History Main / MarsAndVenusGenderContrast

* Spoofed in ''SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut''. Satan and Saddam Hussein are in bed together, and while Saddam Hussein is waving dildoes suggestively at Satan, Satan is reading ''Saddam is from Mars, Satan is from Venus'' and bemoaning their inability to communicate.

** The characters are fourteen at the time - among adults and older teens this is not an issue.

Key signs that this trope is in effect:

* '''The goals of women and men by their very nature diverge and may even conflict outright''': even if a relationship between opposite-sex partners even manages to get off the ground (not always the case), the ride will continue to be bumpy.

Characters need not be (entirely) [[FlatCharacter flat]], but women characters will tend to be stereotypically female and men stereotypically male. Deviations from stereotype, where they appear, will tend to be plot points in their own right, and are usually resolved by a return to something more stereotypical (e.g. {{Tomboy}} WrenchWench gets her man when she finally [[SheCleansUpNicely cleans up nicely]]).

Insofar as this trope tends to rely heavily on binary gender stereotypes, it also functions (in a somewhat complicated way) as a SuperTrope of several other GenderAndSexualityTropes: expect regular appearances by pairings such as AllMenArePerverts and AllWomenArePrudes.

'''The key point, whichever particular stereotypes are invoked, and even where they are/seem to be avoided, is that male and female characters align so as to allow the first three key points to apply'''. Whether men or women (or neither) come off better for the comparison may vary. Expect {{Double Standard}}s to apply fairly frequently if the work ''does'' take a side for one or the other gender.

In works that use this trope as a central element, naturally, both male and female characters will also, as noted above, tend to be overwhelmingly or even exclusively heterosexual. Male homosexuals, usually of the CampGay variety, may appear, often in a PetHomosexual role as a [[FagHag female character]]'s friend [[hottip:* :On a sidenote, binary contrasts similar to the Mars/Venus one tend to feature heavily in BoysLove works and SlashFic, with {{Seme}} and {{Uke}} couples, which often come complete with the same problems of communication and getting along as this trope attributes to heterosexual coupling. This just ''might'' be due to MostFanFicWritersAreGirls, though.]]. Lesbians tend to appear even less frequently, except as [[GirlOnGirlIsHot fantasy objects]] for male characters (and viewers): BaitAndSwitchLesbians may appear for similar reasons, but rarely get beyond a SweepsWeekLesbianKiss. {{Transsexual}}s are also rare, but not entirely excluded, though expect treatment of any TransGenderTropes, to reinforce rather than bring into question more traditional/mainstream gender binaries.

* In TheDresdenFiles novelette ''Aftermath'', told from [[OneOfTheBoys Karrin Murphy]]'s POV, Murphy keeps telling us that men speak their own language that has nothing to do with English without even realizing it. She calls it [[GenreSavvy Martian]] and insists that while she learned to speak it by necessity, she has no idea what thought processes are responsible it.

Subtropes include MenBuyFromMarsWomenBuyFromVenus, aka GenderBasedMarketing, along with just about every "war of the sexes" trope in fiction.

**** And as long as the two meet and fight it out, all will be well.

* ''{{Coupling}}'', wonderful as it often is, tends towards this a lot.

Which ''particular'' gender stereotypes are invoked may vary considerably, and inconsistently, even within the same work: (e.g. women want romance/men want sex; women want to talk about feelings and go to the opera/MenAreUncultured; AllWomenLoveShoes/all men hate shopping; women are CloserToEarth/men are all {{ManChild}}ren, etc.) Stock contrasting stereotypes (hello, BettyAndVeronica) may substitute for nuance will often also be in play. Outright logical contradiction between different stereotypes will rarely, if ever, be addressed.

'''The key point, whichever particular stereotypes are invoked, and even where they are/seem to be avoided, is that male and female characters align so as to allow the first three key points to apply'''. Whether men or women (or neither) come off better for the comparison may vary. Expect {{DoubleStandard}}s to apply fairly frequently if the work ''does'' take a side for one or the other gender.

Characters need not be (entirely) [[FlatCharacter flat]], but women characters will tend to be stereotypically female and men stereotypically male. Deviations from stereotype, where they appear, will tend to be plot points in their own right, and are usually resolved by a return to something more stereotypical (e.g. TomBoy WrenchWench gets her man when she finally [[SheCleansUpNicely cleans up nicely]]).

*** Within the Potterverse? And if so, is the implication in-universe that this kind of gender issue only applies during puberty?
*** [[ViewpointCharacter As far as Harry knows, certainly]].

* This is also the case for UrsulaKLeguin's ''TheEarthseaTrilogy'', at least in the beginning - only men have magical abilities.

*** [[http://wikibin.org/articles/loving-female-authority-3.html There is]] a DistaffCounterpart, though

**** They're claiming that their Maledom/femsub kink is universal to all heterosexual relationships. Hence, this trope.
**** I.e. Maledom/femsub is the One True Way and everything else is suboptimal at best.

* The BlackJewels by Anne Bishop, oh so very much.

**** They're claiming that their Maledom/femsub kink is universal to all heterosexual relationships. Hence, this trope.

*** Sounds like a run of the mill Dom/Sub arrangement. As long as it's consensual what's the problem?

*** That... is freaking scary. Ugh. I feel dirty after reading that article.

Also a common feature of observational StandupComedy. Oh, and there's just a [[{{Understatement}} tiny]] bit of this in {{Advertising}}, too. This trope is also most of the raison d'etre of magazines specifically meant for one or the other gender (Cosmopolitan, FHM, etc.)

Works using this trope often also tend to outright celebrate the stereotypes they invoke (''embrace'' your inner ManChild/[[AllWomenLoveShoes Imelda Marcos]]!), and see them as making an essential contribution to the value of opposite-sex relationships, which just wouldn't be as meaningful without this particular source of misunderstandings and tension. Conversely, though, even where this trope is combined with outright misogyny or misandry, obtaining (at least) one of the opposite sex as a partner is ''still'' usually viewed as essential and urgent. SoYeah.

*** [[http://wikibin.org/articles/taken-in-hand.html Apparently not]].