History Main / MonsterMisogyny

* [[SilentHill2 Pyramid Head]]. He is, among other things, a representation of the main character's masculinity issues, and is only seen to harm a single creature (excluding the protagonist) that isn't obviously female.

* Prominently featured on the backglass art for ''Pinball/AttackFromMars''

* Semi-subverted in ''Film/TheDescent''. Despite being the second and third to go, the females manage to determine its weakness, then subsequently deal the most damage. They were extreme sports nuts, while the men are standard cannon fodder explorers.

* ''Death Proof'' of ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'', stars Creator/KurtRussell as a SerialKiller who specifically targets women. And yet ''Death Proof'' is also a deeply feminist reinterpretation of the ExploitationFilm, as the misogyny of the character is deeply unglamourized, and he is eventually killed by a particularly angry (and not even particularly sexualized, though quite sexy) Creator/RosarioDawson, TracyThoms, and Creator/ZoeBell.

If the women are abducted rather than killed, it's probably because MarsNeedsWomen. See also DistressedDamsel, MonogenderMonsters, TouchOfTheMonster. Many this trope's aversions come from the fact that MenAreTheExpendableGender.

* ''Film/HumanoidsFromTheDeep'' takes everything the 1950s horror movie monsters hinted at [[MarsNeedsWomen when monsters kidnapped young women]], and updated it for 1980s exploitation sensibilities by [[{{Squick}} showing monster-on-girl rape scenes]]. Quite infamous for its misogyny, despite being directed by a woman (though she claims producer RogerCorman added more explicit rape footage later -- which, knowing Corman, is probably true).

* ''Death Proof'' of ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'', stars KurtRussell as a SerialKiller who specifically targets women. And yet ''Death Proof'' is also a deeply feminist reinterpretation of the ExploitationFilm, as the misogyny of the character is deeply unglamourized, and he is eventually killed by a particularly angry (and not even particularly sexualized, though quite sexy) Creator/RosarioDawson, TracyThoms, and Creator/ZoeBell.

As a direct result of this trope, many {{slasher movie}}s have a FinalGirl (and one with no form of self-defense training at that), since audiences are somehow more likely to root for a young, nubile, defenseless ([[MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome white]]) woman on the run from a psychopath who gutted her friends like fish, as opposed to a man in a similar position.

* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': the title monster feeds on men to survive, but the only new vampires he creates are women. Many critics note the [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence sexualized nature]] of the violence between men and women throughout the story, with blood-sucking and staking being seen as metaphors for sex.

[[folder: Real Life]]
* A partial aversion - Serial Killers in the real world are usually attracted to a very specific category of victims; a common theme is that heterosexual killers will often prey almost exclusively on females and homosexual killers on males (assuming a male killer), although each has their own warped preferences. One British murderer, when asked why he chose a particular victim, claimed it was 'because she had red shoes'.
** On a similar note, religious extremists overwhelmingly target women that "break the rules" as well, and the punishment is generally much more severe. This can leak into serial killer territory (of the "visionary" variety) if one becomes certain that women's 'whoring' is the cause of the current town/state/country's moral decay.
** There is a specific type of serial killer that averts this: an "omnivore" will kill anyone, making them hard to catch.
* Despite the name, animals that become maneaters often go preferentially for women and children. This does make sense; women and children are generally smaller than men and therefore (from the animal's point of view) easier targets.
* Female sex workers are often the targets of violence and murder, with the killers using the rationale that these types of victims are less likely to be missed by society, therefore the investigations of their murders would be less enthusiastic (and they're often right). Averted in that homeless people of either gender are also frequent targets for the same reason.
* JackTheRipper killed female prostitutes.
[[/folder]]

* In the [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter series]], all non-Lecter killers (Jacob Garrett Hobbes, Frances Dolarhyde, and Jame Gumb) specifically targeted women - Dolarhyde killed whole families, but it was the mothers that interested him. This is also a case of TruthInTelevision, as many serial killers really ''do'' have serious issues with women. Lecter himself was far too much of a MagnificentBastard to particularly care whom he killed, and it's implied that he had a fairly even split in terms of victims.
* {{Dracula}}, in many incarnations, only seems to prey on young, nubile women. Sometimes made out to be a form of VirginSacrifice. In the original book, he picks off an entire (male) ship's crew between the pages, but the only new vampires he creates are women.
** Sometimes explained as a fascination with beauty and innocence or a pining need to [[ReplacementGoldfish replace his lost love]] on the Count's part, but Van Helsing in the novel gave a much colder explanation - Dracula vamps young beauties because he knows they make efficient predators. Faced with a beautiful vampire and the necessity to brutally dismember her, her loved ones will hesitate to strike...but she won't. Dracula [===] MagnificentBastard.
* Inverted in the short story ''Boobs'': the protagonist is the first girl in her class to grow breasts and is horribly teased ([[SarcasmMode because, you know, adolescent boys utterly loathe breasts]]). However, now that puberty has hit she turns out to be [[spoiler:a werewolf and lures out the male ringleader bully to horribly murder and eat him (shape changing makes you peckish)]]. The teasing stops.

* To hear JossWhedon tell it, Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}} was designed as a deliberate subversion of this tendency, with the typical female victim rounding upon the pursuing monster and kicking its ass.

** Played straight with Warren Mears, an AxCrazy megalomaniac who actually was outright mysogynistic.
*** Also with [[SinisterMinister Caleb]] in Season 7.

* ''Film/ThisIslandEarth''. It's on the [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GIchwvJ-aNk/TMDaye49spI/AAAAAAAAVxQ/0oY5mRKbGZY/s800/this+island+earth+film+poster.jpg poster]], for Chrissakes.
* Aversion: None of the spotlight deaths throughout the entire ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' series are female.

* Subverted in ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'': his victims are predominantly men (and killed with much claw-rending gusto), though he does kidnap two women.
* Partial inversion: In ''[[Film/{{Grindhouse}} Planet Terror]]'', not a single major female character dies (unless you count [[BrainFood Fergie]]). Almost all of the male ones do. On the other hand, [[spoiler: a mutating QuentinTarantino tries to rape RoseMcGowan with his melting genitals]], so it's not completely off-the-hook either.
** ''Death Proof'', the other half of ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'', stars KurtRussell as a SerialKiller who specifically targets women. And yet ''Death Proof'' is also a deeply feminist reinterpretation of the ExploitationFilm, as the misogyny of the character is deeply unglamourized, and he is eventually killed by a particularly angry (and not even particularly sexualized, though quite sexy) Creator/RosarioDawson, TracyThoms, and Creator/ZoeBell, [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments with cheers from the audience]].
* Inverted in ''Film/JennifersBody''. Not only is the monster female herself, but her targets are all male. Or are they...?
* Inverted intentionally in ''The Franchise/EvilDead'': Creator/SamRaimi has said that he wanted a guy to be the one getting tormented and attacked by the monsters because it would creep the audience out more. If anyone could be called a Scream King, it would be Creator/BruceCampbell. And it turns out it's quite entertaining to watch after all.
** In the original film, the first to be taken by the monster are the women in the group. And [[WhenTreesAttack the scene with the tree]]. Sam Raimi has gone [[OldShame on record as saying he regrets including with that scene]], which was producer Rob Tapert's idea.

* While men and women both die plentifully in works by FrankMiller, the fetishistic way that women are killed, often while they're partially or completely naked, has led to accusations of AuthorAppeal.
** SinCity's male villains in particular are nearly always some form of misogynistic scum bastard who murders and/or does truly awful shit to women and girls, to the point where in ''A Dame to Kill For,'' the second major SinCity story, [[spoiler:Ava, the titular FemmeFatale, plays on Dwight's [[TheDulcineaEffect violent protectiveness toward women]] by casting her perfectly innocent husband, Damien Lord, as one of these in her WoundedGazelleGambit]].

** Not to mention being higher fat (for women) and more tender (for children) which makes them more delicious.

* '''''Horribly''''' justified in ''Franchise/DragonAge''; the darkspawn [[spoiler: reproduce by abducting humanoid women, gang-raping them and force-feeding them darkspawn flesh and their own relatives, and gradually transforming them into Broodmothers - towering, multi-breasted, betentacled horrors with nightmare faces who give birth to thousands more darkspawn.]]

** In the original film, the first to be taken by the monster are the women in the group. And [[WhenTreesAttack the scene with the tree]]. Sam Raimi has gone [[OldShame on record as saying he regrets coming up with that scene.]]

** SinCity's male villains in particular are nearly always some variation of misogynist, to the point where in ''A Dame to Kill For,'' the second major SinCity story, [[spoiler:Ava, the titular FemmeFatale, plays on Dwight's [[TheDulcineaEffect violent protectiveness toward women]] by casting her perfectly innocent husband, Damien Lord, as one of these in her WoundedGazelleGambit]].

** ''Death Proof'', the other half of ''Film/{{Grindhouse}}'', stars KurtRussell as a SerialKiller who specifically targets women. And yet ''Death Proof'' is also a deeply feminist reinterpretation of the ExploitationFilm, as the misogyny of the character is deeply unglamourized, and he is eventually killed by a particularly angry (and not even particularly sexualized, though quite sexy) RosarioDawson, TracyThoms, and Creator/ZoeBell, [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments with cheers from the audience]].

* Inversion: ''Zoo Tycoon 2'' has a dinosaur expansion, and the dinosaurs are the only animals that will attack guests. The only guests they'll harm, however, are adult males.
** That's true of all the ''ZooTycoon'' games. I liked to deliberately sabotage my zoos by stocking them disproportionately with large families of feline carnivores and then knocking down their pens (or just leaving them to rot) so that all the lions, tigers, leopards, etc. would get loose and cause a mass panic. You hear both male and female screams, but the cats will only pounce on males! I even tried putting some women in the cages so I could see them get attacked, but they just "magically" unlock the bars and get out!

* ''CriminalMinds'', being based on real life serial killers, plays it straight in many episodes. It's {{Justified}} in that 70% of victims of serial killers are women, and the show does try to balance out this trope by having cases with omnivores, with- usually- [[MenAreTheExpendableGender the final victim that is rescued before any harm can be done to her being a woman]].

* Inverted intentionally in ''The Franchise/EvilDead'': SamRaimi has said that he wanted a guy to be the one getting tormented and attacked by the monsters because it would creep the audience out more. If anyone could be called a Scream King, it would be Creator/BruceCampbell. And it turns out it's quite entertaining to watch after all.

* Inverted intentionally in ''The Franchise/EvilDead'': SamRaimi has said that he wanted a guy to be the one getting tormented and attacked by the monsters because it would creep the audience out more. If anyone could be called a Scream King, it would be BruceCampbell. And it turns out it's quite entertaining to watch after all.

* Played straight with the Hunter in the ''ColdfireTrilogy'', but justified- he's made a study of human behavior and decided that targeting women is the most effective way to terrorize a society, and since [[EmotionEater he feeds on fear ...]]

** On the other hand, it should also be noted that in the original film, the first to be taken by the monster are the women in the group. And let's not forget [[WhenTreesAttack the scene with the tree]]. Sam Raimi has gone [[OldShame on record as saying he regrets coming up with that scene.]]

* Because he targets serial killers, Series/{{Dexter}} is a heterosexual serial killer whose targets are mostly males.
** True, but he really is an equal opportunity killer. At the very least four of his victims were women, including his very first one. Also, interesting to note that, as a result of targeting serial killers, the victims of HIS victims tend to be female.
** Played straight in the first season though. The Ice Truck Killer targets only women, in particular, prostitutes. Again, this is similar to real serial killers, who (being primarily men) will target prostitutes under either some misguided "morals" that they have, or simply because they feel [[DisposableSexWorker they won't really be missed]].

* A JustifiedTrope in ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}''. The I-Weapons usually go after women; women who just happen to have the Witchblade of Cloneblades that they are attracted to.