Boy next door

Boy next door

The boy next door is an archetype of storytelling. He is often invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming, or "average" masculinity; he is the male counterpart of the "girl next door." He is a young man who is just discovering his physical and spiritual strengths, and still maintains an innocent wonder about them.

There are a whole set of typical relations he may maintain in the story. The boy next door is often, but not always, the protagonist of a story. As such, his innocence, sincerity, and common origin will often be contrasted with the cleverness, hypocrisy, and privilege of the antagonist. The boy next door may have a sidekick, who shows somewhat less promise than the boy next door; this will serve to heighten his appeal by contrast. When the boy next door is a sidekick himself, he is often employed to contrast his fresh-faced innocence against the more world wise view of the protagonist. In this scenario, he will often do something well-intentioned but daring which puts him at risk, forcing the protagonist into a course of action to save him.

Often a femme fatale or a girl next door will be pulled between love for the boy next door and her desire for a luxurious life offered by the villain. A boy next door may serve as a love interest for a female protagonist. In this case, he is most likely someone the protagonist has known for most of her life, but in the past couldn't appreciate because of her age. As a love interest, the boy next door is always physically close, yet at the same time detached from the protagonist. He is the sweet boy the protagonist sees everyday, a really great friend, or the perfect boy to bring home to her parents. He is often a virgin. Due to his innocent manner, many erotic fantasies use the boy next door purely as a pretense behind which a real man is secretly very sexual.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • boy next door — noun A regular, typical boy, as opposed to a superstar. She didnt want to marry the boy next door, she yearned for the big city …   Wiktionary

  • Boy Next Door (song) — Infobox Single Name = Boy Next Door Artist = Jamelia from Album = Drama Released = October 2, 2000 Format = CD single Recorded = 1999 Genre = R B Length = 3:24 (Radio edit) 3:38 (Album version) Label = Parlophone Writer = Jamelia Davis R. Bennett …   Wikipedia

  • boy next door — average boy, regular guy …   English contemporary dictionary

  • The Boy Next Door — can refer to:* The Boy Next Door, a 1944 popular song by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane * The Boy Next Door, a novel by Meg Cabot * The Boy Next Door, a 2003 album by Stacey KentThere is also Boy Next Door, a song by Jamelia …   Wikipedia

  • The Boy Next Door — Filmdaten Originaltitel The Boy Next Door Produktionsland USA …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • the boy next door — An ordinary young man, esp when regarded as a romantic partner • • • Main Entry: ↑boy * * * the boy (or girl) next door a person or type of person perceived as familiar, approachable, and dependable, typically in the context of a romantic… …   Useful english dictionary

  • The Boy Next Door (song) — The Boy Next Door is a 1944 popular song by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.It was first introduced in the musical film Meet Me in St. Louis, where it was performed by Judy Garland.It has subsequently become a popular standard, performed by many… …   Wikipedia

  • The Boy Next Door (novel) — The Boy Next Door is a novel written by Meg Cabot. The book was published in 2002. It is written with an e mail format throughout the book. Plot The main character in this novel is Melissa Fuller, but You can call me Mel , as she says. Mel is a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Boy Next Door — Un voisin trop charmant Un voisin trop charmant (The Boy Next Door) est un téléfilm canadien réalisé par Neill Fearnley et diffusé en 2008 à la télévision. Fiche technique Scénario : Peter Layton Durée : 89 min Pays :  Canada… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • next door — next door1 adv 1.) in the house, room etc next to yours or someone else s ▪ the boy next door ▪ Her office is just next door. 2.) next door to sth next to another building, room etc ▪ They live next door to the fish and chip shop. next door 2… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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