Every time this trope leaps to mind, I wonder the exact same thing. For crying out loud, we have real-life examples that exemplify this trope far better than anyone ever conceived in fiction.
AgProv
I'd better stay out of this one... apart from to add that when she was a bit younger, our nearly beloved prime monster Teresa May was a British version, the glamour girl of the Tory Party whose dress sense made the headlines and the slavering coverage of this meant that nobody was assessing her on her ability or her politics.. (right-wing, Thatcher-lite, make your own assessment of her competence...) if this section is ever allowed Real Life examples, one to consider.
Male, early sixties, Cranky old fart, at least two decades behind. So you have been warned. Functionally illiterate in several languages.
I removed this secondary comment from the Film Ninotchka example:
- The US hatred of communists stems from post World War 2.
Partly because it's not germane, but primarily because it's historically inaccurate. Google 'premature anti-fascist' if you want the dirty details.
The reference to the trope "strawman has a point" seems to be indicating that when a BRSK discusses a policy or ideal that is not a known Republican policy or ideal, then it's a liberal motive, because if she did then people would "suddenly" realize that the Republican's are right.
Edited by KageNara
With the No Real Life Examples caveat, it seems strange that the current illustration is a real person (Elizabeth Hasselbeck). (Note: this should be a reply to previous comment)
Edited by TrustBen Hide / Show Replies
"Please don't add Real Life or Truth in Television examples..."
But you have a pic of Hasselbeck at the top?
She IS an accurate example IMO, but it seems like you're trying to have it both ways.
Can you, can't you or just when it suits you?
So is this trope in play for any young, sexy female conservative who is either a silly airhead Female Misogynist or not "really" supporting the GOP? I can't tell? Is this trope saying that (or implying) that a cute young blonde on the "Red" end is some sort of joke? Okay, I don't mean to sound all huffy, just that there seems to be a slight implication of taking a jab at Republicans here...
Hide / Show Replies
It appears to apply to any attractive female conservative character. I think it's better to narrow the definition down; as a TROPE, it's used either as a misogynistic device to present a Strawman Political, or the female version of conservative Flanderization. What you're describing is one version of the Strawman Political where Republicans are presented as anti-woman and so conservative women must either be stupid or evil (there's a similar trope for black Republicans). By obsessively focusing on the character's gender (and the "contradiction" of how they could hold such views), the writer avoids having to actually state what those views actually are.
Also, can we get rid of the Real Life examples? This mostly seems to be misogyny in the name of feminism — it combines Acceptable Targets with Romanticized Abuse... like Playboy's now-removed article "10 Conservative Women We'd Like to Hate Fuck". The Real Life section just seems to be a catalog of every attractive female conservative.
It's even worse now that Real Life examples includes BRUNETTE Blonde Republican Sex Kittens.
Much as Coulter annoys me, I'm not in favor of harming any celebrities (even if they are annoying). I'd say get an image of the Emily Procter character from The West Wing.
Someone should add the news caster that was donaghee's girlfriend from 30 rock.
Hide / Show Replies
This set up a real I Thought That Was moment for me, because the Blond Republican Sex Kitten was created after a number of Real Life examples... Ann Coulter, Meghan Mc Cain, Laura Ingraham, Elizabeth Hasselback, Monica Crowley, Jessica Corry. To say they are republican strawmen (straw women) misses the point that these characters started, as much as anything, as a satire against an existing trope...
I would like to add the above list as Real Life examples, but the way it is stated as a strawman stops me...
Edited by Edgukator Hide / Show Replies
The word "strawman" gets bandied about a lot on this site to refer to people that are simply negative portrayals of an Acceptable Target (for the record, to be a strawman they should be setting up bad arguments for other characters to shoot down). It does note in the description that this character can be just a Political Stereotype.
There was a debate about this in the Discussion archive
- I agree that the article should have some Real Life examples, myself.
I dolled up the definition so this trope seems less reliant on the character being a Strawman Political. I hope this make you feel more comfortable adding in Real Life examples.
I also got rid of the page image and one of the quotes, as Elle Woods is not a Republican sex kitten, and the Berlusconi quote needs to be contextualized in order to make any sense relative to this page.
See you in the discussion pages.
Mate Griffon To Mare
I think we should get rid of that picture. Elle Woods isn't a republican.
"All pain is a punishment, and every punishment is inflicted for love as much as for justice." — Joseph De Maistre.
What is the POINT of this trope if you can't point the obvious real life examples? See Ann Coulter, Tomi Lahren, just to name two.
Hide / Show Replies