NoraCharles91 t1_ixpxjlw wrote on November 25, 2022 at 11:15 AM

This is definitely a thing, but I think it's not so much about female characters 'getting away' with more as it is really strong lingering ideas about femininity and masculinity.

I think it's perceived as attractive (to the audience, not sexually per se) for a man to be strong and decisive. Therefore, a storyline where a male character is torn between two or more female love interests risks making him seem silly, weak or frivolous in the eyes of the viewer at home.

Whereas, an audience will more readily accept a female character being torn between multiple men, as there is a greater tolerance/expectation for women to be indecisive, emotional etc.

EDIT: also, and this is going back in history but I think the effects still linger, back in the day a woman's choice of husband generally had a more significant impact on her future life than a man's choice of wife. Perhaps that accounts for the long-standing popularity of storylines where female character must decide between multiple suitors.

HitmanSK007 OP t1_ixpyd4l wrote on November 25, 2022 at 11:27 AM

I agree with what you're saying but male characters also shoulder way more of the guilt/remorse aspects of stories whereas the female ones are decisive and quicker to move on even if it's just for appearances and conforming to society which makes the whole thing even more convoluted.

NoraCharles91 t1_ixpywq5 wrote on November 25, 2022 at 11:35 AM

Have you got any particular shows in mind? I've been rewatching Gilmore Girls lately, which basically ran on the female leads having multiple love interests, although there were several instances where those male love interests were partnered with other people and experience the kind of romantic conflict you describe. But I agree that it's much rarer to see a one guy-two girl love triangle.

HitmanSK007 OP t1_ixpzgmg wrote on November 25, 2022 at 11:42 AM

It's a less popular show but there was this one called BrainDead and even though I absolutely loved it, I was just wondering about how the main character would be perceived if the roles were reversed between the sexes. And I started to think about how these things are depicted in media in general which is what got me to post this.