# Any examples on TV & film of brawn=woman and brain=man? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823 "2012-01-08T15:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/41 "2012-01-09T02:31:39Z")
Would _the Big Bang Theory_ qualify? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/42 "2012-01-09T02:37:40Z")
> [@FeAudrey](#): > > Leela and the fourth Doctor Who I did think of this one initially, but the Doctor is an accomplished combatant himself. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/43 "2012-01-09T03:02:50Z")
From _Mother of Demons_, Guo the Battlemother and her husbands; considering that she’s about the size of an elephant and the equivalent of a Viking berserker while they ride along in her shell the division of labor isn’t surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/44 "2012-01-09T03:12:33Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > From _Mother of Demons_, Guo the Battlemother and her husbands; considering that she’s about the size of an elephant and the equivalent of a Viking berserker while they ride along in her shell the division of labor isn’t surprising. Oops, that’s a book. Still, it’s an example of a strong female/puny male dynamic. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/45 "2012-01-09T23:32:50Z")
[Mann and Machine](http://www.tv.com/shows/mann-and-machine/). Although an argument could be made that she was the brawn \*and \*the brain. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/46 "2012-01-10T00:36:37Z")
Third Rock from the Sun. The Security Officer was a woman and the science officer was a teen age guy. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/47 "2012-01-10T01:00:41Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > What was Jayne? Chopped liver? Public relations. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/48 "2012-01-10T01:29:20Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I did think of this one initially, but the Doctor is an accomplished combatant himself. Yes, but in order to give Leela something to do, they had to dial the Doctor’s brawn back, especially compared to his adventures with Sarah Jane. Really ticked off the young Jon Pertwee fans, who were accustomed to a kung-fu (Venusian style naturally) Doctor. Of course, Tom Baker’s Docter remained a very physical character, when excited, he’d jump in, and start grabbing at papers, and slamming instruments around. That’s exactly what can muddle a question such as this one. Characters don’t really end up locked in these brain vs. brawn tropes anymore. See above, the example of Xena as brain and brawn, King of Thieves as specialized brain and slightly less brawn specific for his trade. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/49 "2012-01-10T02:11:16Z")
_In plain sight._ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/50 "2012-01-10T02:20:03Z")
> [@Miss\_Violaceous](#): > > _In plain sight._ Yeah, Marshall’s the brains . . . Or, at least, he’s the intellectual, which kickass Mary ain’t. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/51 "2012-01-10T03:06:49Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > Castle and Beckett in _Castle_. I would disagree - Beckett is a tough lady, but her forte is her brains as well - she’s just smart in very different ways from Richard Castle. In fact, if asked to name the most impressive character on that team in terms of physical training and combat, I’m going with Esposito. (Hard to argue with sniper training.) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/52 "2012-01-10T14:14:53Z")
> [@FeAudrey](#): > > Leela and the fourth Doctor Who Which reminds me of Futurama! Leela is clearly the brawn, and Fry is…uhh…ok, _The Professor_ is the brains. Though Fry is the Most Important Person in the Universe. Oh, snap! ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/53 "2012-01-18T22:48:58Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > While it wasn’t a regular part of the series, the title character on _Xena: Warrior Princess_ occasionally teamed up with a man who possessed knowledge or specialized skills that she lacked. There were a few episodes where she needed the help of Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), the self-proclaimed King of Thieves, to steal something or break into a secure location. “Joxer the Mighty roams through the countryside / He never needs a place to hide…” Any time Ted Raimi shows up, you know he’s going to be at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of physical prowess. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/54 "2012-01-18T22:52:43Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > _The Avengers_. I came in here to say the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/55 "2012-01-18T23:48:00Z")
> [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > Johnny Mnemonic. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Of course, in that one the woman has fighting-implants and -enhancements. Including metallic claws that can be extended from beneath her fingernails, IIRC. I was just about to post about the book “Neuromancer”, in which Molly (with enhancements and claws) protects Cage (the computer hacker) for most of the novel. Spolier for those who have read the whole series. In “Mona Lisa Overdrive”, Molly comes back as the character “Sally”, as does much more ass-kicking than any of the brainy male hackers. I saw “Johnny Mnemonic” years ago, but I can’t remember much about it anymore. Are the two female characters supposed to be the exact same person, or is the film character (I don’t even remember her name) only based on the character of Molly? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823/56 "2012-01-19T00:06:00Z")
Muomar Kqghadaf(f)i and his female bodyguards. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-examples-on-tv-film-of-brawn-woman-and-brain-man/608823.md?page=2)