History Main / AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits

->''"This movie has done for feminism what ''Film/BirthOfANation'' did for equal rights."''\\
--'''''[[WebVideo/BestOfTheWorst Best of the Worst]]''''' watches ''{{Film/Supergirl}}''

** GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Consequence of the above

->''"She's a woman; she just care about finding a man. This movie has done for feminism what ''Film/BirthOfANation'' did for equal rights."''
-->--'''''[[Creator/RedLetterMedia Best of the Worst]]''''' watches ''{{Film/Supergirl}}''

In our culture, there are certain careers, goals, and traits that are considered "feminine". This naturally bleeds into fiction, where we expect a female character to have at least one of these traits or goals. If she doesn't have any of them, she may be criticized as being too masculine or because NoGuyWantsAnAmazon. If she has too many, she may come under fire from the RealWomenNeverWearDresses crowd.

* RealWomenNeverWearDresses: A female character can be strong and assertive or pretty and feminine, but not both.

* AllWomenLoveShoes

* FeminineWomenCanCook: She can't cook? Clearly this is [[PlayedForLaughs meant to be funny]], a chance to get in a Take That at some group, or a sign of her insufficient femininity.

* MadonnaWhoreComplex: A character's value is based entirely on whether she's a virgin. If she is, she's pure and virtuous and potential wife material. If she isn't, she's a dirty whore.

* WomenAreDelicate

* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Female characters' achievements all rise from her connections to a more important man, never something they earned by themselves.
* PrincessPhase: When little girls dream of power, it's only the kind of power that gives them pretty dresses and handsome prince husbands.

* RetailTherapy: There are no worries or concerns are on a woman's mind that a trip to the mall can't solve.

* BehindEveryGreatMan: Women shouldn't expect to get credit for their accomplishments.
* CareerVersusMan: A woman forced to choose between getting her man or keeping her career will almost always choose the man.
* ChickFlick: Every woman loves these! The ones who claim otherwise are lying or they have something wrong with them.

* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals

* LineageComesFromTheFather[=/=]HeirClubForMen: Takes for granted that royal women cannot rule. A queen's job is to produce the sons for the man's SingleLineOfDescent.
* MadonnaWhoreComplex: If you're a woman, you either have your hymen or you don't. If you do, you're wife material. If you don't, you're a disgusting whore who should be ashamed of existing.

* AllLesbiansWantKids (All women ''should'' want kids, regardless of any other factors)

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished (You can have your female characters do non-feminine things, but you can't make them less pretty as a result of the things they do.)
* BehindEveryGreatMan (Women shouldn't expect to get credit for their accomplishments)
* CareerVersusMan (Same as "Family Versus Career", only the choice is between getting the man and keeping her career. As with that one, choosing the man is almost a given.)
* ChickFlick: All women love this genre of film. And the ones who don't, ''should'' love it.
* FamilyVersusCareer (A female character cannot have both a career and a family; she ''must'' choose to give one up. It's going to be family that wins if you want her to be a "good" character.)

* FeminineWomenCanCook (Not being able to cook is used as a joke, a Take That, or to indicate that the character is somehow unfeminine.)

* IJustWantToBeBeautiful: There's nothing more important to a woman than her physical appearance. If you're not born beautiful, unless you're rich enough to get cosmetic surgery, you won't achieve anything of worth in your life, ever.
* LineageComesFromTheFather[=/=]HeirClubForMen: (Women cannot rule, only produce the rulers for the men's SingleLineOfDescent)

* MandatoryMotherhood (Even if you don't want children, cosmic forces will ensure that you ''[[ButThouMust must]]'' conceive a baby.)

* MyBiologicalClockIsTicking (Every woman wants a baby as she approaches menopause, even if she never did before.)

* NeverASelfMadeWoman (Female characters' achievements should always be the emulation of a more important man, never something they earned by themselves.)
* PrincessPhase: It's okay for young women to seek positions of power as long as they aren't as powerful as say a Queen and even then they usually tend to grow out of it.
* RealWomenNeverWearDresses (You can't have a strong female character if she presents in a feminine style)
* RetailTherapy (If a woman is depressed, concerned about something, or worried, all it takes is a nice day of shopping to make her feel all better.)

* VanityIsFeminine: Being a shallow bimbo with no other concern than her beauty is what femininity is all about.

* MandatoryMotherhood (Unless you're a total bitch whose mere existence is an aberration, you ''[[ButThouMust must]]'' conceive a baby.)

* AllLesbiansWantKids (All women want kids, regardless of any other factors)

* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals
* LineageComesFromTheFather (Women cannot rule, only produce the rulers for the men's SingleLineOfDescent)

* ChickFlick (All women love this genre of film)

* FemalesAreMoreInnocent

* NeverASelfMadeWoman (Female characters who are included in an action plot are usually related or connected in some way to one of the important male characters.)

* FemaleSuccessIsFamily (Female characters who are included in an action plot are usually related or connected in some way to one of the important male characters.)

* CareerVersusMan (Same as "Family Versus Career", only the choice is between getting the man and keeping her career. Also as above, choosing the man is almost a given.)

* CareerVersusMan (Same as above, only the choice is between getting the man and keeping her career. Also as above, choosing the man is almost a given.)

* RealWomenNeverWearDresses (You can't have a strong female character if she presents in a feminine style)
* FemaleSuccessIsFamily (Female characters who are included in an action plot are usually related or connected in some way to one of the important male characters.)

* CareerVersusMan (Same as above, only the choice is between getting the man and keeping her career. Also as above, choosing the man is almost a given.)

* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals (Self explanatory, really)
* AllWomenLoveShoes (ditto)

Note that while this can gender stereotyping, which is a bad thing, it [[TropesAreTools can also be a way of rounding out a character]]. Real people, even an ActionGirl or a WrenchWench, can have interests outside kicking ass or fixing machines. A strong female character isn't any less strong if she's also a SupremeChef.

In our culture, there are certain careers, goals, and traits that are considered "feminine". This naturally bleeds into fiction, where we expect a female character to have at least one of these traits or goals. If she doesn't have any of them, she may be criticized as being too masculine. If she has too many, she may come under fire from the RealWomenNeverWearDresses crowd.