History Main / MenAreStrongWomenArePretty

And, just like the beauty ideal puts incredible pressure on women to be beautiful, the strength ideal puts incredible pressure on men to judge themselves against an impossible standard of [[TheStoic stoicism]], [[{{Determinator}} willpower]] and [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower physical strength]]. These pressures have not received as much press or attention on their effects on men and boys, partially due to the idea that men aren't as [[MenDontCry emotionally fragile as women]], that things that [[MenAreTheExpendableGender affect women are worse than things that affect men]]. This in turn enforces another DoubleStandard: That women must be [[DamselInDistress defended]] from the evil media, while men [[AcceptableTargets should be able to just shrug it off]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Inverted. Sandy Cheeks is considerably stronger than [=SpongeBob=], who can at best be just WeakButSkilled enough to compete with her in karate. While [=SpongeBob=] himself isn't considered particularly "[[PrettyBoy pretty]]", he has a few noticeably girlish features, such as his [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics eyelashes]] and appears to be somewhat mindful of his appearance.

[[caption-width-right:291:Left: The tough, [[RatedMForManly manly]] male version of the Aelucanth Blademaster armor set. \\

** There is also gear that can only be worn by male or female characters, mostly being "glamourbait" stand-ins for various formal wear that serves no purpose other than to frustrate players who think it would be funny to dress their [[RatedMForManly Roegadyn Warrior]] in a Thavnarian Bustier. This generally reserves "pretty" or "dainty" apparel for females, while the dudes get tuxedos and the like.

** The character models for different genders in a given race can also exhibit this. Most blatantly apparent in the Au Ra race. The females are shorter than any playable character that isn't a Lalafell, with [[UncannyValley "cute" faces with round eyes set really far apart, looking like a Real Doll,]] and smaller horns usually down and to the back/side of their heads. Au Ra males, besides being ridiculously scrawny for the race with the highest Strength rating, are second only to Roegadyn in height, and all have angular faces with scowls carved into them liked the designer was trying to parody PerpetualFrowner anime and video game tough guys, with larger horns angling more up and in front of their heads. However, like armor, this is entirely aesthetic and has no bearing on stats. Which means the 4'9'', 115 lbs Au Ra girl will have a higher strength rating than the 7'2'', 400 lbs slab-of-meat Roegadyn man.

For female characters, passivity does not detract from their attractiveness. In extreme cases, female characters who are ''very'' active will be seen as [[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon undesirable]], or that they can only love a man [[AllAmazonsWantHercules stronger]] [[BestHerToBedHer than themselves]]. Furthermore, a physically unattractive woman will always be unattractive regardless of how proactive she is. Male characters are viewed as less attractive if they are passive. In fact a [[MagnificentBastard dynamic]] [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys evil man]] is more likely to be viewed as [[DracoInLeatherPants attractive]] than a [[NonActionGuy decent but weak man]]. A physically unattractive man's dynamic qualities can also make him more attractive.

Around the start or a little before the 21st century, there has been more of a push to create [[ActionGirl dynamic female characters]]. Unfortunately this can mean the male characters they are paired with are seen as incompetent and emasculated. It is a hard balance to strike, and it's difficult to imagine a [[InvertedTrope work]] in which a [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished beautiful]], [[VirginPower virgin]] [[{{Bishonen}} male character]] is saved from peril by a grizzled [[ActionGirl female]] AntiHero who is [[LoveRedeems changed for the better]] by his [[IncorruptiblePurePureness pure heart]], without the man seeming like a useless [[ARealManIsAKiller wussy-pants]] whose wuss-ness disqualifies him from being a man and, more importantly, from [[MenAreTheExpendableGender being saved]]. See ActionGirlfriend for the few couples who approach such a dynamic, like Zoe and Wash from ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* {{Genderbend|er}}s will often take this route, especially for very curvaceous women and very muscular men who are stated to be attractive. When switching to the opposite sex, many physically powerful guys will often turn into skinny girls with little muscle definition and [[BuxomIsBetter noticeably large breasts]] and hips. Likewise, girls who were already like that gain steely abs and beefier structures even if they weren't big on strength building in canon.
[[/folder]]

* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': Inverted. The eponymous protagonist is a sensitive, HollywoodHomely {{Nerd}} who helps his ActionGirl bodyguard deal with her inner demons.

Around the start or a little before the 21st century, there has been more of a push to create [[ActionGirl dynamic female characters]]. Unfortunately this can mean the male characters they are paired with are seen as incompetent and emasculated. It is a hard balance to strike, and it's difficult to imagine a [[InvertedTrope work]] in which a [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished beautiful]], [[VirginPower virgin]] [[{{Bishonen}} male character]] is saved from peril by a [[{{Beastess}} grizzled]] [[ActionGirl female]] AntiHero who is [[LoveRedeems changed for the better]] by his [[IncorruptiblePurePureness pure heart]], without the man seeming like a useless [[ARealManIsAKiller wussy-pants]] whose wuss-ness disqualifies him from being a man and, more importantly, from [[MenAreTheExpendableGender being saved]]. See ActionGirlfriend for the few couples who approach such a dynamic, like Zoe and Wash from ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.

** Similar to the above ''Monster Hunter'' example, the game features a few armor sets that are different in looks depending on if the character wearing it is male or female. Notoriously, the Dragoon artifact armor was purple plate armor for male characters, while for female characters it was purple plate armor with a [[AbsoluteCleavage giant goddamn boob window]] in the middle of the [[HehHehYouSaidX breast]] plate that left most of the vital organs one would expect heavy armor to protect completely unprotected. There is, however, no functional difference to the armor, giving the same stats regardless of who's wearing it.

* ''Manga/{{Ooku}}'': The series is set in a feudal Japan where a plague has made women the dominant gender, men being reduced to communal babymakers and prostitutes (and are generally considered too precious to waste on dangerous jobs like soldiering). The main exception is the capital, where the shogun gets a harem of men for her personal use, and while they're theoretically her bodyguards, they tend to be on the pretty side as well. Later one shogun gets the idea of using men in a fire brigade where their muscles can be put to better use.

[[folder:Comedy]]

** subverted in Dorne, where noblewomen are just as frequently trained with weapons. Meanwhile, men are expected to participate equally in home life.

** Daenerys could count as a subversion as well, considering that although she is beautiful all of her followers value either her moral rectitude or her military prowress more. The Unsullied follow her because she freed them from slavery, while the Dothraki follow her because she brings them victory.

* ''Manga/FantasyBishoujoJunikuOjisanTo'': In the alternate world, Jinguuji is the WorldsStrongestMan, overpowering just about anyone and everyone, sometimes combined, and Tachibana [[GenderBender is turned into]] the WorldsMostBeautifulWoman, able to seduce just about anyone and everyone just by standing there.

* The official motto of the State of Maryland is ''[[GratuitousItalian Fatti maschii, parole femine]]'':[[labelnote:*]]Italian speakers: The spelling is correct, but archaic.[[/labelnote]] "Manly deeds, womanly words." Some higher-ups became uncomfortable with the outdated connotations, and changed the official translation to "Strong deeds, gentle words," but this doesn't really change the basic facts.

* The [[CostumePorn many, many armor sets]] of ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' tend to abide by this trope. The male version will often look tough and hide the wearer's face, while the female version will generally focus on looking graceful, keep the wearer's face visible, and in some cases, boast a little {{Fanservice}}. The image up top is a more specific example: The male Aelucanth armor set is designed to invoke the image of an intimidating stag beetle, while the female version strongly resembles a pretty butterfly. Looks aside, the game averts this trope with regards to the PlayerCharacter's actual abilities; the choice of male or female is {{Purely Aesthetic|Gender}} and has no gameplay advantage or disadvantage attached to it. Both male and female hunters are equally as capable of becoming badass G-rank hunters.

** Similar to the above ''Monster Hunter'' example, the game features a few armor sets that are different in looks depending on if the character wearing it is male or female. Notoriously, the Dragoon artifact armor was purple plate armor for male characters, while for female characters it was purple plate armor with a CleavageWindow in the middle of the breast plate that left most of the vital organs one would expect heavy armor to protect completely unprotected. There is, however, no functional difference to the armor, giving the same stats regardless of who's wearing it.

** The character models for different genders in a given race can also exhibit this. Most blatantly apparent in the Au Ra race. The females are shorter than any playable character that isn't a Lalafell, with [[UncannyValley "cute" faces with round eyes set really far apart, looking like a Real Doll]], and smaller horns usually down and to the back/side of their heads. Au Ra males, besides being ridiculously scrawny for the race with the highest Strength rating, are second only to Roegadyn in height, and all have angular faces with scowls carved into them liked the designer was trying to parody PerpetualFrowner anime and video game tough guys, with larger horns angling more up and in front of their heads. However, like armor, this is entirely aesthetic and has no bearing on stats. Which means the 4'9'', 115 lbs Au Ra girl will have a higher strength rating than the 7'2'', 400 lbs slab-of-meat Roegadyn man.

This is the supertrope for UglyGuyHotWife, BeastAndBeauty, HollywoodHomely, NonActionGuy, and SexyDimorphism. See also BeautyIsNeverTarnished, and the unequal application of DirtForcefield. Contrast AmazonChaser for when a female character is desirable because of her strength and proactivity, and WeaknessTurnsHerOn for when a male character is desirable because of his weakness, whether it's temperament or body.

* ''VideoGame/RumbleRoses'' averts this as it's only two male characters, Sebastian and Non-Non (bear), both have around [[FragileSpeedster Benikage]] levels of defense and [[MightyGlacier Dixie]] alongside [[WeakButSkilled Becky]] levels of hitting power without the benefits of each character. Sebastian is also dressed as a BDSM clown but the girls are all dressed in a Stripperiffic way anyway.

* The [[CostumePorn many, many armor sets]] of ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' tend to abide by this trope. The male version will often look tough and hide the wearer's face, while the female version will generally focus on looking graceful, keep the wearer's face visible, and in some cases, boast a little {{Fanservice}}. The image up top is a more specific example: The male Aelucanth armor set is designed to invoke the image of an intimidating insect, while the female version strongly resembles a butterfly. Aesthetics aside, the game generally averts this trope with regards to the PlayerCharacter; both male and female hunters are equally as capable of becoming badass G-rank hunters and neither have a gameplay advantage over the other.

** Similar to the above ''Monster Hunter'' example, the game features a few armor sets that are different in looks depending on if the character wearing it is male or female. Notoriously, the Dragoon artifact armor was purple plate armor for male characters, while for female characters is was purple plate armor with a [[AbsoluteCleavage giant goddamn boob window]] in the middle of the [[HehHehYouSaidX breast]] plate that left most of the vital organs one would expect heavy armor to protect completely unprotected. There is, however, no functional difference to the armor, giving the same stats regardless of who's wearing it.

** The character models for different genders in a given race can also exhibit this. Most blatantly apparent in the Au Ra race. The females are shorter than any playable character that isn't a Lalafell, with [[UncannyValley "cute" faces with round eyes set really far apart, looking like a Real Doll,]] and smaller horns usually down and to the back/side of their heads. Au Ra males, besides being ridiculously scrawny for the race with the highest Strength rating, are second only to Roegadyn in height, and all have angular faces with scowls carved into them liked the designer was trying to parody PerpetualFrowner anime and video game tough guys, with larger horns angling more up and in front of their heads. However, like armor, this is entirely aesthetic and has no bearing on stats. Which means the 4'9'', 115 lbs Au Ra girl will have a higher strength rating than the 7'2'', 400 lbs slab-of-meat Roegadyn man.

* When ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'''s alternate outfits were released, the majority of the males received either tough-looking outfits or outfits that appeared to help with their jobs in general, while the girls got outfits that either emphasized their cuteness or sexiness. This is most apparent in teams with [[https://i.imgur.com/f4u5OhY.jpg one male and one female.]]
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** Invoked by Ibuki in her her victory quote against Hwoarang, telling him to not underestimate girls because "we are cute and we kick butt".
** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', the costume distribution gets pretty blatant with this trope. There's a variety of choices between the men and women, but only the women get swimsuits while the men get more covering attire. The trope hits its most blantant when Capcom released ''Monster Hunter'' armor for the cast, and Ken's covers him head to toe while Ibuki's did little to stop her from looking good and as a bonus [[https://i.imgur.com/zHtvC3s.png she looks downright adorable when smiling while wearing this]].

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' when it's alternate outfits were released the majority of the males received either tough looking outfits or outfits that appeared to help with their jobs in general, the girls got outfits that either emphasized their cuteness or sexiness. This is most apparent in teams with [[https://i.imgur.com/f4u5OhY.jpg one male and one female]].
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter''
** Invoked by Ibuki herself somewhat when she defeats Hwoarang by her quote against him telling him not to underestimate girls because "we are cute and we kick butt".
** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', the costume distribution gets pretty blatant with this trope. There's a variety of choices between the men and women, but only the women get swimsuits while the men get more covering attire. The trope hits its most blantant when Capcom released ''Monster Hunter'' armor for the cast, and Ken's covers him head to toe while Ibuki's did little to stop her from looking good and as a bonus [[https://i.imgur.com/zHtvC3s.png she looks downright adorable when smiling while wearing this]].

* ''Webcomic/SwordPrincessAmaltea'': Inverted. Thanks to the story being held in a {{Matriarchy}} world, with gender roles reversed, the females are the dominant gender, and while most of them are attractive, their looks are not such a big deal as their intelligence, cleverness and overall, pride and strenght. Males otherwise hold little to no power, especially if they're not royal-born, and their good looks are all that matters, to the point they keep their manes long and are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the females.

** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', this is often quite blatant just due to the different kind of outfits the men and girls acquire with only the girls getting swimsuits but this is most likely the most blatant when Capcom released Monster Hunter armors and Ken's covers him fully not even appearing human in some instances while Ibuki's did little to stop her from looking good and as a bonus [[https://i.imgur.com/zHtvC3s.png she looks downright adorable when smiling while wearing this]].

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', this is often quite blatant just due to the different kind of outfits the men and girls acquire with only the girls getting swimsuits but this is most likely the most blatant when Capcom released Monster Hunter armors and Ken's covers him fully not even appearing human in some instances while Ibuki's did little to stop her from looking good and as a bonus [[https://i.imgur.com/zHtvC3s.png she looks downright adorable when smiling while wearing this]].

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' when it's alternate outfits were released the majority of the males received either tough looking outfits or outfits that appeared to help with their jobs in general, the girls got outfits that either emphasized their cuteness or sexiness. This is most appearant in teams with [[https://i.imgur.com/f4u5OhY.jpg one male and one female]].

* {{Genderbend|er}}s will often take this route, especially for very curvaceous women and very muscular men who are stated to be attractive. When switching to the opposite sex, many physically powerful guys will often turn into skinny girls with little muscle definition and [[BuxomIsBetter noticeably large breasts]] and hips; likewise girls who were already like that gain steely abs snd beefier structures even if they weren't big on strength building in canon.