History Main / JerkWithAHeartOfGold

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dan_vs_the_animal_shelter_2.jpg]]

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A person you would expect to be a big {{Jerkass}} has some redeeming qualities behind their tough demeanor. Occasionally, they'll try to make it a HiddenHeartOfGold.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jerk_with_a_heart_of_gold.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Savagely dismembering terrorist, horribly brutalizing criminals and rescuing a little girl's lost cat.]] Not a bad day's work for a [[TerrorHero scary man]] [[DarkIsNotEvil in leather.]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/homer_flowers.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[note]]Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]].[[/note]]]]

If he's a manly-man who pursues an unexpectedly delicate hobby, it may be a case of RealMenWearPink. Audiences may also sympathize more with the JWAHOG if he's shown to frequently have a good reason to act angry or annoyed. Even the most patient of souls can only endure being the OnlySaneMan when they're SurroundedByIdiots for so long, after all. One or two PetTheDog moments scattered around for character depth does not grant a heart of gold. A true JWAHOG has many PetTheDog moments. Or maybe those moments are rare, but powerful. Either way, ultimately they manage to balance out the jerk in them. If it doesn't balance out, they're just a regular jerkass, or worse, a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk.

Compare/contrast with JerkassFacade, BitchInSheepsClothing, NobleDemon, BruiserWithASoftCenter, HeroWithAnFInGood, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Sometimes subverted as {{Jerk with a Heart of Jerk}}. The LovableAlphaBitch is a frequent DistaffCounterpart of the frequently male Jerk With a Heart of Gold.

Compare/contrast with JerkassFacade, BitchInSheepsClothing, NobleDemon, BruiserWithASoftCenter, HeroWithAnFInGood, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Sometimes subverted as {{Jerk with a Heart of Jerk}}. The LovableAlphaBitch is a frequent DistaffCounterpart of the frequently male Jerk With A Heart Of Gold.

Compare/contrast with JerkassFacade, BitchInSheepsClothing, NobleDemon, BruiserWithASoftCenter, HeroWithAnFInGood, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Sometimes subverted as {{Jerk With a Heart of Jerk}}. The LovableAlphaBitch is a frequent DistaffCounterpart of the frequently male Jerk With A Heart Of Gold.

Compare/contrast with JerkassFacade, BitchInSheepsClothing, NobleDemon, BruiserWithASoftCenter, HeroWithAnFInGood, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Sometimes subverted as JerkWithAHeartOfJerk. The LovableAlphaBitch is a frequent DistaffCounterpart of the frequently male Jerk With A Heart Of Gold.

Not to be confused with [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy a certain jerk]] whose spaceship is ''named'' [[IncrediblyLamePun "The Heart of Gold."]] Even if he is an example. Or [[Series/{{Firefly}} a group of people]] who helped ''defend'' the [[StealthPun Heart of Gold]], even though - again - they include at least two examples.

[[quoteright:320:[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/homerflowers.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:320:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[note]]Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]].[[/note]]]]

-->--''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''

A person you would expect to be a big {{Jerkass}} has some redeeming qualities behind their tough demeanor. Occasionally, they'll actively try to make it a HiddenHeartOfGold.

->''"I must be [[CruelToBeKind cruel, only to be kind]];''\\

Compare/contrast with JerkassFacade, BitchInSheepsClothing, NobleDemon, BruiserWithASoftCenter, HeroWithAnFInGood, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Sometimes subverted as JerkWithAHeartOfJerk. The LovableAlphaBitch is a frequent DistaffCounterpart of the frequently male JerkWithAHeartOfGold.

Truth in television: Most of the jerks you'll meet in your life will have some redeeming qualities to them. Few people are such jerks that they don't care about ''anyone'', and cynical people tend to handle bad situations better, so having one as a friend can be useful when things go downhill. Given that this would still call real life people jerks, [[NoRealLifeExamplesPlease please do not add real life examples]].

Compare/contrast with JerkassFacade, BitchInSheepsClothing, NobleDemon, BruiserWithASoftCenter, HeroWithAnFInGood, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Sometimes subverted as JerkWithAHeartOfJerk.

A person you would expect to be a big {{Jerkass}} turns out to be the nicest person you've ever met, or at the very least has some redeeming qualities behind their tough demeanor. Occasionally, they'll actively try to make it a HiddenHeartOfGold.

[[caption-width-right:320:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[note]]Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]]. However, he has been shown to have a heart of gold in other episodes.[[/note]]]]

''Thus bad begins, [[SublimeRhyme and worse remains behind]]"''

->''"I must be [[CruelToBeKind cruel to be kind]];''\\

In a romance series a female character filling this role is usually a {{Tsundere}} instead of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, (occasionally she's both). A male JerkWithAHeartOfGold is usually TroubledButCute, and his heart of gold should never outweigh his inner jerk because AllGirlsWantBadBoys -- though it can if SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan. If his jerkishness threatens to overshadow his good qualities, he's likely to attract a LoveMartyr.

Sometimes TruthInTelevision, though you can expect RealLife examples of this to be far more subtle than fictional ones. Often this is PlayedForLaughs, but not always. They are just as common in drama, suspense, horror and other genres as they are in comedy. One reason for this is that they make an convenient PlotDevice. After all, the supposed JerkAss turning out to save the family from their '''real''' stalker, instead of being said stalker, can be a source of SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments when done right.

If he's a manly-man who pursues an unexpectedly delicate hobby, it may be a case of RealMenWearPink. Audiences may also sympathize more with the JWAHOG if he's shown to frequently have a good reason to act angry or annoyed. Even the most patient of souls can only endure being the OnlySaneMan when they're SurroundedByIdiots for so long, after all. One or two PetTheDog moments scattered around for character depth does not grant a heart of gold. A true JWAHOG has many PetTheDog moments. Or maybe those moments are rare, but powerful. Either way, ultimately they manage to balance out the Jerk in them. If it doesn't balance out, they're just a regular JerkAss, or worse, a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk.

TruthInTelevision: Most of the jerks you'll meet in your life will have some redeeming qualities to them. Few people are such jerks that they don't care about ''anyone'', and cynical people tend to handle bad situations better, so having one as a friend can be useful when things go downhill. Given that this trope would still call RealLife people jerks, '''[[NoRealLifeExamplesPlease please do not add real life examples]]'''.

[[caption-width-right:320:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[note]]Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]]. However, he has been shown to have to have a heart of gold in other episodes.[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:320:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[note]]Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]] However, he has been shown to have to have a heart of gold in other episodes.[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:320:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[hottip:*:Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]]. However, he has been shown to have to have a heart of gold in other episodes.]]

[[caption-width-right:320:[- '''''Love me, dammit!''''' -][[hottip:*:Note: InUniverse, [[SubvertedTrope this photo is photoshopped]] ]]