TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Crazy, stupid, love - romantic comedies are misandrist.

Go To

Esteban009 Bitter Hateful Cynic from Practically Atlantis Since: Jan, 2010
Bitter Hateful Cynic
#1: Dec 17th 2011 at 2:16:05 AM

So romantic comedies like Crazy, Stupid, Love are all about telling men that there are double standards, and that men are always in the wrong.

When a woman cheats, it's the husband's fault, when a man cheats is all his fault. When a woman has an affair or is sexually pro-active, she's portrayed as empowered and strong and breaking barriers in a positive way, when a man does it, he's a lonely old pervert who is using women for selfish needs.

While women can be portrayed as emotionally messed-up, they at least get the chance to grow out of it, or get presented in a manner that is at least in part worth emulating. When men get portrayed as emotionally stunted or retarded, they tend to stay in that place more often than women. They never get to learn something, but when they do learn something, it's always as an extension of the woman.

Why do people always focus on the female-element in romantic comedies, and never on the male element?

Firebert That One Guy from Somewhere in Illinois Since: Jan, 2001
That One Guy
#2: Dec 17th 2011 at 2:30:53 AM

Because the target audience is women?

Support Gravitaz on Kickstarter!
NoirGrimoir Rabid Fujoshi from San Diego, CA Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Rabid Fujoshi
#3: Dec 17th 2011 at 4:27:10 AM

The very title has 'Crazy' and 'Stupid' in it, you really thought it would be good?

But in all honesty, while I see your plight, male media tends to portray women as cardboard cutouts of people only good for sex objects who are either a hot lay or a Femme Fatale out to seduce and screw them over, or just ugly and not worth their time, and doesn't go into the female psychology at all. Romantic-Comedies hardly have the monopoly on Double Standards and Unfortunate Implications.

edited 17th Dec '11 4:27:32 AM by NoirGrimoir

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)
Schitzo HIGH IMPACT SEXUAL VIOLENCE from Akumajou Dracula Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: LA Woman, you're my woman
HIGH IMPACT SEXUAL VIOLENCE
#4: Dec 17th 2011 at 10:29:13 AM

I agree with the op. But sadly, I think this falls squarely under a complaint thread.

But I think your criticisms are valid none the less.

ALL CREATURE WILL DIE AND ALL THE THINGS WILL BE BROKEN. THAT'S THE LAW OF SAMURAI.
jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#5: Dec 17th 2011 at 1:36:42 PM

Outside rom-coms, though, women are often portrayed as airheaded, unreliable, flighty, and so on, while men are much more likely to be portrayed as competent and levelheaded (and are far more likely to be the protagonist in the first place). The White Knight-style perfect boyfriend is also pretty common in rom-coms and romances (eg, Hugh Grant from Kate And Leopold), and that's the polar opposite of what you're talking about. So I don't find your complaints very compelling.

Also, complaint thread. Lock it.

Dekunobo from underground bunker Since: Aug, 2011
#6: Dec 17th 2011 at 2:03:08 PM

"But in all honesty, while I see your plight, male media tends to portray women as cardboard cutouts of people only good for sex objects who are either a hot lay or a Femme Fatale out to seduce and screw them over, or just ugly and not worth their time, and doesn't go into the female psychology at all. Romantic-Comedies hardly have the monopoly on Double Standards and Unfortunate Implications. "

Yeah, pretty much. When you look at the way Hollywood treats women in every other genre of film, bringing up issues with portrayals of men in rom-coms seems like such a non-issue. And I'm a man by the way.

edited 17th Dec '11 2:03:26 PM by Dekunobo

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7: Dec 17th 2011 at 2:34:58 PM

I'd say that the problem of sexism in either direction goes so deep that trying to construct a story without such issues would be a near impossible without this particular element hijacking everything in a great show of irony.

So how about just going with whatever makes the plot work, and wait for the world to actually move on?

MarkVonLewis Since: Jun, 2010
#8: Dec 18th 2011 at 12:30:30 AM

jewel: This doesn't strike me as a complaint thread; this thread brings up a valid complaint that can be discussed unlike most complaint threads.

edited 18th Dec '11 12:30:40 AM by MarkVonLewis

AirofMystery Since: Jan, 2001
#9: Dec 18th 2011 at 1:15:02 AM

Yeah, pretty much. When you look at the way Hollywood treats women in every other genre of film, bringing up issues with portrayals of men in rom-coms seems like such a non-issue. And I'm a man by the way.

So? We should decry misogyny of women in film, but we should just as equally decry misandry. Just because misandry is rare, or because men are the more advantaged gender, doesn't mean misandry is okay and criticising it is not important.

WarriorEowyn from Victoria Since: Oct, 2010
#10: Dec 19th 2011 at 12:55:02 AM

(Most) rom-coms are sexist against everybody, because they portray both men and women as caricatures rather than people. The most egregious example I can think of is The Ugly Truth (which I did not watch, but the trailers were clear enough about its message), which is all about how men are only interested in sex. And the completely sexist guy "gets the girl", of course. On the other side, one of the main negative stereotypes of women in rom-coms is that it's impossible for a woman to have a career that's she's successful in and dedicated to without being an icy bitch who doesn't know how to relax.

You may be right that there are fewer rom-coms that come at it from the male perspective, though - perhaps because filmmakers don't expect guys to go to rom-coms except when dragged there by their girlfriends (a sexist assumption in itself). A couple examples of onces that I can think of, though, are The Forty-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up.

edited 19th Dec '11 12:58:04 AM by WarriorEowyn

NoirGrimoir Rabid Fujoshi from San Diego, CA Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Rabid Fujoshi
#11: Dec 19th 2011 at 1:35:12 AM

[up]The Ugly Truth ended up being a bit more than that (like the guy was hurt by a bad relationship with a girl and decided to basically give up on love), so it got better by the end but, yeah, not to the point that it really redeemed itself.

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)
Buscemi I Am The Walrus from a log cabin Since: Jul, 2010
I Am The Walrus
#12: Dec 19th 2011 at 2:42:26 AM

I found this film nothing more than a redone version of Dan In Real Life with Emma Stone as the Emily Blunt character.

More Buscemi at http://forum.reelsociety.com/
johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#13: Dec 19th 2011 at 10:25:55 PM

Ever notice how men aren't supposed to jump the bones of some woman he's attracted to in films? Only women can do that. And it's treated as a big momentous honor, too.

edited 19th Dec '11 10:27:47 PM by johnnyfog

I'm a skeptical squirrel
NoirGrimoir Rabid Fujoshi from San Diego, CA Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Rabid Fujoshi
#14: Dec 19th 2011 at 11:29:12 PM

[up]What about James Bond?

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)
invisigoth from Seattle Since: Feb, 2011
#15: Dec 19th 2011 at 11:35:52 PM

I'm sorry, you think romantic comedies treat women in a way that is fair, accurate, or favorable? Yes, there are some double standards. But come on now.

Sporkaganza I'm glasses. Since: May, 2009
I'm glasses.
#16: Dec 20th 2011 at 3:08:32 AM

Romantic comedies are awful to all sexes and genders. They are sexist against both men and women in different ways. In fact, all media is guilty of sexism against men and women, but romantic comedies are especially egregious.

Also, misandry doesn't actually exist, at least on a sociological scale, but I'm not gonna get into that now.

edited 20th Dec '11 3:09:36 AM by Sporkaganza

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#17: Dec 20th 2011 at 10:39:30 AM

What about James Bond?

Well, since you've brought it up, the pendulum has swung the other way with 007. He can't straight-up rape women like in Dalton or Moore's day. (Not really rape, but it is implied that women like to struggle a bit before succumbing).

Now I see women in rom-coms doing the same thing to men, and the men are sort of awestruck that this Venus De Milo is unveiling her flower to them.

Fortunately, you also have Knocked Up or Bridesmaids, with less-romanticized sex scenes.

edited 20th Dec '11 10:40:29 AM by johnnyfog

I'm a skeptical squirrel
Dekunobo from underground bunker Since: Aug, 2011
#18: Dec 20th 2011 at 3:26:51 PM

"So? We should decry misogyny of women in film, but we should just as equally decry misandry. Just because misandry is rare, or because men are the more advantaged gender, doesn't mean misandry is okay and criticising it is not important. "

Sorry, I guess I'm overreacting a bit because just used to hearing men's rights activists start the kind of discussion here about misandric depictions in film and then rant about how it's proof that feminists have turned men into second-class citizens or something like that. But I shouldn't assume that's what the OP's angle is.

jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#19: Dec 20th 2011 at 5:33:45 PM

[up]The word "misandrist" is rarely used in good faith. Still, it's worth assuming it's being used in good faith unless the OP proves otherwise.

Add Post

Total posts: 19
Top