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Author: raithe

Apr 11th 2013 at 2:15:41 PM

The problem is I don't see BettyAndVeronica as clearly different.  While I agree with SpearCounterpart / DistaffCounterpart being about male and female patterns of doing things, I'm not seeing enough of a difference here, especially since the tropes we're considering are not strictly defined along gender.  You said this trope could apply to men, and BettyAndVeronica to women.  MrFanservice and MsFanservice also aren't what you think they are, they are specifically about physical things, not the personalities involved.

I've looked through the SpearCounterpart list.  I don't see any pair of tropes where either trope could apply to a gender.  For example, MamaBear would never be confused with PapaWolf, because the defining difference is gender.  You will never have a male MamaBear, but under the proposed trope, you could have a male GentlemanOrScoundrel.  That just seems to me to be rather risky.

As to the main differences: the lifestyles focus seems to just be a combination of RichSuitorPoorSuitor and BettyAndVeronica to me, and that usually isn't recommended.  The preference for the Gentleman thing seems like TheSameButMoreSpecific, and it is already mentioned under Betty in BettyAndVeronica.  And, most importantly, how do you define the difference between edgy and dangerous?  This is especially uncertain if the gender lines are not the clear distinction between the tropes, and because there is no clear definition of dangerous to fall back on.

You seem to be suggesting that the female person choosing in this trope is usually helpless and the females being chosen in BettyAndVeronica.  Not only do several of your examples contradict this (Buffy, Pirates), but with your unclear definition of dangerous, I would argue that many Betty and Veronicas are dangerous.

Also, in the Twilight example, not only do the two love interests seem to split your characterizations of the gentleman and scoundrel, but Jacob is just as dangerous as Edward.  Remember when the pack leader almost killed his fiance?