History Main / MenAreUncultured

* Played straight in the Epic of Gilgamesh, in which Enkidu is ultimately the most uncultured, and his first taste of [[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow culture]] is a woman. This makes it so that he can no longer talk to the animals.

* Inverted with [[MoeAnthropomorphism Austria]] in ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia''. He loves the fine arts and music and hates the outdoors -- and is definitely more cultured than his wife Hungary.
* Unlike the rest of his male comrades who are enthralled with the extravagance that the taxpayers' money give to the Midland aristocratic-held ball, Guts from ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'' doesn't seem very impressed with his surroundings (noblewomen and all) and spends the majority of the time supporting the wall away from the commotion. [[spoiler: In fact, he only went to the ball in order to counterattack in the assassination plot against Griffith.]] Guts also isn't big on reading, so the only chance he'll be picking up one of [[DoorStopper those sleeping pills]] is if there is an array of pornographic art in it. But what do you expect? He's a mercenary.
** Not to mention that, due to the setting, he probably has {{never learned to read}}.

* Subverted in ''Film/TheFifthElement''. Cab driver, ex-commando and all-around manly man Korben Dallas is hauled off to the opera to meet with his contact... and is so moved by the performance he almost bursts into tears. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i86Ugyg3nfk See attached.]] For bonus points, [[EnforcedMethodActing that was the first time Bruce Willis saw that performance and his reaction is entirely unscripted.]]

-->'''Angel''': I saw their production of ''Giselle'' in 1890. I cried like a baby. And I was evil!
** For being a badass, leather jacket wearing vampire, Angel was pretty psyched. Then again, Angel is a badass, leather jacket wearing vampire who has been known to sing awful, mangled karaoke versions of [[Music/BarryManilow "Mandy"]] because he "thinks it's pretty".
** Angel gives an impromptu lesson about Baudelaire to a bunch of museum tourists while tracking a humanoid demon (who had told a security guard that Angel was stalking her--meaning he also had to evade the guard). It was an impressive EstablishingCharacterMoment in the otherwise execrable episode ''She.''

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'' played this very straight. Anytime one of the male characters showed an interest in something other than sports, beer or women, he was mocked not only by the other men but also by the women.

** In another episode, Marge is astonished at Homer's receptiveness to a night at at the ballet. He replies, "I enjoy all the meats of our cultural stew!" However, a minds-eye glimpse reveals that Homer, for some reason, thinks ballet involves a bear riding in a little car ([[StrangeMindsThinkAlike and so does Carl]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' had this happen in the episode "Exile From Guyville", where a fight between Duckman and Bernice ends up causing a national exodus between the genders when each side gets sick of the various foibles and flaws of the others, leading to the entire U.S separating down the middle, with the East Coast going to the women, and the West Coast going to the men. It's even specifically stated that the East was given to the women for its culture, apparently ignoring Los Angeles. The women's side becomes a refined, cultural place while the men turn theirs into a mix between a giant sports bar, Film/MadMax and a cattle ranch. ''On purpose'', mind you. The men also take the opportunity to just run around in their underwear constantly.

* {{Tintin}}: Recap/TintinTheCalculusAffair has Tintin and Captain Haddock hiding in the Klow opera. Tintin wakes the Captain up at the end with a disapproving GrandeDame looking on.

* Comicbook/{{Pondus}} ''runs'' on this trope. Straight men are obliged to be ignorant of ''anything'' cultural - except sports, at least if you ask Pondus himself.
* Comicbook/{{Nemi}} as well. Nemi innocently asks a boy in a park if he likes poems. He panics on the spot and states that he is straight, not a homo...
* In {{Blacksad}}, Smirnov is dragged to a gallery by his wife since she wants their children to appreciate fine art, he is surprised to see that Blacksad is here. Blacksad himself is only there for a job and is somewhat indifferent to the paintings. However, one woman who is part of a left-leaning intellectual group says that cultured and smart don't always go together.

* Unlike the rest of his male comrades who are enthralled with the extravagance that the taxpayers' money give to the Midland aristocratic-held ball, [[{{Manga/Berserk}} Guts]] doesn't seem very impressed with his surroundings (noblewomen and all) and spends the majority of the time supporting the wall away from the commotion. [[spoiler: In fact, he only went to the ball in order to counterattack in the assassination plot against Griffith.]] Guts also isn't big on reading, so the only chance he'll be picking up one of [[DoorStopper those sleeping pills]] is if there is an array of pornographic art in it. But what do you expect? He's a mercenary.
** Not to mention that, due to the setting, he probably has never learned to read.

* In ''Anime/{{Vandread}}'' Tarak and Mejale are separated by men and women respectively. Mejale is a bright and shiny planet with high tech features and women dress in unique fashion. Tarak is a militarized planet, where everyone is either in the military or a factory worker and eats food pellets.

* Discussed by Harry King in ''Discworld/RaisingSteam'' as he and his wife move up Ankh-Morpork's social circles. He hates it.

* Subverted in ''Film/TheFifthElement''. Cab driver, ex-commando and all-around manly man Korben Dallas is hauled off to the opera to meet with his contact... and is so moved by the performance he almost bursts into tears. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoW_ZOfsrzA See attached.]] For bonus points, [[EnforcedMethodActing that was the first time Bruce Willis saw that performance and his reaction is entirely unscripted.]]

* Unlike the rest of his male comrades who are enthralled with the extravagance that the taxpayers' money give to the Midland aristocratic-held ball, [[{{Manga/Berserk}} Guts]] doesn't seem very impressed with his surroundings (noblewomen and all) and spends the majority of the time supporting the wall away from the commotion. [[spoiler: In fact, he only went to the ball in order to counterattack in the assassination plot against Griffith.]] Guts also isn't big on reading, so the only chance he'll be picking up one of [[DoorStopper those sleeping pills]] is if there is an [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments array of pornographic art in it]]. But what do you expect? He's a mercenary.

* Inverted with [[MoeAnthropomorphism Austria]] in ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia''. He loves the fine arts and music, and hates the outdoors--and is definitely more cultured than his wife Hungary.

* In ''Anime/{{Vandread}}'' Tarak and Mejale are separated by men and women respectively. Mejale is a bright and shiny planet with high tech features and women dress in unique fashion. Tarak is a militarized planet, where every one is either in the military or a factory worker, and eat food pellets.

* Comicbook/{{Nemi}} as well. Nemi innocently asks a boy in a park if he likes poems. He panicks on the spot and states that he is straight, not a homo...
* In {{Blacksad}}, Smirnov is dragged to a gallery by his wife since she wants their children to appreciate fine art, he is surprised to see that Blacksad is here. Blacksad himself is only there for a job and is somewhat indifferent to the paintings. However one woman who is part of a left leaning intellectual group says that cultured and smart don't always go together.

* In ''Film/RepliKate'', a journalist who comes to interview two scientists is [[AppliedPhlebotinum accidently cloned]]. The clone is a blank slate, and the lead's wacky friend decides to educate her to prefer football and beer and other blokey things. He ends up as the [[HenpeckedHusband henpecked boyfriend]] to a boorish {{ladette}} who doesn't care about his feelings. (The lead and the real Kate are much happier together.)

* Subverted in ''Film/TheFifthElement''. Cab driver, ex-commando and all-round manly man Korben Dallas is hauled off to the opera to meet with his contact... and is so moved by the performance he almost bursts into tears. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoW_ZOfsrzA See attached.]] For bonus points, [[EnforcedMethodActing that was the first time Bruce Willis saw that performance, and his reaction is entirely unscripted.]]
* Henry Higgins believes in the inversion of this trope in ''Film/MyFairLady'', according to his song "I'm An Ordinary Man," with lines such as "You want to talk of Keats or Milton; She only wants to talk of love. You go to see a play or ballet; And spend it searching for her glove." This is probably because of ValuesDissonance from his time period versus the modern version of this trope, plus the fact that he is a member of the upperclass and thus is proud of being educated and cultured.
* Contrasted in ''Film/Se7en''. Detective Somerset is portrayed as the man bleeding acculturization, where he even digs into Dante Alighieri to try solving some cases. His partner Mills plys the other end, with an example of him throwing away a book, disdainfully of course.

* Inverted in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'': Jerin's grandfather was the one who taught the whole family table manners and such stuff. The Grandmas were uncultured soldiers before they [[AbductionIsLove acquired]] [[ExoticExtendedMarriage their]] husband, and became [[HenpeckedHusband roosterpecked wives]], who would do anything to make him happy.

* A variant in ''Series/NoahsArc'': Masculine guy Wade invites the artsy, feminine Noah to watch the movie he worked on. Its turns out to be a cheesy, low-brow BuddyCopShow film, during which Noah quickly falls asleep.

* Completely averted in ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', where Frasier and Niles are both very, very cultured. Their father Martin, less so. Daphne also finds opera boring. But subverted behind the scenes where John Mahoney (Martin) is a very cultured man, and in fact introduced David Hyde Pierce (Niles) to opera.

* This trope is inverted in the second season of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' when Ted and Robin begin dating. Ted is a lover of classical literature, art films, and intellectual discussion (to the point where his friends sometimes call him out for being pretentious). Meanwhile, Robin is a [[TheLadette lad-ette]] who loves hockey, scotch, cigars, guns, and other sterotypically "manly" things.

* ''Series/PawnStars:'' subverted by Rick, the Old Man, and even Chumlee, who are quite knowledgeable about art, history, and culture. Played straight with Corey, who's never even seen ''Franchise/StarWars'' and doesn't think highly of people who have.

* Detailed in "The Truth About Men," a collaboration of male country music artists including Tracy Byrd, Blake Shelton, Eddie Montomery, Troy Gentry, and Andy Griggs.

* {{Averted}} in Myth/NorseMythology by Odin, who, aside from being god of war, prophecy and death, is also the god of poetry. Granted, Norse poetry is basically action movies set in verse.

** In another episode, Marge is astonished at Homer's receptiveness to a night at at the ballet. He replies, "I enjoy all the meats of our cultural stew!" However, a mind's-eye glimpse reveals that Homer, for some reason, thinks ballet involves a bear riding in a little car ([[StrangeMindsThinkAlike and so does Carl]]).

** In one episode, Lisa uses ''Literature/LittleWomen'' to teach Bart how to read (or at least, read above a First Grade level). He is later shown reading the book for his own enjoyment, when Nelson and the other bullies catch him in the act. They first tell him to read, with the implication that they won't beat him as severely if he does. By the end, they're threatening to beat him if he doesn't finish the book tomorrow. As they leave, they discuss the novel and critique Bart's narrative skills (i.e. not giving the various characters distinctive voices).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' had an episode where men and women were separated. The men's half of the world turned into a barbaric ''Film/MadMax'' style wasteland dedicated to junk food, sports, cars and fighting. The side with the women became an advanced civilization of fine arts similar to Ancient Greece.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' had this happen in the episode "Exile From Guyville", where a fight between Duckman and Bernice ends up causing a national exodus between the genders when each side gets sick of the various foibles and flaws of the others, leading to the entire U.S separating down the middle, with the East Coast going to the women, and the West Coast going to the men. Its even specifically stated that the East was given to the women for its culture, apparently ignoring Los Angeles. The womens side becomes a refined, cultural place while the men turns theirs into a mix between a giant sports bar, Film/MadMax and a cattle ranch. ''On purpose'', mind you. The men also take the opportunity to just run around in their underwear constantly.

Compare MenDontCry, WomenAreWiser; BuffoonishTomcat is a related trope for cat examples. When [[GuysAreSlobs the man is a slob]], this trope is almost always included also, but the opposite isn't always true. Surprisingly, despite the fact that TheLadette can be basically summarized as "a man's attitudes/behaviors in a woman's body", you very rarely see ladettes who have the same aversion to "culture". Contrast RealMenWearPink for manly men unafraid to show their softer side, and CulturedBadass for manly men who find your lack of appreciation for opera grounds for a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown.

* Played with in ''Franchise/{{Emergency}}'' when the personnel of Station 51 are visited by a female TV reporter who assumes they are not cultured. Indignant, they set out to prove her wrong by showing all the sophisticated arts hobbies they indulge in. Unfortunately, they do ''too well'' as the previously promised football game tickets she promised them and they were eagerly anticipating were switched out for opera show ones by her on the assumption that they would prefer them.

* ''DragonBall'' does this with Goku, though he was raised on the outskirts of civilization not to mention his later revelation of being a Saiyan (and the head truama as an infant). However, most of the Saiyans are 'uncultured' by human standards, being a race devoted to fighting.

* Unlike the rest of his male comrades who are enthralled with the extravagance that the taxpayers' money give to the Midland aristocratic-held ball, [[{{Manga/Berserk}} Guts]] doesn't seem very impressed with his surroundings (noblewomen and all) and spends the majority of the time supporting the wall away from the commotion. [[spoiler: In fact, he only went to the ball in order to counterattack in the assassination plot against Griffith.]] Guts also isn't big on reading, so the only chance he'll be picking up one of [[DoorStopper those sleeping pills]] is if there is an [[CrowningMomentOfFunny array of pornographic art in it]]. But what do you expect? He's a mercenary.

->''Don't send flowers\\

Don't fill my head with poetry''

Compare MenDontCry, WomenAreWiser, BuffoonishTomcat is a related trope for cat examples. When [[GuysAreSlobs the man is a slob]], this trope is almost always included also, but the opposite isn't always true. Surprisingly, despite the fact that TheLadette can be basically summarized as "a man's attitudes/behaviors in a woman's body", you very rarely see ladettes who have the same aversion to "culture". Contrast RealMenWearPink for manly men unafraid to show their softer side, and CulturedBadass for manly men who find your lack of appreciation for opera grounds for a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' had an episode where men and women were separated. The men's half of the world turned into a barbaric Film/MadMax style wasteland dedicated to junk food, sports, cars and fighting. The side with the women became an advanced civilization of fine arts similar to Ancient Greece.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' had an episode where men and women were separated. The men's half of the world turned into a barbaric MadMax style wasteland dedicated to junk food, sports, cars and fighting. The side with the women became an advanced civilization of fine arts similar to Ancient Greece.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' had this happen in the episode "Exile From Guyville", where a fight between Duckman and Bernice ends up causing a national exodus between the genders when each side gets sick of the various foibles and flaws of the others, leading to the entire U.S separating down the middle, with the East Coast going to the women, and the West Coast going to the men. Its even specifically stated that the East was given to the women for its culture, apparently ignoring Los Angeles. The womens side becomes a refined, cultural place while the men turns theirs into a mix between a giant sports bar, MadMax and a cattle ranch. ''On purpose'', mind you. The men also take the opportunity to just run around in their underwear constantly.

** As part of his legal upgrade, Gunn has complete mastery of GilbertAndSullivan (to help with diction).

Primarily in {{Sit Com}}s: Men absolutely [[AtTheOperaTonight loathe opera, classical music, visual arts, and books]]. But they LOOOOOVE sports. If they don't act in this manner, there's either something wrong with them or they're CampGay. Never mind that virtually all {{opera}} and classical music -- and most literary books -- [[MostWritersAreMale were written by men]] specifically as manly diversions, those things aren't manly!

Primarily in {{Sit Com}}s: Men absolutely [[AtTheOperaTonight loathe opera, classical music, visual arts, and books]]. But they LOOOOOVE sports. If they don't act in this manner, there's either something wrong with them or they're CampGay. Never mind that virtually all {{opera}} and classical music - and most literary books - [[MostWritersAreMale were written by men]] specifically as manly diversions, those things aren't manly!

* Inverted by XKCD [[http://xkcd.com/586/ here]].

-->''Don't send flowers\\

Don't fill my head with poetry''\\
--Music/AliceCooper, ''Fantasy Man''

** For being a badass, leather jacket wearing vampire, Angel was pretty psyched. Then again, Angel is a badass, leather jacket wearing vampire who has been known to sing awful, mangled karaoke versions of [[BarryManilow "Mandy"]] because he "thinks it's pretty".

** Especially hilarious since at least two of them, Jerry Orbach (Lenny) and Jesse L. Martin (Green) were seasoned Broadway veterans.