History Main / DoubleStandard

* NeutralFemale: Not interfering in the fight between TheHero and the BigBad, TheChick stays on the sidelines, waiting for the strongest male to come and pick her up as prize.

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale, ArmorPiercingSlap: In fictionland, women are weak and ineffectual. Consequently, women can inflict physical violence to men all they want, it [[PlayedForLaughs can't be that serious]]. And if it is, it's "justified" since women are morally superior, hence use violence more wisely than men. As for psychological abuse, it doesn't count since it's [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass Unmanly]] for a man to have feelings aside from fury and [[ARealManIsAKiller urges to kill]].

* FemaleAngelMaleDemon: Highly offensive to both but much more to men than to women. First, it holds that mercy, refinement and kindness are [[WomenAreWiser "female" virtues]] as opposed to crudeness, violence and cruelty which are seen as [[ARealManIsAKiller "male" attributes]]. Second, should genders be reversed, the female will always be a HornyDevil, no other flaw needing be mentioned, because MyGirlIsNotASlut; and the male will be portrayed as a pansy for his gracious nature is [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass Unmanly]]. Finally, EvilIsSexy for both genders, plus it's badass for men but Good is only desirable for women because, in fictionland, [[UnfortunateImplications kindness equals weakness]] and [[RealWomenDontWearDresses weakness is the very definition of femininity for many]]. Thus, men ''MUST NOT'' [[GoodIsNotNice be gentle in their "goodness"]], lest they'll be branded as [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass sissies]].

* MenActWomenAre: Men are defined by what they do. Women are defined by what they are.

* DeathBySex: Either of them will die, but most likely a woman.

* BookDumb: BookDumb male heroes are a dime a dozen, but you rarely hear of a BookDumb female hero unless it's a DumbBlonde. In fact if a female hero ''does'' seem to be BookDumb the chances are very good she is actually really book-smart but [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretending otherwise]] to [[PopularIsDumb fit in]] (this very rarely (remember Columbo) happens with a BookDumb male). While being BookDumb isn't bad, looked at this way it reinforces the notion that boys are inherently bad (or willfully irresponsible) in school... unless they're yucky {{nerd}}s. Point being, female characters can be book-smart and badass or even desirable, but it's almost as though male characters need to choose between one or the other. On the other hand, the lack of female BookDumb characters may be a result of girls needing role models.

* LadyLand: If it's portrayed as a [[MarySuetopia Utopia]] because there are no men this is StrawFeminist times OVER NINE THOUSAND. On the other hand portraying it as a {{Dystopia}} because women should [[StayInTheKitchen NEVER be in-charge of ANYTHING not related to household]] is extremely chauvinistic.

* FanService: There's nothing inherently wrong with fanservice, be it a WalkingShirtlessScene or a woman sporting AbsoluteCleavage - but if there's more of one than the other, you can bet the opposite gender will be annoyed.

* AllWomenAreDomsAllMenAreSubs: Women inflicting pain on men is innocent and kinky, but men inflicting pain on women is dangerous and scary, even if it's consensual. A female Dominant [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale isn't likely to be mistaken for an abuser]], while a male Dominant might be

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: The homosexual version of AllMenArePerverts. But while female sexuality in the absence of men is a beautiful, chaste thing and lesbians are portrayed as [[WomenAreWiser loving]] and [[AllLesbiansWantKids maternal]], male sexuality in the absence of women is [[AllMenArePerverts sexually predatory and insatiable]]. Add in some AIDS and the story becomes a metaphor for how male sexuality in the absence of women is not only dirty and filthy but [[TragicAIDSStory lethal]]. One disturbing UnfortunateImplication of this trope is that [[DoubleStandardRapeMaleOnMale gay men can't be raped by other men]].

* FetishizedAbuser: And related tropes. Women are depicted being abused by their boyfriends to titillate the audience. Even more disturbing, this trope shows up mostly in media made ''by'' women ''for'' women and is very popular in the BoysLove. Not only does it carry the UnfortunateImplication that women, and by extension homosexual men, are inherently masochistic and if they're not they should be, but it also raises other questions such as: why do women think so poorly of men? or Is {{Love Martyr}}dom the sole way to greatness for women and gay men?

* HollywoodHomely: In Hollywood, women - especially White women - have to fit in a very strict standard of beauty. Merely ordinary looks, never mind actual ugliness, are the ultimate no-no and women who don't fit these patterns '''that almost always need plastic surgery to exist''' will have a limited career and elicit a less than positive reaction from the (male) audience. Hence, most actresses in Hollywood look strangely the same. Unattractive men, on the other hand, have virtually no limitations in these regards and can have a successful career, no matter what they look like. Honestly, how many female equivalents of Woody Allen, Mike Myers, Jack Black, Edward James Olmos, Joe Pesci or Danny De Vito can you think of? (On the other hand, most of the above male actors are pigeonholed into comedic roles. Basically, ugly men are funny and ugly women don't exist.) All of which constitutes an UnfortunateImplication that there is nothing more important to a woman than physical appearance and that men are allowed to be much shallower about their standards than women.

* LoveMartyr: Almost AlwaysFemale and insidiously related to AllGirlsWantBadBoys and FetishizedAbuser. Carries the UnfortunateImplication that women's only acceptable way to greatness and character depth is to remain faithful to an [[JerkAss assholish]] and violent boyfriend and endure the abuse quietly, no matter how horrible it may be, so as to become the ultimate {{Woobie}}. And the rare men who apply to {{Love Martyr}}dom are almost always seen as deluded, weak-willed and pathetic [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass pansies]].

* SuperBowlSpecial: Advertisements in general tends to fall into broad and sexist stereotypes, but advertisements at the Super Bowl tend to ramp this UpToEleven since the game itself is held up as the pinnacle of Male Culture. [[note]]Women actually make up 40% of the Super Bowl audience - a minority, but a substantial enough one that it doesn't really make sense to gear all the commercials toward sexist men.[[/note]]

* MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome: Obviously.

[[quoteright:231:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nsnsns_nsnp_4079.jpg]]

** Be it this trope, or Bitch Girlfriend, there is also the danger of [[MisaimedFandom unwittingly encouraging]] people to blow slight relationship problems way out of proportion and treat them as cases of the significant other displaying consciously hurtful, controlling or neglectful behavior.

* BastardBoyfriend: And related tropes. Women are depicted being abused by their boyfriends to titillate the audience. Even more disturbing, this trope shows up mostly in media made ''by'' women ''for'' women and is very popular in the BoysLove. Not only does it carry the UnfortunateImplication that women, and by extension homosexual men, are inherently masochistic and if they're not they should be, but it also raises other questions such as: why do women think so poorly of men? or Is {{Love Martyr}}dom the sole way to greatness for women and gay men?
** Be it this trope, or Bitch Girlfriend, there is also the danger of [[MisaimedFandom unwittingly encouraging]] people to blow slight relationship problems way out of proportion and treat them as cases of the significant other displaying consciously hurtful, controlling or neglectful behavior.

* LoveMartyr: Almost AlwaysFemale and insidiously related to AllGirlsWantBadBoys and BastardBoyfriend. Carries the UnfortunateImplication that women's only acceptable way to greatness and character depth is to remain faithful to an [[JerkAss assholish]] and violent boyfriend and endure the abuse quietly, no matter how horrible it may be, so as to become the ultimate {{Woobie}}. And the rare men who apply to {{Love Martyr}}dom are almost always seen as deluded, weak-willed and pathetic [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass pansies]].

* HouseHusband: A woman who chooses to stay at home and raise the kids is making a noble choice to be there for her family. A man who ''chooses'' to do this is merely a loser who can't find work.

* LoveMartyr: Almost AlwaysFemale and insidiously related to AllGirlsWantBadBoys and SexySadist. Carries the UnfortunateImplication that women's only acceptable way to greatness and character depth is to remain faithful to an [[JerkAss assholish]] and violent boyfriend and endure the abuse quietly, no matter how horrible it may be, so as to become the ultimate {{Woobie}}. And the rare men who apply to {{Love Martyr}}dom are almost always seen as deluded, weak-willed and pathetic [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass pansies]].

* SamusIsAGirl / UnsettlingGenderReveal: Women that turn out to be men are seen as {{Squick}} inducing, while men that turn out to be women are seen as a turn-on. [[http://generationotaku.net/plugins/content/content.php?content.266 This pretty much sums it up.]]

* AcceptableTargets: Those that are considered to be an "Acceptable Target" are more vilified if they do something wrong than those that aren't if they do something wrong...even if those that aren't Acceptable Targets [[NotSoDifferent were/are just as bad...if not worse]]. While this definitely applies to Gender roles, it also apply to all sorts of other issues as well such as Race, Religion, Nationality, to even things such as fanbases and more. One could go on forever, but it's best to just check that article and/or this article for examples and explanations.

* ClarkesLawForGirlsToys: Toy adverts often contend that little girls are inherently mentally retarded while little boys are the epitome of intelligence.

* ScapegoatCreator: Some people are free to be scapegoated for literally ''everything'', however, trying to scapegoat another creator often gets you called out on it.

* AMillionIsAStatistic: It doesn't matter what you do unless it involves established named characters regardless of whether if it actually should or not.

* GirlOnGirlIsHot: But boy on boy is {{squick}} (though HoYay can occasionally] [[GuyOnGuyIsHot result]]) and an actual lesbian relationship is likely to be viewed with contempt, as a woman is only supposed to be happy with a man in her life.

* AllMenArePerverts: No man is able to keep it in his pants. Male sexuality is often portrayed as "dirty", "stupid" and "demeaning to women". In contrast, female sexuality is "beautful," "exciting," and she's "exploring her femininity," "taking charge of her fulfillment," "asserting her sexual power against male repression" etc.-- unless it's benefiting a man, in which case it's "exploitative and objectifying of women;" some feminists even go so far as to claim that men only ''want'' sex with women, solely in order to degrade and control them. (And likewise, this isn't considered "hate-speech.")

** Statutory Rape is perhaps the most infamous example of this type of double-standard; when a female teacher or other older woman seduces a student or other under-age male, it's typically trivialized, dismissed or laughed at; but if the genders are reversed, he's typically called a "child-rapist" or "pedophile" even if the girl is old enough to ''marry'' him under state law (which would make it ''hebephilia or ephebophilia'' at worst-- ''not'' pedophilia).

* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Women can't 'really' rape men, it is implied, so he must have wanted it or been so weak he's not worthy of sympathy.

[[folder: Sexist Against Men]]

[[folder: Non-Gender related / Other]]

* AllMenAreRapists: The LogicalExtreme of AllMenArePerverts, and even more offensive. Men are both lecherous and violent, and will force themselves on women (or even other men) without exception. It suggests that A] men are inherently bestial and that women can only ever be safe around other women, B] men raping men is not an issue, since they're all bastards anyway, and C] women raping other women is not a thing that exists.

* FatGirl: Seldom seen and almost always the show's {{Acceptable Target|s}}. Positive portrayals are extremely rare, especially is she's White. Compare to BigFun and FatBastard who are almost exclusively male.