffindor, because that's where Harry wanted to go, but at first the hat thought Harry was better suited for Slytherin, and that's where he was originally going to place him. The sorting hat doesn't usually put students in where they necessarily want to go(even though I've yet to see someone go to their house disappointed), but Harry was an exception, cuz main character *Shrug*

[@curiousbaby7918]

Used to think or actually is smart . But then I get curious and wanted to be that cool and popular girl going to club, smoke sometime, skip school. Then it affects my grade and then think I am actually dumb and start to accept that. But I remember being smart and love reading before social media came to me and highschool movies . Now I don't give an f anymore. I don't really like club tbh. And I hate smoking. I hates bad grade I love reading. I love staying home and watch KZbin. I even quit social media cause I'm not myself there. And I am better now. Live with less expection of other. Honestly just be yourself. Do things that actually matter for you. And you truly enjoyed what you are doing.

[@ferreiraisabella]

same

[@blueberries2702]

my mother always said if they call you an uptight nerd then own it. thats who you are so dont give them the power to make you feel bad about who you are. so here we go - im that smart girl and i am proud of it 😤 (dont mind me just tryna fit in my affirmations for the day)

[@thelostpawn]

Loving the female centric series!!!

[@jaycee9968]

Lost Pawn me too

[@trinaq]

Likewise, I can't wait to see what other types of "Girl" archetypes they may tackle next!❤

[@timothyo718]

Lost Pawn Would like to see more male character analysis though too.

[@thelostpawn]

Timothy O they have a lot of great older vids on guys like Don Draper, Walter White...etc. Check them out.

[@catsthemovie4692]

Now I'm one dimensional if a fictional character trope can sum up my existence

[@ValetudoTheNeko]

Just by going to University, you realize that 90% of smart women are also conventionally pretty.

[@hereiam3956]

Please bring back the OITNB Character analysis! I was loving them!

[@friedagerhardt]

Oh my god, this is like watching a video essay on myself O.o

[@kyojuroswife4112]

I didn't do well in school at all but in college I'm thriving. I think it's only because I don't have to worry about 10 totally different subjects and can put all my focus on topics I'm interested in. Also I started doing extra curricular activities and discovered that I m not stupid rather I'm a very fast learner, my trainers were really impressed. I thought if you fail School then ur life is over but in reality it's a new start to numerous opportunities

[@aubrito_]

These are literally my favorite videos on KZbin I get so excited when there's a new one.

[@oooh19]

Being smart doesn't mean you're not sociable or have other interests. Also being smart doesn't mean you make the best choices

[@mynameisreallycool1]

I feel like I fit all the characteristics of a smart girl, except for the fact that I'm not very smart. :/

[@snazzyquizzes2336]

I'm surprised to learn that all these characters I've watched for years have so much in common with each other.

[@tk006]

My biggest regret was intentionally trying to be less intelligent and putting less effort into my work. Now I'm stuck at average and would give anything to go back to my old overachieving self.

[@AxeKick80]

You guys should do an analysis of the Liam Neeson unstoppable badass trope and call it “the Taken Take.”

[@kiwispace8041]

Can you guys do the "Gay best friend" trope and the "Nice Guy finish last" trope, next?

[@violetevergarden5160]

3:08 Oh my, I think I have never been more called out then this before.

[@elenasreadingcorner]

This is exactly the reason I loved the last year's Booksmart. It debunked completely the smart girl/guy trope that we encounter in movies or shows. You don't have to look the part to be smart. And seeing all these different people showing their worth while slowly killing all the innate prejudice was great

[@ChillinVinillin]

Black Panther was really such an excellent movie...love the smart girl there

[@kristofszabo9142]

video of the week for me!;) love your stuff

[@ethanhorn6093]

When I first started High School (15 years ago) there was this pack of extremely popular, brilliant girls who where like glittering intellectual gems... and I hated them so much. They where like a walking talking trope, both of the mean girl and smart girl variety and they where so snide. I started out as a slacker, I really didn't care. Until they started bullying me. I became one of the most well liked and well regarded students in the entire school by sheer virtue of sticking it to these little, beautiful geniuses. And I know what each of them are doing in their lives currently (due to Facebook), and they stuck their landings... they went on to do really amazing and incredible things and because my lust for learning was motivated by spite... I didn't... I didn't take it to the next level. And so I will, ALWAYS respect them... not for how shitty they where (they still make fun of me every now and then on FB), but because they had the vision and the drive and the motivation... and most importantly the intelligence to motivate beyond High School. I worked to be better than them and there was never anyway for me to, without first understanding what made them so successful in the first place. I wish I could go back in time and slap myself for my arrogance. They motivated me to excellent but I lacked the spine and will to do anything with it.

[@starlight8554]

Ah man being the one brown kid in my class who literally nobody thought was cute (ah the subtle racism), all I had were my grades and my books. I remember reading Harry Potter for the first time as a kid and *loving* Hermione because I could self insert so easily.

[@starlight8554]

Dannielle Edwards imagine getting so triggered over a random comment on KZbin. And I wasn’t talking about my fuckability (this is from when I was 15 so I wasn’t exactly looking for that), and I know people thought I wasn’t cute because I was brown because they made it clear with the things they said. But since you’re so invested in my sex life I’ll let you know I’m doing fairly well. You might won’t to do some self reflection on why you inferred all of that from one tiny throwaway comment I made. You’ve got a whole thesis going on my life here😂 If I were to do back to you what you’ve done with the unsolicited advice; Maybe it’s because you’ve been putting yourself out there and even in all that desperation you’re not getting any? It’s okay. I have no idea about your looks but you’ve got a bland-ass name so I’d say it’s your nasty, know-it-all, self-hating self that’s putting people off. Work on that :)

[@starlight8554]

Add Ley sigh... I mean you came at me and then told me not to get triggered- do you even hear yourself? And I’m probably older than you, weeb 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@starlight8554]

Add Ley honestly no one forced you to comment shit and then try to play the “lol u took it *personally* har har” bull 🤷🏽‍♀️ I’m trashy but nowhere near as bad as you lol, I don’t choose to vent my personal frustrations under random people’s KZbin comments. Idk why you keep personally insulting me and then insisting I’m weird for taking it in exactly the way you meant it? Insulting someone who insults you back isn’t the same as randomly starting shit with a stranger- your social cues are a bit off. Anyways my uni has started so I won’t be able to read anymore of your essay comments. Have a good one.

[@mishkaparashar3170]

*And this is why I love all of your videos*

[@Tragic977]

I like to think I’m a mix of “the smart girl” and “the weird girl” tbh I love it

[@leaczinkota1979]

One of my OCs, who is the smart girl is also attractive, has a nice sense of fashion, isn't pushy, although can act entitled and little bit clingy towards her boyfriend who used to be a womanizer before they settled down. Plus, she's the most desirable girl in hee class, blessed with decent social skills. So yeah, I kinda subverted the stereotypes.

[@nkiehnle]

I believe Brennan from BONES was a great example and I was surprised you didn't mentioned her character...

[@TheNnn13]

It's important to understand these tropes and how they affect young people watching them. Growing up as a "smart achiever" I actively avoided taking care of my looks and used to look down on girls who "put makeup on". But now I am not just smart, I am a little bit wiser and can do cut creases like a pro AND write research articles. I am glad these tropes are being challenged and women are increasingly being portrayed as the multidimensional humans as they are.

[@ericanorton5077]

I really enjoyed this video, although I sort of joking felt a realization that I'm just exactly this and I'm just a slightly complicated stereotype that can be explained in 20 minutes (yikes). In the end of the video, where the newer and more 2-dimensional smart girls were discussed, I agree with the theory but I think that it leads to some problematic notions that girls are expected to be both beautiful and smart, or both smart and incredibly charismatic. Like if you don't have these amazing and sought-after qualities you aren't as good as someone who does. And everyone is more complex then just one thing, but it's incredibly hard to excel in multiple fields and women already feel such a pressure to. Maybe this is unavoidable, and we shouldn't feel disheartened by strong female characters who seem impossibly perfect (even though they do have flaws. They seem perfect in the qualities they have which we envy). It seems to boil down to everyone has great qualities and also flaws, and they seem to even out among everyone and exhausting to feel bad about any qualities we don't have. I can just imagine a smart but unattractive girl feeling bad if a girl who is attractive is just as smart as she is.

[@DUSnM]

I saw the title and immediately thought of Hermione Granger

[@katiegrim3497]

talk about Daria! I LOVE daria

[@heloisamariani]

But I think that you kind of missed the point on The Breakfast Club. They're each seem as one thing, either a princess, a basket case, an athlete, a brain and criminal, but in the end they realise they're all those things at the same time. So even though Brian is seem by Principal Vernon as the brain, they're all smart in their own way, they all have things they're good at. And that's the whole point of the movie.

[@violetalar5387]

I love these videos about character types. Very useful to people who study what I do. Thank you.

[@noluthandodladla9869]

Yaaay another trope video. Thank you

[@3ood60]

I would love to see couple tropes series

[@twoblackrabbits]

For some reason, I forgot I was a smart girl and realized I was trying to play stupid for people that are negative.

[@hunterwise5661]

Does anyone else notice the recent backlash against the Smart Girl? If the Smart Girl has anything to say that is 'anti-male', she is automatically labeled a feminist and the films are often panned or trolled by man (mostly male) who seem insecure about it. It's okay if the Smart Girl is a love interest or serving as a background character, but if she is the lead in a film and portrays herself with confidence (such as A Wrinkle In Time, Doctor Who, etc) I feel like there's become this issue of attacking back and calling it out as 'feminism'. I find it hilarious just because this trope has been around for centuries, as the video points out (Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, practically anything by Jane Austin). Just an observation.

[@JoshuaRellick]

If a smart guy in a movie said anything that was "anti-female", the movie would be heavily bashed in the media and be called sexist. It would suffer financially. It is far more likely to see a movie where a female character criticizes men as a gender than you are to see a movie where a male character criticizes women as a gender. Any man who criticizes women is presented as a bad guy in movies where that often isn't the case for women who criticize men in movies.

[@eldron29-a54]

Feminist isn't an insult. Harrassing the girl for being that, is just horrible. The big bang theory has misoginistic clever men, but they got better. Misoginy or sexism are really bad things. Feminism is all about human rights and social justice. The same with anti racism or trans rights movement. Cis male tears are giving me second hand embarrassment.