The Closeted Jock As Seen In Sex Education

The representation of sexual minorities in popular media has come a long way, and some can now be viewed in a positive light. One of these stereotypes is the "closeted jock", a very masculine character who is outwardly homophobic but secretly gay.

The social meanings associated with this stereotype include the perpetuation of toxic masculinity, the idea that LGBTQIA+ individuals must conform to traditional gender roles, and the fear of coming out due to potential harm or discrimination. The closeted jock character is a lot more common of an archetype nowadays given that this archetype tends to promote a positive notion towards homosexuality as the audience develops a sense of empathy as we see the closeted jocks struggle with a fear of rejection or ridicule from their peers. The “closeted jock” trope shows the struggles of typically homophobic men who are “in the closet” while also highlighting how they can come to terms with their own sexuality. 

Sex Education (2019-2023)

An example of this in popular media can be found in the show Sex Education with the character Adam Groff. Sex Education is a teen sex comedy drama known for its varied and unapologetic depictions of gender and sexuality, and for the purpose of this paper I will mainly be looking at the show’s first season. Adam Groff is the “school homophobe” who slacks off in school and bullies other students, especially Eric Effiong, a very outwardly gay student, and is the son of Michael Groff, the very emotionally closed off headmaster of the high school in the show. Over the course of the show’s first season we frequently see Adam go out of his way to bully Eric who often tries to avoid him as a result. Adam is also shown to have a troubled relationship with his father who is very disapproving of his son. One day Adam is sent to detention by his own father for cheating on an essay, and that same day Eric is also sent to detention. In detention, Adam tries to make Eric do all of the work they are supposed to be doing together, and in result they start to argue and eventually fight. The fight ends, however, with Adam going to kiss Eric, and they start to get intimate with each other.

This is the first moment that Adam expresses any sort of homosexuality, but after they finish, Adam tells Eric not to tell anyone. The next day in class, Adam and Eric end up sitting next to each other for a science lab, and despite Adam’s previous threat to Eric, Adam communicates to Eric that he is still interested in him by moving closer to Eric and putting his leg next to his. This communicates to the audience that despite his previous resentment towards Eric, he is now not only sexually but romantically interested in him. In reality, a lot of men who identify with the “closeted jock” trope tend to use gay men for their sexual pleasure and make sure any man they’re intimate with stays silent about their homosexuality. This toxic relationship isn’t highlighted in the show, but we do get to see a better scenario with Adam. As the show progresses in later seasons, Eric helps Adam become more comfortable with his sexuality and gender expression. If you want to find out more about the progression of Adam and Eric's relationship you should watch the entire show on Netflix (it's really good and the final season recently came out) or check out this website (https://sexeducation.fandom.com/wiki/Adam_Groff) that goes over Adam's character arc throughout the four seasons. The character of Adam Groff is an example of the “closeted jock” stereotype that shows the hurtful, toxic masculine behaviors and conflicting thoughts with one’s sexuality associated with the trope while also shining light on how one can come to terms with their sexuality.