History Main / CommonHollywoodSexTraits

** The vaginal canal loses elasticity with use, ''particularly'' with the addition of every new partner. (The vagina ''is'' elastic, but just because something ''can'' become 10 cm in diameter doesn't mean it will or must. Additionally, the idea that we can compare Alice, who married her [[HighSchoolSweethearts High School Sweetheart]] at 18 and by age 25 has had sex with him hundreds of times, with Brandy, her single friend who has had sex 30 times in that seven-year period but with varying men, and claim that Brandy is more "used" than Alice, is InsaneTrollLogic at best.

* You rarely ever see onscreen sex depicted in any position outside of the missionary position (mostly because this would result in sex that's borderline softcore porn).

** Averted on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of all shows. Kyle's parents are the overweight Sheila and the extremely-average Gerald, and they're normally portrayed as uptight MoralGuardians, but one episode shows them having a very active and passionate sex life that isn't played for laughs. It only becomes comedic when their toddler son Ike walks in on them roleplaying and thinks the scenario is real.
** Averted on ''[[Series/TheMagicians2016 The Magicians]]'': Josh is the least pretty of the core characters, but has four known partners (and claims many more in one scene).

* Unless impotence occurs as mentioned above, men ALWAYS climax during sex with no trouble. Nobody has "death grip syndrome"[[note]]When a man has trouble reaching orgasm outside his masturbation routine[[/note]].

* A woman's first time will always be bloody and painful, no matter how relaxed and horny she may be (and don't even mention foreplay). From her second time on, however, she'll be perfectly used to the sexual act and having multiple orgasms (and still no sign of foreplay). What arguably justifies this is the fact that her and/or her partner's inexperience can result in a painful first time, and sex becomes more enjoyable as she learns what she does and doesn't like, but the first time doesn't ''have'' to hurt.

** Tampons have been seen as controversial in more conservative cultures and time periods, under the belief that a pubescent girl will lose her virginity to a hygiene product.

* Women are always shaved or waxed "down there," and their labia minora are almost always short and symmetrical pale pink, and never crinkly; they all tend to look the same. (In RealLife, every set is different, and not all women choose to shave or wax, or even trim their pubic hair.)

** Many a sex-ed teacher, when explaining how to use a tampon to pubescent girls, have also had to explain to the young ladies that they won't lose their virginity to a hygiene product.

* [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex While the good guys prefer either "vanilla" sex]] or CasualKink at most, Villains are incapable of either; they always prefer the rough stuff mentioned below, even with a consensual partner.

In fiction, sexual activities do not have to be realistic. They are not there to give people realistic expectations. So they may as well present rare luck, implausible stuff and the downright impossible as being the average daily life that anyone should expect. [[RealityIsUnrealistic Real sex isn't always sexy.]] At best, the authors tend to run on a mix of RuleOfFun, RuleOfSexy, and [[{{Squick}} let's-not-squick-people-out]]. With or without LampshadeHanging. At worst, they didn't know better.

** It is worth noting that the same trait does occur in written works (literature, comic books and manga), although in ''them'' it's more a case of ConservationOfDetail, being that describing where everyone puts their limbs at a particular moment is far more difficult and long-winded, taking up time and space, than in a movie where showing people taking difficulty getting into a position takes a few seconds at most rather than a page and a half.[[note]]Although sometimes this is taken to an extreme where a couple will be actually ''described'' [[IkeaErotica as getting into position easily and with the finesse of gymnasts.]][[/note]]

* Every [[CurvesInAllTheRightPlaces hot chick]] will [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl usually be totally nude]] at home and she'll keep the blinds up and windows open in her home and if she wears ''any clothes'' at home, it'll be either a [[WalkingSwimsuitScene string bikini]] or just her [[LingerieScene bra and panties]]. And if she does wear clothes, it will be only a shirt with panties - either a ''very'' small and tight t-shirt, or a button-down shirt that has one button, [[AbsoluteCleavage if any,]] buttoned.

* In other settings, each character can have exactly one trait that deviates from the mainstream. Thus, it's not possible to be both gay and into BDSM. Or to be gay and Muslim. [[TheSmurfettePrinciple When being female is such a trait]], it's also impossible to be a lesbian.

* The girl will always [[ShirtlessScene take the guy's shirt off]] when [[MakeoUtKids they]] begin their make-out session.

** Speaking of the above: vaginal delivery in childbirth ''must'' "loosen" the vagina. (As above, there's a difference between "can" and "must.")

** The vaginal canal loses elasticity with use, ''particularly'' with the addition of every new partner. (The vagina ''is'' elastic, but just because something ''can'' become 10 cm in diameter doesn't mean it will or must. Additionally, the idea that we can compare Woman A -- who married her [[HighSchoolSweethearts High School Sweetheart]] at 18 and, by the age of 25, has had sex with him about 500 times -- with Woman B -- her bachelorette friend who has had sex 30 times in that seven-year period, but with varying men -- and claim that Woman B is "more used" than Woman A, is InsaneTrollLogic at best.)

** Averted in ''Literature/TheLightbringerSeries'', where the protagonist can't consummate his marriage due to his fiancée's vaginismus. The author had to include an afterward explaining the condition after his beta readers - which included some women - [[AluminumChristmasTrees thought he was making it up.]]

** This trope is very dangerous in RealLife for both people involved, for even (microscopic) cuts or scratches on the inner genital are ideal entryways for HIV. The practice of ''dry sex'' (using large amounts of soap and herbs [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin to dry out the vaginal lubrication]] before sex) may be the main culprit for the explosion of HIV infection via heterosexual sex in African countries. Besides, it's just as painful as it can be imagined.

** Also, all people who are asexual literally never have sex, ever, not even with their romantic partners (In reality, while asexual people do not feel sexual attraction and generally have no sex drive, they may still have sex for reasons of romance or reproduction, and can often still derive physical pleasure from it).

[[folder: Everything I know about vanilla sex, I learned from the Movies]]

[[folder: Everything I know about BDSM, I learned from ComicBooks and FanFiction]]

[[folder: Everything I know about fetishism, I learned from pornography and the plot-twist of detective stories.]]

[[folder: Everything I know about same-gendered sex, I learned from slash fiction, manga, and pornography (gay and straight)]]

* If a character is [[ExperimentedInCollege "just experimenting"]], their partner will ''always'' understand, and in fact, will often be "just experimenting" themselves, even without talking about it beforehand (which almost never occurs in fiction anyway). Everyone's just automatically on the same page and nobody feels jilted because they developed romantic feelings for their partner, who inevitably decides that it really ''was'' [[SchoolgirlLesbians "just a phase,"]] or [[WhatDidIDoLastNight "just the alcohol talking"]] and they're really straight after all.

* There's no such thing as {{asexuality}}. That, or [[AllWomenArePrudes all women are asexual]], while [[AllMenArePerverts all men are horny 24/7 and will screw practically anything with a pulse]] (which is the reason ''why'' women can get sex easily while men have to prove themselves).

** Averted in TheSociety, which is surprising given the show’s young adult genre (which is typically full of Hollywood Sex traits). Protagonist Allie gets a painful urinary tract infection after an ill-advised one night stand, prompting a chiding from her more worldly older sister.

** The vaginal canal loses elasticity with use, ''particularly'' with the addition of every new partner. (The vagina ''is'' elastic, but just because something ''can'' become 10 cm in diameter doesn't mean it will or must. Additionally, the idea that we can compare Woman A -- who married her [[HighSchoolSweethearts High School Sweetheart]] at 18 and, by the age of 25, has had sex with him about 500 times -- with Woman B -- the HollywoodHomely best friend who has had sex only 5 times in the same period, but with a different man each time -- and claim that Woman B is "more used" than Woman A, is InsaneTrollLogic at best.)

* A woman is biologically incapable of experiencing orgasm without screaming the words "God" and "Yes" and, usually, proclaiming in a loud and clear voice that they are about to experience said sensation. Yes, this ''can'' be TruthInTelevision, but these vocalizations can just as easily be quiet moaning or subdued grunting as loud ecstatic exclamations and screams.

** Surprisingly always averted in Harlequin's modern-day [[RomanceNovel RomanceNovels]], where condoms are always used except for in those stories where the sex leads to pregnancy.

** "Oh my god, [[{{Series/Friends}} Chandler's making his sex face]]."

For other ways, things can go unnaturally smooth, compare and contrast CommonMarySueTraits. While MarySue is a way to function socially and IdealizedSex is a way to function sexually, they are both unrealistic in the same basic way. (Not to mention that Mary Sues tend to try their damn hardest to serve as {{fanservice}} anyways...)

** And when lube ''is'' used, it is sometimes [[http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Dubious_Lube dangerously improbable]]. Blood is popular in goth/vampire fiction, even though blood is the opposite of a lubricant and will coagulate in contact with air (otherwise we'd all bleed to death from a papercut); sugary substances would get sticky after a while and could cause a nasty yeast infection in a vagina; oil, lotion, and any other oily lubricant including medical ointments would dissolve a latex condom; gun and motor oils are toxic; and alcoholic beverages would ''burn''. The exception is menstrual blood, which contains anticoagulants (alongside mucus and bits of tissue and other things most people don't find erotic).
** This trope is very dangerous in RealLife for both people involved, for even (microscopic) cuts or scratches on the inner genital are ideal entryways for HIV virus. The practice of ''dry sex'' (using large amounts of soap and herbs [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin to dry out the vaginal lubrication]] before sex) may be the main culprit for the explosion of HIV infection via heterosexual sex in African countries. Besides, it's just as painful as it can be imagined.

* Pre-sex hygiene and post-sex clean-up are not required, except perhaps [[ShowerOfLove sharing a shower for romance reasons]] or [[BatheHerAndBringHerToMe a villain ordering his servants to give the captive damsel a pre-ravish cleaning]]. Condoms or fluids of any kind are assumed to be left to their own devices and do not need to be cleaned up/disposed of (there is no such thing as a urinary tract infection), and [[RightThroughHisPants underwear will have regenerated by morning so that the participants can get out of bed in view of the audience]], though this can be TruthInTelevision, if they get up in the night to use the bathroom and put on their underwear before getting back in bed.

In fiction, sexual activities do not have to be realistic. They are not there to give people realistic expectations. So they may as well present rare luck, implausible stuff and the downright impossible as being the average daily life that anyone should expect. [[RealityIsUnrealistic Real sex isn't always sexy.]] At best, the authors tend to run on a mix of RuleOfFun, RuleOfSexy, and [[{{Squick}} let's-not-squick-people-out]]. With or without LampshadeHanging. At worst, they didn't know better. Thus, welcome to the wonderful world of IdealizedSex, where sexuality often works like this: