History Main / DirtyHarriet

* ''CagneyAndLacey'': Leading to Lacey's classic [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] "They call these plain clothes?"

* Nina in ''{{Anime/Monster}}'' resorts to this in order to find her brother.

* ''{{Ruse}}'' has a story in which Emma goes undercover as a {{Streetwalker}} to find a {{Jack the Ripper}}-type killer.

[[folder: Film ]]

* CIA agent Moira [=McTaggart=] in ''[[Film/XMen X-Men First Class]]''.

* In ''{{Khalnayak}}'' Ganga (MadhuriDixit) goes undercover as a dancer to try to catch Ballu (SanjayDutt) and save her boyfriend's reputation. She gets in waaay over her head, however, when [[LoveMakesYouCrazy Ballu develops feelings for her]].

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''{{Discworld}}'': Nobby Nobbs. Yes, [[DisguisedInDrag he's a man]], [[IAmNotWeasel or at least male.]] It's complex. [[hottip:*:Extremely complex. For the sake of simplicity, Nobby is one of the few individuals in the world who has to carry around a card saying he's an actual human.]] In fact, Nobby's looks are so astounding that a footnote made sure to point out that although narrative law would normally demand a AttractiveBentGender moment, the trope withered and died in the face of Nobby Nobbs.

-->'''Fin Tutuola''': From [[ActorAllusion little orp]][[Theatre/{{Annie}} han ballerina]] to [[DirtyHarry Dirty Harriet]] in five easy steps.

* In the reality series ''{{Armed and Famous}},'' both female celebrities (TrishStratus and [=LaToya=] Jackson) went undercover during a prostitution sting. In contrast to typical portrayals, this wasn't played for Fanservice, and both were dress very casually.

* Inverted in ''{{Lula 3D}}'': Lula is a porn producer and prostitute who goes undercover at a strip bar to track down kidnapped actresses.
* In ''FinalFantasy7'' Tifa Lockhart does so to get data from Don Corleo, then Cloud and Aerith do it too to free Tifa.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* Played with by ''MassEffect''. One of the early Citadel missions involves a young woman working in Chora's Den, a sleazy, [[BadGuyBar mobster-owned strip club]] in the Wards (The heavily populated, urban sections of the Citdael). She is working at the club [[TheInfiltration to pass on information to the local police]], and she very specifically points out that she only serves drinks on the bar. of course, she then complains that she could be earning more money by dancing.....

A Dirty Harriet scenario is when a female law enforcement officer goes undercover in a role only a woman can take, like stripper or prostitute This allows for the natural tensions of undercover work and of course allows a reason for her to [[FanService wear few clothes]]. There is a good deal of variation in the trope, allowing for non law enforcement characters, non sex work infiltration, and occasionally non females (but still able to pass as one or serving in the role.)

* Catwoman poses as a stripper ([[SarcasmMode ridiculous, I know]],) in order to get close to Rough Cut in ''DCShowcaseCatwoman''.

* Catwoman poses as a stripper in order to get close to Rough Cut in ''DCShowcaseCatwoman''.

* ''WithoutATrace'': Elena. [[MsFanservice Samantha]], the obvious choice, has already been to the club as an FBI agent, so can't do it. If you can't have a voluptuous blonde, a [[LatinLover Latina]] does the job just as well.

* {{Dexter}}'s sister Deb did this at the start of the first book, when she was working in vice. The tone of the books being much more negative than that of the show, Dexter as narrator spends some time on how incredibly unattractive Deb, a beautiful woman, managed to make herself look in such skimpy clothing. She wasn't trying, either, she just has no fashion sense.

* ''TabletopGame/WorldOfDarkness'': The sourcebook ''Tales from the 13th Precinct'' features a vice cop who gets sent on this type of assignment by default.

----

In downtown Tropeville, there is a rather seedy BikiniBar. It's being run by a suspected Mob boss and may be a home for drug dealing, prostitution, or worse. And the DisposableSexWorker Killer's last two victims were employed there.

The detectives need to get someone on the inside. There's only one way they're going to do that -- they need to get someone employed there. It's time for a Dirty Harriet.

A Dirty Harriet scenario is when a female character, usually a police officer, goes undercover as a sex worker. This allows for the natural tensions of undercover work and of course allows a reason for her to [[FanService wear few clothes]]... [[YouCanLeaveYourHatOn nay, take them off for the camera.]]

Note that while this ''does'' happen in reality, it's very controversial, and legally and morally delicate. It had a very high chance of going spectacularly wrong and can easily turn into the sort of situation where a would-be arrestee is suing the city or the state or the feds for entrapment or worse.

* ''{{Tomcats}}'': When Michael first meets Natalie, he's a bit surprised that she's a prostitute. He's even more surprised when he gets his face slammed against a wall, put in handcuffs, and finds out she's really a cop. HilarityEnsues.
* ''MissCongeniality'' may be a variation on this. Tough call, really; the woman in question does go undercover in a very female kind of event, but one that's only peripherally related to sex. She is also called "Dirty Harriet", but the meaning seems to be different than the one here.

* Played straight by CIA agent Moira [=McTaggart=] in ''[[Film/XMen X-Men First Class]]''.

* On ''[[TwentyOneJumpStreet 21 Jump Street]]'', Judy joined the Jump Street program because it was the only way she'd be able to get any ''other'' type of assignment. Of course, this didn't mean that she didn't ''still'' get just such an assignment occasionally.

* Done straight in ''FinalFantasy7'': Tifa Lockhart does so to get data from Don Corleo, then Cloud and Aerith do it too to free Tifa.

* ''{{Angel}}'': In the original plan for the second episode, Kate Lockley was to be introduced as a police officer infiltrating a prostitution ring. In the [[ExecutiveMeddling version that made it to air]], she was investigating disappearances from (or maybe just hanging out at) a popular singles bar.

* In CatsEye, police officer Mitsuko Asatani was once disguised as a bartneder wearing PlayboyBunny suit.
* TrinityBlood has a fleeting scene where Catholic nun Esther is used as a bait to catch a criminal. Blatant fanservice, that.

* [[SinCity ''Sin City: Silent Night'']] has an inversion. Marv goes undercover as a "customer" in order to infiltrate a sex ring and rescue a little girl.

* ''Tomcats'': When Michael first meets Natalie, he's a bit surprised that she's a prostitute. He's even more surprised when he gets his face slammed against a wall, put in handcuffs, and finds out she's really a cop. HilarityEnsues.

* Averted in ''Stir Crazy''. When a paralegal goes undercover at a strip joint, she does so as a waitress.

* ''District 13: Ultimatum'' opens with one of the leads going undercover as a dancing girl in order to stage a major sting against a series of crime bosses. The twist? Both the movie's leads are male. But it must be said that Cyril Raffaelli looks ''stunning'' in a dress.
* Played straight by CIA agent Moira [=McTaggart=] in [[Film/XMen X-Men First Class]].
* ''Undercover Heat''. Police officer Cindy Hannen (Athena Massey) goes undercover in a high class whorehouse to catch a murderer. She discovers that she's very good as a prostitute.

* In LoisAndClark she did this as a showgirl to get inside info on a crime ring. She was pretty good at it. Lex Luthor was highly amused when she appeared on stage. Clark fretted a lot.

* ''Hunter'': Dee Dee [=McCall=] poses as a street walker all the time in the TV series (from the very first moment we see her, actually) on the pretext of 'gathering information'. How a police officer is supposed to do this without blowing her cover the first time she refuses to jump into a car with a middle-aged pervert [[FridgeLogic is beyond me]].

* Angie Dickinson's character in ''Police Woman'' spent a lot of time doing this.

* In the reality series ''Armed and Famous,'' both female celebrities (TrishStratus and [=LaToya=] Jackson) went undercover during a prostitution sting. In contrast to typical portrayals, this wasn't played for Fanservice, and both were dress very casually.

* ''TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness'': The sourcebook ''Tales from the 13th Precinct'' features a vice cop who gets sent on this type of assignment by default.

* Inverted in ''Lula 3D'': Lula is a porn producer and prostitute who goes undercover at a strip bar to track down kidnapped actresses.
* Done straight in Final Fantasy 7: Tifa Lockhart does so to get data from Don Corleo, then Cloud and Aerith do it too to free Tifa.

* ''{{Anachronox}}'': Stiletto Anyways makes her first appearance as a stripper before it turns out she's undercover as an ''assassin'', killing three mobsters halfway through the performance. Afterwards, the bar owner thinks it's a great act and wants to hire her full-time.
* ''DeadOrAlive'': Likewise Christie went undercover as an erotic dancer in order to get close enough to assassinate her target in her ''Dead or Alive 4'' ending.

* In ''DeusExHumanRevolution'', one of Jensen's old partners will be undercover as a prostitute.

* Parodied in the ''GurrenLagann'' [[FanWebComics fan webcomic]] ''DoubleK'', in which ''Simon'' is sent in as the DirtyHarriet. ''[[RunningGag Repeatedly]]''.

* ''TheWorldOfDarkness'': The sourcebook ''Tales from the 13th Precinct'' features a vice cop who gets sent on this type of assignment by default.

** Averted in the episode "Ballerina", as it's stated when describing [[TheCarolBurnettShow the murderer's]] 40-year (and [[BlackWidow five-marriage]]) [[SerialKiller killing spree]], but otherwise not following the trope:

-->'''Fin Tutuola''': From [[ActorAllusion little orp]][[Theatre/Annie han ballerina]] to [[DirtyHarry Dirty Harriet]] in five easy steps.

* ''{{Mother 3}}'': While she wasn't necessarily hired as a stripper, [[TomboyPrincess Kumatora]] worked as a waitress at a night club in order to locate and rescue the amnesiac [[LoveableRogue Duster]].

* ''CodeGeass'': In season two, ActionGirl Kallen is forced to work as a [[PlayboyBunny bunny-girl]] at an upscale casino as part of [[LaResistance the Black Knights']] plan to recover the amnesiac Lelouch/Zero. She's almost dragged off for a "[[IfYouKnowWhatIMean bunny hunt]]", but Lelouch intervenes.

** Deputy Williams winds up knowing her young client from her old neighborhood and starts off giving him an angry lecture, [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean before commenting on how well he's grown up and shutting off the recording equipment.]]

Expect other officers to turn up to the club, to help with their investigation, IfYouKnowWhatIMean.