History Main / FemininityFailure

* ''ThePrincessDiaries'' has the awkward Mia who takes princess lessons and gets a makeover to which her friend tells her that she sold out. She's still clumsy after the lessons.

Nowadays, it's considered much more acceptable for a girl to be tomboyish than it was years ago. Still, sometimes, TheLadette will give femininity a try, even if it's just for one episode. Maybe she wants to look and act elegant for a special occasion, or she's aiming to fit in with her friends, or she wants her LoveInterest to see her as more than just "one of the guys". She may take it upon herself to learn ladylike behaviour, or she'll have a [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl feminine friend]] teach her to act [[ProperLady prim and proper]].

* In ''{{Berserk}}'' despite Guts' [[http://www.mangareader.net/96-1128-163/berserk/chapter-8.html memorable reaction]] to [[SheCleansUpNicely seeing her in a dress]], the femininity is somewhat dampened a moment later when she elbows him on the jaw for staring. She does this in front of several noble ladies who are very embarrassed to have seen it.

* In one late episode of the first season of ''Manga/SailorMoon'', Usagi joins a club designed to help create "princesses", thinking that she could be more lady-like after the revelation that she was Princess Serenity. She flops with flying colors, the only thing she was good at was Frisbee throwing. The other girls join in and the only other person who flops is Minako. Which is a good thing when it stands revealed that the club was a trap by Kunzite.

* ''LuckyLuke'': One story has Calamity Jane taking etiquette and cooking lessons. Needless to say, she can't help but swear like a sailor and her cookies are inedible. When threatening a group of men with her rifle unless they eat up, one of them opens his shirt and says "[[FateWorseThanDeath Fire!]]"

* In ''DegrassiJuniorHigh'' tomboy LD tries to be more feminine, including getting a makeover from her best friend Lucy. It fails and the makeup makes her look like a clown.

** She then feels that she has "failed" Keitaro, so she announces that she will commit ''seppuku'', ritual suicide. However, she intends to do this with the classic "stabbing oneself in the stomach". According to most historical sources, cutting one's stomach open was considered "unwomanly", so women would commit ''seppuku'' by cutting open her jugular vein.

If she takes cooking lessons, she'll end up [[LethalChef burning water]]. Any attempts to apply makeup will leave her looking [[CosmeticCatastrophe like a clown]]. Walking in high heels will result in her taking a tumble. Even after she learns polite manners, you can bet she'll swear/gobble her food/belch at the worst possible moment. Old habits die hard indeed.

* ''{{Disney/Mulan}}'' has the title character screwing up the traditionally feminine "matchmaker" process.

* Hilarious example in ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment'' by TerryPratchett, where an entire platoon of women pretending to be men have to go undercover in "drag", and fail miserably at it. For extra hilarity, the one actual male in the group has ''no trouble whatsoever'' passing as female.
* In the ''ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'', heroine Jame is an ActionGirl ''par excellence'' and all around harbinger of chaos [[spoiler: being a nascent avatar of destruction will do that for you]], and needless to say, when she's forced to try and become a proper Highborn lady in the third book (translation: elaborate dresses, lots of sewing, power wielded primarily through political intrigue, and very little in the way of physical activity), hilarity ensues. And by hilarity, we mean "rampant anarchy".

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Arthur}}'': Francine tries to be feminine for one day, picture day, where she goes to school in a dress and doesn't play kickball during recess so she'll be presentable for her photo. But she ends up playing anyway, and being scruffy in the picture.

* The ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "Helga's Makeover". She does this to attend Rhonda's sleepover but reverts to her old self after refusing an avocado cream mask.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' Korra decides to try out that "powdering your nose" thing she's heard about. The ensuing cloud of dust leaves her coughing.

* In ''LegendOfKorra'' Korra decides to try out that "powdering your nose" thing she's heard about. The ensuing cloud of dust leaves her coughing.

* In {{Berserk}} despite Guts' [[http://www.mangareader.net/96-1128-163/berserk/chapter-8.html memorable reaction]] to [[SheCleansUpNicely seeing her in a dress]], the femininity is somewhat dampened a moment later when she elbows him on the jaw for staring. She does this in front of several noble ladies who are very embarrassed to have seen it.

* WebOriginal/TheNostalgiaChick tried to invoke {{kawaiiko}} for a while, but could never pull it off. Now she's settled for being a {{ladette}} PsychopathicWomanchild.

* In {{Berserk}} despite Guts' [[http://www.mangareader.net/96-1128-163/berserk/chapter-8.html memorable reaction]] to [SheCleansUpNicely seeing her in a dress]], the femininity is somewhat dampened a moment later when she elbows him on the jaw for staring. She does this in front of several noble ladies who are very embarrassed to have seen it.

* Hilarious example in ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment'' by TerryPratchett, where an entire platoon of women pretending to be men have to go undercover in drag, and fail miserably at it.

* ''LoveHina'' has {{Samurai}} girl Motoko forced to try becoming more feminine after Keitaro (more or less accidentally) defeats her in a duel. She's too violent to be good at it, though.
* Generally the case with Akane in ''RanmaOneHalf''.
* In ''{{Kashimashi}}'', [[{{tomboy}} tomboyish]] Tomari tries to [[DifferentForGirls teach]] the [[GenderBender recently-female]] Hazumu how to act like a girl. Although she does impart some wisdom, mostly all she manages to do is prove that, even when she was in a male body, [[MasculineGirlFeminineBoy Hazumu was more girly than Tomari]].

* ''{{Mulan}}'' has the title character screwing up the traditionally feminine "matchmaker" process.

* In ''{{Shrek}}'', Princess Fiona struggles with her role as a steriotypical fairytale princess.

* ThePrincessDiaries has the awkward Mia who takes princess lessons and gets a makeover to which her friend tells her that she sold out. She's still clumsy after the lessons.

* Hilarious example in ''MonstrousRegiment'' by TerryPratchett, where an entire platoon of women pretending to be men have to go undercover in drag, and fail miserably at it.

* Sam from ''iCarly'' did this to get a guy's attention, with Carly giving her help to embrace her "inner daffodil". She ends up fighting with another girl by the end of the episode. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the guy was impressed and said he didn't want to date [[IronicEcho "some daffodil."]] ]]

* From ''GunnerkriggCourt'': Kat, the more tomboyish of the protagonists, puts on makeup for the first time in order to impress Alistair, a NewTransferStudent at her school. She fails horribly, and Annie's there to assure her that she's lovely just the way she is.

* TheNostalgiaChick tried to invoke {{kawaiiko}} for a while, but could never pull it off. Now she's settled for being a {{ladette}} PsychopathicWomanchild.

* ''{{Arthur}}'': Francine tries to be feminine for one day, picture day, where she goes to school in a dress and doesn't play kickball during recess so she'll be presentable for her photo. But she ends up playing anyway, and being scruffy in the picture.
* An episode of WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan has Terk wanting to be feminine to attract another gorilla. She realizes by the end that it's completely unnecessary.

* ''{{Arthur}}'': Francine tries to be feminine for one day, picture day, where she goes to school in a dress and doesn't play kickball during recess so she'll be presentable for her photo. But she ends up playing anyway, and being scruffy in the picture.