Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / GenderDynamicsIndex

Go To

1This index compiles tropes that illustrate how gender is used in fiction.
2
3Male and female characters are subject to different forms of characterization and they are exploited as plot devices in different ways. One overarching way is the active-male/passive-female dichotomy. [[MenActWomenAre Women are judged more by their passive attributes and men by their actions]]. Within that dynamic is a sub-dynamic in which women's interior world of emotional reactions is expected to exert more of an influence on the actions of others than men's interior world.
4
5Another way to look at it is this: female characters are defined by the passive value that others give them, male characters are defined by their actions, usually to protect or win that which they find valuable. Female characters have passive value but they don't create it while male characters don't have passive value so they must create active value. Female characters can be exploited for their passive value and male characters are expendable if they fail to create their own value by advancing the plot through their actions.
6
7This index is divided into five sections:
8* '''Gender Dynamic Metatropes''': Illustrating the underlying dynamic in the characterization of male and female characters that give rise to many {{Double Standard}}s.
9* '''Female Tropes''': How the Gender Dynamic Metatropes manifest for female characters.
10* '''Male Tropes''': How the Gender Dynamic Metatropes manifest for male characters.
11* '''Contrasts''': Direct contrasts between AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale Tropes that illustrate gender dynamics.
12* '''In Real Life''': Research that illustrates aspects of Gender Dynamics. (Acceptable: studies on double standards in how we view men and women or media that illustrates a double standard. Unacceptable: Political writings aiming to use evidence of double standards to advance an agenda.)
13
14This index is not for complaining about {{Double Standard}}s, arguing which gender [[MiseryPoker has it worse]] [[note]]It's not good for either[[/note]], or going on [[UnfortunateImplications wild tangents about what these tropes could be implying]]. This index is about observations of the use of gender in fiction. We'd like to see positive changes, ie. more balance in the portrayal of male and female characters, but debates on the morality of the use of gender in fiction don't belong here. If you want to add discussion of the effects of these tropes in real life, be moderate, consider both sides of the equation and be brief. If you disagree with anything on this page, take it to the discussion page to avoid [[Administrivia/ConversationInTheMainPage natter.]]
15
16Some tropes end up in both the male and female categories; this is due to the reinforcing nature of misandry and misogyny. Where there's one there is usually the other as well. Also, when adding an example to this page, keep in mind how it reflects and illustrates the dynamics listed--don't just add it because it's annoying, stupid, or sinister. (That's what the UnfortunateImplications and DoubleStandard pages are for.) Please avoid implicating a gender or group as '''responsible''' for these dynamics as well; they're dynamics, '''everyone''' is responsible for maintaining them, from primary caregivers of children to media moguls to politicians to social activists promoting them while attempting to correct them.
17----
18[[foldercontrol]]
19
20!!Gender Dynamic Metatropes
21These metatropes underlie most of the Double Standards regarding male and female characterization in media.
22[[folder:Gender Dynamic Metatropes]]
23[[index]]
24* ArmedFemalesUnarmedMales: Men fight unarmed while women need weapons.
25* EverybodyWantsTheHermaphrodite: Hermaphrodites are sex bombs because they have men's "having sex is a mark of honor" code without women's "sex makes you a whore" stigma despite having attributes of both genders.
26* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Weapons appropriate for either gender.
27* HigherEducationIsForWomen: Men go to work while women go to college.
28* MaleMightFemaleFinesse: ForceAndFinesse, applicable to men and women, respectively.
29* MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial: Men are the generic, default, or normal form of humanity; women are a special sub-category or are "other".
30* MenAreStrongWomenArePretty: Men are attractive as long as they're active and/or physically strong or strive to become so. Women are born attractive and if they're not, nothing but plastic surgery will ever make them attractive.
31* MenActWomenAre: Men are expected to be active and create their value through their achievements; women are allowed to be passive and take their value from passive attributes.
32* MenGetOldWomenGetReplaced: Men are allowed to get older and turn grey and wise like an OldMaster; women must disappear from existence at the first sign of a wrinkle.
33* MenLikeDogsWomenLikeCats: Dogs are considered active and masculine, whereas cats are considered passive and feminine.
34* MenUseViolenceWomenUseCommunication: Men physically destroy the enemy, accepting a compromise only if all else fails. Women parley with the enemy and compromise, resorting to physical violence as a last resort.
35* MotherNatureFatherScience: Women are nature-oriented, caring, and rely on feelings and intuition, whereas men are science-oriented, industrious, and rely on logic and reason.
36* WrongBathroomIncident: A character (intentionally or not) finds himself in the opposite gender's restroom or dressing room.
37[[/index]]
38[[/folder]]
39
40!!Female Tropes
41As a rule in fiction, the default assumption is that WomenAreDelicate. Used as plot devices and story trappings, female characters tend to be used as {{Fanservice}}, to provide motivation for other characters, a way of generating a feeling of [[MonsterMisogyny horror]] in the audience and as a source of in story [[ScreamingWoman emotional reactions]] to events. In terms of characterization, female characters tend to be characterized by their [[NeverASelfMadeWoman relationships to other characters]] and by their [[MaleGaze passive attributes]], and tend to exhibit more passive emotions.
42
43Overall there are four categories to how women are portrayed in fiction: '''Objectified''', '''Reactive''', '''Relational''' and '''Motivational'''.
44
45See also the index AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits.
46
47[[folder:Objectified]]
48Objectification of female characters involves reducing women's value down to their physical sex or other passive attributes at the expense of focusing on and giving plot-significant weight to their actions. Sometimes this is obvious, such as in fanservice aimed at men, and sometimes it's less obvious, such as the phrase 'women and children first'. In that case what makes the women singled out and valued for special protection is their sex, ignoring the existence of vulnerable civilian men or female combatants.
49[[index]]
50* BaitAndSwitchLesbians
51* CatFight: Fights between women are often played as fanservice or amusing bickering rather than legitimate, serious battle.
52* CuteMonsterGirl: Female monsters still have to be attractive to human males.
53* DesignatedGirlFight: Women fighters fight each other so [[WouldntHitAGirl males don't have to]].
54* DiscountLesbians
55* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnFemale: Objectification taken to the extreme, never the victim's opinion about being molested by another woman. No penis, thus nothing serious and there's nothing to complain about.
56* FauxActionGirl: Everyone says she's an ActionGirl, but she never shows her chops. Male characters being "actified", they only rarely fall prey to this.
57* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Ironically, lesbians tend to be a PeripheryDemographic for GirlOnGirlIsHot; straight men are the main target.
58* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe
59* HookerWithAHeartOfGold
60* LadyNotAppearingInThisGame
61* MaleGaze: A great way to objectify women is zoom the camera in on either their cleavage or rump.
62* MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome
63* MostCommonSuperPower
64* MsFanservice: When portrayed poorly, a female character runs the risk of being little more than eye candy rather than a well-rounded character who happens to have a bunch of eye candy shots. Although the latter is becoming more common.
65* MyEyesAreUpHere
66* NeutralFemale: She's not doing anything to advance the plot, she's just there to be fought over. Not unlike the last piece of cake at a child's birthday party.
67* SweepsWeekLesbianKiss: In case you're wondering, just because you're a lesbian doesn't mean you can't be objectified.
68* VanityIsFeminine: Women ''must'' care about nothing else than their potential to be objectified. If they don't, they're not real women.
69[[/index]]
70
71Female characters are often judged harshly on their lack of passive value. Passive value can be either physical beauty and/or helplessness and vulnerability. And women who ''refuse'' to embody these traits are often portrayed as lesbians or man-haters (despite the fact that women who wish to avoid the objectification/actification dynamic might be doing so for its negative effects on men just as much as its negative effects on women).
72[[index]]
73* AbhorrentAdmirer: Being average or ugly is inexcusable for a woman. Ridiculing her for her failure at being properly feminine is perfectly justified.
74* TheBaroness: Of the "Rosa Klebb" type. Only physically unattractive and sexually unavailable villainesses are treated as serious threats, again for their passive attributes rather than their effective acts. Double points if they're also [[PsychoLesbian lesbians]].
75* BrawnHilda: Physically strong women are usually mannish, unfeminine, ugly, and PlayedForLaughs. Balanced out by the AmazonianBeauty, but since the woman ''is'' conventionally beautiful to begin with, it's a BrokenAesop.
76* DeathByDisfigurement: Almost always female, since losing one's beauty is a death sentence for female characters.
77* HollywoodOld: Old women (ie past 50) are sexually undesirable thus have lost all intrinsic passive value they could have had. They can sometimes play to the relational part of the dynamics but almost always as a DisposableWoman, proving one more time that old age is a female character's doom.
78* LesbianVampire: Same deal as above, with the added benefit of being inherently evil.
79* OldMaid: It's shameful to be an old, unmarried woman.
80* PsychoLesbian: A ''true'' lesbian--meaning not bisexual--is perceived as a sexual competitor who refuses to be sexualized, thus evil and crazy.
81* {{Tomboy}}: Active and refuses the feminine gender code--made fun of, expected to grow out of it, presumed to be lesbian.
82* VasquezAlwaysDies: One reason why women with lots of agency might be earmarked for death is that they are not helpless and vulnerable, thus have lower passive value.
83* WhiteDwarfStarlet: The logical consequence of HollywoodOld, i.e. a woman who no longer looks like a teenager or a young adult will no longer be cast since older women are not allowed to exist or only as background characters.
84[[/index]]
85
86A side effect of Objectification is that women can only be moral objects and not moral actors. Consequently, more often than not, a woman's chastity and general attitude towards sexuality is the sole unit of measure of her morality. Many of these tropes are being challenged in Western media, however, they still hold considerable sway, possibly because their inverse, that male sexuality is [[AllMenArePerverts dirty, damaging and defiling]] has not been addressed to any great degree. It may be that men have to be seen as having sexual innocence (and, conversely, women an equal sexual potency) in order for women to stop being judged by ''their'' innocence.
87[[index]]
88* AllWomenArePrudes: Women should be averse to the idea of sex and preferably frigid when they have it. It ensures their morality.
89* DefiledForever: Doesn't matter if the "sullying" was from actual rape, if you're a woman and you've had sex, you're damaged goods.
90* DisposableSexWorker: Goes without saying.
91* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: When a woman has the audacity to engage in sexual intercourse with a man, ''even if he's her husband'', she shouldn't experience pleasure. Only disgusting sluts have orgasms without a doctor's prescription.
92* MadonnaWhoreComplex: A woman is judged solely on her hymen. If she still has it, she's pure and perfect. If she doesn't, she's a whore who should be ashamed of existing and must be treated as she deserves i.e. getting a CruelAndUnusualDeath.
93* MyGirlIsNotASlut: Only chaste women and virgins are worthy of romance.
94* RapePortrayedAsRedemption: Are you a "bad girl", or even a "bad boy"? You need some Karmic Punishment to teach you to be more passive, and thusly, to be a better person!
95* SlutShaming: Any expression of sexuality coming from a woman is an abomination, thus calls for punishment.
96* NatureAdoresAVirgin: Applicable mostly to females. Virgins are unable to do bad deeds, as the hymen is a woman's MoralityChip.
97* VirginPower
98* VirginSacrifice
99* VirginTension: Virginity is highly desirable in a woman for it heightens the "purity" of women's body.
100
101And, in some cultures, a very negative effect of reducing women's value down to their passive attributes, in this case, sexual chastity, is:
102
103* HonorRelatedAbuse
104[[/index]]
105More recently, creators have attempted to correct the objectification of women as passive objects fought over by male characters by making them even more competent than male characters. However, this is [[RuleAbidingRebel exactly the same dynamic]]. The implication is that a woman's femaleness, not her chosen actions, have made her better than men. Telling girls that they have the power to make the world better because they are girls and not because of their personal choices, once again reduces girls' value down to their passive attributes!
106
107This trend ties into an older trend of viewing women as morally and emotionally superior to men; reflected in the Victorian concept of the '[[ProperLady Angel in the house]]'.
108[[index]]
109* Father's Day versus Mother's Day: Both are intended to be celebrations of the good things parents do and appreciation for them. However, Father's Day is also used as a rallying cry against ''bad'' fathers (abusers, deadbeats) whereas it would tend to be seen as completely inappropriate to criticize mothers on Mother's Day.
110* FemaleAngelMaleDemon: Angels are often portrayed as females because positive attributes such as kindness, refinement, and mercy are associated with femininity.
111* FlawlessToken: They're incapable of making mistakes.
112* MenAreChildish and
113* ParentingTheHusband: Takes WomenAreWiser to its most insulting by portraying all men as idiots in need of a woman to guide them.
114* WomenAreWiser: Female characters are shown to be more competent and wise then male characters.
115[[/index]]
116
117One additional effect of focusing on female character's passive attributes rather than their actions is that their actions tend to have fewer negative consequences because female characters aren't seen as responsible in the same way male characters are.
118
119On the one hand, this could be seen as a positive benefit to female characters because they avoid [[KarmaHoudini punishment]], but on the other hand, the lesser consequences make the moral choices of female characters less compelling--thus female characters less compelling.
120
121Additionally, media exerts influence on how we model our own choices in life. By softening the consequences of a female character's moral choices with excuses--or presenting women as morally perfect to begin with--the potency of moral choice is removed for both female character and female audience. Girls learn that their femaleness--passive attribute--is always more important to an outcome than their actual actions.
122[[index]]
123* FemalesAreMoreInnocent: Female loathsome villains are rarer because it is believed women never partake in evildoing for the sake of it. There's almost always a man responsible for making her that way. NeverASelfMadeWoman meets WomenAreWiser.
124* HighHeelFaceTurn: Consequence of the above. Since women are never moral actors, villainesses need a man with a stronger morality to orient them in the right direction. Thus, females are more redeemable than men.
125* KarmaHoudini: More often applied to villainous female characters.
126* VillainessesWantHeroes: All a villainess needs to be redeemed is true love. Or just good sex.
127* WouldntHitAGirl: Even if she is a CompleteMonster, her female parts trump any actions that cause her to deserve a good ass whupin'. [[DesignatedGirlFight Unless, of course, the ass-whupin' is done by another woman]].
128[[/index]]
129
130In summary, objectification is when a female character is reduced down to her passive attributes and her agency denied. It can manifest in being valued for fanservice, but more subtly when a female character is characterized as good or competent ''because'' she's female or her negative actions downplayed as the fault of a male character. The implication is that objects, namely women, don't have the ability to make moral choices; their existence is summed up by their attributes and all their apparent 'choices' are the result of the agency of real people, namely men.
131
132Succinctly, objectification is when a woman's femaleness is presented as more important to the story and her characterization then her actions or choices.
133[[/folder]]
134
135[[folder:Reactive]]
136Women are often used for reaction shots. This heightens horror, imparts a sense of urgency and distress, deepens the emotional impact of events, and sets a mood.
137
138The reactions of female characters are also used to characterize other characters. A character who causes distress to a woman is usually a [[DesignatedVillain villain]] or at best a dark Antihero. This distress can be caused by as little as arguing with her or speaking harshly to her. In extreme cases, this is one reason why the trope DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale exists. The initial female on male abuse is ignored because calling the woman out on it, much less responding in kind, would lead to her being upset.
139
140In terms of characterization, female characters often put more emphasis on their emotional reactions to events and actions taken by others than actual actions taken in response. A female character's emotional sensitivity is seen as a big part of her femininity (see "Literature/ThePrincessAndThePea"). In essence, the more vulnerable, the more delicate, the more she suffers, and the greater emphasis on her inability to recover or take proactive action--her victimhood--the more feminine she appears. Even in modern works, this holds true. Active women may be portrayed as positive characters, but their [[MenAreStrongWomenArePretty agency does not make them more feminine]].
141
142Overall, anything that creates a negative emotional reaction in women is bad; anything that creates a positive emotional reaction in women is good. To see this in action, observe media for how often it portrays the following sequence: an unexpected revelation is made or there is a surprising action taken, followed by a close-up shot of a woman reacting. Adjust for the relative proportions of male and female characters.
143
144This is likely a result of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_are_wonderful Women Are Wonderful]] effect. What is good for women is seen as good for everyone; conversely, what is bad for women is seen as bad for everyone. This may sound favourable (and in certain [[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} circumstances]], it [[MenAreTheExpendableGender definitely is]]); however, it limits women's [[StayInTheKitchen drive to achieve]] and makes their [[MenActWomenAre passive]] [[MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial attributes]] more important then their [[FauxActionGirl personal successes]]--what's valuable about women is something they have no control over and don't [[MaleGaze build for themselves]].
145[[index]]
146* FinalGirl: To maintain the horror in horror movies usually requires a female protagonist.
147* MonsterMisogyny: Monsters who target women are perceived as more threatening.
148* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: But only if it happens to a woman and ''if'' the perpetrator is male. [[DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnFemale Otherwise…]]
149* RapeAndRevenge: Often implies that losing her lady parts' integrity is the sole situation where a woman can get proactive.
150* ScreamingWoman: The motivation for many a KnightInShiningArmor to take action.
151[[/index]]
152
153Creator and audience ambivalence is often expressed towards women in powerful roles who necessarily have to take on a proactive versus reactive role. Their femininity is often portrayed in opposition to their duty to their people to be proactive and strong and their relationship to power is rarely as natural-feeling as a man in the same position. Although some brands of evil powerful figure are disproportionately female (See GodSaveUsFromTheQueen and LadyMacBeth), as the trope IronLady notes, most female leaders are super-competent and less corrupt than their male counterparts.
154
155Although seemingly positive, this may, again, be a reflection of ambivalence towards female power. We feel more comfortable examining all aspects of male power, including the negative ones; these examinations make us far more uncomfortable when it comes to female power--this ambivalence in some cultures manifests as portraying female power as all bad and in ours as all good. Perhaps because a balanced portrayal would make female power more grounded and ''real'' rather than stereotypical and unreal thus dismissible as fantasy.
156
157Modeling failure--as well as a success--in female characters is also one way of empowering women to view their success as a result of personal effort rather than unchanging attributes (See Real Life for research into why this is so very important). Also, most powerful people in real life are rarely all good or all bad, just ''effective''.
158[[index]]
159* AggressiveSubmissive: A dominant character who has a submissive sexual side. Mostly these are women or gay men.
160* EvilMatriarch
161* FamilyVersusCareer
162* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen
163* GoGetterGirl
164* IronLady
165* NoGuyWantsAnAmazon: Female characters who take action rather than motivate men sacrifice their attractiveness and femininity. (Is balanced out in some respect by AmazonChaser.)
166* NoGuyWantsToBeChased: Romantic agency in female characters is undesirable to male characters.
167* QuicklyDemotedWoman
168* RapeAndRevenge: Rape is often seen as an acceptable in-universe motivation for a female character to become a badass--thus embracing greater agency--and avenge herself. In a way, this supports the idea that agency and action are innately male; only women who are deeply wronged by men become active and only then to punish men for their actions against them--being forced into an active role becomes part of the negative emotional fallout of rape for the woman. This is a somewhat old-fashioned trope.
169* VasquezAlwaysDies: Masculine women are more likely to be earmarked for {{heroic sacrifice}}s than feminine women. It could be because of the discomfort between agency and femininity, it could also be because the woman in question moves from the reactive-valued dynamic of femininity to the active-sacrificial dynamic of masculinity.
170[[/index]]
171
172One example of the Reactive dynamic for female characters is how emotional dynamics are portrayed in families in fiction. Often children (mostly male children) tend to the emotional needs of their mothers. This is usually portrayed as [[ValuesDissonance charming and sweet,]] rather than [[AbusiveParents abusive and creepy]]. A specific example would be after a death in the family, after which children are portrayed as tiptoeing around and tending to the emotions of their mothers. Often, these mothers are [[InformedAttribute labeled]] as [[ApronMatron pillars of strength for the family]]; however, they function in story more like [[TheLoad emotional albatrosses]]. This despite the fact that a mother is necessarily older and more mature then her children (yes, even adult children), thus has had more time to develop the wisdom and emotional strength to guide her children through emotional trials.
173[[index]]
174* AdultsAreUseless
175* (Faux) ApronMatron
176* HystericalWoman: Pulling women's reactions to a ridiculous extreme.
177[[/index]]
178
179Another example is how emotional reactions tend to be portrayed as more of the concern of female characters, particularly positive or empathetic emotions (as opposed to anger, hate, and jealousy). Female characters are often shown mediating disputes between male characters, offering solace to other characters caught in a reactive moment (where they are depressed or upset at something), and if a mook expresses concern over the morally dubious behavior of the BigBad or his orders, almost invariably it will be a female mook (the lone female mook of a bad boss is always the one to bet on for a HeelFaceTurn; she is almost never depicted as [[ForTheEvulz relishing]] the evil she does). Rarely are male characters depicted offering each other an emotionally safe space as this might come across as uncomfortably effeminate or gay (the only exception seems to be war movies). This has the effect of making sympathetic emotions the domain of female characters, which somewhat ridiculous because all people have them and there is [[http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/05/vulcans-nixed-y.html evidence]] that we can't think or make decisions without emotions and this includes the positive and sympathetic emotions. Essentially without them, far from being more effective, we are paralyzed with indecision.
180[[index]]
181* TheEmpath: Almost always a female.
182* HeartIsAnAwesomePower
183* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway
184* WomenAreWiser
185[[/index]]
186
187In summary, the Reactive dynamic uses female character reaction as a shorthand way of illustrating how we should feel about setting, events, and characters in the story. Often these reactions are necessarily negative because without conflict there is no plot. This can start feeling somewhat misogynistic. Until audiences start consistently caring about events, settings, and characters negatively impacting on the ''reactive'' interior world of male characters, this dynamic is [[JustifiedTrope unlikely to change]].
188[[/folder]]
189
190[[folder:Relational]]
191Female characters tend to derive their significance through family or relationships to male characters. On the one hand, this suggests that achievement is male while riding on the coat-tails of others is female; on the other hand, it also implies that women are more central to family, and men are more periphery and need to achieve to be part of a family.
192[[index]]
193* AllLesbiansWantKids: Even ''lesbians'' need to be in a relationship with a man. [[InsaneTrollLogic Somehow.]]
194* CareerVersusMan
195* TheChiefsDaughter
196* DaddysLittleVillain
197* DarkMistress: A villain's SatelliteLoveInterest.
198* DisposableLoveInterest: 99% percent of the time, it's a woman.
199* FamilyVersusCareer: Female characters have to choose between being valued for their relationships and being valued for their actions. Relationships often win out.
200* FeminineWomenCanCook: Making food is women's only acceptable proactive ability, often suggested to be somehow innate to femininity.
201* TheGeneralsDaughter
202* GirlOfTheWeek
203* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Morality debates aside, refusing to be a mother often equates refusing to be a ''real'' woman.
204* IHaveBrothers: May overlap with NeverASelfMadeWoman to imply that {{Tomboy}} traits come from older, male siblings.
205* IWantGrandkids
206* LineageComesFromTheFather: Only men transmit nobility and honor through their bloodlines, women only get to be disposable vessels who earn their title from marriage or paternal descent. Consequently, when the mother is noble and the father is not, their child isn't considered part of the bloodline.
207* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter
208* MandatoryMotherhood
209* TheMistress: Often has no relevance to the plot other than being a guy's "side dish" wishing to become the "main course".
210* MyBiologicalClockIsTicking: Women ''must'' have children before their menopause if they want to be recognized as valuable members of society.
211* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Because it's both acceptable and expected for female characters to take their value from passive attributes, they often are portrayed as family members or love interests of more accomplished male characters.
212* SatelliteLoveInterest: Disproportionately a woman.
213* TemporaryLoveInterest: Ditto.
214[[/index]]
215[[/folder]]
216
217[[folder:Motivational]]
218Female characters are often used to motivate other characters. Sometimes this involves [[WomenAreWiser wisdom]], the power of Heart, or [[DisposableWoman dying tragically]]. Female characters can also appeal to some aspect of their femaleness to motivate others. The dynamic is in effect when it's implied that a woman's motivational qualities are based entirely on her femaleness, not the skills or abilities she's obtained through her own choices.
219
220The difference between Reactive and Motivational dynamics is the focus. With the Reactive dynamic, the focus is on female characters' reactions to events; with the Motivational dynamic, the focus is on female characters motivating other characters. Often female character's reactions will be used to set up the motivations of other characters--or help the audience buy into those motivations. A classic female-reaction/character-motivation set up involves a scene of a [[DamselInDistress distressed damsel]] [[ChainedToARailway chained to train tracks]] [[ScreamingWoman screaming her head off]] paired with a shot of TheHero rushing to her rescue on his [[CoolHorse white steed]]. There is no question what's motivating his action.
221
222The existence of the Motivational dynamic in media is why despite being portrayed as passive, events in plots often seem to [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl revolve around female characters]].
223[[index]]
224* AlwaysSaveTheGirl
225* CartwrightCurse: DisposableWoman, but exaggerated.
226* {{Chickification}}: Female characters can function, in story, to motivate other characters as well as being heroes in their own right. That's why female characters survive BadassDecay into a DamselInDistress without facing [[MenAreTheExpendableGender death]] or [[PutOnABus being written out of a series]] like male characters. They can still fulfill a plot-important function by motivating others.
227* DamselInDistress
228* DisposableWoman: Her only purpose is to be killed off, preferably in a gruesome manner, so a male character can avenge her to prove his manliness.
229* LadyMacBeth: Even when it comes to evildoing, evil women usually limit themselves to motivating villains into acting evil.
230* LegCling
231* TheLostLenore: An AlwaysFemale LoveInterest whose death still affects the main character or his entourage. Male examples do exist but are much rarer.
232* ManicPixieDreamGirl: She exists solely to cheer up, nurture, and inspire a brooding, depressed guy and motivate him to prove his manliness by solving some major problem for the world. She has no life to speak of otherwise.
233* {{Moe}}: In its most extreme form, {{Moe}} encourages a romantic or sexual attraction to helplessness, whether the character in question is male or female.
234* MoralityPet, MoralityChain: Often a younger, smaller, weaker, kinder female character who keeps an older, bigger, stronger, meaner male character from going off the moral deep end. And his concern for her gives people a reason to care about him.
235* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Often inspired by the death of a male protagonist's wife, daughter or sister.
236* WifeBasherBasher
237
238A necessary consequence of focusing on female character's motivational qualities rather than their action is:
239
240* StayInTheKitchen: Taking physical action is unfeminine and deprives men of the motivation of "a home to protect".
241
242Female characters with dubious morals can use this trope to deceive and manipulate other characters to do their bidding.
243
244* FemaleMisogynist: Conservative variants are often of the opinion that women are weaker than men yet immediately follow up with "and that's why men should be protecting and providing for them." A strangely paradoxical position in which a [[MortonsFork women's weakness is employed as a means to rule men]].
245* MunchausenSyndrome: Female characters will fake illness not to achieve a goal but to get sympathy.
246* WoundedGazelleGambit: A female character fakes an injury to herself to achieve some goal.
247* WoundedGazelleWarcry: A female character gets herself in harm's way so the male heroes have a reason to avenge her.
248[[/index]]
249[[/folder]]
250
251[[folder:Corrective Developments]]
252In some cases, creators have attempted to correct imbalances in how the genders are portrayed in fiction. These are not necessarily positive or negative corrections, just attempts to correct.
253[[index]]
254* ActionGirl: A female character whose greatest value is her agency and her actions to advance the plot.
255* AmazonChaser: A female character is desirable because of her proactivity.
256* DamselOutOfDistress: A traditional damsel as "getting captured for the plot" aspect but more likely to rescue herself or otherwise be a DefiantCaptive instead of a [[NeutralFemale passive observer]].
257* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: The crime of rape is justifiably considered horrific, but if inflicted by a woman on a man, nobody cares.
258* FemaleGaze
259* EffortlessAmazonianLift: An attempt to show a woman's unexpected physical strength or her dominance in a relationship.
260* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Reversal of gender roles.
261* MistakenForMisogynist: A man who treats a woman unequal is actually revealed to be "gender blind" and have other motivations for their deferential or discriminatory treatment, usually a more positive motivation such as ToughLove to motivate the woman to succeed.
262* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Strong women aren't feminine and shouldn't be; opens up a whole set of characterization problems. As a consequence of this is the BaldHeadOfToughness trope. When a woman wants to appear powerful and respectable, nothing does the trick better than shaving off her hair. It shows a refusal of femininity, thus a refusal of "being weak and incompetent".
263* RebelliousPrincess: The antithesis to PrincessClassic, who rejects her relationship-based inherited status to make her own fortune. Unless, of course, her "rebellion" boils down to substituting one man (her father) with another (her love interest).
264* ShowingUpChauvinists: A woman surprises others by performing well in a field normally dominated by men.
265* SpiritedYoungLady: A woman who, while fitting into her culture, knows what she wants and is active in getting it.
266* ProperLady and
267* SilkHidingSteel: More modernist takes on these types of characters emphasize that traits which are traditionally considered feminine aren't necessarily weaknesses. When poorly executed, can lead to the implication that strong women are ''always'' feminine, and should be.
268* SisterhoodEliminatesCreep: Multiple women team up on one male.
269* YamatoNadeshiko: The Japanese variant of Proper Lady/Silk Hiding Steel.
270* WorldOfActionGirls: Where a setting tends toward female characters being more likely to provide the action than males, or where it seems every woman is innately badass.
271[[/index]]
272[[/folder]]
273
274!!Male Tropes:
275As for plot devices and story trappings, male characters tend to be used as [[MenAreTheExpendableGender expendable minions or pawns]] creating a sense of danger in a story or establishing a [[ARealManIsAKiller protagonist as a badass]]. Certain [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale actions]] taken against men are more acceptable than equivalent actions taken against women as their emotional effects on men are more easily ignored. Male characterization tends towards focusing on action rather than emotional reaction and men exhibit more proactive emotions.
276
277Overall there are four categories to how men are portrayed in fiction: '''Actified''', '''Proactive''', '''Achievement-orientated''' and '''Expendable'''.
278
279[[folder:Actified]]
280Actified is the counterpoint to Objectified; Characterization is focused almost exclusively on the action of the male character in question. In some cases not only does it seem like his only existence is action but that that action is exaggerated beyond all reason. Think [[Series/TwentyFour Jack Bauer]].
281
282Such patterns also run a risk of stepping into the much darker territory: action taking from men often involves violence and killing other people--almost always other men and almost all exceptions to this rule are villains--at one point or another. Even though it is widely thought as a rite of passage, this expectation associates "real" manliness with the [[UnfortunateImplications readiness to do violence to other men]], often in the service of [[KnightInShiningArmor saving women]]. Also applies when the story focuses on getting {{Revenge}}.
283
284[[index]]
285* AllGirlsWantBadBoys
286* BloodKnight: Lives only for the battle and has no other purpose in life aside from this.
287* TheBrute
288* {{Determinator}}
289* ImplacableMan: Just like the MagnificentBastard, impressive to watch but impossible to match in RealLife.
290* TheJuggernaut
291* MagnificentBastard: Fun to watch but impossible to emulate in real life.
292* ManlyMenCanHunt: Once again implies men should love the thrill of killing.
293* RatedMForManly: Blatantly associates manliness with gratuitous violence, {{Jerkass}}ery, selfishness, death and destruction instead of more honorable values; can be played out well but it's rare.
294* ARealManIsAKiller: "True" manhood is primarily about being violent and enjoying it; also associates men with death and destruction.
295* TestosteronePoisoning: Manliness often has to be stereotypical and blown out of proportion to be perceived as credible.
296* TrainingFromHell: Men should always undergo the nastiest training possible when they want to improve.
297[[/index]]
298
299Male characters who fail to live up to an impossible standard of action-taking or being successful (just as you can never be too busy or too thin if you're a woman, there're always more macho things to achieve if you're a man), are failures as men and just like women who fail to be properly feminine, are punished by death or ridicule:
300[[index]]
301* ButtMonkey: Male examples are often this because they do not conform to stereotypical masculinity.
302* BuryYourDisabled: Disproportionately a man, unless they manage to become a HandicappedBadass. But don't count on it if they use a wheelchair.
303* EvilCripple: Almost AlwaysMale, because being unable to take action also trumps a male character's morality.
304* InspirationallyDisadvantaged: Again disproportionately a man. This rather condescending trope [[UnfortunateImplications carries the unfortunate subtext]] that only those who compensate for their disability by being brainy or active by proxy deserve a second chance but God forbids they ever angst over the loss of their mobility.
305* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Self-explanatory.
306* NotBadassEnoughForFans: The worst offense a man could make is not to live up to the audience's expectations of badassery.
307* SissyVillain
308[[/index]]
309
310The emphasis on male characters' actions over their attributes may be a contributing factor to the idea that virginity in men is undesirable. Virginity is valuable as a marker of [[VirginPower innocence and newness]] but real men should be taking their value from their actions, not their ''lack'' of action. That and also the fact that male sexuality is considered simple and unworthy of study (why going to a proctologist is still considered shameful even as people get more accepting of women going to gynecologists). In fact, it is rarely ever addressed in as much detail as female sexuality, implying that men have no complexity or nuance in their sexuality, other than [[AllMenArePerverts being sex maniacs]]. Strangely this also holds true for [[AllGaysArePromiscuous gay men]] despite them being depicted as being more cultured then straight men in other areas. When they're not depicted as completely [[ButNotTooGay asexual]], that is.
311[[index]]
312* EunuchsAreEvil: The "logical" extreme of the idea that male virginity is a bad thing.
313* ImAManICantHelpIt: Probably the sole element of male sexuality to ever be acknowledged to exist.
314* ALadyOnEachArm
315* AllMenArePerverts: Virility is more about reveling in perversion than just enjoying sexuality.
316* AManIsAlwaysEager and
317* MustNotDieAVirgin: Disproportionately applied to virgin men.
318* NatureAbhorsAVirgin: Almost always a man.
319* UnexpectedVirgin: Seen as a negative occurrence when it comes to men.
320* VirginShaming: Expect virgin men to be made fun of and considered weak.
321[[/index]]
322
323One possible consequence of actification is the fact that gay men are viewed as more gay or perverted than lesbians. The focus is on the men's actions, not their emotional responses, which may tend to make people view gay men as [[AllGaysArePromiscuous insatiable sexual deviants]] but gay women as merely looking for love in an ultimately harmless but [[HideYourLesbians inappropriate way]].
324[[index]]
325* AllGaysArePedophiles
326* AllGaysArePromiscuous
327* BuryYourGays
328* CureYourGays
329* DepravedHomosexual: Gay men are perceived as the "natural predators" of straight men, double points if they are of the ManlyGay type.
330* DepravedBisexual: Only bisexual men are really considered depraved, not women.
331* HeteronormativeCrusader: Usually much more disgusted with gay men than lesbians.
332
333
334Male characters are also given disproportionate responsibility for the activities that transpire around them relative to female characters.
335[[index]]
336* TeacherStudentRomance: A male teacher ''seduces'' a female student; a female teacher is ''seduced by'' a male student.
337* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself: Disproportionately applied to male characters. Female characters who tend towards this sort of a loner, exclusive responsibility approach to their problems tend to get the PowerOfFriendship treatment more often.
338* TheUnfairSex: If something goes wrong in a relationship, it's usually considered the man's fault. Questionable actions taken by men in a relationship are usually seen as worse than the exact same action taken by a woman.
339[[/index]]
340[[/folder]]
341
342[[folder:Proactive]]
343Proactive means male characters favoring proactive emotions or actions over reactive ones. This particular dynamic comes into effect when male characters are chided for responding with passive rather than proactive emotions. Additionally, male characters are often portrayed as indifferent to damage that would kill normal people or at least have them in traction for months and therapy for the rest of their lives.
344
345It is also interesting to note that, somehow, {{Jerkass}}ery is masculine. Being smug or just outright assholish (think Series/{{House}}) is often seen as a sign of confidence and a willingness to be more proactive than others, thus acceptably manly. Consideration for others being a passive emotion, showing no care for anyone other than oneself, unfortunately, associates [[ItsAllAboutMe selfishness and self-centeredness]] with manhood. However, unless the character in question wants to run into [[ForTheEvulz villain territory]] he better be shown to respect and care for female characters in some way. Either his Jerkassery gets things done and saves [[DamselInDistress the girl]] when a more compassionate approach wouldn't have worked, or he [[PetTheDog demonstrates]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold a willingness]] to help [[MoralityPet old grannies]] across the street on his off hours.
346
347Male characters are expected to set their emotional reactions to events aside in favor of responding proactively to them. In some cases, proactive emotions such as anger and hatred are acceptable, as long as they fuel the action. The more a man can shrug off emotionally, the more masculine he appears to be.
348
349Because male characters are expected to be proactive, their emotional responses to events and characters tend to be downplayed and don't exert as much of an influence on the plot or other characters. An interesting effect of proactive versus reactive emotions is how they change our sense of sympathy for characters who are victims of other character's violence. Victims who react with anger tend to receive considerably less sympathy then victims who react with fear or pain.
350[[index]]
351* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: If a man does break down and get trapped in passive emotions rather than proactive, he needs a talking-to.
352* HowMuchMoreCanHeTake: The tension is in seeing just how much damage a male character can take before he succumbs or gives in.
353* MachoMasochism: Same as above but self-inflicted and over-the-top to the point of being laughable.
354* MadeOfIron: Male characters shake off things that would kill normal people or have them in serious therapy for the rest of their lives.
355* MenAreUncultured and BookDumb: Being cultured implies receiving education and refinement. Cultural refinement or a focus on learning suggests an aversion to action. Also falls into WomenAreWiser.
356* MenDontCry: Expressing sadness and sorrow is strictly forbidden for men since it's an unspoken confession of weakness. Only BerserkerTears are acceptable and ManlyTears, if acknowledged to exist, must be used sparingly.
357* RealMenHateAffection: In order to be seen as a man, a male character must not display passive emotions such as love and tenderness.
358* RealMenHateSugar and RealMenEatMeat: Related to the above and ManlyMenCanHunt.
359* SlasherSmile: Smiling is an expression of joy which is somehow an unmanly emotion. It's only acceptable when it expresses a killing intent.
360* TheStoic: Men shouldn't show emotion of any kind, not even positive ones.
361[[/index]]
362
363In situations where a character needs more passive, nurturing emotions to succeed, male characters are often shown as useless or actively malevolent. This includes raising kids and other family situations.
364
365Men's relationship with their children is often portrayed ambivalently. On the one hand, if they don't want children and their partners do (or are pregnant) they are often portrayed as [[PanickyExpectantFather unprepared]] and [[ManChild immature]]. If their partner [[TheBabyTrap gets pregnant on purpose to jumpstart or upgrade]] their relationship they are usually told to man up rather than having it recognized in story that forcing a person into parenthood is [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale abuse]]. Men who want children when their partners do not are often portrayed as [[HeirClubForMen creepy, controlling and/or borderline abusive]].
366[[index]]
367* AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity
368* BoyfriendBlockingDad: Fathers have usually no other way to show their care for a daughter than being a judgemental obstacle to their love life.
369* BumblingDad: Fathers are often clueless around their children, especially widowers, single dads or when the child is a daughter.
370* IHateYouVampireDad
371* HeirClubForMen: Noblemen are complete jerks to their daughters and only see their sons as vessels for the next generation. (And that's often ''all'' they see their sons as.)
372* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: Men need DNA testing if they can get it, to be ''sure'' that the child the woman bore is actually theirs. This is often played to make them look [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]].
373* PanickyExpectantFather: Men are useless when it comes to childbirth and break down in hilarious hysterics as soon as labor starts. Even more amusing if the man was established as a badass and he faints during the delivery.
374* ParentalAbandonment: Almost always the fact of fathers.
375* RaisedByDudes: Without the presence of women, men are usually shown to be unable to nurture and raise young children. If this can be played out positively when the kid is male and sufficiently grown up to walk, it is not the case at all for babies or little girls.
376* WellDoneSonGuy
377* WhenYouComingHomeDad
378[[/index]]
379
380A male character can be depicted as falling into a depression, almost always in response to his own failures as a man. If he fails to be proactive enough--by not protecting loved ones who then die, or, alternatively, for not upholding a standard of morality--he is allowed to succumb to sadness, self-loathing and guilt. But these emotions are always directed at his failure to be proactive resulting in others being hurt, not in response to events or the actions of others that hurt '''him'''.
381
382An example of this dynamic is a heroic male character who somehow fails to protect another character [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl (usually a woman)]] who then falls into a deep depression punctuated with guilt and self-doubt. Possibly leading to a situation where the hero needs to be [[GetAholdOfYourselfMan roused out of his stupor]] to combat some greater threat.
383[[index]]
384* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Because SmokingIsCool, this expression of insecurity is discreet enough to be acceptable as well. Related to {{Mangst}} below.
385* DirtyBusiness: A man can regret having done something morally questionable to solve a problem... but only if it's brief and never mentioned again after the fact.
386* DrowningMySorrows: Alcoholism being acceptably manly because of [[MachoMasochism its potential danger to one's health]], this is about the only expression of sadness that you'll ever see in a male character, along with...
387* FailureKnight: A man's failure at something is only acceptable as a motivator, not as a source of remorse.
388* ILetGwenStacyDie: Typical reaction to the death of a DisposableWoman, which always leads to...
389* IShouldHaveBeenBetter: Mostly the only reactive emotion coming from men.
390* {{Mangst}}: Men's angst mustn't show. They are allowed to feel it but they should ''never'' express it, lest they'll be branded as sissies.
391* MyGreatestFailure: Mooning over it is only acceptable as a motivator.
392* YouDidEverythingYouCould: Often presented as cold comfort but it's the only words of solace a man can address to another man.
393[[/index]]
394
395The lesser focus on men's internal world may also be why creators tend to make more villains men. If you want [[ForTheEvulz an uncomplicated bad guy]], it's a lot easier to make him male rather than female because female villains inspire more questions in the audience's mind about [[FreudianExcuse why she's evil and who made her that way]], all of this being summed by the phrase [[FemalesAreMoreInnocent "Behind every bitch, there's a bastard who made her that way"]]. Unconflicted male villains, on the other hand, feel more believable to the audience because of the social construct that men are inherently more evil than women. Male villains don't need to be explained because it's "in their nature".
396[[index]]
397* AllAbusersAreMale: [[TheChainOfHarm People who abuse tend to be abuse victims themselves]]. Poverty and drug use also play a large role. In a lot of media, men are not only portrayed as abusive, and the only abusers, but they are [[FlatCharacter one-dimensional]] and [[LargeHam over-the-top abusers]] with no effort to examine why.
398* CompleteMonster: More often than not a male character is pure evil than a female one.
399* FemaleAngelMaleDemon: Demons are representations of unexamined evil. Why are they evil? No reason, just made that way. Due to this, they are often portrayed as male. Also, note that this falls into the trap that negative emotions like anger are inherently masculine.
400[[/index]]
401[[/folder]]
402
403[[folder:Achievement-Oriented]]
404For male characters, characterization focuses on what the character has accomplished rather than who he's related to or other passive attributes. This is made necessary due to the greater emphasis on male characters taking action in order to create value. Conversely, male characters that are completely defined by their relationships to others or passive attributes or fail to live up to a Badass reputation are not usually well received.
405[[index]]
406* ButNowIMustGo: No matter how much a man may achieve, he can still do more, cue an unending need to achieve still more with virtually no limit to what is materially possible. If all is done in a place, a man has to go somewhere else and achieve again.
407* IJustWantToBeBadass: Badassery being the quintessence of manhood in fiction-land, this goes without saying.
408* IWantToBeARealMan: Self-explanatory.
409* MilesGloriosus: Talks a big talk, but has little to back it up. Usually universally loathed.
410* TheNeidermeyer: A superior officer who is characterized by his lack of effective action.
411* OldMaster
412* SmallNameBigEgo: A male character whose inflated opinion of himself is not backed up by his actual achievements.
413[[/index]]
414
415Male characters who put emphasis on their passive attributes are often portrayed as undesirable or unmasculine. This holds particularly true for physical appearance.
416[[index]]
417* BlingOfWar: Men can wear shiny things as long as they reflect glory and achievement (well, [[SmallNameBigEgo sometimes...]])
418* CampStraight: One trait of the CampStraight is his focus on his appearance.
419* TheDandy: Considered somewhat effeminate for his obsession with his looks.
420* GuysAreSlobs: Low standards of hygiene, vulgarity, and boorishness indicate a man has no concern for his physical appearance. Apparently, the stench is close to manliness.
421* MenCantKeepHouse: A companion to GuysAreSlobs. Being messy also means being manly. Apparently.
422* SharpDressedMan: A man who isn't considered less manly for caring about his appearance. However notice that his choice of attire is usually a ''business suit'', yes this is a [[RuleAbidingRebel subversion that really isn't]] because a suit evokes a man's ''business achievement''.
423[[/index]]
424[[/folder]]
425
426[[folder:Expendable]]
427->''"An irony asserts itself: [[MortonsFork by being in need of help, men forfeit the right to it]]."''\
428--Peter Marin, [[http://keddycsi.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/abandoning-men_-jill-gets-welfare.pdf Jill Gets Welfare--Jack Becomes Homeless]]
429
430An Expendable male character is treated as if their interior, emotionally reactive world is irrelevant. In a way, this dynamic takes Actification to its most extreme and disturbing conclusion; whatever happens to a man he deserves because he failed to stop it from happening. This is the intersection between our belief in men's omnipotent agency and responsibility (compared to women's lack of agency and responsibility) and events that no person can reasonably be expected to be responsible for. It also explains why female-on-male violence (emotional, physical, magical, etc.) is so much more acceptable than the reverse; a man only ever ''lets'' a woman hurt him; a woman who is hurt by a man is helpless to stop it.
431
432Another aspect of the Expendable dynamic is that a man who fails to demonstrate uber-agency (a man who isn't Actified) deserves what he gets for failing to be manly. The portion of the MenAreTheExpendableGender quote quoted illustrates this dynamic succinctly.
433
434When a character is Actified, his actions are focused on to the exclusion of almost every other aspect of his character, but we admire him for it. When a character is Proactive, he is shown ignoring his emotional reactions to events and others' actions in favor of responding proactively or having proactive emotions, and he's portrayed as more masculine for it. When a character is made Expendable, he is generally a victim--he's being abused, killed, tortured and raped--however, the audience is expected to feel contempt or just not care. He's letting it happen and failing to live up to a masculine standard, after all!
435
436In some cases this dynamic results in creators 'missing' the fact they're writing rape and abuse into a story. Notice also that some of these tropes involve male characters being the victims of aggressive female action: Oftentimes this is considered humorous precisely because it defies our strong beliefs about male agency and female passivity.
437[[index]]
438* DisposableSexWorker: If you are a male prostitute, don't expect a happy ending.
439* DisposableVagrant: Almost always a man, doubly guilty for being defined more by his need and suffering (home''less'') than his strength and determination to succeed.
440* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: [[BlatantLies A man who isn't strong enough to keep a woman in line deserves what he gets]]. How exactly he's supposed to 'keep a woman in line' without violating WouldntHitAGirl or DomesticAbuse is never explained. Apparently, it must involve [[InsaneTrollLogic passively radiating an aura of masculine agency at her]].
441* DoubleStandardRapeMaleOnMale: PrisonRape of men. Not a huge humanitarian crisis and condemned by Amnesty International but really, really, REALLY funny! The man let it happen after all. ''This'' trope, by contrast, apparently gets even more hilarious when the character is shown to be badly traumatized, conveniently minimising the psychological trauma such an act wreaks for the sake of a cheap laugh.
442* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Even when the man couldn't stop the rape, he's responsible for it. Not his rapist. Him. Somehow. And don't forget, since the predator was a woman, he must have ''[[SarcasmMode obviously wanted it]]'', because women can't sexually assault men. Victim blaming at its finest. A surprisingly common belief in RealLife.
443* {{Gorn}}: Disproportionately targeted at male characters.
444* GroinAttack: The humor seems to be partially in defying the expectation that men don't react or suffer.
445* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Audiences aren't supposed to have as much sympathy for men's suffering (particularly anonymous men), male characters are used as cannon fodder.
446* MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome
447* MotherhoodIsSuperior
448* StalkingIsFunnyIfItIsFemaleAfterMale: When a woman stalks a man, it's cute and harmless. However, if a man stalks a female, he is a [[SarcasmMode creep and a pervert.]]
449* TeacherStudentRomance: Far more acceptable when it's a female teacher and a male student.
450* TheUnfairSex: It's not the same if a woman does it to a man.
451[[/index]]
452
453Some very negative effect of this dynamic for men is:
454[[index]]
455* CircumcisionAngst: Regardless of where you sit on the pro versus con end of circumcision, genital surgery on infant boys without anesthetic is a pretty good example of ignoring male pain.
456* {{Conscription}}: With the exception of Israel (which still exempts women from combat), the draft or registration for the draft only applies to men.
457* DraftDodging: Historically men who were not willing to die or kill for their country were put to death. In UsefulNotes/WorldWarI non-enlisted men were shamed with a white feather campaign.
458* HonorRelatedAbuse: One-third of all honor killings target men. Men are sometimes targeted for failing to live up to the ideals of manhood.
459* WeHaveReserves
460[[/index]]
461[[/folder]]
462
463[[folder:Corrective Developments]]
464In some cases, creators have attempted to correct imbalances in how the genders are portrayed in fiction. These are not necessarily positive or negative corrections, just attempts to correct.
465[[index]]
466* ActionSurvivor: Male characters are now allowed a bit more latitude to freak out in the face of danger and not know what the hell they're doing or what's going on. Creators have discovered that this can make a more interesting story.
467* AuthoritativeInPublicDocileInPrivate: Someone who fits the "macho" stereotypes in public is depicted as soft and submissive to their romantic partner, probably implying that they know where to draw the line, or even that their domineering public persona is just a mask.
468* DistressedDude
469* FemaleFighterMaleHandler: Male character appears to help/aid/encourage/handle/support a female one when she's an ActionGirl, being usually a NonActionGuy.
470* FemaleGaze: The passive attributes of men are emphasized for the pleasure of (usually heterosexual female) viewers. This allows for male characters having some physical sexual value.
471* {{Househusband}}: Men have only recently become accepted as homemakers and caregivers, the traditional "motherly" roles, in contradiction to the literally centuries of assumptions that the only personal value a man could have in a family setting was as breadwinner.
472* InTouchWithHisFeminineSide
473* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Reversal of gender roles.
474* NonActionGuy
475* PapaWolf
476* ShellShockedVeteran: Male characters who've succumbed to emotional trauma related to war are now characterized in a neutral way, rather than condemned as malingerers. In other words, taking emotional damage in war can be seen as a reflection on how awful war is rather than how weak the man is.
477* ShirtlessScene: Likewise.
478* WeaknessTurnsHerOn
479[[/index]]
480[[/folder]]
481
482!!Contrasts
483%% this section should not be indexed
484[[folder:Contrasts]]
485* ActionGirl versus NonActionGuy: An action guy is expected, [[OmnipresentTropes therefore]] only the exception is tropable; an action girl is unexpected therefore tropable.
486* AllMenArePerverts versus AllWomenAreLustful: Women may be hypersexual but men take it one step further by preferring sex to be as sleazy as possible.
487* ApronMatron versus ThePatriarch
488* BeastAndBeauty: An almost AlwaysMale destructive beast or monster is contrasted with a beautiful kind and gentle woman in typically romantic stories that end with LoveRedeems
489* BuryYourDisabled versus DeathByDisfigurement: The price to pay for each gender when they fail to live up to the MenAreStrongWomenArePretty rule.
490* TheCasanova versus TheVamp: Promiscuous men are always seen as a parangon of admirable virility, a charming conqueror of willing female bodies who eventually thank him for the excellent time they had with him. Promiscuous women are almost always malevolent sluts with ulterior motives whose goal isn't harmless fun, rather the wanton destruction of any man they succeed to lure in and trap.
491* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas versus TurnOutLikeHisFather: Sons with evil fathers are more likely to turn evil themselves than their female counterparts and any goodness they, or male villains in general, do have will come from their mother.
492* EvilMatriarch versus ArchnemesisDad: [[ThePatriarch Because fathers usually represent authority]], it is expected for a father to be antagonistic in one way or another towards his children. A mother who antagonizes her children, outside of BlackComedy that is, is seen as utterly unnatural.
493* FoolishHusbandResponsibleWife: Women are portrayed as mature and wise, while men are portrayed as childish and idiotic. Comes best into play in married couples.
494* HollywoodOld versus SilverFox: Older men can still be framed as attractive, despite no longer being in their prime. Older women, on the other hand, are a big no-no. However, the emergence of tropes such as MrsRobinson tends to attenuate the sway of the DoubleStandard.
495* TheIngenue versus PsychopathicManchild: Innocence in men is more often portrayed as creepy or unnerving than innocence in women.
496* InstantSeduction versus ShowSomeLeg: Seduction for women emphasizes passive attributes; for men, it emphasizes their actions.
497* LadyLand versus NoWomansLand: A world where women aren't welcome will often be described as a violent {{Dystopia}} thriving on cruelty and injustice. A world where men aren't welcome will often be a beautiful and peaceful {{Utopia}} with no wars, no violence and utmost fairness.
498[[index]]
499* LegCling usually contrasts male dominance versus female submissiveness.
500* MarsAndVenusGenderContrast: The idea that men and women will never see eye-to-eye on any subject, sometimes to the point of being arch-enemies of each other outside the bedroom.
501* MenBuyFromMarsWomenBuyFromVenus: Exaggerating gender stereotypes to a ridiculous extreme so as to sell a product better.
502* MotherNatureFatherScience
503* PhallicWeapon versus VaginaDentata: The first is usually humorous or a [[LargeHam hammy]] expression of virility. The second is always a sinister threat of emasculation.
504* SexyDimorphism: Males of a fantasy or alien race are far more monstrous and bizarre in appearance whereas females are much more humanoid in appearance.
505* UglyGuyHotWife versus AbhorrentAdmirer: Men that are characterized as slovenly or physically unattractive are married to (and contrasted with) their wife who is typically considered beautiful according to the beauty standards of the day. An ugly woman trying to seduce an attractive man is seen as inherently comical and ridiculous since ugly women can only get men who are as ugly as they are, if not more so.
506[[/index]]
507[[/folder]]

Top