Cross-dressing in Fiction

Cross-dressing as a major plot device in movies, television, and literature from around the world.

[bloedgetuige]

having a cat is great. there's a small little animal wandering around. effervescent

[bloedgetuige]

EATING MY CHARGER

[johnnyjoestarrelatable]

i think it's fucked up that there are plants that decided they wanted to eat meat

[johnnyjoestarrelatable]

a plant's job is literally to just exist but the venus flytrap chose violence

[johnnyjoestarrelatable]

what if i gently laid an uncooked steak on the soil for it to absorb

[iridescentjaq]

my tree biology teacher fed her calcium-deficient tree a whole-ass bbq rib bone - she stuck it in the ground near the base of the tree (after eating the meat off of it), and when she came back to collect it to show the tree biology class it was GONE

the tree had grown a root up through the center of it & out through the sides

also there’s an old story about a man who was buried beneath a tree, and when they went to exhume the body it had been completely absorbed by the tree’s roots- you could see the shape of the body in the way the roots grew, splitting up for clearly defined arms and legs. trees will absolutely eat a steak if you bury it & they need the nutrients.

[johnnyjoestarrelatable]

that’s horrifying! thank you

[headspace-hotel]

I mean yeah? Bone meal and blood meal are common fertilizers for plants.

And plants' roots actively forage, seeking out the areas of the most nutrients as they grow, so it makes sense

"What are corpses on the ground but uncooked steaks for some tree" is my new favorite quote

[fluentisonus]

every version of twelfth night is legally obligated to have a scene staged like this

[fluentisonus]

good question! the answer is no!

[greelin]

how the hell do people work full time AND work out. and also eat. i feel like a dvd player

[skribblegurl]

some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.

[heywriters]

I couldn't remember the word "doorknob" ten minutes ago.

[bumblewyn]

ok but the onelook thesaurus will save your life, i literally could not live without this website

[breelandwalker]

REBLOG TO SAVE A WRITER'S LIFE

[swamp-satyr]

Reblog to save a non-native English speaker's life too LMAO

[random0lover]

I went and bookmarked this on my laptop immediately because otherwise I’ll forget

[lover-suggestion]

today i overheard a girl say "no, f*ck that. i will be lovely to everyone. maybe some people will remember they have a heart."

[fluentisonus]

every version of twelfth night is legally obligated to have a scene staged like this

[fluentisonus]

good question! the answer is no!

[still-intrepid]

imogen stubbs as viola as cesario [1/?] Twelfth Night (1996)

[vmohlere]

This is one of my very favorite movies

[crossdressinginfiction]

Princess in the Prince’s Harem by Zhi Zhen and Xiao Qiu

Type: Comic

Setting: China, Historical

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Synopsis: Yi Yi’s plan is simple: disguise herself as a man, enter a painting competition tasked with drawing the emperor, and then depict him in the ugliest manner possible so that she can humiliate him just like he humiliated her. What she doesn’t count on, however, is actually winning the competition and becoming the palace’s newest royal painter.

Recommend? No. Look, there’s no denying here that this is an absolutely gorgeous manhua with a beautiful art style, vibrant colors, and detailed backdrops. The real problem here revolves around the plot. There’s no build up, no tension, no earned moments. Somehow, this is a story which uses every trope in the book, and yet still manages to confuse me. Unless you want a pretty comic with no real substance, I’d suggest you look elsewhere. - Fumka

[crossdressinginfiction]

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Type: Movie (2hr 3min)

Setting: England, 16th century

Genre:  Romance, Comedy, Historical

Synopsis:  Tale about a fictional relationship between William Shakespeare and a young woman who poses as a man in order to star in one of the writer's plays. Suffering from writer's block, Shakespeare is in need of a new muse. He soon finds inspiration in the form of a beautiful female aristocrat, but her daring determination to act in his play puts their already forbidden relationship on even more dangerous ground.

Characteristics:

Girl pretending to be a boy

Love interest likes MC even before he knows she’s a girl

Recommend? I love this depiction of Shakespeare, even as fictional as it is. And the fact that Viola’s cross-dressing, all of her actions, come into being in order for her to live how she desires is so admirable. She knows what she wants and by god is she going to get it!  - Vinelady

[crossdressinginfiction]

She’s the Man (2006)

Type: Movie (1hr 45min)

Setting: Modern Day, America

Genre:  Comedy, Romance

Synopsis: When Viola’s prowess in soccer is disparaged by her also soccer-playing boyfriend, she quits the team and disguises herself as her school-ditching brother in order prove she’s better than her now ex-boyfriend and defeat him in a soccer game. While trying to reach her goal, she gets into some comedic shenanigans and accidentally falls in love with one of her new teammates, who thinks she’s a guy. And soon she learns she's not the only one with romantic troubles.

Characteristics:

Girl pretending to be a boy

Girl disguised as brother

Secondary female love interest as a comedic element

Main love interest confused by possible homosexuality

Other versions: Based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Recommend? Yes! This movie has all the fun shenanigans of a woman disguised as a man, and the misdirection of the MC meeting most of the characters as both her female and male self. Plus the ex-boyfriend get’s shown what’s what at the end and the MC not only gets the guy but also shows her worth in a male-dominated field. - Vinelady

[crossdressinginfiction]

Tempest (2011)

Type: Television series (1 season, 10 episodes)

Setting: Japan, Tokugawa Period

Genre: Drama, Historical

Synopsis: A woman disguises herself as a Eunuch so she can fulfill her father’s wishes and become a government official in the royal palace.

Characteristics:

Girl pretending to be a boy

Villain quickly discovers M.C.’s true identity

Recommend? Nope, I really can’t. To be honest, I couldn’t even finish this drama. I only managed two episodes before I quit, so my review here will be lacking, but what I did watch made me feel that Tempest was just too ridiculous to sell such a serious story. It’s cheesy, it’s cliche, and it just wasn’t for me. Not as cool as the cover makes it out to be. - Fumika

[shinkiru]

≪ painter of the wind ≫ jeong hyang lives forever in yun bok’s paintings

[mrchandlerbings]

[crossdressinginfiction]

Leading ladies of cross-dressing fiction, part 1

[greensarrow]

female awesome meme  ► Best character growth (1/5) ↳ Mulan — Why else would I come back? You said that you’d trust Ping. Why is Mulan any different?

[crossdressinginfiction]

Portrait of a Beauty (2008)

Type: Movie (1hr 48min)

Setting: South Korea, 18th century

Genre: Romance, Historical

Synopsis: The tumultuous life of controversial painter Shin Yun Bok, whose father has her disguise herself as a man so that she can join the royal art institution Dohwaseo. 

Characteristics:

Girl pretending to be a boy

Main love interest quickly discover’s M.C. true identity.

Other versions: Painter of the Wind (2008)

Recommend? Eh, maybe go for Painter of the Wind instead. This is a much more serious and adult take on the life of painter Shin Yun Bok. While the cinematography is beautiful, I felt the Korean drama Painter of the Wind was superior in terms of characterization, music, story, and originality. - Fumika