Anneka Harry - Lady Sidekick: 50 Tired Tropes for Women

Anneka Harry is a writer and performer whose work covers series, episodes and features for the likes of the BBC, Channel 4, ITV2, Radio 4, Stylist and Grazia. Her first book Gender Rebels: 50 Influential Cross-Dressers, Impersonators, Name-Changers and Game-Changers was published by Little A in 2020.

First published 2020

The History Press

97 St Georges Place, Cheltenham,

Gloucestershire, GL50 3QB

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

Anneka Harry, 2020

The right of Anneka Harry to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7509 9636 5

Typesetting and origination by The History Press

Printed in Turkey by Imak

eBook converted by Geethik Technologies

The gender inequality on our screens and across popular culture is so grim its sporting a hooded cloak and clutching a scythe. Women and girls are a mega-ton more than the 2D versions we constantly see portrayed and its ripple effect has got us wading through misogyny-flavoured treacle (if you think that sounds in the least bit appetising, youre a stonking great bazonga-gawking sexist away with ya!).

We need less censorship of female behaviour. We need more women and we need raw women. We need not for personalities to be depicted by skin or hair colour alone. We need for women to stop being used as props or reduced to slabs. We need to say buh-bye to binaries, to mythical beauty standards and to being nice. We need plots that dont revolve solely around womens rape, exploitation and/or death. We need women to no longer be outnumbered by penises or have been written only to have one symbolically, or in actuality, thrust toward her. We need to go back to basics and bust apart the dead horse female character tropes the industry is still tirelessly trotting out and incessantly flogging. It goes without saying that male tropes suck too, but the majority have had guys feeling like they can unremittingly swing stuff their way since forever ago (and just look where thats got us). Sadly, theres a batrillion more from whence these came and new tropes are rearing their repellent heads on a daily basis.

Lady Sidekick has been created with a mind to elevate and disrupt; I hope you are compelled to rip out, laminate, frame or take a highlighter to every page (and you may find that it pairs very nicely with an industrial vat of wine). The case studies are twisted and oversimplified representations because tropes are meant to depower and dehumanise women. If any of the language, terminology or illustrations doth offend, spike your blood pressure or ruin your enjoyment of this book, then please remember that its sort of the point

Until we can laugh at the mess were in, well never get out of it.

This book is dedicated to my Knight in Shining Armour, Lizzie Brown.

Thank you to my gang of Lauras for making this happen, with special mention to my (non-tropey) Funny BFF, Laura Dockrill. Youve brought these women to life and you bring pure joy to mine. Long may we raise and save each other.

I would also like to acknowledge myself (so sue me). I wrote Lady Sidekick in the midst of all manner of personal and global life-changing madness. It will forever remind me of my own hero-character strength. Reader, I hope you know yours.

How did we not notice that behind the orthodontic headgear, the worlds most bangable woman was patiently awaiting a glow-up and rhetoric rebrand? We had an inkling her interest in everything other than being an object must have been a cover-up. We feel so silly now!

Shes never been kissed because she reads but THE BEAUTIFUL ALL ALONG BABEs juice was always slyly worth the squeeze!

(Just cut to the bit where she washes her hair and gets laser eye surgery. Save yourself two hours.)

On Wednesdays she wears pink (and on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Shes stupid but stunning and her Daddys rich. Now, somebody find her a gorgey-gorge guy to adore, quick! (Before she starts talking and ruining the view.)

@the_girl_next_door wow hunni bunni so beaut

@partygirlofficial YAAS BISH! Werk it! #WeNeedToGoDancing #ShotsSoon

@footiefreddie daaaamn girl

@garygunsandgains 12/10

@beerzandbirdz

@jackthelad69 Fellas, stay clear! Trusss me. The only good thing about dating her woz her mums a MILF Ive never met any1 in my life who *actually* says XOXO! Or any1 who needs an emotional support micro pig for that matter Nah man. Im not pretending to be Stephen Hawkings out here but THIS GIRL KILLS CACTUS! Duh. Vocab of a fridge magnet, bruv! Honestly, dont fall for it! Shell try and communicate with u in teacup yorkshire terrier GIFs and make u build bare shelves in her shoe cupboard. Yeah yeah, shes buff but she gets an entire makeup team in for 3hrs and then calls it her 5-minute look! Im DEAD. Do yourself a favour lads RUN! #DumbAsRocks #BIMBO

No dysfunctional family would be complete without a mood-swinging, septum-piercing drama queen. If shes not acting out for attention, you better believe its because shes been told her boyfriend cant stay the night (and take the virginity her parents still think she possesses).