Stay in the Kitchen/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: He-Man Woman Hater guys insist that girls can't get the job done and should let the men handle things.

  • Straight: Kelvin tells Marcy that it's too dangerous for her to fight, and she should let him handle the monsters.
  • Exaggerated:
    • Kelvin, a poorly skilled superhero tells Badass Scarlet that she's got no place on the battlefield because women are naturally weaker than men. She demonstrates the logical fallacy with that argument.
    • "Scarlet! Kitchen! Sammich! NOW! And don't act like you can actually do something else, your purpose in life is to serve me!"
    • Anton is a sniper who attacks enemies sneakingly from distance while Hot Chick with a Sword Scarlet is so Badass, she can confront the enemies and destroy them. However, Kelvin insists Anton to be in the front line and Scarlet out of the battlefield. Both are not amused.
  • Downplayed: Kelvin, the Lightning Bruiser tells Mage-in-training Marcy that it's too dangerous for her to fight, and she should let him handle the monsters.
  • Justified:
    • Marcy is inexperienced and doesn't have the sort of training and protection Kelvin does.
    • Marcy is an amateur investigator who runs a diner. Where do you think she is when she is solving crimes?
    • Marcy's race is dimorphic such that women are generally far less useful in combat than in support roles.
  • Inverted: Scarlet tells Anton to stay in the workshop for once.
  • Subverted: Scarlet says that she's actually too weak to handle serious battles and that she must stay out of trouble, else she'll just be a burden...
    • Alternatively: Kelvin tells Marcy to stay home... Because they need someone they can count on to defend their families should the worst happen.
  • Double Subverted: ... but she only says it to flatter and reassure Kelvin's ego so she can actually get the job done once he's gone without having to bear with his irrelevant machismo.
  • Parodied: Kelvin is constantly trying that the Amazon Brigade of Marcy, Scarlett and Alice to stay home and act like stereotypical females. The same Amazon Brigade who burn water and have saved his ungrateful useless rear over and over.
  • Deconstructed: Kelvin alienates Marcy and any other women who might have been willing to work alongside him because he isn't willing to accept them as equals. The only allies he can find are like-minded guys who also take a dim view of what women are capable of. This further tarnishes Kelvin's reputation and creates serious problems for him.
    • Alternatively, Kelvin refuses the help of Scarlet on the grounds that Scarlet might get hurt. Scarlet goes back home to the kitchen, while Kelvin goes off to fight the Big Bad. Kelvin gets killed because he lacks any assistance or backup.
  • Reconstructed: Marcy has work to do behind the lines which, while not glamorous, is suitable to her skills and important to the mission, and both she and Kelvin come to appreciate the value of her efforts.
  • Zig Zagged: Kelvin forbids Marcy to go on the battlefield but later lets Scarlet enter the fight since her skills are exactly what he needs to defeat the Big Bad, only these skills are magic chants which leave her vulnerable to attack and force Kelvin to protect her anyway.
  • Averted: Battle Couple.
  • Enforced: The writer is sexist, well-meaning chivalrious, or delivering An Aesop about how non-action roles are just as important as the action ones.
  • Lampshaded: "You know Marcy, I'm sure Kelvin is gonna tell us to stay behind while he handles the fight because we have a vagina or something like this."
  • Invoked: "It's a man's duty to make sure women don't get hurt. You may not like this but it's an insult to our manhood if we let you get hurt in a battle."
  • Defied: "Kelvin, if you believe women are unable to make any impression in a fight, you're sorely mistaken!"
    • Kelvin tells Marcy that he will protect her and she won´t fight, Marcy gives him a splendid "The Reason You Suck" Speech and go to fight, ignoring Kelvin´s whining.
    • Kelvin is making a long speech about why Marcy should really just stay behind let him and the other guys do the fighting. He does not notice the assassin sneaking up behind him, so Marcy quickly plants a throwing knife between the assassin's eyes.

Kelvin: What the hell was that?!
Marcy: Women can't fight, you say? Tell that to the guy behind you. Oh wait, you can't, he's dead!

  • Exploited: Andy disguises as Alice so that Kelvin would tell him not to fight and risk getting killed in the process.
  • Discussed: "Scarlet, you shouldn't be fighting." "Oh? Why is that?" "You're a woman."
  • Conversed: "In these time of fierce, competent women, there are still guys who still think 'girls can't fight! They must stay safe at home!'?" "well, someone has to defend the house while the men are at war..."
  • Played For Laughs: Marcy is clearly stronger than Kelvin and repeatedly rescues him while he fumbles with his heavy armor and comically oversized weaponry.
  • Played For Drama: Kelvin and Marcy have to work together, but his condenscending attitude and insistance on "protecting" her wear on Marcy's nerves, creating tension between them -- tension they'll have to overcome if they're going to have any chance at surviving.

You want to be independent and strong, how cute! BACK TO THE KITCHEN AND MAKE MY FOOD BITCH!!!

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