History Main / MachoDisasterExpedition

* Non-comedy, but parodic, example in ''Literature/HouseOfLeaves'': a very macho expedition sets off to explore the depths of the House, and comes to grief, including one of its members shooting at the others.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' that also featured a ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' CrossOver. The men go camping and the women tag along with their new neighbour (who happens to be a witch). Fred and Barney constantly mock Wilma and Betty for coming, but the witch Samantha makes sure that they survive out there with her magic, all the while punishing the guys for their misogyny. This becomes less "don't mess with women, guys" and more "[[SpaceWhaleAesop don't mess with MAGICAL women, guys!]]" Samantha's attempts to make sure the women stay ahead and punishing the boys for attempting to cheat their way in front elevate from "PoeticJustice" to "[[{{Jerkass}} being a bitch for being a bitch's sake]]".

A group of male characters are set to go on some stereotypically male-oriented activity like hiking in the wilderness. A group of females ask to join them and [[StayInTheKitchen are rebuffed with sexist arrogance on how they would be helpless at the manly activity]]. Insulted, the female characters go on their own.

As it turns out, the male characters turn out to be completely incompetent in taking care of themselves in the activity while the female characters, who have taken the time to learn how to do the same activity properly, operate as if they had done it all their lives--or, at least, are able to pitch a tent and catch a fish without maiming themselves or [[EpicFail setting their station wagon on fire]].

In the end, the male characters learn their lesson and both parties finish the activity together in relative harmony.

A subtrope of DontGoInTheWoods. HorribleCampingTrip is this trope without the {{Anvilicious}} rebuff of male sexism. This trope is a classic example of "good discrimination" in action. If this scenario turns into a full-fledged competition, see GirlsVsBoysPlot.

* {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} It's a Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!]]''. The girls have a terrible time of it because of Peppermint Patty's [[HanlonsRazor less-than-brilliant leadership skills]] and because they insist on voting for '''everything'''. Meanwhile-, Charlie Brown ([[ThrowTheDogABone for once]]) gets to be the "winner" by demonstrating good leadership and planning skills. In one scene, Chuck breaks out the canned rations and Patty grumbles about the quality of the food and how she wants pancakes for breakfast, causing Charlie to chew her out for how unrealistic that is.
* In an episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/MaxiesWorld Maxie's World]]'', it's played just about to the t besides that the girls use such things as cosmetics or small electric appliances to help. Then, at the end where an attempt to scare the girls with a fake bear is spoiled when a real bear appears and the boys and girls fend it off and both admit their mistakes.

A subtrope of DontGoInTheWoods. HorribleCampingTrip is this trope without the {{Anvilicious}} rebuff of male sexism. This trope is a classic example of PositiveDiscrimination in action. If this scenario turns into a full-fledged competition, see GirlsVsBoysPlot.

* One ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' arc saw Roger take Peter and Jason on a male bonding camping trip, which went as badly as all the previous [[HorribleCampingTrip camping trips]] the family went on. Jason and Peter actually lampshaded the sexist nature of the plot line (though they claimed it was sexist against ''them'', because they wanted to be left out of the trip as well; Paige and Andy didn't mind, and Andy was actually the one to suggest it).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has "The Calling" where Meelo tries to make his and his sister's search for Korra more badass and turns it into this. First, he tries to turn down bringing food at all, and later throws the food away stating that they can hunt. [[WhatAnIdiot Ikki then reminds him that they are vegetarians.]] He then goes foraging and only finds some bad berries that make him and his lemur ill.

See CosmeticCatastrophe for the female version of this trope.

[[folder:Live-Action Film]]
* {{Film/The Wrong Guys}} is about a group of former Cub Scouts who suffered humiliating failure as kids when they tried to camp on Mt. Whitehead, lost their supply pack, and wound up having to call their moms for help. 25 years later the now adult Scouts hold a reunion and return to the mountain. However, an escaped fugitive is also hiding out on Whitehead, mistakes them for the FBI, and begins hunting them. As they flee, the Scouts come across their long lost pack, make use of its supplies to aid their escape, and get a second chance at conquering the mountain. [[spoiler:Still wind up having to call their moms, though.]]

* ''Series/HomeImprovement''

* Female-less version: ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', "Fishing Trip."

* One ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' arc saw Roger take Peter and Jason on a male bonding camping trip, which went as badly as all the previous [[HorribleCampingTrips camping trips]] the family went on. Jason and Peter actually lampshaded the sexist nature of the plot line (though they claimed it was sexist against ''them'', because they wanted to be left out of the trip as well; Paige and Andy didn't mind, and Andy was actually the one to suggest it).

** Notably, in this case, the distinction is less about their respective genders and more about the fact that Meelo is a five-year-old who has been given a little bit too much rope.

** In Season 1's "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E7TheCallOfTheSimpsons The Call of the Simpsons]]" sent the family camping. Lisa and Marge successfully build their own campfire and turn their camping site into something downright paradisiacal (they even lampshade that --even if they knew absolutely nothing about camping-- had it easily made once they finally cleaned up the place) and Maggie got lost and found by grizzly bears, but they turned out to be of the 'kind' type and carried her to civilization, while Homer ends up cold, naked and ultimately mistaken for Bigfoot.

A subtrope of DontGoInTheWoods. HorribleCampingTrip is this trope without the {{Anvilicious}} rebuff of male sexism. This trope is a classic example of PositiveDiscrimination in action.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
** In Season 1's episode "The Call of the Simpsons" sent the family camping. Lisa and Marge successfully build their own campfire and turn their camping site into something downright paradisiacal (they even lampshade that --even if they knew absolutely nothing about camping-- had it easily made once they finally cleaned up the place) and Maggie got lost and found by grizzly bears, but they turned out to be of the 'kind' type and carried her to civilization, while Homer ends up cold, naked and ultimately mistaken for Bigfoot.
** Later on, in Season 8's "Homer's Phobia", Homer gets increasingly worried that Bart is going to become a homosexual like the campy kitsch antique store owner John that he and the guys try to make sure Bart will still be a macho kid. Homer's attempts all end up in failure and culminate in a hunting trip that flops completely due to all the deer having left Springfield due to the city replacing all the grass in the woods with artificial turf.

** Later on, in Season 8's "Homer's Phobia", Homer gets increasingly worried that Bart is going to become a homosexual like the campy kitsch antique store owner John that he and the guys try to make sure Bart will still be a macho kid. Homer's attempts all end up in failure and culminate in a hunting trip that flops completely due to all the deer having left Springfield due to the city replacing all the grass in the woods with plastic.

* A variation on ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', where the boys' misery was due not to incompetence, but instead to Ron Swanson's [[TheSpartanWay "misery builds character"]] attitude. The resolution sees not one, but two co-ed groups; the have-fun one Leslie Knope started, and a more rough-and-hearty one she founds in Ron's name after his kids all jump ship.

A variant just eschews the female characters altogether, and shows the male characters failing miserably.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

** In one episode a team of guys (a bunch of football players and Tim) think that they can construct a house better and faster than a team of women (plus Wilson and Al). Al outsmarts them by hiring women who were professional construction workers.

* Subverted on an episode of ''Series/{{Friends}}''. The guys play poker. The girls want in. The guys imply they wouldn't be any good at it, and the girls call them sexist and challenge them to a serious poker game. Of course, never having played before tends to be a disadvantage no matter what gender you are, so the guys easily beat them and take all their money.
** [[spoiler: Further played with later in the episode after the girls get advice from an experienced female poker player. After their one lesson, the girls are still not as good as the more experienced guys.]]

* Subverted in the third season of the Dutch/Belgian version of ''Series/{{Survivor}}''. The tribes were divided by gender, the male tribe divided the workload equally and worked together in building shelter as well as finding and preparing food. The female tribe completely fell apart due to lack of leadership, even losing their rice rations when they forgot to properly store them during a rainstorm. The male tribe won the first two challenges by a country mile before the producers reassigned the contestants.

* In ''Series/NoahAndSaskia'', Noah's macho father forces his sons (and nephew) to join him on a camping trip, believing it will be good 'male bonding' time. No one else agrees, so naturally the trip is a complete disaster.

[[folder: Web Comics ]]
* [[http://comic.nodwick.com/?p=136 Once]] in ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'', Artax suggested to Yeagar and Nodwick that they go camping "suicidally rugged" style. It turned out he had inhaled some Storm Giant testosterone while mixing potions, but by then they were hopelessly lost. Fortunately Piffany enlisted the forest critters to help find them.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

** Later on, in Season 8's "Homer's Phobia", Homer gets increasingly worried that Bart is going to become a homosexual like the campy kitsch antique store owner John that he and the guys try to make sure Bart will still be a macho kid. Homer's attempts all end up in failure, and culminates in a hunting trip that flops completely due to all the deer having left Springfield due to the city replacing all the grass in the woods with plastic.

** Ultimately {{Subverted}} in "Roughin' It"--Grandpa takes Arnold and Gerald camping, and spends so much time with the hard work and survival rules that the two are miserable. Meanwhile, Helga and Phoebe (plus Helga's dad, Bob) are camping nearby with a huge RV and other high-tech equipment. Of course, the point is that they're not "camping" in any meaningful sense, and ultimately Grandpa's lessons save the day when Bob's gizmos all break during a hike.

* Inverted in ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} It's a Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!]]''. The girls have a terrible time of it because of Pepperment Patty's [[HanlonsRazor less-than-brilliant leadership skills]] and because they insist on voting for '''everything'''. Meanwhile-, Charlie Brown ([[ThrowTheDogABone for once]]) gets to be the "winner" by demonstrating good leadership and planning skills. In one scene, Chuck breaks out the canned rations and Patty grumbles about the quality of the food and how she wants pancakes for breakfast, causing Charlie to chew her out for how unrealistic that is.

* Subverted in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents Fairly OddParents]]'' episode "Squirrely Puffs" where Timmy's dad leads a camping trip for the Boy Scouts expy The Squirrel Puffs, while Timmy's Mom leads the Girl Scout {{expy}} the Cream Puffs. The trip goes about how you'd expect, with the boys having a miserable time, and the girls easily thriving in the woods, to the point where they are joined by singing woodland creatures. It is then subverted when the Puffs end up being trapped by a storm, and [[HellIsThatNoise the animals refuse to stop singing]], not to mention weaving poisonous berries into their hair, while the boys' practical wilderness survival training helps them rescue them and thrive in the woods.

* Another female-less version in ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowski'' between the titular character and his older brother, Brad. Tagging along with Kick to "protect him" in the wilderness, Brad falls victim to a number of poor choices (such as sleeping with a blanket made of poison ivy) since he believes himself to be better than Kick... Kick of course manages to conquer the wilderness the moment he enters it.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has "The Calling" where Meelo tries to make his and his sister's search for Korra more badass and turns it into this. First he tries to turn down bringing food at all, and later throws the food away stating that they can hunt. [[WhatAnIdiot Ikki then reminds him that they are vegetarians.]] He then goes foraging and only finds some bad berries that make him and his lemur ill.
** Notably in this case the distinction is less about their respective genders and more about the fact that Meelo is a five year old who has been given a little bit too much rope.

** Ultimately {{Subverted}} in "Roughin' It"--Grandpa takes Arnold and Gerald camping, and spends so much time with the hard work and survival rules that the two are miserable. Meanwhile, Helga and Phoebe (plus Helga's dad, Bob) are camping nearby with a huge RV a bunch of other high-tech equipment. Of course, the point is that they're not "camping" in any meaningful sense, and ultimately Grandpa's lessons save the day when Bob's gizmos all break.

* Female-less version: ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', "Fishing Trip".
* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' did this with a camping trip in the surprisingly named episode "Camping Trip". Not only do the ladies one-up the guys, but the kids do too.

* Subverted in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents Fairly OddParents]]'' episode "Squirrely Puffs" where Timmy's dad leads a camping trip for the Boy Scouts expy The Squirrel Puffs, while Timmy's Mom leads the Girl Scout {{expy}} the Cream Puffs. The trip goes about how you'd expect, with the boys having a miserable time, and the girls easily thriving in the woods, to the point where they are joined by singing woodland creatures. It is then subverted when the Puffs end up being trapped by a storm, and [[HellIsThatNoise the animals refuse to stop singing]], not to mention weaving poisonous berries into their hair, while the boys' trip starts going smoother.

** Later on, in Season 8's "Homer's Phobia", Homer gets increasingly worried that Bart is going to become a homosexual like the campy kitsch antique store owner John that he and the guys try to make sure Bart will still be a macho kid. Homer's attempts all end up in failure, which doesn't help all of them also turn out to be gay traps that Bart himself questions.

* One of the very first episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' sent the family camping. Lisa and Marge successfully build their own campfire and turn their camping site into something downright paradisiacal (they even lampshade that --even if they knew absolutely nothing about camping-- had it easily made once they finally cleaned up the place) and Maggie got lost and found by grizzly bears, but they turned out to be of the 'kind' type and carried her to civilization, while Homer ends up cold, naked and ultimately mistaken for Bigfoot.