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Pretty Dudes

Revision as of 13:05, 22 June 2018 by Chacharaize (Message Wall | contribs)
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“We are the motherfuckers who are the living proof that there is a cost to being a cosmetic genetic.”

The award-winning web series Pretty Dudes produced several tropes while purposely subverting them in a series about a group of friends in the greater Los Angeles area navigating relationships both romantic and platonic from the point of view of characters from marginalized communities. Though originally an example of the Token Minority with the character of Zario being the sole queer character among his straight male friends, the main cast of characters exploded across the sexuality and gender spectrums over the course of its run.

Main Characters:

  • Zario (Bryan Michael Nuñez): a photographer struggling with depression, despite good looks that get him into several romantic entanglements
  • Ellington (Xavier Avila): an Afro-Latino business law major and budding entertainment agent with a high libido
  • Alexander (Kyle Rezzarday): a socially awkward gamer
  • Sunji (Yoshi Sudarso): an up-and-coming actor who's the landlord for all of his friends
  • Marshall (Joshuah Noah Snel): Ellington's younger brother escaping a harsh past
  • Kish (Tanerélle): the new housemate who desperately attempts to avoid the drama
  • December (Aria Song): an art-critic turned art gallery-owner
  • Boaz (Manny Shih): December's younger brother and Zario's best friend
  • Cassian (Christian Olivo): a towering, buff cowboy
  • Jay (Tae Song): an abrasive housemate of Sunji's who only gets along with Zario
  • Eagle (Olivia Thai): neighbor to the titular Dudes who gets into romantic entanglements of her own
Tropes used in Pretty Dudes include:
  • And Starring: In Season One this belongs to stars Yoshi Sudarso and Olivia Thai ("with" and "and" respectively), who were arguably the most recognizable faces in the first set of episodes.
    • In Season Two, there was a sole "and" for Yoshi.
  • Big Eater: Jay is rarely seen without food in the early episodes of the show.
  • Brainless Beauty: Sunji is the textbook definition of this.
  • Breakout Character: This was Marshall in Season One, who became so popular that he was moved to a leading role in the second season.
  • Butt Monkey: In the first season, Alexander is near verbally abused by Jay at every turn, as is Sunji, though Sunji's lack of intelligence causes him to miss most of these moments.
  • Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune: Sung by show creator Chance Calloway, and includes vocals by show guest-star Michael Bow.
  • Dream Sequence: Zario has an intense, extended one in Season One while on a date, and an even more intense one that takes the length of an episode in Season Two during complications with an endoscopy.
  • Five-Man Band: The original group is this way, with just Zario, Ellington, Jay, Alexander, and Sunji.
    • The Hero: Ellington
    • The Lancer: Sunji
    • The Smart Guy: Alexander
    • The Big Guy: Jay
    • The Chick: Zario
    • In the second season, there is a new variation on this as Zario, Ellington, Alexander, Marshall, and Sunji all live together, with Kish as a de-facto Sixth Ranger in the basement.
    • It could be argued that Kish is actually in the five-piece and Marshall is the Sixth Ranger, as he is seen more as Ellington's brother than he is his own person among the group of friends. That would make Kish the Big Guy, and Sunji arguably more of The Hero.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: Ellington and Sunji in Season Two.
  • Last-Minute Hookup: At the end of Season One, Jay and Zario literally drive off into the night together.
  • Named After Somebody Famous: The Gomez brothers are all named after influential Black Americans. Duke Ellington, George Washington Carver, and Thurgood Marshall.
    • Carver mentions they have a sister named Alvera, which is a play on Sojourner Truth according to Word of God .
    • In the same set of episodes where we find out about the Gomez brothers, Rock and Van Diolosa reveal they're named after the Rockefeller and Vanderbilt families.
  • Only Known By Their Nickname: Zario reveals his last name is del Rosario, frequently refusing to talk about his first name, though halfway through the first season he admits it's Hector. It's never mentioned again.
    • Eagle is a better example of this trope, as her real name is never revealed.
    • Inverted when Eagle doesn't believe December's birth name is in fact December.
    • Jay seems to only refer to people he cares about with nicknames, calling Zario "Zee," Marshall "Marshmallow," and his cousin Eugene "Genie."
  • Perverse Sexual Lust: In one episode, it is mentioned that Callie used to make Jay oink like a pig during sex, just episodes after we see Ellington wearing a pig mask while having sex with Callie.
  • Sixth Ranger: Eagle is referenced as early as the second episode, but it isn't until her appearance in Episode Five as the literal sixth friend in their group that the plot takes off and the friendship dynamics become set.
    • This trope becomes a bit meta considering the show features three actors who were actual Power Rangers.
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