Question by mutterhals: Is there a difference in the way that male and female infidelity is portrayed in popular culture?
Barring real-life examples, do you think female infidelity is portrayed in a better light than male infidelity? For instance, I saw a commericial for some hideous show where one of the main characters is involved in a tawdry affair with a young boy toy.
I realize that, but I’m speaking of fictional representation, which is far different from real life occurences…
Best answer:
Answer by CJA
You’re in a “dream world” if you bar real-life examples. simple answer is NO.
The female infidelity is usually harsher than on males. Males are usually looked on a “boys will be boys”. Females are immediately tagged as sluts, ho or worst.
Add your own answer in the comments!.
For the past several years I’ve been noticing a trend to portray women as the “hero”, as extra smart, extra successful , while portraying men as stupid , incompetent , gullible , dirty and inept.
While there may be snip its of truth in isolated examples ,the condensing of positive and negative characteristics has a destructive effect.
BTW, whether or not you agree with it , the example you refer to with the woman cheating with the younger guy, well that is supposed to make her look cool and hip as much as sleazy.
Well…if you ever watch lifetime lol….You’ll see major differences.
Usually…if there is a man cheating on his wife with another woman(who is usually the heroine), that man is probably going to have something bad happen to him at the end of the film.
If the woman (usually the heroine) is cheating on the man, the story glorifies the woman for making the right decision and choosing a better guy than that other guy. The former guy is usually left looking stupid.
That’s why I stopped watching gender specific TV networks which show a man coming out to be the victor over a gold-digging woman who has her cake and wants to eat it too or a woman coming out to be the victor over a wife-beating man….
Male infidelity is often seen as being the behaviour of a man who can’t control his rod. Female infidelity is often seen as the result of oppression by a domineering husband. Ridiculous? Indeed.
i don’t think there is a real trend either way. i’m thinking specifically about the diane lane/ richard gere movie from a few years ago, the name escapes me. he was a loving attentive husband and she was a bored housewife who just wanted to feel sexy so she cheated.
going way back i’m thinking of fatal attraction, michael douglas is again a good husband who takes advantage of an opportunity thinking it will end and it will never be discovered.
i honestly think in many movies we are led to sympathize with both men and women who exercise infidelity. i don’t really watch enough tele to make a judgment there.
No, it’s the same thing!
there straight up is. if a male is cheating he is seen as a low down dog. if a female is cheating she is seen as pleasing her self “and there is nothing wrong with that”.