History PlayingWith / TheUnfairSex

** Alice lets Bob know she refuses to give him grief for being attracted towards an MsFanservice actress in a movie they're watching, even though Bob is otherwise entirely loyal to her as she is to him; she has more than few images of the movie's own MrFanservice saved on her phone herself, and complaining to Bob about it would only make her a {{Hypocrite}}.

** The worst thing that happens to Bob is... being scolded for not hanging [[{{Sexiled}} a tie on the door]]. Turns out Alice and Bob aren't the kind of married couple to [[{{Polyamory}} let that whole "sacred loyalty" thing]] get in the way of the unfathomably tremendous mutual love and trust they already have for each other, unlike ''those'' prudes.

** Alice refuses to give Bob grief for being attracted towards an MsFanservice actress in a movie they're watching, even though she knows Bob is otherwise entirely loyal to her; she has more than few images of the movie's own MrFanservice saved on her phone herself, and she's aware that complaining to Bob about it would only make her a {{Hypocrite}}.

** Alice refuses to give Bob grief for being attracted towards an MrsFanservice actress in a movie they're watching, even though she knows Bob is otherwise entirely loyal to her; she has more than few images of the movie's own MrFanservice saved on her phone herself, and she's aware that calling him out would only make her a {{Hypocrite}}.

** Bob kicks down the door while wielding a shotgun...
---> '''Charles:''' Bob, what are you doing?\\
'''Alice:''' [[OhCrap Oh,]] ''[[OhCrap shit!]]''\\
'''Bob:''' [[AsTheGoodBookSays "...For jealousy arouses the husband's fury..."]] *[[DramaticGunCock Chik-chik]]* [[AsTheGoodBookSays "...and he shall show no mercy when he takes revenge."]]\\
''And blows them both to hell''.
* '''Discussed''': "You know, just because you're a woman, that doesn't make it okay to cheat".
* '''Conversed''': "How come women on TV are always able to get away with cheating?"
* '''Implied''': Alice and Bob get into plenty of arguments, and Bob is most often seen getting punishments for transgressions. Other characters will often mention Alice giving Bob "the short end of the stick again".

** Alice and Bob are not only sexually liberal, but they also aren't the kind of married couple to [[{{Polyamory}} let that whole "sacred loyalty" thing get in the way of the unbreakable mutual love and trust they already have for each other]]. Said trust has reached the point where either partner is completely fine with the other gawking at -- or even sleeping with -- other members of the opposite sex, ''even egging each other on and laughing about it like two best friends''. The worst thing that happens to Bob is being scolded for not hanging [[{{Sexiled}} a tie on the door]].

** Alice and Bob are revealed to be [[{{Polyamory much more sexually liberal]] yet completely trustful of each other, to the point either can gawk at -- or even sleep with -- any other attractive member of the opposite sex ''in front of the other partner'' and actually joke and laugh about it. The worst thing that happens to Bob is being scolded for not hanging [[{{Sexiled}} a tie on the door]].

** [[{{Polyamory}} Bob and Alice are swingers]]. The worst thing that happens to Bob is being scolded for not hanging [[{{Sexiled}} a tie on the door]].

* '''Gender Inverted''':
** Bob's affair is portrayed sympathetically. Alice's affair isn't.

** Bob and Alice both refuse so much as look at a member of the respective opposite sex. Everyone praises Alice for being faithful, but not Bob, even though he put the same amount of effort in.

* '''Justified''': Alice has [[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery a relatively sympathetic reason for her cheating]], while Bob just wanted an easy lay.

* '''Inverted''':
** Bob's affair (the result of Alice not touching him once ''ever'') is portrayed sympathetically. Alice's affair (which happened because Bob wasn't big enough) isn't.

* '''Averted''': Alice is making excuses as to why she was justified in cheating, [[ArmorPiercingResponse only to be told]] by her friend [[TheConscience Elizabeth]] that [[ThisIsUnforgivable there really]] [[TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil is no excuse]].

--> '''Charles:''' "Bob, what are you doing?"\\
'''Alice:''' [[OhCrap "Oh,]] ''[[OhCrap shit!"]]''\\
'''Bob:''' "[[AsTheGoodBookSays '...For jealousy arouses the husband's fury...]]" *[[DramaticGunCock Chik-chik]]* "[[AsTheGoodBookSays ...and he shall show no mercy when he takes revenge.']]"\\

** [[DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale Alice rapes another man and it gets portrayed as him tempting her to cheat on her husband]]. But Bob gets a kiss on the cheek from his ex and it's portrayed as the worst thing he could ever do to Alice.

** Alice sleeps with Charles as part of a ScarpaUltimatum while Bob just wants an easy lay from Diane. Their cheating is portrayed as equally wrong.

** Alice has caught Bob having sex with another woman. Bob tries to justify it, and refuses to talk about it further or get counseling, which angers Alice. Then she finds out that he was only letting her believe he was cheating on her because he didn't want to admit the truth, which is that [[DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale the other woman raped him.]]

* '''Double Subverted''': All of Bob's explanations are just excuses he made up on the fly.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob had a pretty sympathetic reason too - but he just made it up. Then it turns out Alice was making her excuse up as well...

* '''Enforced''': "That scene where the wife got bitched out for cheating didn't test well with the females in the crowd, and we know they'll be buying most of the tickets. Change it to where she's portrayed all sympathetically."
* '''Lampshaded''': "How come with Alice it's always ''my'' fault?" "Because you're the guy, Bob".

* '''Exploited''': Alice cheats on Bob with impunity, knowing that if she ever gets caught, she can just use the old "I was just momentarily weak" excuse and she'll get off scot-free.

** Bob finds out and divorces her, getting a huge alimony, the kids, the house, the car, the dog, and the wedding china because he's the wronged party.

* '''Implied''': Alice and Bob get into plenty of arguments, and bob is most often seen getting punishments for transgressions. Other characters will often mention Alice giving Bob "the short end of the stick again".

Back to TheUnfairSex

* '''Inverted''': Bob's affair (the result of Alice not touching him once ''ever'') is portrayed sympathetically. Alice's affair (which happened because Bob wasn't big enough) isn't.

* '''Averted''': Alice is making excuses as to why she was justified in cheating, only to be told by her friend Elizabeth that there really is no excuse.

** Alice's affairs are justified by being a part of her [[HeroicBSOD emotional breakdown]] from Bob's betrayal and the subsequent divorce. Meanwhile, [[ImAManICantHelpIt Bob is now cheating on Diane with another mistress]].

* '''Reconstructed''': Alice's affairs are justified by being a part of her [[HeroicBSOD emotional breakdown]] from Bob's betrayal and the subsequent divorce. Meanwhile, [[ImAManICantHelpIt Bob is now cheating on Diane with another mistress]].
* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': After years of this, a subplot becomes Bob's seemingly building anger at how lopsided this treatment is, and it seems to be building up to Alice getting told off because of it. At the last moment Bob chickens out, and realizes that because he's that kind of person is why Alice can blame him.

* '''Enforced''': "That scene where the wife got bitched out for cheating didn't test well with the females in the crowd, and we know they'll be buying most of the tickets. Change it to where she's portrayed all sympathetically".

* '''Played For Laughs''': Alice's judgments are so out of order not even Bob takes them seriously, and both his and Alice's friends will make up stories so he doesn't have to go through Alice's increasingly absurd punishments.
** Alternatively, Alice's [[HypocriticalHumor hypocrisy]] can be seen from ''space'' and is so transparent that, again, it's not taken seriously.
** Alternatively Alternatively, Alice comes up with every excuse in the book as to why it's all Bob's fault. None of them work because they're either [[BlatantLies blatantly untrue]] or just [[InsaneTrollLogic make no sense]].

* '''Justified''':
** Alice has [[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery a relatively sympathetic reason for her cheating]], while Bob just wanted an easy lay.
** Women tend to be more sympathetic naturally then men based on cultural standards. Even in real life women have more leeway, even if others do call them on their actions more often than in media, based on culture.

'''Basic Trope''': When a woman does something wrong, she's sympathetic. When a man does something wrong, it's just plain wrong.

'''Basic Trope''': When she does something wrong, it's sympathetic. When he does something wrong, it's not.

** [[{{Polyamory}} Bob and Alice are swingers]]. The worst thing that happens to Bob is being scolded for not hanging a tie on the door.

** [[{{Polyamoury}} Bob and Alice are swingers]].

'''Bob:''' "[[AsTheGoodBookSays '...For jealousy arouses the husband's fury...]] *[[DramaticGunCock Chik-chik]]* [[AsTheGoodBookSays and he shall show no mercy when he takes revenge.']]"\\