It is a truth universally acknowledged, that people watching TV like to feel identified with the characters in the story they’re following. Women, with our strong sense of community and need for relationships, know this even more than men.
While we are common in this way, obviously no two women are the same (let’s be real - that would be just plain boring). Women don’t look the same, don’t like the same things, don’t have the same jobs or participate in the same activities.
The plurality of pov's and female characters seen on TV today didn't always reflect these differences. Even if today some shows with great ratings continue to objectify women, the truth is women have come a long way and there are a lot more shows that celebrate the diversity that exists among us.
In some genres, there have always been the archetype of the strong woman (aka The Badass) that would most likely be the love interest of the male lead. However in the 90’s, some shows (and movies) started to tell stories about these characters not only in regards to their relationship with the male lead, but in respect to their own story and goals - it was't just a love equation. It has allowed the TV scenery to flourish with the characters that we see today, beyond being tethered to a certain genre.
We have nerdy introverts that struggle to live life and keep on going finding a place on earth; we have the nerdy extroverts that like to make the people they love happy and want to change the world, like Leslie Knope; there are the ladies that don’t know what to do with their lives, others do know exactly where they’re going and what they’re doing, for example Miranda Bayley and Donna Paulsen; some overcame abusive partners and are healing, like Abby Whelan or Carol Peletier; women that don’t always make the best choice but keep going. Characters one can empathize with because one treat or another, because of their flaws, tastes, virtues, values; there’s something we can relate to, we can admire or disapprove, but understand.
There are characters that struggle with their own baggage while fighting for justice for others, like Kate Beckett; and characters that lost everything but always put others before their own happiness, like Juliet Burke. We even relate to characters that fight evil in apocalyptic worlds, and know how to handle a gun, maybe, better than any man or a computer as much as any other team member.
We see ladies that had travelled in time, with only their own selves as the biggest enemy. Take HG Wells for example, having to overcome her own story to redeem herself. There are characters that never felt love and life hadn't helped them either; Reginal Mills is the Evil Queen - but we can understand why. Sometimes, (most of the time, in my case, at least) we even find ourselves rooting for them. We have ladies that kick zombies’ butts, lawyers, doctors, working moms, single moms, first ladies, retailers, ballerinas, unemployed, politicians, producers, actresses, cops, fairytale characters, vampires, doctors, nurses, FBI agents, chefs, spies, queens, assistants, paralegals, students,etc. A whole spectrum of professions is reflected in the small screen; as many professions as types of personalities. Little by little the representation of women in TV is becoming more real (for example, slowly, it seems, not all the characters look like as if they are out of the hair salon.)
There’s still a big road ahead until television reaches a point of gender equality, but it’s refreshing to watch this wide range of diversity. March 8th is International Women’s Day and in turn the perfect date to celebrate the fictional women gracing our TV screens and becoming part of our lives.
As there are many more characters that I had forgotten or am not yet acquainted with on TV, I’ve asked the knowledgeable team of writers at SpoilerTV for their favorite women in TV. Here they are:
- Sharon Seymour mentioned: Dana Scully, Temprance Brennan, Debra Morgan, Carrie Mathison, Elizabeth Jennings, Joan Watson, Sarah Linden, Sister Jude Martin and Constance Langdon.
- Jamie Coudeville talked about Kate Beckett, Elena Gilbert, Haley James Scott and Nikita Mears
- CJ Allan’s favourites are Buffy and Willow and Sarah Walker. Lucy Perussi’s choices were Alicia Florrick and Kalinda Sharma, Brenda Leigh Johnson, Andy, Gail and Tracy from Rookie Blue and Veronica Mars
- Darth Locke named Charlie Matheson and Rachael Matheson, all the ladies from Lost, all versions of Olivia Dunham, Nina Sharp, Astrid Farnsworth, Elisabeth Bishop, and Etta Bishop; Sydney Bristow, Irina Derevko, Nadia Santos, Joss Carter, Zoe Morgan, Laura Rossalin, Caprica 6, Messenger Six, Diana (the 3's), Callie, Boomer/Athena (8's), and Admiral Kane
We would like to know, what are your favorites? and Happy Women’s Day!
Contact the author on Twitter and/or leave your thoughts in the comments.
I think Kate Beckett is inspiring as is the woman who plays her - Stana Katic
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura!
ReplyDeleteHappy International Women’s Day!
My favourites are
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Jennings - The Americans
Carrie - Homeland
and Deb from Dexter (ha fuckballs!)
Lorelai Gilmore FOREVER! <3
ReplyDeleteTrue Fact!
ReplyDeleteThank YOU :) And right back at you!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally behind on The Americans but wow, what a show! and Elizabeth is amazing.
ReplyDeleteAll the women on Charmed!
ReplyDeleteAny women from Game of Thrones. All strong characters with very little, if any focus on love.
ReplyDeleteKick ass ninjas Ziva David and Kensi Blye - NCIS and NCISLA! :-)
ReplyDeleteall the ladies in GOT are so complex and beautiful to understand, they know how to play the game...
ReplyDeletehands down, OLIVIA DUNHAM!
ReplyDeleteI like Sharon Seymour's choices, particularly Dana Scully, Joan Watson, Sarah Linden, Sister Jude, and Constance Langdon. I would add Leslie Knope, Olivia Dunham, Lana Winters, and Regina.
ReplyDeleteYes they are all very strong women and very well portrayed by some amazing actresses.
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are Gemma ( SoA), Carrie (homeland), all the women from Game of Thrones, Nancy (Weeds), Sidney Bristow and Olivia Dunham.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Pope from Scandal and Emily Thorne from Revenge
ReplyDeleteawwwwwwwww the beauty of all the ladies mentioned <33333333333333333
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of favorites: Joss Carter came to the top of the names in my head .. I love her and she's amazing just like Taraji is <33333333333
I can't not mention Donna (suits), Bonnie Bennet (TVD), Alicia & Kalinda (TGW), Teresa Lisbon (TM), Olivia Dunham (fringe), & I don't watch Castle but I would like to mention Kate Beckett <3 that woman deserves the love she's getting ...
Erica Strange (Being Erica), Joan Watson (Elementary), Olivia Dunham (Fringe, all versions), Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy), Prue Halliwell (Charmed), Jess Day (New Girl), Elizabeth (White Collar), Bo (Lost Girl), Piper Halliwell (Charmed), Phoebe Halliwell (Charmed).
ReplyDeleteMy faves:
ReplyDeleteRegina Mills (Once Upon a Time)
Cersei Lannister & Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones)
Ilithyia & Naevia (Spartacus)
Aeryn Sun (Farscape)
Kara Thrace & Tory Foster (BSG)
Tara Thornton (True Blood)
Cara Mason & Kahlan Amnell (Legend of the Seeker)
Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife)
Aeryn Sun! Thank you for adding her. She was amazing. Her arc goes from the tough, militia-raised woman, to a woman in love, still strong, still fighting, but with a family next to her. I love her so much.
ReplyDeleteMy favourites:
ReplyDeleteNikita Mears
Ziva David
Kensi Blye
Kono Kalakaua
JJ
Penelope Garcia
YES! Aeryn is pretty much a perfect character arc
ReplyDeleteI could probably think of more later, but the ones that stick out are Dana Scully, Kate Beckett, Willow from Buffy, Angela on Bones, and my girl Emma Swan.
ReplyDeleteMy list of female heroes is endless, because I'm always rooting for them, but on the top of the list are:
ReplyDeleteAeryn Sun (Farscape), Dane Scully (The X Files, my strongest role model during my teen years), all the Olivias Dunham (Fringe), Juliet Burke (Lost), Buffy Summers, Leslie Knope and Co. (Parks and Rec), LIZ LEMON! (30 rock, lady heroe for us nerds), Jessica Day and Cece (New Girl), whom are strong in their femininity, all the females from Suits... and the list could keep on going
Totally agree, Kate Becjett is awesome
ReplyDeleteOh God, so many great women. Several of them have been named but I must add my favorite female character of all times: LOIS LANE.
ReplyDeleteErica Durance in Smallville did an outstanding job bringing her to life and she still is my favorite version of Lois, but also Teri Hatcher's Lois in Lois & Clark and Dana Delany's Lois in Superman: the animated series were terrific
My all time favs : Kate Beckett, Sydnet Bristow, Olivia Dunham and Miranda Bailey
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how i forgot to mention Lois, Lois was the first female character when i was a kid (And Catwoman TBH for different reasons) that made me go, 'oh, not all ladies in fiction are in need of a savior'
ReplyDeleteAna Lucia (Lost)
ReplyDeleteTara Thornton (True Blood)
Joss Carter (Person of Interest)
Bonnie Bennett (Vampire Diaries)
Catwoman (Batman movies)
Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife)
Michonne (The Walking Dead)
Regina (OuaT)
Kendra, Buffy and Faith (Buffy)
Illiyra (Angel)
Some of my favourites; Leslie Knope, Juliet Burke, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Buffy Summers, Number 6 (BSG), Cersei Lannister, Brienne Tarth, Naevia from Spartacus, Britta Perry, Olivia Dunham, Annie (Being Human), Alex Drake (Ashes to Ashes), Carrie Mathison, Mags Bennett and Ava Crowder
ReplyDeleteWow this is hard.
ReplyDeleteKate Beckett of course is the number one female character.
Temperence Brennan is one of my heroes.
Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles are and interesting pair.
Sarah Walker and Ellie Bartowski are very much the self made woman.
Emma Swan and Mary Margaret are both looking to protect the ones they love.
Happy National Women's day! As Stana Katic once said, "A strong female lead? Yeah, I can't imagine a woman being otherwise." Whether a woman is portrayed as weak or vulnerable or even just a sex symbol, we still love those character's because they are human, even if their character isn't written the best. Charmed, a show that starred three women, went on for 8 seasons! That's just amazing. Have a wonderful day, and ladies, everyday is worth celebrating!
ReplyDeleteSeparate post needed for this. Alright people I haven't seen are Sarah Connor, all the women on Game of Thrones, Samantha Carter, Helen Magnus, Jo and Ellen Harvelle, Wendy Watson and Lacey Thornfield, the ladies of Once Upon a Time, Cara and Kahlan, Buffy, faith, Willow, Tara, Dawn (that's right, I said Dawn), Xena, Gabrielle, Parker, Criminal Minds ladies, Doctor Who companions, Warehouse 13 ladies, Aeryn Sun, Lost Girl ladies, Lana Winters, Sister Jude, etc. I could go on, but I don't want to be too annoying.
ReplyDeleteHow did i miss this post? Happy Women's Day to all of us!! :) I'm sure to forget some,
ReplyDeleteOlivia and Fauxliv
Astrid Farnsworth
Dana Scully
Areyn sun
Temperance Brennan
Angela (cannot remember her last name on Bones)
All the ladies of Lost
All the ladies in Game Of Thrones!
Starbuck
Laura Roslin
Nina Sharp
Regina
My Mother! I miss you so.
and Laura Becker!
My favorite female characters ever: Dana Scully, Kate Beckett, Buffy Summers, Sydney Bristow, Willow, Lorelai Gilmore, Olivia Dunham and Debra Morgan. And Lois Lane on comics. Great characters.
ReplyDeleteMy list:
ReplyDeleteLorelai Gilmore
Rory Gilmore
Emma Swan
Xena
Gabrielle
Areyn Sun
Sookie Stackhouse
Diana Skouris
Temperance Brennan
Jane Rizzoli
Maura Isles
Deb is amazing! My favorite line of hers is when someone asks after how much coffee she's drunk and she replies "I don't know, a metric fuckton?" Perfect.
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are Kate Beckett (Castle), Ziva David (NCIS), Sara Sidle (CSI: Las Vegas), Elena Gilbert (Vampire Diaries), and I'm sure there are others that I forgot, but I can't think right now... XD
ReplyDeleteOMG! I saw my name on here and almost died! That was too kind of you! Happy Women's Day! :D
ReplyDeleteReally? Sweetie, you ROCK!!! And don't ever let anyone tell you different!!!!!! You my friend are one strong,wonderful person who happens to be a women! I am the one privileged to call you my friend!
ReplyDeleteKate Beckett rocks!
ReplyDeleteTeresa Lisbon (The Mentalist)
ReplyDeleteAlso Michonne (TWD)
ReplyDeleteTeresa Lisbon - The Mentalist
ReplyDeleteDr. Maura Isles - Rizzoli and Isles
Jane Rizzoli - Rizzoli and Isles
Inspiring female characters!!!
How could I forget Alicia Florrick? Yes, Alicia should be added to my list. And Diane Lockhart.
ReplyDelete