Scholarship frequently analyzes tropes used to depict transgender people in folklore and modern media. These often fall into narrow categories:

: Historically, "she-male" was used as a pejorative for assertive or intellectual women in the 1920s. By the mid-1970s, it shifted toward describing transgender women, particularly those who have not undergone genital surgery.

(1987) by Sandy Stone: A seminal essay that helped launch transgender studies as a field.

While the specific phrase "wise shemale" does not appear as a formal academic concept, the intersections of transgender identity, terminology, and cultural archetypes are extensively studied in Transgender Studies . Terminology and Historical Context

The term "shemale" has a complex history, evolving from a 19th-century American colloquialism for females to its modern association with the adult film industry.

(2008) by Susan Stryker: A comprehensive overview of how terminology and identities have shifted over time.

: Some researchers highlight older folktales that depict gender-transgressive characters finding happiness and wisdom, such as in the forgotten folktales of trans joy .

: Common media tropes include the "scary trans person" (villain) or the "tragically dying" character (victim).