History Main / VanityIsFeminine

A) Women are vain, and ''this is a bad thing''. Sometimes the trouble brought on by vanity will be strictly limited to comedy -- e.g., women will pack two week's worth of clothing for an overnight trip and primp and preen in front of any shiny surface they happen past. At other times it will cause more serious plot-related complications, as even the most level-headed female types will promptly turn into a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter if they are paid an appearance-based compliment by an antagonist. Women will also be tempted, ''far'' more than their male counterparts, by promises of youth and beauty at whatever cost. There's a reason the VainSorceress is an almost [[AlwaysFemale exclusively female]] character type. At the most misogynistic end of the scale, women being vain is linked directly to their own downfall and often the downfall of any men who fall for their [[TheVamp wiles]], thus presenting women as the inherently less moral sex and vanity as an inborn proclivity to sin that women must strive much harder to overcome if they wish to be truly virtuous. In such a narrative, a non-vain, or less-vain, woman is shown as a model of virtue.

* The ''{{Narnia}}'' books have a fair amount of this. The otherwise completely down to earth Polly immediately starts to trust Diggory's ObviouslyEvil uncle after he calls her pretty. Lucy, generally shown as more virtuous than her older and vainer sister Susan (who was disgraced from the heroes after she grew up and took too much of an interest in lipstick and nylons), is so tempted by the idea of being more beautiful and desirable than her that only the appearance of Aslan stops her from casting a spell allowing her to do so.

* Subverted with Gilderoy Lockhart, who is extremely attractive and extremely vain, being practically unable to get through a sentence without talking about how awesome he is. He eventually proves to be a lying, ineffectual coward whose triumphs are a scam. Vanity is bad, in this case, but not a specifically feminine quality.

* Gilderoy Lockhart of ''HarryPotter'' ''[[HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets and the Chamber of Secrets]]''. His pride may have made him a villain, but it is his vanity that makes him unlikeable in the first place, and he's mocked for it throughout. He eventually proves to be a lying, ineffectual coward whose triumphs are a scam. Also, the guy dresses like [[http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/3/36/Gilderoy_Lockhart_002.JPG this]].
** Admittedly, his vanity wasn't disliked because it was feminine, but because he could hardly go a sentence without saying how great his smile was. The majority of the major female characters in the books don't seem to care too much about their looks, except on special occasions, like balls and weddings.

A) Women are vain, and ''this is a bad thing''. Sometimes the trouble brought on by vanity will be strictly limited to comedy -- e.g., women will pack two week's worth of clothing for an overnight trip and primp and preen in front of any shiny surface they happen past. At other times it will cause more serious plot-related complications, as even the most level-headed female types will promptly turn into a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter if they are paid an appearance-based complement by an antagonist. Women will also be tempted, ''far'' more than their male counterparts, by promises of youth and beauty at whatever cost. There's a reason the VainSorceress is an almost [[AlwaysFemale exclusively female]] character type. At the most misogynistic end of the scale, women being vain is linked directly to their own downfall and often the downfall of any men who fall for their [[TheVamp wiles]], thus presenting women as the inherently less moral sex and vanity as an inborn proclivity to sin that women must strive much harder to overcome if they wish to be truly virtuous. In such a narrative, a non-vain, or less-vain, woman is shown as a model of virtue.

[[quoteright:225:[[TheSmurfs http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Vanity_9528.jpg]]]]

B) Women are vain, and ''this is the natural and correct state of affairs''. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "[[SheCleansUpNicely come out of her shell]]". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "[[SheIsAllGrownUp growing up]]". This narrative to a degree reverses the notion of vanity-linked immorality, so while a vain woman may still be flawed, a woman who ''shuns'' vanity utterly may be seemingly "unnatural" (in the worst case scenario, a {{Psycho|Lesbian}} and/or ButchLesbian). This kind of approach seemingly lends itself very easily to notions of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast, and in particular often likes to couple itself with the AllMenArePerverts trope -- all men want to look at women, but all women want to be looked at by men, so it all balances out in the end, right?

B) Women are vain, and ''this is the natural and correct state of affairs''. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "[[SheCleansUpNicely come out of her shell]]". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "[[SheIsAllGrownUp growing up]]". This narrative to a degree reverses the notion of vanity-linked immorality, so while a vain woman may still be flawed, a woman who ''shuns'' vanity utterly may be seemingly "unnatural" (possibly shrewish, or a [[PsychoLesbian villainous]] ButchLesbian), thus justifiably unnoticed at best or scorned at worst by the opposite sex. This kind of approach seemingly lends itself very easily to notions of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast, and in particular often likes to couple itself with the AllMenArePerverts trope -- all ("real") men want to look at women, but all ("real") women want to be looked at by men, so it all balances out in the end, right?

B) Women are vain, and ''this is the natural and correct state of affairs'' -- provided the trope is not taken to excess. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "[[SheCleansUpNicely come out of her shell]]". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "[[SheIsAllGrownUp growing up]]". This narrative to a degree reverses the notion of vanity-linked immorality, so while a vain woman may still be flawed, a woman who ''shuns'' vanity utterly may be seemingly unnatural (possibly shrewish), thus justifiably unnoticed at best or scorned at worst by the opposite sex. This kind of approach lends itself very easily to notions of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast, and in particular often likes to couple itself with the AllMenArePerverts trope -- all men want to look at women, but all women want to be looked at by men, so it all balances out in the end, right? This version of the trope can be milder and thus less prone to UnfortunateImplications than the former, but the flagging of vanity as a sheer gender role still carries problems.

The notion that vanity (in the specific sense of being preoccupied with one's physical attractiveness and desirability to others) and femininity are intrinsically linked: to be feminine is to be vain and to be vain is to be feminine. A woman who is not vain (and preoccupied with how beautiful others perceive her as) is not fully feminine, either a tomboy or immature (or both). A man who is vain is not fully ''masculine,'' quite possibly a weakling or homosexual. Handsome men are often described as "ruggedly good-looking," emphasizing their lack of attention to presentation.

A) Women are vain, and ''this is a bad thing''. Sometimes the trouble brought on by vanity will be strictly limited to comedy -- e.g., women will pack two week's worth of clothing for an overnight trip and primp and preen in front of any shiny surface they happen past. At other times it will cause more serious plot-related complications, as even the most level-headed female types will promptly turn into a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter if they are paid an appearance-based complement by an antagonist. Women will also be tempted, ''far'' more than their male counterparts, by promises of youth and beauty at whatever cost. There's a reason the VainSorceress is an almost [[AlwaysFemale exclusively female]] character type. At the most misogynistic end of the scale, women being vain is linked directly to their own downfall and often the downfall of any men who fall for their [[TheVamp wiles]], thus presenting women as the inherently less moral sex and vanity as an inborn proclivity to sin that women must strive much harder to overcome if they wish to be truly virtuous.

B) Women are vain, and this is the ''natural and correct state of affairs''. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "come out of her shell". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "growing up". In such a narrative, it is the woman who shuns vanity that is said to be unnatural and shrewish, thus justifiably scorned by the opposite sex. This kind of approach lends itself very easily to notions of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast. It also often goes hand-in-hand with the AllMenArePerverts trope -- all men want to look at women, but all women want to be looked at by men, so it all balances out in the end, right? This version of the trope can be less prone to UnfortunateImplications than the former, but the flagging of vanity as a sheer gender role still carries problems of its own.

The implications of this trope tend to be even nastier when applied to men, as the implied femininity is a grievous insult. The audience may get a chuckle out of the sight of a manly man checking his hair in a store window, but a consistently and overtly vain man is a subject of ridicule and disdain. They will be foppish, cowardly, quite possibly gay in a narrative which makes clear this is a negative and undesirable thing. The SissyVillain owes much to this trope.

A) Women are vain, and this causes trouble. Sometimes the trouble will be strictly limited to comedy -- e.g., women will pack two week's worth of clothing for an overnight trip and primp and preen in front of any shiny surface they happen past. At other times this will cause more serious plot-related complications, as even the most level-headed types will promptly turn into a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter if they are paid an appearance-based complement by an antagonist. They will also be tempted, ''far'' more than their male counterparts, by promises of youth and beauty at whatever cost. There's a reason the VainSorceress is an almost [[AlwaysFemale exclusively female]] character type. At the most misogynistic end of the scale, women being vain is linked directly to their own downfall and often the downfall of any men who fall for their [[TheVamp wiles]], thus presenting women as the inherently less moral sex and vanity as an inborn proclivity to sin that women must strive much harder to overcome if they wish to be truly virtuous.

B) Women are vain, and this is the ''natural and correct state of affairs''. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "come out of her shell". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "growing up". In such a narrative, it is the woman who shuns vanity that is said to unnatural and shrewish, scorned and despised by the opposite sex. This kind of approach lends itself very easily to notions of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast. It also often goes hand-in-hand with the AllMenArePerverts trope -- all men want to look at women, but all women want to be looked at by men, so it all balances out in the end, right? This version of the trope can be less prone to UnfortunateImplications than the former, but the flagging of vanity as a sheer gender role still carries problems of its own.

A) Women are vain, and this causes trouble. Sometimes the trouble will be strictly limited to comedy -- e.g., women will pack two week's worth of clothing for an overnight trip and primp and preen in front of any shiny surface they happen past. At other times this will cause more serious plot-related troubles, as even the most level-headed types will promptly turn into a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter if they are paid an apperance-based complement by an antagonist. They will also be tempted, ''far'' more than their male counterparts, by promises of youth and beauty at whatever cost. There's a reason the VainSorceress is an almost [[AlwaysFemale exclusively female]] character type. At the most misogynistic end of the scale, women being vain is linked directly to their own downfall and often the downfall of any men who fall for their [[TheVamp wiles]], thus presenting women as the inherently less virtuous sex and vanity as an inborn proclivity to sin that virtuous women must strive to overcome.

B) Women are vain, and this is the ''natural and correct state of affairs''. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "come out of her shell". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "growing up". In such a narrative, it is the woman who shuns vanity that is said to unnatural and shrewish, scorned and despised by the opposite sex. This kind of approch lends itself very much to notions of MarsAndVenusGenderContrast. It also often goes hand-in-hand with the AllMenArePerverts trope -- so all men want to look at women, but all women want to be looked at by men, so it all balances out in the end, right? This version of the trope can be less prone to UnfortunateImplications than the former, but the flagging of vanity as a sheer gender role still carries problems of its own.

It is the polar opposite to the concept of metrosexuality, and has waned in recent times as mores change and gender stereotypes are discarded, but not yet a DeadHorseTrope. Contrast RealWomenNeverWearDresses, and AgentPeacock, a {{bishounen}} badass whose vanity will not detract from their worth and respectability. The SharpDressedMan may or may not fall peril to this trope, depending on how ''personally'' he takes his reception, rather than viewing it through a purely detached perspective.

Compare MenActWomenAre and MenAreStrongWomenArePretty.

This trope tends to be comedic, though it has its darker side. Women will pack a week's worth of clothing for an overnight trip. They will primp and preen in front of any shiny surface they happen past. They are ridiculously vulnerable to flattery and even the most level-headed types will turn into a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter if [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Nasty McVillainstein]] pays them a compliment based on their physical appearance or choice of dress. They will also be tempted, ''far'' more than their male counterparts, by promises of youth and beauty at whatever cost. There's a reason the VainSorceress is an almost [[AlwaysFemale exclusively female]] character type.

''Usually'' this is presented as a weakness, an in-born proclivity to sin that virtuous women should strive to overcome. However, in other cases it is used to demonstrate ostensibly ''positive'' growth. A shy girl who starts primping and preening might be said to have "come out of her shell". A tomboyish child who suddenly starts caring about high heels and lipstick will be "growing up". In such a narrative, it is the woman who ''shuns'' vanity that is said to unnatural and shrewish, scorned and despised by the opposite sex.

All of this is flagged as a pure gender role. Women are not vain due to their individual personalities but their very sex -- one vain woman in a cast of many modest ones does not fulfill the trope. One ''non''-vain woman in a cast of many conceited ones does, especially if she's viewed as odd (either unnatural or virtuous, depending on the attitude the narrative takes).

The more indulgent version of this trope is often paired up with AllMenArePerverts, by way of balancing out the genders' respective weaknesses. All women want to be looked at, and all men want to look. Works that believe in the MarsAndVenusGenderContrast are especially likely to make use of it. It is the polar opposite to the concept of metrosexuality, and has waned in recent times as mores change and gender stereotypes are discarded, but not yet a DeadHorseTrope. Contrast RealWomenNeverWearDresses, and AgentPeacock, a {{bishounen}} badass whose vanity will not detract from their worth and respectability. The SharpDressedMan may or may not fall peril to this trope, depending on how ''personally'' he takes his reception, rather than viewing it through a purely detached perspective.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': Even Toph, who was thrilled to learn the actor playing her was a huge bulking male, hides a side that wants to be pretty, was deeply hurt by girls mocking her appearance, and shared a bonding experience with Katara as they went to a beauty spa.

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* Used humorously in ''TenThingsIHateAboutYou'' when feared bad-boy Patrick is told Katerina prefers "[[{{Bishounen}} pretty guys]]."

* In ''StarTrekTOS'', all of the female characters were [[MenAreStrongWomenArePretty very pretty]], and Uhura was by far the most vain of the main cast. When they were all tempted into staying behind on a land run by robots, [[TheSpock Spock]] was offered great knowledge and opportunity for learning, [[TheMedic McCoy]] was offered great medical facilities, Chekov was offered beautiful [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots robot women]] to obey his every command, and Uhura was offered eternal youth. Even more obviously, in And The Children Shall Lead the characters' worst fears were shown: Kirk's was losing command, Sulu's was facing certain death that he had to maneuver the ship out of, and Uhura's was...being old and ugly.

-->Whatever happened to Fay Wray?

-->As it clung to her thigh
-->How I started to cry
-->`cause I wanted to be dressed just the same.

-->I can't believe I fell in love With someone that wears more make up and...

* ''{{Paranoia}}'' adventure "Send in the Clones". The Teela O'Malley clones in the final battle are dangerous opponents. However, they can be neutralized just by giving them a small mirror, which causes them to primp and fuss with their hair and check their eyeliner and complexion.

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* ''ChronoCross'''s Pierre is first met admiring himself in the mirror, and joins your party stating they will be the thorns decorating his lovely rose. He turns out to be quite the MilesGloriosus, a phony and all but useless in combat.

** Are you kidding? Toph's sadness wasn't because her looks were mocked but because the snotty girls reminded her that she is incapable of actually seeing herself.