Madonna-Whore Complex: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"Women who cannot become princesses have no choice but to become witches."''|'''Akio''', ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]''}}

 

 

A pattern of thought that divides women into two mutually exclusive categories: Madonnas and Whores. The [[All Women Are Prudes|virtuous Madonna figure, possessing and protecting social virtue (and deploring sexuality)]] is an object of worship and everything that a woman should aspire to be. However, sex is not part of this. Any woman who fails to live up to the Madonna standard in any part is a worthless Whore, [[All Women Are Lustful|driven by sexual desire and therefore lacking morality.]] As soon as a woman is known to have an active sex life, she is automatically viewed as a whore.

== [[Film]] - Live-Action ==

* ''[[Black Swan]]'': Explains the whole plot of the ballet, and juxtaposes beautiful but sexually repressed [[Natalie Portman]] vs. smoldering sexpot [[Mila Kunis]].

* ''[[The Cabin in the Woods]]'' has Jules and Dana shoehorned into both roles, Jules becoming "The Whore" and Dana being "The Virgin". Though in reality the Whore is in a steady relationship with her boyfriend and isn't exactly that promiscuous while the Virgin/Madonna isn't actually a virgin and has been having an affair with her professor.

* The existence of the [[Final Girl]] in slasher movies runs on this trope. The [[Final Girl]] is typically a virgin and above vices such as drinking, smoking and being promiscuous. She is usually contrasted with other girls in the film who enjoy frequent sex and therefore [[Death by Sex|don't survive the film]]. ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' was among the first to do this with all the female victims being killed in relation to sex. Two had just had sex while the third was on her way to do so.