The Smart Girl Trope, Explained

Don’t take your brain for granted.

It’s the best friend you’ll ever have.

Smart girls are all the rage these days

it's never been cooler to flaunt your knowledge and ambition.

So how has the Smart Girl trope evolved to mirror changing views

of what it means to be smart,

and the kind of brains we value in young women?

If we look at the Brainy Girl character type in movies and TV

we see some common patterns:

She's an academic whiz whose reputation for getting good grades precedes her.

“You were in my English class last year right?

You were that chick that got an A.”

She’s ambitious - often an overachiever and a career woman in the making.

“So what did everyone do today?”

“Appointed a Supreme Court justice.”

Because of her strong sense of self and pride in her high IQ

she can come off as uptight, haughty or intolerant

of people who aren't as smart.

"Honestly don't you two read?”

Her scrutinizing nature sometimes makes her feel apart from others.

"I actively work to make people dislike me

so I won't feel bad when they do"

and for a while, she might try to flee

her smart-girl persona in an attempt to fit in.

"You’re our best mathlete.

"Oh god.

Please don’t say that."

Sometimes she can be spotted

wearing the ultimate brainy girl accessory: glasses.

"Hey my glasses!

I can't see without them!"

And there’s a symbolic significance to this stereotypical costume.

the smart girl can see things that others can’t.

This is both a special gift and a burden.

At her worst, she’s crippled by overanalyzing everything,

and bogged down in insecurity.

“You outsmart yourself.

Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so smart.”

But at her best, the smart girl is a confident visionary.