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Jock (subculture)
 
 
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The term jock is a classic North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n stereotype
Stereotype

A stereotype is a preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics to all the members of class or set. The term is often used with a negative connotation when referring to an oversimplified, exaggerated, or demeaning assumption that a particular individual possesses the characteristics associated with the class due to his or her me...
 of a male athlete. The etymology of the term jock is derived from the word jockstrap
Jockstrap

A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during the performance of sports or other vigorous physical activity....
, which is an athletic support garment worn by men who engage in physical sports. The jock stereotype is attributed mostly to high school
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
 and college
College

File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
 athletics participants who form a significant youth subculture
Youth subculture

A youth subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct styles, behaviors, and interests. According to subculture theorists such as Dick Hebdige, members of a subculture often signal their membership by making distinctive and symbolic tangible choices in, for example, clothing styles, hairstyles and footwear....
. In sociology, the jock is thought to be included within the socialite
Socialite

A socialite is a person who is known to be a part of fashionable Upper class because of his or her regular participation in social activities and fondness for spending a significant amount of time Entertainment and being entertained....
 subculture, which also contains the preppies
Preppy

Preppy, also spelled preppie, is a shortened version of the word 'preparatory'. It is a chiefly North American adjective or noun traditionally used in relation to Northeastern United States private education university-preparatory schools, as well as those who attend some of America's prestigious private colleges and universities....
 and Ivy-Leaguers
Ivy League

The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of university in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly used to refer to those eight schools considered as a group....
.






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The term jock is a classic North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n stereotype
Stereotype

A stereotype is a preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics to all the members of class or set. The term is often used with a negative connotation when referring to an oversimplified, exaggerated, or demeaning assumption that a particular individual possesses the characteristics associated with the class due to his or her me...
 of a male athlete. The etymology of the term jock is derived from the word jockstrap
Jockstrap

A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during the performance of sports or other vigorous physical activity....
, which is an athletic support garment worn by men who engage in physical sports. The jock stereotype is attributed mostly to high school
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
 and college
College

File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
 athletics participants who form a significant youth subculture
Youth subculture

A youth subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct styles, behaviors, and interests. According to subculture theorists such as Dick Hebdige, members of a subculture often signal their membership by making distinctive and symbolic tangible choices in, for example, clothing styles, hairstyles and footwear....
. In sociology, the jock is thought to be included within the socialite
Socialite

A socialite is a person who is known to be a part of fashionable Upper class because of his or her regular participation in social activities and fondness for spending a significant amount of time Entertainment and being entertained....
 subculture, which also contains the preppies
Preppy

Preppy, also spelled preppie, is a shortened version of the word 'preparatory'. It is a chiefly North American adjective or noun traditionally used in relation to Northeastern United States private education university-preparatory schools, as well as those who attend some of America's prestigious private colleges and universities....
 and Ivy-Leaguers
Ivy League

The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of university in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly used to refer to those eight schools considered as a group....
. As a blanket term the jock is considered synonymous with an athlete.

Other words that may mean the same as "jock" include meathead, musclebrain and the similar term musclehead. These terms are to most often refer to the conceit and selfishness that develops with the stereotype.

The jock stereotype is used often in the mass media
Mass media

Mass media is a term used to denote a section of the media specifically envisioned and designed to reach a mainstream such as the population of a nation state....
 to portray a relatively unintelligent and unenlightened
Enlightenment (concept)

Enlightenment broadly means wisdom or understanding enabling clarity of perception. However, the English language word covers two concepts which can be quite distinct: religion or spiritual enlightenment and secular or intellectual enlightenment....
, but nonetheless physically and socially well endowed character. Examples of this include the high school quarterback Kevin Thompson in the MTV cartoon Daria
Daria

Daria was an United States animated television series that ran on the cable television MTV from 1997 to 2002. Created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn, the series about a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic high school girl was a Spin-off of MTV's animated Beavis and Butt-head ....
, the popular athlete love interest Tommy Ross in Carrie, the spoiled bullying antagonist Luke Ward
Luke Ward

Luke Ward is a fictional character from the Fox Broadcasting Company television series The O.C., played by Chris Carmack....
 in the first season of The O.C.
The O.C.

The O.C. is an United States teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons....
, and Kim's wealthy athlete boyfriend Jim in Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film tells the story of a man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands....
.

Jocks as antagonists are stock character
Stock character

A stock character is one which relies heavily on cultural types or names for his or her personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics....
s shown as lacking compassion for the protagonist
Protagonist

A protagonist is the main Character of a drama or Narrative. The word "protagonist" derives from the Greek language p??ta????st?? , "one who plays the first part, chief actor." In the theatre of Ancient Greece, three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a tragedy; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the othe...
 and are generally flat and static character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
s. Heathers
Heathers

Heathers is a 1989 in film black comedy film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional high school in Ohio....
 "Kurt" and "Ram" roles, the Spider-Man
Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character First appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 , and was created by scripter-editor Stan Lee and artist-plotter Steve Ditko....
 character Flash Thompson
Flash Thompson

Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a supporting character in Marvel Comics?s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 ....
 and Jean Grey
Jean Grey

Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superhero#superheroines appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl and Phoenix , and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men....
's first boyfriend Duncan Matthews
Duncan Matthews

Duncan Matthews is a fictional character on the animated TV show X-Men: Evolution. He first appeared in Strategy X. He is voiced by Vincent Gale....
 in X-Men: Evolution
X-Men: Evolution

X-Men: Evolution is a two-time Emmy Award winning United States List of animated television series about the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men....
 are such examples.

Often, in comedy where the main characters aren't popular, the jock is the chief antagonist and cruel to the main characters. He hates nerds and homosexuals, is dim-witted, worshipped by the other students despite his cruelty, is obsessed with pretty girls, and is unable to recognize the ugly girl's beauty until she has a makeover. He is despised by the nerds, and usually has an unfortunate ending. Examples of this are the popular 1980s movies Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds

Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 in film United States comedy film starring Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B....
 and Heathers
Heathers

Heathers is a 1989 in film black comedy film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional high school in Ohio....
.

As a protagonist
Protagonist

A protagonist is the main Character of a drama or Narrative. The word "protagonist" derives from the Greek language p??ta????st?? , "one who plays the first part, chief actor." In the theatre of Ancient Greece, three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a tragedy; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the othe...
 the jock will often be a dynamic character who through an epiphany
Epiphany (feeling)

An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something. Or also known as a big moment of EUREKA! The term is used in either a Philosophy or Literal and figurative language sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information o...
 or new understanding will lead to a change in the value
Value (personal and cultural)

A personal and cultural value is a relative ethic value, an assumption upon which implementation can be extrapolated. A value system is a set of consistent value and measures....
s of the jock. This change often means a cessation of athletics and/or some other equivalent social sacrifice which leads to the character no longer being considered a jock. Examples include Randall "Pink" Floyd in Dazed and Confused
Dazed and Confused (film)

Dazed and Confused is a 1993 in film coming of age film written and directed by Richard Linklater. The movie's large ensemble cast featured a number of future stars, including Matthew McConaughey, Jason London, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, Anthony Rapp, Adam Goldberg, Joey Lauren Adams, Nicky Katt, and Rory Coch...
 and Andrew Clark in The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is a 1985 in film United States teen film written and directed by John Hughes . The storyline follows five teenagers as they spend a Saturday in Detention together and come to realize that they are all deeper than their respective stereotypes....
, as well Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven

Highway to Heaven is an United States television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 in television to 1989 in television.It starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent down to earth, and his human companion Mark Gordon, played by Victor French....
 episodes "Friends" and "Code Name: Freak".

Marketing

The jock image has also become an icon in both erotica and marketing, such as that used by Abercrombie and Fitch, or the erotic
Erotica

Erotica or "curiosa," works of art, including erotic literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with eroticism sexual stimulation or sexual arousal descriptions....
 photography
Photography

Photography is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving by recording radiation on a sensitive medium, such as a photographic film, or an ....
 of Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (photographer)

Bruce Weber is an United States fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, Gianni Versace, and Ralph Lauren, as well as his work for Vogue , GQ , Vanity Fair , Elle , Life , Interview , and Rolling Stone magaz...
, Steven Underhill
Steven Underhill

Steven Underhill is an United States photographer. He grew up in Northern California and graduated from University of California, Los Angeles....
, and others, who photographed jock archetype
Archetype

An archetype is an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype after which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a symbol universally recognized by all....
s like the Brewer twins
Brewer twins

Derek and Keith Brewer, known as the Brewer Twins, are famous male modeling twins....
 (Keith & Derek), the Hall twins (Bruce
Bruce Michael Hall

Bruce Michael Hall is an United States actor and former male fashion model.Hall originally portrayed Reese Durkee on the NBC soap opera Passions from the show's debut in July 1999 until January 2003 when his twin brother Seth Hall took over the role....
 & Seth
Seth Hall

Seth Michael Hall is an American actor and former male fashion model.Along with his identical twin brother Bruce Michael Hall, he was photographed by Steven Underhill for a book called Twins, published in 1999....
), Peter Johnson, and "Marky Mark" Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning American actor, former rapper and producer of film and television. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years and became famous in his 1991 debut as a rap musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch....
.

List of stereotypical characteristics

  • Very attractive girlfriend (usually a cheerleader, but shows signs of disrespect toward women (abuse, crude sexual jokes, etc.)
  • Muscular/athletic, but conversely not considered intelligent
  • Often perceived as getting preferential treatment solely due to athletic ability (e.g., passing grades undeserved, bad conduct overlooked)
  • Popular among classmates or students similar to his own clique
  • Homophobic
    Homophobia

    Homophobia is an irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. Some definitions lack the "irrational" component....
  • Generally popular with the girls, but is often despised by non-jock boys
  • Competitive
    Competitiveness

    Competitiveness is a comparative concept of the ability and performance of a firm, sub-sector or country to sell and supply goods and/or services in a given market....
  • Bullying, cruel and mean, in extreme cases antisocial
    Antisocial personality disorder

    Antisocial personality disorder is a personality disorder. It is defined by the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV: "The essential feature for the diagnosis is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood." Deceit and manipul...
     or psychopathic
    Psychopathy

    Psychopathy is a psychology construct that describes chronic immoral and antisocial behavior.The term is often used interchangeably with sociopathy....
     personality structure with tendencies to violent crime
    Violent crime

    A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery....


See also

  • Hearties
    Hearties

    Hearties was a term used for athletic students at the University of Oxford and elsewhere, especially in the 19th and early 20th century. The term is often used in contrast to the less athletic "aesthetes"....
     - the British equivalent