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saelindA lazy Saturday, for sure. Spent two hours on coursework, which I felt was more than sufficient for the first Saturday back. Went for an hour-long walk through the city, then decided I needed to start working on my special Detailed Edition of my "F*** You, She's Awesome" list.
What exactly is a "F*** You, She's Awesome" list? It's a list of female characters one admires immensely, to the point that if anyone tries to degrade said characters in any way, your only responce can be "F*** you! She's awesome!" My friend Elizabeth, who got me to make this list in the first place, has been working on a detailed version of this list, in which she individually defends each character. So I started doing that, but...I have over twenty women on my list. So today I only got to my top five. I'm hoping to eventually do every woman on the list, but we'll have to start with these for now:
5. Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
Lordy Almighty, where to start with this woman? Let’s see…she’s a fighter, a lover, a helping hand and kind spirit, and she fits all these roles perfectly and unashamedly. She knows how to make a joke and when to be serious. And also, she can kill you with her pinky finger. Because she is that strong, both physically and mentally. I feel like I need to talk more about her, but…it’s hard to describe this lady’s awesomeness. You just have to watch Firefly.
4. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
First, let me make it perfectly clear that despite the picture, we are referring to the book version of Hermione Granger, not the movie version. Emma Watson and Hollywood did not even come close to doing this girl justice, and in fact I think the character’s reputation as a whole has suffered because of Emma Watson’s portrayal. But that’s just me.
Anyway, why Hermione is awesome…she is pretty much the perfect role model for young girls. J.K. Rowling once went on a huge rant about the emphasis that today’s world places on female beauty and body weight and other superficial things, and how she’s much rather have a Hermione Granger as a daughter than a wannabe supermodel. And I think that analysis sums it up quite nicely. She’s not a girly-girl, which I adore—the only time you ever see her display her feminine side is at the Yule Ball and Bill/Fluer’s wedding, yet she fits into that role seamlessly as well. Yes, she has her flaws, like anyone does—she’s afraid of failure to a fault, and can’t stand it when anyone else beats her at something. But these flaws make her more human. And then if we talk about her positive qualities…she’s smart, loyal, and braver than anyone gives her credit for. Especially in Deathly Hallows. Oh dear God, Deathly Hallows. First, lets talk about how much more danger she is in than so many of her peers because of her Muggle-Born status. How in Malfoy Manor she is the one who’s tortured, simply because she’s Muggle-Born. Yet she stays strong throughout that whole ordeal, keeps key secrets and even manages to lie on behalf of the group. And then let’s talk about the simple fact that without her, Harry would be dead. There’s no disputing that fact. She saves his and Ron’s lives more times than I can count in this book—most notably at Godric’s Hollow and when they’re first on the run from the Death Eaters. Without Hermione to help him, Harry would be dead, and Voldemort would have triumphed. Bye-bye, the end.
3. Eowyn (Lord of the Rings)
Oh, this poor lady does not get nearly enough credit, in my humble opinion. There are two reasons that I can excuse Tolkien’s extreme lack of estrogen in LOTR—one, consideration of the time period in which he lived, and two, the fact that when he does write female characters, he does them so well. Eowyn in particular. Despite her having lost so much in her life—her parents, her cousin, the opportunity to be free of the “cage” that she saw herself trapped in—she still remains so strong, putting on a brave face both for herself and her people. Yes, this masks utter discontent with her place in life, but…I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m going to have to quote Jayne Cobb here: “…been given the shortest end of the stick…but you took that end. And, well…you took it. And that’s—well, I guess that’s somethin’.” She accepts her role within Rohan, however much it galls her, up until the Battle of the Pellenor Fields. And let’s not even start about what she does there. Umm…may I remind everyone that she killed the Witch-King of Angmar? That alone gets her a place on this list. And once you get into the compassion that she shows Merry by letting him ride with her, because she understands so perfectly his need to be a part of that fight…aaagh. Wonderful.
2. Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
Now, I feel like I can’t fully give Roslin her due credit, since I’m not even halfway through Battlestar Galactica. But just what I’ve seen so far has given me more than enough material to work with. From Secretary of Education to President of the Twelve Colonies in a matter of moments—leader of the 50,000 survivors of the Cylon attack, constantly on the run—most people would be purely overwhelmed by it all. Not so with Laura Roslin. Despite the fact that she’s never had leadership experience, she takes her duties as President—and simply runs with them. She’s willing to learn, and does learn. As President of a fleet constantly under the threat of attack, she has to make lightning-fast decisions, and does with the barest glimpse of hesitation. She knows exactly what she wants, and knows how to get it—and does get it, 90% of the time. And the fact that she is doing all of this while suffering from terminal breast cancer is just incredible. You never see her display any fear. Ever. If Zoe and Eowyn were the role models of physical strength, this woman is the role model of mental strength, to such an intense degree. I’ve only seen one episode since her miracle cure, but…oh I can only watch with glee and wonder what the hell she’s going to do next.
1. Princess Leia Organa Solo
In short, she is my hero and still whom I want to be when I grow up. In more detail… despite the fact that Leia is the only woman in the Original Trilogy of Star Wars, and the fact that it was made in the late 70s, where Hollywood directors hadn’t even heard of the word feminism, she remains amazing on so many levels. Let’s start out with the fact that in A New Hope Leia is nineteen years old. My age. Nineteen, and she is the Senator of her home planet, in addition to being a clearly established leader within the Rebel Alliance. Vader sees her as a clear threat when he imprisons her. She withstands imprisonment and torture without any fear, and can we talk about the way she acted after the destruction of Alderaan? Her home, her family, her entire planet is destroyed, and yet she never loses her composure onscreen—not in front of Vader and Tarkin, not in front of Luke and Han, and not in front of the rest of the Rebellion. Ice princess, for sure. And ok, yes, she has to be sprung from the Death Star prison by Han, Luke, and Chewie. But let’s talk about the fact that without Leia’s resourcefulness, the four of them would never have survived to escape the Death Star. When she comes out of her cell, they’re under fire from stormtroopers thanks to Han and Luke’s brilliance. I love them both, but those two numbskulls went into that rescue operation with absolutely no plan. Without Leia’s garbage chute idea, they all would have been dead. So she’s not quite the helpless princess you’d believe on first sight. She’s established even more as a leader in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and she saves both Luke and Han’s asses on multiple occasions. Yes, she’s reduced to a disgustingly kinky sex object in Return of the Jedi, and I hate that. But let’s not forget that she was the one who actually killed Jabba the Hutt. Quite literally with her bare hands.
And if we get into a discussion of the Expanded Universe, she goes on to become President of the New Republic and a Jedi Master. It’s impossible to be any more fantastic than that.
For a preview of what's next, here's the rest of my list...
-Mara Jade Skywalker (Star Wars)
-Donna Noble (Doctor Who)
-Kaylee Frye (Firefly)
-Piper Halliwell (Charmed)
-Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)
-Harriet Jones (Doctor Who)
-Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)
-Martha Jones (Doctor Who)
-Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)
-Shmi Skywalker (Star Wars)
-Keladry of Mindelan (Tortall series)
-Jordan Cavanaugh (Crossing Jordan)
-Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
-River Song (Doctor Who)
-Arya Stark (Song of Ice and Fire)
-Viola (Twelfth Night)
-Catelyn Stark (Song of Ice and Fire)
-Kara Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)
-Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Bones)
Funny how I felt more productive for making this list than I did for finishing my history reading =P.
What exactly is a "F*** You, She's Awesome" list? It's a list of female characters one admires immensely, to the point that if anyone tries to degrade said characters in any way, your only responce can be "F*** you! She's awesome!" My friend Elizabeth, who got me to make this list in the first place, has been working on a detailed version of this list, in which she individually defends each character. So I started doing that, but...I have over twenty women on my list. So today I only got to my top five. I'm hoping to eventually do every woman on the list, but we'll have to start with these for now:
5. Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
Lordy Almighty, where to start with this woman? Let’s see…she’s a fighter, a lover, a helping hand and kind spirit, and she fits all these roles perfectly and unashamedly. She knows how to make a joke and when to be serious. And also, she can kill you with her pinky finger. Because she is that strong, both physically and mentally. I feel like I need to talk more about her, but…it’s hard to describe this lady’s awesomeness. You just have to watch Firefly.
4. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
First, let me make it perfectly clear that despite the picture, we are referring to the book version of Hermione Granger, not the movie version. Emma Watson and Hollywood did not even come close to doing this girl justice, and in fact I think the character’s reputation as a whole has suffered because of Emma Watson’s portrayal. But that’s just me.
Anyway, why Hermione is awesome…she is pretty much the perfect role model for young girls. J.K. Rowling once went on a huge rant about the emphasis that today’s world places on female beauty and body weight and other superficial things, and how she’s much rather have a Hermione Granger as a daughter than a wannabe supermodel. And I think that analysis sums it up quite nicely. She’s not a girly-girl, which I adore—the only time you ever see her display her feminine side is at the Yule Ball and Bill/Fluer’s wedding, yet she fits into that role seamlessly as well. Yes, she has her flaws, like anyone does—she’s afraid of failure to a fault, and can’t stand it when anyone else beats her at something. But these flaws make her more human. And then if we talk about her positive qualities…she’s smart, loyal, and braver than anyone gives her credit for. Especially in Deathly Hallows. Oh dear God, Deathly Hallows. First, lets talk about how much more danger she is in than so many of her peers because of her Muggle-Born status. How in Malfoy Manor she is the one who’s tortured, simply because she’s Muggle-Born. Yet she stays strong throughout that whole ordeal, keeps key secrets and even manages to lie on behalf of the group. And then let’s talk about the simple fact that without her, Harry would be dead. There’s no disputing that fact. She saves his and Ron’s lives more times than I can count in this book—most notably at Godric’s Hollow and when they’re first on the run from the Death Eaters. Without Hermione to help him, Harry would be dead, and Voldemort would have triumphed. Bye-bye, the end.
3. Eowyn (Lord of the Rings)
Oh, this poor lady does not get nearly enough credit, in my humble opinion. There are two reasons that I can excuse Tolkien’s extreme lack of estrogen in LOTR—one, consideration of the time period in which he lived, and two, the fact that when he does write female characters, he does them so well. Eowyn in particular. Despite her having lost so much in her life—her parents, her cousin, the opportunity to be free of the “cage” that she saw herself trapped in—she still remains so strong, putting on a brave face both for herself and her people. Yes, this masks utter discontent with her place in life, but…I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m going to have to quote Jayne Cobb here: “…been given the shortest end of the stick…but you took that end. And, well…you took it. And that’s—well, I guess that’s somethin’.” She accepts her role within Rohan, however much it galls her, up until the Battle of the Pellenor Fields. And let’s not even start about what she does there. Umm…may I remind everyone that she killed the Witch-King of Angmar? That alone gets her a place on this list. And once you get into the compassion that she shows Merry by letting him ride with her, because she understands so perfectly his need to be a part of that fight…aaagh. Wonderful.
2. Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
Now, I feel like I can’t fully give Roslin her due credit, since I’m not even halfway through Battlestar Galactica. But just what I’ve seen so far has given me more than enough material to work with. From Secretary of Education to President of the Twelve Colonies in a matter of moments—leader of the 50,000 survivors of the Cylon attack, constantly on the run—most people would be purely overwhelmed by it all. Not so with Laura Roslin. Despite the fact that she’s never had leadership experience, she takes her duties as President—and simply runs with them. She’s willing to learn, and does learn. As President of a fleet constantly under the threat of attack, she has to make lightning-fast decisions, and does with the barest glimpse of hesitation. She knows exactly what she wants, and knows how to get it—and does get it, 90% of the time. And the fact that she is doing all of this while suffering from terminal breast cancer is just incredible. You never see her display any fear. Ever. If Zoe and Eowyn were the role models of physical strength, this woman is the role model of mental strength, to such an intense degree. I’ve only seen one episode since her miracle cure, but…oh I can only watch with glee and wonder what the hell she’s going to do next.
1. Princess Leia Organa Solo
In short, she is my hero and still whom I want to be when I grow up. In more detail… despite the fact that Leia is the only woman in the Original Trilogy of Star Wars, and the fact that it was made in the late 70s, where Hollywood directors hadn’t even heard of the word feminism, she remains amazing on so many levels. Let’s start out with the fact that in A New Hope Leia is nineteen years old. My age. Nineteen, and she is the Senator of her home planet, in addition to being a clearly established leader within the Rebel Alliance. Vader sees her as a clear threat when he imprisons her. She withstands imprisonment and torture without any fear, and can we talk about the way she acted after the destruction of Alderaan? Her home, her family, her entire planet is destroyed, and yet she never loses her composure onscreen—not in front of Vader and Tarkin, not in front of Luke and Han, and not in front of the rest of the Rebellion. Ice princess, for sure. And ok, yes, she has to be sprung from the Death Star prison by Han, Luke, and Chewie. But let’s talk about the fact that without Leia’s resourcefulness, the four of them would never have survived to escape the Death Star. When she comes out of her cell, they’re under fire from stormtroopers thanks to Han and Luke’s brilliance. I love them both, but those two numbskulls went into that rescue operation with absolutely no plan. Without Leia’s garbage chute idea, they all would have been dead. So she’s not quite the helpless princess you’d believe on first sight. She’s established even more as a leader in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and she saves both Luke and Han’s asses on multiple occasions. Yes, she’s reduced to a disgustingly kinky sex object in Return of the Jedi, and I hate that. But let’s not forget that she was the one who actually killed Jabba the Hutt. Quite literally with her bare hands.
And if we get into a discussion of the Expanded Universe, she goes on to become President of the New Republic and a Jedi Master. It’s impossible to be any more fantastic than that.
For a preview of what's next, here's the rest of my list...
-Mara Jade Skywalker (Star Wars)
-Donna Noble (Doctor Who)
-Kaylee Frye (Firefly)
-Piper Halliwell (Charmed)
-Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)
-Harriet Jones (Doctor Who)
-Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)
-Martha Jones (Doctor Who)
-Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)
-Shmi Skywalker (Star Wars)
-Keladry of Mindelan (Tortall series)
-Jordan Cavanaugh (Crossing Jordan)
-Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
-River Song (Doctor Who)
-Arya Stark (Song of Ice and Fire)
-Viola (Twelfth Night)
-Catelyn Stark (Song of Ice and Fire)
-Kara Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)
-Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Bones)
Funny how I felt more productive for making this list than I did for finishing my history reading =P.
no subject
on 2009-09-12 11:47 pm (UTC)