NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Girl next door

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The stereotype of the girl next door is often invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming, or "average" femininity; this is contrasted with other stereotypes such as tomboy, valley girl, femme fatale and slut. She is the female counterpart to the "boy next door." To fall in love with the "girl next door" is an archetype of romantic fiction and a key plot element. Unlike the femme fatale, the girl next door does not have hidden plans of her own, partly because her character is open and straightforward, and also partly because her intentions would not need to be concealed. Unlike the princesse lointaine, she is seldom much richer or of much higher social status than the protagonist. The girl next door is most likely someone the protagonist has known for most of his (or her) life, but in the past could not appreciate the depth of his feelings because of his age. In some cultures, makeup is associated with femininity. ... A tomboy is typically described as a girl who behaves according to the gender role of a boy, though the term is also applied to women. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Convicted spy Mata Hari made her name synonymous with femme fatale during WWI. A femme fatale (plural: femmes fatales) is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous and deadly situations. ... Look up slut in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The boy next door is an archetype of storytelling. ... A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. ... Convicted spy Mata Hari made her name synonymous with femme fatale during WWI. A femme fatale (plural: femmes fatales) is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous and deadly situations. ... A princess lointaine or princesse lointaine, (in French, distant princess) is a stock character from medieval romances. ...

The girl next door is always physically in close range, yet at the same time detached from the male protagonist (she does not necessarily have to live next door). She is the sweet girl he sees every day, a really great friend, or the perfect girl to bring home to his parents. She is often a virgin. Due to her innocent manner, many erotic fantasies portray the "girl next door" image as a pretense behind which a real woman is secretly very sexual. This friction in the archetype is a key element in the 2004 film The Girl Next Door. A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... â€œVirginâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Archetype (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

1 Examples from fiction
- 1.1 On television
2 Further reading
3 See also

Examples from fiction

Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) in Back to the Future
Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger) in Jerry Maguire
Ashley Carlson (Sarah Roemer) in Disturbia
Betty Cooper from Archie Comics
Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn) in Sabrina
Jules Harbor (Amy Smart) in Varsity Blues
Kathleen "Kiki" Harrison (Julia Roberts) in America's Sweethearts
Lana Lang in the Superman comics and the series Smallville
Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) in The Karate Kid
Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) in High School Musical
Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart) in Just Friends
Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) in the Spider-Man film series
Toni (Lori Loughlin) in Secret Admirer
Emily Webb in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, in which the girl next door is a key plot element

... Lea Thompson in Back to the Future. ... This article is about the first film in the Back to the Future trilogy. ... RenÃ©e Kathleen Zellweger (born April 25, 1969) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress. ... Jerry Maguire is a 1996 film starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr. ... Sarah Christin Roemer[1] (born August 28, 1984[1]) is an American actress and model. ... Disturbia is a 2007 thriller film from DreamWorks Pictures, starring Shia LaBeouf as a depressed teen placed under house arrest who thinks he witnesses a murder while spying on his suspicious neighbor. ... Elizabeth Betty Cooper (1941- ) is a fictional character of Archie Comics, the blonde-haired daughter of Hal and Alice Cooper. ... Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher known for its many series featuring the fictional teenage Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Forsythe Jughead Jones characters created by Bob Montana. ... Sabrina Fair, (also entitled Sabrina Fair, A Woman Of The World) is an original Broadway stage play. ... Audrey Hepburn (4 May 1929 - 20 January 1993) was an Academy Award and Tony Award winning Anglo-Dutch actress of film and theatre, Broadway stage performer, ballerina, fashion model, and humanitarian. ... Sabrina is a 1954 film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylors play Sabrina Fair (in the UK, the movie has the title Sabrina Fair). ... Amy Lysle Smart (born March 26, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model. ... Varsity Blues is a 1999 film that follows a small-town high school football team and their focused coach, Jon Voight, through a tumultuous season. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American film actress and former fashion model. ... Americas Sweethearts (2001) is a romantic comedy film, directed by Joe Roth, starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones. ... Lana Lang is a supporting character in DC Comics Superman series. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Smallville is an American television series set in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas. ... Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated American film actress. ... The Karate Kid is a 1984 John G. Avildsen film starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. ... Gabriella Montez is a fictional character in the Disney Channel original movie High School Musical. ... Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. ... For other uses, see High School Musical (disambiguation). ... Amy Lysle Smart (born March 26, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model. ... Just Friends is a 2005 film. ... Mary Jane Watson or Mary Jane Watson-Parker, depending on the adaptation, is (in the fictional world of Spider-Man) the wife of Peter Parker (Spider Man) and a supporting character in the Marvel Comics Spider-Man series. ... Kirsten[1] Caroline Dunst (born April 30, 1982) is an American actress, known for her roles in Interview with the Vampire (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination), The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and Bring It On, as well as for her portrayal of Mary Jane Watson in the... The Spider-Man film series currently consists of three superhero films based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name, portrayed by Tobey Maguire. ... Lori Anne Loughlin (born July 28, 1964) is an American actress who gained prominence in the 1990s as playing the wife of John Stamoss character, Rebecca Donaldson, on ABCs, Full House. ... A secret admirer is a person who loves someone else from afar. ... Image:Thorntonwilderteeth. ... Our Town by Thornton Wilder Our Town is a three act play by Thornton Wilder that is, perhaps, the most frequently produced play by an American playwright. ...

On television

Madeline Fitzpatrick (Ashley Tisdale) on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
Patti Mayonnaise on Doug
Nazz on Ed, Edd, n Eddy (see List of characters in Ed, Edd n Eddy).
Charlene Robinson (Kylie Minogue) on Neighbours
Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), Eric Forman's next-door neighbor, on That '70s Show
Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) on Dawson's Creek
Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) on Smallville
Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells) on Gilligan's Island

Information Nickname(s) Maddie Blondie Occupation Candy Counter Girl at The Tipton Hotel Cashier at the Cluck Bucket Student at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow Babysitter for Zack and Cody Taking care of kids at the Tipton Day Care, Counselor at Camp Heaven On Earth Family Scamp (pet dog) Liam... Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985)[1] is an American actress and singer. ... The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, is an American childrens television series that airs on the Disney Channel. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Doug was an American animated television series that originally aired on Nickelodeon, and starring a 6th grader named Douglas Yancey Funnie. ... From left to right: Ed, Eddy, and Edd, aka Double D Ed, Edd n Eddy is an animated series created by Danny Antonucci and produced by a. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Charlene Edna Robinson (neÃ¨ Mitchell) was a fictional character in the Australian Soap Opera Neighbours played by Kylie Minogue from 1986 until 1988. ... Kylie Ann Minogue (IPA: [1]) (born May 28, 1968) is a Grammy Award-winning Australian pop singer-songwriter and occassional actress. ... This article is about an Australian soap opera. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the character on the American TV series That 70s Show. For the character on the American TV series House, see Eric Foreman. ... That 70s Show is an American television sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenagers living in Point Place, Wisconsin, a fictional suburb of either Kenosha[1] or Green Bay[2] from May 17, 1976 to December 31, 1979. ... Information Nickname(s) Joey Date of birth October, 1983 Occupation Writer, Junior Editor Family Lilian Potter (mother) Mike Potter (father) Bessie Potter (sister) Alexander Potter (nephew) Spouse(s) Dawson Leery (ex-boyfriend) Jack McPhee (ex-boyfriend) Pacey Witter (boyfriend) Eddie Dooling (ex-boyfriend) Portrayed by Katie Holmes Created by Kevin... Kate Noelle Katie Holmes[1] (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawsons Creek from 1998 to 2003. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dawsons Creek Dawsons Creek was an American primetime television drama which aired from January 20, 1998, to May 14, 2003, on The WB Television Network. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Smallville (TV series). ... Allison Jenna Mack (born July 29, 1982, in Preetz, Germany) is an American film and television actress. ... Smallville is an American television series set in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas. ... Mary Ann Summers is a fictional Kansas farm girl who is a character in the television sitcom Gilligans Island which ran on the CBS network from 1964 to 1967, and has run more or less continuously since in reruns. ... Dawn Wells Dawn Wells (born October 18, 1938 in Reno, Nevada) is an actress, best known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the sitcom Gilligans Island, which ran on CBS from 1964 until 1967. ... For the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) video game, see The Adventures of Gilligans Island. ...

Contents

On television

Further reading

See also