History Main / Socialite

Often she doesn't have a job, but sometimes she can be working part-time in a glamorous high-end position, such as a celebrity publicist or magazine columnist, which gives her access to the ''right types of people''. She doesn't need a job for the money, and her role--staying firmly in the public eye and connecting herself with the most influential members of high society--is a full-time occupation. Her hair, makeup, designer shoes and $20,000 custom-made haute couture outfit are perfect every time she leaves her penthouse, because paparazzi can snap photos anywhere. Media attention, influence, and status are what fuels her.

* An evil example: [[LadyMacbeth Helen]] [[MagnificentBitch Heyer]] from ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'' is the wife of a high-ranking member of Britain's futuristic fascist government but she plans on overthrowing the Leader and installing her husband in his place so that she can rule the country through him. She likes to use sex to control her husband and other influential men and [[FurAndLoathing always dresses up to the nines]].

* ''Film/{{Colette}}'': The bohemian world where Willy and Colette live also has its share of wealthy characters, some of them classic socialites, who like to hang out with artists because it’s cool — notably including Missy, who comes from a ''very'' aristocratic background.

* ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'':
** Lillian Rearden, the wife of billionaire industrialist Hank Rearden, envies her husband for his ability and revels in making life unbearable for him while forbidding him from getting a divorce because she needs his wealth and power to maintain her place in high society.
** Ivy Starnes is the sadistic daughter of the industrialist Jed Starnes who relished seeing people who got on her bad side fall into poverty. Ironically, she had little interest in wealth of her own and lived a life of asceticism, which is depicted as making her even scarier than her hypocritical brothers who preached socialism but lived lives of luxury. That was all in the past, though -- by the time we meet her after the bankruptcy of the 20th Century Motor Company, [[FallenPrincess she's living in squalor]].
* Yet another evil example (the Socialite gets a pretty bad rap in literature doesn't she?) is Esme Gigi Genevieve Squalor from ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''. When first introduced she's a RichBitch and the self-proclaimed "[[SmallNameBigEgo City's sixth most important financial adviser]]". She's tactless, vain, obsessed with fashion, and orders her weak husband around. It later turns out that she's having an affair with the story's BigBad.
* ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}}'': Vin impersonates a socialite rather effectively, pretending to be the pampered niece of a high noble. Both she and some actual nobility who appear to fit this character type are magical assassins.
* In Sean Stewart's ''Galveston'', the ghost of a socialite provides the main character with some useful reflections.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/SatisfactionGuaranteed":
** Gladys Claffern is a RichBitch who manages a social clique that the main characters see as important in advancing Larry's corporate position.
** After the [[ManicPixieDreamGirl transformative three weeks with Tony]], Claire Belmont has become a witty mistress of social maneuvering.
* Murder victim Suzanne Reardon in ''Literature/LetMeCallYouSweetheart'' became a socialite after marrying her husband. She had a lucrative career as a fashion model until she married wealthy architect and contractor Skip Reardon, who was initially happy to support her. Suzanne largely spent her days at a golf club, shopping for luxury items or at swanky parties in and around New York City [[spoiler:and conducting affairs with several members of New York's elite]].

* ''The Two Mrs. Grenvilles'', 1987 NBC two-part miniseries of Dominick Dunne's 1985 true crime novel, is based on the William Woodward Jr. shooting of 1955.
* ''Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder'', also 1987 miniseries but NBC's three-part telling of the same 1978 case of Franklin Bradshaw's murder based on Shana Alexander's true crime novel.
* Emily Gilmore from ''Series/GilmoreGirls''. Her sole occupation is to be a corporate wife; planning parties and attending events to keep up the social side of her husband's business. [[RichBitch If things don't go her way, however...]]

* [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Champion Cynthia]] of the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, particularly evident in her appearance in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''. She takes up residence at a friend's villa in Undella Town region during the spring and summer seasons. This is mainly because she's [[AdventurerArchaeologist looking into]] Unova's Abyssal Ruins in Undella Bay whenever she's not doing research in Sinnoh, but Cynthia seems equally keen on lounging around and going swimming/sunbathing (to the point that she outright asks the player which of two swimsuits she'd look better in), and several female Gym Leaders and Elite Four members come to visit her whenever she's in town.

* Mary in ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'' is one, but she still likes to play fantasy games when she isn't attending social events.

* Literature/WhateleyUniverse examples: Solange's mother. And step-mother. And maybe previous step-mothers too. Traduce's mother, who (like Traduce) cannot keep a personal assistant because she treats underlings so badly. ''Not'' Phase's mother, who has a [=PhD=] and spends her time running Goodkind Research.

* Many of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne's]] girlfriends, particularly in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. They're all rich and have doting boyfriends, but they're more SpoiledSweet than RichBitch.

* Lucrezia Borgia.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Rarity aspires to be a member of Equestria's upper crust (i.e. rich Ponies who live in Canterlot), with the Season 2 episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E9SweetAndElite Sweet and Elite]]" featuring her singing a song about it. The same episode also had several negative and positive versions of the character playing off of her:

You know this woman. [[note]]Technically a socialite can be male, but you rarely hear males of the type referred to with the term.[[/note]] She's cultured and rich, and she knows how to handle any social situation (or at least upper-class ones). Her rich husband or father adores her, and never tires of supplying her with a constant stream of Gucci and Armani fashions. She lives in a mansion, usually in California, or a penthouse in Manhattan, and she vacations in Europe. Her natural habitat is hanging out at glamorous social events, gala arts openings, and celebrity fundraisers at posh restaurants with a glass of champagne in her hand.

* [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rarity]] has an entire episode and sings a song about how she wants to be this.
** The same episode (''Sweet and Elite'') also had several negative and positive versions of the character playing off of her. Jet Set and Upper Crust were very much the bad kind: spoiled, elitist, and haughty, who disparages Rarity for her humble origins despite initially loving her (self-made) clothes. Fancy Pants, conversely, is charming, witty, and kind, and compliments Rarity and her friends for their good qualities and doesn't mind at all their rustic backgrounds. (Hilariously, Jet Set and Upper Crust are devoted hangers-on to him, and are forced to change their tunes so they won't fall out of favor.) Between them is Fleur de Lis, Fancy Pants' wife/girlfriend/escort/forelegcandy (their relationship is never made clear), who mostly just hangs around (and sometimes on) Fancy Pants and never states her opinion either way. Fan interpretation tends to paint her nice like Fancy Pants, though.

Often she doesn't have a job, but sometimes she can be working part-time in a glamorous high-end position, such as a celebrity publicist or magazine columnist, which gives her access to the ''right types of people''. She doesn't need a job for the money, and her role--staying firmly in the public eye and connecting herself with the most influential members of high society--is a full time occupation. Her hair, makeup, designer shoes and $20,000 custom-made haute couture outfit are perfect every time she leaves her penthouse, because paparazzi can snap photos anywhere. Media attention, influence and status are what fuels her.

Often she will be either childless or quite distant towards her children. If American, she is from an established, respected WASP family on the East Coast and may be an [[IvyLeagueForEveryone Ivy league alumnus.]] If British or European, she is likely from an aristocratic family. If British, she will either be from the Royal family, or if not, she will emphasize her ties to it. British socialites enjoy equestrian activities and other SnootySports.

* Lillian Rearden from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. The wife of billionaire industrialist Hank Rearden, she envies her husband for his ability and revels in making life unbearable for him while forbidding him from getting a divorce because she needs his wealth and power to maintain her place in high society.

* Murder victim Suzanne Reardon in ''Literature/LetMeCallYouSweetheart'' became a socialite after marrying her husband. She had a lucrative career as a FashionModel until she married wealthy architect and contractor Skip Reardon, who was initially happy to support her. Suzanne largely spent her days at a golf club, shopping for luxury items or at swanky parties in and around New York City [[spoiler:and conducting affairs with several members of New York's elite]].

[[folder:Film]]

* [[AcePilot Mrs.]] [[AmazonianBeauty Arrow]] of ''VideoGame/FZero''. This is [[RenaissanceMan in addition to]] being a F-Zero racer, a former circuit model, [[TwoTeacherSchool a teacher and co-founder of the F-Zero Racing School]], [[ElegantClassicalMusician a musician]], [[{{Omniglot}} a linguistics expert]], a UsefulNotes/{{bodybuild|ing}}er, and [[BattleCouple one-half of a]] [[TheyFightCrime crime-fighting]] {{superhero}} duo as well as an implied [[{{Housewife}} homemaker]], never mind that she's [[GeniusBruiser suggested to have genius-level intellect]], [[CrimeFightingWithCash is the financier of Super Arrow's operations]], and [[HenpeckedHusband is clearly the one wearing the pants in their relationship]]. She even resembles the page image [[note]]a background extra in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' seen during the wedding in "Spellbound" who also appears again at least in "Out of the Past"[[/note]] (only, you know, far more muscular), though we've yet to see her in a dress or at any social gatherings due to ''F-Zero'' hardly touching on the racers' personal lives outside of the racetrack. We do know, however, that [[{{Ojou}} she was basically treated as a princess growing up]], [[{{Fiction 500}} her family is immensely wealthy]], and [[UnclePennybags Mrs. Arrow is more than happy to put that wealth to philanthropic use]].

Often she will be either childless or quite distant towards her children. If American, she is from an established, respected WASP family on the East Coast and may be an [[IvyLeagueForEveryone Ivy league alumnus.]] If British or European, she is likely from an aristocratic family. If British, she will either be from the Royal family, or if not, she will emphasize her ties to it. British socialites enjoy equestrian activities.

Often she doesn't have a job, but sometimes she can be working part-time in a glamorous high-end position, such as a celebrity publicist or magazine columnist, which gives her access to the ''right types of people''. She doesn't need a job fir the money, and her role--staying firmly in the public eye and connecting herself with the most influential members of high society--is a full time occupation. Her hair, makeup, and custom-made haute couture outfit are perfect every time she leaves, because paparazzi can snap photos anywhere.