Line #92 Main/PaidHarem


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14	[[quoteright:299:[[Film/BatmanForever https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/two_face_sugar_and_spice.png]]]]
15
16	->''"You know, I always loved how in the '60s Batman TV series, supervillainy was like the new rock and roll. Every supervillain had at least one hottie in their lair, as well as generic goons with their nicknames tagged on their sweaters. Where do supervillains go to get groupie chicks? Is there a bar somewhere?"''
17	-->-- '''''Website/TheAgonyBooth''''' on ''Film/BatmanForever''
18
19	Every sufficiently decadent [[TheCasanova Casanova]], criminal and villain will have at least one scantily clad floozy to serve as eye candy, fetch drinks, and slink around seductively. If the villain is sufficiently well-funded, they may have an entire harem. This applies to female villains too, with bare chested male {{mooks}} at her beck and call.
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21	The "sultan" in this harem also has a habit of dressing the floozies in a thematically appropriate manner that coincides with their job or even [[AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance criminal theme]]. Not surprisingly, their employer [[ItsAllAboutMe doesn't have any real affection or attachment]] to the harem, and will [[NoHeroToHisValet disrespect or mistreat them;]] sometimes dumping them on the ground when [[ShootTheMessenger hearing bad news]], ordering the floozy out when he talks shop, or outright using them as [[BulletproofHumanShield human shields]]/distractions in a firefight.
22
23	And of course, the paid for harem will have [[HighHeelFaceTurn only nominal loyalty to their "sultan"]], being either extremely frisky with the hero or [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere disappearing]] at the drop of a hat. It's a rare floozy that "stands by her man." The exception is if their employer specifically hires opposite gender [[BodyguardBabes bodyguards]] or [[{{Meido}} domestic servants]] who just happen to be gorgeous and has them pose as eye candy.
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25	Might be found in the DenOfIniquity during off-duty hours. Compare IgnoredEnamoredUnderling and PaidForFamily. Also compare RoyalHarem, where the relationship is more institutional than paid. See also IHaveYouNowMyPretty and GoGoEnslavement, where the villain tries to press a heroic lady into the harem. A GoldDigger on the other hand may see this as a viable lifestyle choice, making the villain a MealTicket.
26
27	TruthInTelevision, this is probably a RealLife trope that has been stylized in TV.
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29	----
30	!!Examples:
31
32	[[foldercontrol]]
33
34	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
35	* Parodied in ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo'', but ''not'' with filthy-rich Halekulani; rather, it's ''Giga'' who has this. Which for some reason, includes [[FanDisservice Dengakuman]].
36	* Greed in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' is seen with two random women at one point.
37	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', the male World Nobles are seen with many women around them. Though it is quite clear they are not there out of choice.
38	* ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'':
39	** [[TheRival Gary Oak]] was always [[InstantFanClub surrounded by cheerleaders]] until he lost a battle in the first TournamentArc and decided to continue his travels alone. They returned for one last go at Gary's match against Ash Ketchum in the Silver Conference.
40	** [[MonsterOfTheWeek One-episode villain]] Nastina from "Tentacool and Tentacruel" also had a harem of young men wearing only Speedos which followed her around.
41	* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': Lordgenome is usually seen sitting on a throne surrounded by concubines. They're absorbed by his HumongousMecha for the big showdown.
42	* The anime adaptation of ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' randomly adds a pair of these, to hang off [[HoYay Shuu]] [[AgentPeacock Tsukiyama]] at the Ghoul Restaurant. They are very quickly [[OutOfCharacterMoment slapped aside]] and forgotten not long afterwards.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Books]]
46	* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''
47	** ComicBook/TheRiddler had [[http://www.comicvine.com/query-and-echo/4060-55971/ Query and Echo]], two [[GirlsWithGuns Gun Bunnies]] he was somehow able to talk into working for him as muscle and arm candy. He recruited them when they tried robbing him after he robbed a convenience store.
48	** The Penguin often surrounds himself with a bevy of beautiful babes.
49	* ComicBook/SpiderMan's enemy the Chameleon has a group of likely-paid mistresses during his short campaign to replace the Kingpin as New York's crimelord. They are clearly afraid of him, and with good reason; he is abusive to one in one scene, hitting her simply for not peeling his grapes before bringing them to him.
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
53	* With a female villain, Kronk is a borderline example of this to Yzma in ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove''. She seems to keep him around for his strength much more than his looks, but Kuzco still seems to get the idea:
54	-->'''Kuzco:''' So... Kronk seems, uh, nice.\
55	'''Yzma:''' Oh, he, um, he is.\
56	'''Kuzco:''' ...He's, what, in his... late twenties...?
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
60	* In ''Film/ThreeHundred'', King Xerxes has one, and uses the promise of women and gold to successfully tempt Ephialtes -- rejected by the Spartan army due to his deformity -- into selling out his countrymen.
61	* Biff's buxom blondes from the alternate 1985, in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII''.
62	* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
63	** Two-Face in ''Film/BatmanForever'' had Sugar and Spice, [[DualityMotif a pair]] of attractive women who represented either fluffy goodness[[note]]Creator/DrewBarrymore[[/note]] or harsh evil[[note]]Debi Mazar[[/note]] in very sexy ways. Although technically, they were both evil.
64	** Mr. Freeze in ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' has Ms. B. Haven.[[note]]Creator/VivicaAFox[[/note]] Given Freeze's obsession with his comatose wife, it's pretty clear she's only there because arm candy is the expected thing.
65	** Bruce Wayne in both ''Film/BatmanBegins'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' does this with glee to keep up his playboy image.
66	* A variation in ''Film/CaboBlanco'' as it's not the BigBad who has a harem (though he does have a woman staying with him) but his minions are shown to have [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl naked prostitutes]] hanging around with them. One can be seen sleeping at the guard post at the front entrance, and on another occasion the women are bathing in the sea and warn some nearby guards that a British spy is trying to infiltrate via canoe.
67	* In ''Film/{{Clegg}}'', Francis Wildman has a mansion filled with identically dressed models who spend all of their time [[EroticEating lasciviously licking identical lollipops]].
68	* ''Film/{{Colombiana}}''. The protagonist is sent to kill an embezzler -- an overweight, middle-aged man who nevertheless has a harem of four gorgeous lingerie-clad women to share his bed.
69	* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse: In ''Film/{{Justice\|League 2017}} [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague League]]'', following his arrest in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Lex Luthor has escaped from Arkham Asylum and is residing on a luxury yacht with the expected bevy of beautiful women. However there's no MaleGaze on the bikini girl in the swimming pool; instead there are several women dressed in {{Stripperiffic}} [[BadassInANiceSuit suits]], with [[BodyguardBabes automatic weapons and serious expressions]], guarding Luthor.
70	* In the campy 1975 film adaptation of ''Film/DocSavageTheManOfBronze'', Captain Seas is accompanied by two paramours, Adriana and Karen. This turns into a BrickJoke when he undergoes BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood and is seen at the end of TheMovie working as a Salvation Army bandleader, with the two girls looking rather bored while holding collection plates and singing along.
71	* Several Film/JamesBond villains have them.
72	** Valentin Zukovsky from ''Film/{{Goldeneye}}'' had a strip club with several floozies. One of whom was [[StylisticSuck hilariously tone-deaf]] [[TheCameo Minnie Driver]].
73	** ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'' has a subversion when Bond is able to sneak into the villain's lair because one of his harem is [[DistractedByTheSexy having a secret affair with one of his bodyguards]]. With all these beautiful woman sitting around all day getting bored waiting for the BigBad to make use of them, what do you think is going to happen?
74	* In ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'' (1973 version) Pilate always seems to have a few beautiful women in nice dresses hanging around him, not doing much of anything. King Herod is also surrounded by scantily dressed women... [[DepravedBisexual and men]].
75	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/MacheteKills'', though involving a SleazyPolitician instead of a BigBad. The President of the United States gets a late night phone call from our hero. The phone is picked up by a sleepy yet hot female White House intern, who hands it to another female intern in the bed beside her, who hands it to ''[[OverlyLongGag another]]'' female intern, who hands the phone to the President.
76	* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: The stewardesses in Tony Stark's private jet double as pole dancers/strippers in ''Film/IronMan1''.
77	* Sao Feng's DenOfIniquity in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' has bored-looking prostitutes decorating the entrance, various female drudges acting as bath attendants, and a set of twins called Lian and Park as his personal masseuses and bodyguards. When they're both [[DisposableWoman killed by Mercer]], he replaces them with two more women.
78	* Subverted in the opening of ''Film/{{Polar}}''. A retired hitman is shown snorting coke and EatingTheEyeCandy of the [[SexySurfacingShot bathing beauty]] whose name he hasn't bothered to remember. Turns out she's a HoneyTrap working with a professional hit team who kills him while he's DistractedByTheSexy.
79	* In ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' Rotti Largo has two floozies who double as bodyguards.
80	** Amber Sweet also has two male bodyguards in bondage gear.
81	** [=GeneCo=] seems to be staffed mostly by "genterns," female nurses in sexy outfits.
82	* Dr. Frank N Furter in ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' has Magenta and Columbia play this, at first impression seemingly willingly. Later on it's revealed that Frank mainly has eyes for his creation Rocky, and while Columbia apparently was Frank's lover for some time, by the time of the movie she's just a groupie more interested in another of Frank's ex-flames, Eddie, and Magenta was more interested in [[BrotherSisterIncest Riff Raff]].
83	* Honey Swanson is a gangster moll on the lam in ''Film/ASongIsBorn''.
84	* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': [[PresidentEvil President Skroob]] has [[TwinThreesomeFantasy Marlene and Charlene]], who he doesn't even bother trying to tell apart.
85	* [[Creator/SamuelLJackson The Octopus]] has [[Creator/ScarlettJohansson Silken Floss]] in ''[[Film/TheSpirit The Spirit]]''. Despite the implications, she's more of a PunchClockVillain who only works for him to pay for her [=PhD=] tuition.
86	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
87	** Jabba The Hutt has a harem of [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe humanoid extraterrestrials]] around his side. [[MarsNeedsWomen Try not to think about it too hard]]. As explained in the ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' novelization:
88	--->It explained the Hutts' need to flaunt Twi'lek dancers and other glamorous humanoids, so radically, physically ''different'' that no Hutt could possibly have found them attractive. They collected them because ''humanoids'' coveted them, and so it sent the message clearly: "I possess everything you lust after, so I have power over you."
89	** Alternately, the ExpandedUniverse mentions that the other Hutts consider this to be very weird, perverted, sexually deviant behavior, but don't say anything to him about it because he's politically powerful on Nal Hutta. It points out specifically that Jabba knows beauty in most races, and seeks it out.
90	* Lex Luthor in ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace''. As well as in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' itself. Miss Teschmacher clearly didn't stay with him out of love.
91	* ''Film/{{Swashbuckler}}'': In his first scene, the AntagonisticGovernor Lord Durant is taking a bath surrounded by a bevy of beautiful, scantily clad women that [[AmbiguouslyGay he shows no interest in]]. They do not reappear and seemingly serve no function. Presumably Durant has them because he believes it is the sort of thing an EvilOverlord is supposed to have.
92	* Dr. Loveless in ''Film/WildWildWest''; despite (or maybe because of) the fact that he can't have sex, having lost his genitals and the rest of his lower body in an accident, he has quite a few scantily-clad female henchmen. (All of them are skilled and cold-blooded assassins, however.) He also points out to the heroes that a GadgeteerGenius like himself isn't necessarily [[PowerPerversionPotential all that hampered]] by lacking his original equipment.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Literature]]
96	* Subverted in the first ''Literature/{{Deathlands}}'' novel "Pilgrimage to Hell". The Baron of Mocsin, Jordan Teague, has two girls by his side who don't change their bored expressions even when he uses them; not that Teague can do much as he's [[AdiposeRex too fat]] and doped out to care.
97	* Deconstructed in the ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series with Bunny, a character initially foisted off on Skeeve as a moll by the Mob. Turns out she's hiding a phenomenal financial genius behind her ObfuscatingStupidity, and had thought quite a bit about the costs and benefits of embracing this trope beforehand.
98	* One of the characters in ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga'', Cindy Wakowski a.k.a Red Riding Hood, is one of these and [[InsistentTerminology gets derisively referred to as a "henchwench."]] She joins the main protagonist, Merciless: The Supervillain Without MercyTM, because he offers marginally more respectful treatment. [[spoiler: They end up hooking up anyway.]]
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
102	* In the Adam West ''Series/{{Batman\|1966}}'' show, if the villain of the week is male, he invariably has an attractive female henchman serving alongside the mooks. On rare occasions, they actually serve some purpose other than scenery.
103	* In ''Series/{{Copenhagen Cowboy}}'', Chiang has a couple of women in his casino office whose main purpose is to be female and pretty.
104	* Season one of ''Series/{{Homeland}}'' features a woman who is in charge of an Arab prince's harem. Women are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a one-year term. Judging by the number of interviews the woman has to oversee, there are plenty of willing volunteers.
105	* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
106	** In the episode "Seth" (Season 3, Episode 2), the heroes go undercover in a brainwashed cult to an Earth-bound Goa'uld. Major Samantha Carter becomes part of Seth's harem.
107	** Major Goa'uld have favored slaves (Lo'taur) tending to their every need, so naturally they'd include one or more sex slaves. Baal's favorite concubine fell in love with the Tok'ra Kanan while he was bonded to O'Neill, leading to Baal's ceaseless torture-resurrection-torture of the latter in "Abyss".
108	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
109	** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had minor character Harry Mudd, who technically does this in two appearances:
110	*** When he first appears in "Mudd's Women", he's accompanied by a harem of three incredibly beautiful women. However, they're not actually ''his'' women, he intends to make a fortune by selling their hands in marriage to wealthy miners.
111	*** In "I, Mudd", some of his androids have been fashioned in this manner. Becomes a CoolAndUnusualPunishment when they get replaced by 500 copies of his nagging shrew of an ex-wife.
112	** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
113	*** Used in the traditional fashion in the MirrorUniverse episodes, and Quark's Dabo girls probably count too.
114	*** Played more seriously in "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night", when [[Characters/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineGulDukat Gul Dukat]] is seen using Bajoran "comfort girls" for this purpose, including Kira's mother whom he [[MoreThanMindControl manipulates into thinking]] he's one of the more nicer Cardassian occupiers. The most chilling thing about Gul Dukat is he actually ''is'' one of the nicer Cardassian occupiers. That's not to say he is actually ''nice'', he just isn't into random acts of meaningless brutality. He is into calculated acts of meaningful brutality (aimed directly at anyone who displeased him rather than any random bystander). Sisko even confirms this at one point... after he's beaten the somewhat unhinged Dukat unconscious. (Dukat goes on to become Sisko's opposite as the Pah-wraiths' Emissary and has his own harem of Bajoran cultists as well.)
115	** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Mentioned though not seen in the [[RolePlayingGame holodeck program]] ''The Adventures of Captain Proton!'', where MadScientist Dr. Chaotica has a harem of slave girls which the players are meant to liberate.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Pinballs]]
119	* Creator/{{Capcom}}'s unreleased ''Pinball/{{Kingpin}}'' has Trixie, the Moll of the city's mob boss and a FemmeFatale in her own right.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Theatre]]
123	* In ''Theatre/StarlightExpress'', the electric locomotive Electra enjoys an equal-opportunity entourage. Although they never explicitly refer to themselves as his harem, their actions tend to imply it.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Video Games]]
127	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the extremely rich but quite irritating Gegeruju has his "dancing girls", a group of attractive women whose job consists of standing around in bikinis, fetching drinks, fanning him, and dancing for him and other guests at his beach resort. If you talk to them, they're quite open about [[OnlyInItForTheMoney only doing this because he pays]]. (He doesn't require sex, though. He's more of a ChivalrousPervert than that.)
128	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' Chairman Bana keeps a couple of scantily clad dancers around his office in Argentum, which is strange because Bana is a nopon and his dancers are both human.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
132	* Averted with Dennis in ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework''. Not even his family money can get him any success with girls.
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Web Comics]]
136	* Parodied in the early ''Webcomic/MSPaintAdventures'' series ''Webcomic/BardQuest'', in which the king keeps a pair of attractive scantily-clad servants by his throne… [[spoiler:But the king is gay, so they're two shirtless muscular ''men''.]]
137	* In ''[[Webcomic/OkashinaOkashi Strange Candy]]'' the EvilOverlord has a harem which goes on strike because the [[ChainmailBikini metallic bikinis]] he requires them to wear are ''really'' uncomfortable. All of his subsequent actions are attempts to get a replacement harem.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Western Animation]]
141	* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
142	** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', particularly the ''New Adventures'', does this a few times as well, including a villainess with Chippendale-esque henchmen and Mr. Freeze with women in {{stripperiffic}} ''parkas''. When the Penguin became TheDon (much like he currently is in the comic), he employed cocktail waitresses at his nightclub who were also his enforcers.
143	** The Penguin in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' has two women dressed as kabuki-styled geishas following him around in his debut episode... who also happen to be ninjas with razor-sharp claws. They may also be [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot robots]]. It's not exactly clear. Judging by their bizarre neck movements, being TheVoiceless, never seeing an inch of exposed flesh, along with the Penguin being an expert bird-trainer, they may well be ''giant trained birds.'' Perhaps even ''mutant'' or genetically-engineered giant birds. Really, it's one of the series' most amusing EpilepticTrees.
144	* Thugnificent in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' employs several beautiful women to lounge about his mansion, including one whose only job is to announce the presence of visitors by sultrily crooning, "ding... dong." He dubs her a [[{{Pun}} "whorebell"]].
145	* Dr. Octopus from ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' had a pair in one episode, which is almost funny when one remembers how dorky he was before his FaceHeelTurn.
146	* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' Doctor Doofenshmirtz is rarely if ever seen without a group of [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals beautiful ladies]] who serve as back-up singers and dancers for his musical numbers. However, it's made abundantly clear in more than one episode that they're paid to do so, with one even remarking that her boyfriend is a lawyer and that she'll be sending him a bill for her shoes (Which were ruined by the ceramic Lawn Knome he built.)
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Real Life]]
150	* Prince Jefri of Brunei had one harem girl write a book titled ''Some Girls: My Life in a Harem'' about the experience.
151	* [[UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi Colonel Gaddafi]] of Libya had an all-female entourage called the [[BodyguardBabes Amazonian Guard]]. He believed that his would-be assassins would be hesitant to shoot a woman. Critics of the regime found his claim to be suspect, as his female bodyguards were required to take a vow of chastity. He was friends with Italy's Silvio Berlusconi for a reason: Berlusconi shipped Italian escort girls to Africa to bribe officials into appointing Gaddafi head of the African Union. When Gaddafi fell during the Arab Spring, it was revealed that the Amazonian Guard were less bodyguards and more a private harem mainly full of women who weren't there of their own free will -- which might explain why none of them stayed around to protect him when things went south.
152	[[/folder]]

Context Main / PaidHarem