Like, forever ago, I posted a list of my animated female heroes and swore the list of live-action ladies was soon to follow. Well, obviously not. There are just too many! I will try and get back on this but in the meantime, Defamer has just posted a really awesome tribute to "The Top 10 Female TV Characters Women Want To Be Like And Men Want To Be With." It's awesome! There's one with which I viscerally disagree, but with the others I viscerally AGREE. Check it out.
Showing posts with label AWESOMENESS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AWESOMENESS. Show all posts
Friday, August 8, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Chicks I Really, Really Like: Doogie Howser Edition
Totally stolen from Jezebel, here is the story of Alia Sabur, THE WORLD'S YOUNGEST PROFESSOR.
(At 18 years old, she's broken the record set in 1717 by some 19-year-old bewigged dude.)There's really nothing about this that isn't perfect. Dr. Sabur has her PhD in math--so much for girls sucking at that--and she teaches the subject at Southern University at New Orleans, which she chose because she wanted to help people still recovering from Katrina. As her résumé shows, she has six different publications to her name, and her teaching philosophy takes into account "students with non-traditional backgrounds" and posits that, being close in age to most of her students, she "can understand better what they might find interesting, or difficult." Also, as the Today clip shows, she reads Jezebel!
Alia, you are inspiring and awesome. The next time you come back to your hometown of NYC, look me up and I will totally sneak you into a bar.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
In Case You've Had The Misfortune Of Not Seeing This
I've never been a big fan of Sarah Silverman. Whatever, not everyone is. But this. This. Is brilliant. From Jimmy Kimmel Live, we bring you the music video for "Fucking Matt Damon."
Monday, January 14, 2008
No, Really, Actually The Greatest Thing Ever
Roommate Katey just sent me an email saying: "This is like when my rat-owning, culinary-school bound friend Jenny finally got to see Ratatouille." The email included the best fucking link I've ever been sent:
"FilmSchoolRejects talked to author Shauna Cross, whose book 'Derby Girl' is being turned into a movie titled Whip It. Drew Barrymore is making her feature directorial debut on the pic, which is targeted for a March start. This is how the book is described:
Meet Bliss Cavendar, a blue haired, indie-rock loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas.
Her pageant-addicted mother expects her to compete for the coveted Miss Blue Bonnet crown, but Bliss would rather feast on roaches than be subjected to such rhinestone tyranny.
Bliss' escape? Take up Roller Derby. [OMG OMG OMG. --Ed.]
When she discovers a league in nearby Austin, Bliss embarks on an epic journey full of hilarious tattooed girls, delicious boys in bands, and a few not-so-awesome realities even the most bad-assed derby chick has to learn.
So who is possibly in talks about playing Bliss? According to Cross it's an actress whose name rhymes with 'Shmellen Shmage.' She's of course referring to Juno star Ellen Page."
So, yeah, I might as well have gotten this letter:
Dear Susan B.,
I made this for you.
Love,
Drew Barrymore
Roller derby. Plus. Ellen Page. With Blue Hair. They might not even fuck it up!
(The best part might be that they felt the need to clarify whom "Shmellen Shmage" meant.)
Monday, January 7, 2008
Ah Yes, 1992 WAS An Awesome Year, Wasn't It?
This is from io9, the new blog for women who like science fiction. I think. Anyway, here is the cover of a pulp novel from 1971:
I will not post the excerpt cuz I figure I should instead send you all over to io9 and you can read it there. It was their scoop, after all.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
This Has Nothing To Do With Feminism
But I can't resist. Because it is too amazing. Someone on a Jezebel comment thread directed me to Brigham Young University's honor code, and on the main page, is the best Frequently Asked Question OMG EVER ASKED IN THE HISTORY OF QUESTIONS. You ready? Here we go:
"What is the process for obtaining a beard waiver?"
Perfection. Try saying it aloud if you don't believe me.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Whom I'm Thankful For: Animated Edition
Inspired by a lovely TV-and-movie critic I know who is working on an end-of-the-year list, I thought I'd try my own compilation. So I shall here list my favorite female TV characters of all time. The criteria were a mix: embodiment of feminist principles, coolness, strength, intelligence, importance, making it in a man's world, badassosity, and my personal affection. In short, characters who made me say, "She's so frickin' awesome!" and who made me feel cooler about being a girl. And extra points for any character I dressed as for Halloween. I've decided to make a separate list for animated shows, since they were highly represented! So, without further ado: Oh man, I loved this broad. Oh man, I STILL love this broad. Not the game show or the video game version (though I loved them by association)--the cartoon series version. The version where she was voiced by Rita Moreno and always got away. Not only was she an outlaw and a rebel, she was smart, witty, badass, cucumber-cool, and could operate solo just as well as with her legions of overly-appropriately-named henchpeople. The secret to her success? In her own words: "Think out your plan like a woman of action--act out your plan like a woman of thought." (In 8th grade it meant so much to me that I could quote that and it specifically said woman.) Her pride was sometimes an asset, sometimes a liability, and her refusal to use violence opened the door to 100% likeability for girls like me. And she taught me about female pirates! Halloween costume? Check--11th grade. Truth be told, I would be her anyday. 3) Rogue (X-Men) Storm was too Spock-like, Jean unforgivably lame for preferring Cyclops to Wolverine. But Rogue? She was a firecracker, had awesome powers (flight, invulnerability, super strength) and an awesome backstory, plus the affections (however star-crossed) of Gambit, who was let's-be-honest SO FRICKIN HOT OMG. But I digress. The serious downside of her power (draining people's strength=not so much with the smooching) only made it cooler that she held onto that southern charm--and Gambit dug her even if she couldn't put out. I would be her for H-ween in a second if I thought I could pull off the unitard. 4) Ivy (Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?) 6) Officer Renée Montoya (Batman: The Animated Series) Even before she was outed in a comic book, I knew Montoya was the real deal. She would probably be higher on this list if she'd been in the cartoon a little more, but she certainly wasn't neglected. A foil to the sloppy and pig-headed Bullock (pictured), she was the only one of Gotham's Finest besides Gordon whom Batman, and the audience, could totally trust. When suspended due to a mysteriously botched bust involving Batman, Montoya pursued the case even without gun and badge, and was proven right in the end. A resolutely tough cop, she was still undeniably human--in one episode, upon hearing the (false) news of Batman's death, she allows herself a rare moment of vulnerabilty, not just in front of us, but in front of Bullock. Far grittier and more interesting than, say, Bat Girl--in part because she's a creature of reality and not fantasy--it's no wonder she got more attention in 52. 7) Daria Morgendorffer (Daria) If I sounded critical of Ms. Morgendorffer before, well, the greatest heroes are flawed. But who could not relate to this girl, whose chirpy, popular younger sister derides her as a "brain," whose parents and teachers don't understand why she can't put down the books and hit the pep rally...whose friend Jane has a dreamy musician older brother who would never be right for her but...oh Trent...drool... Sorry, where was I? Right. As the series went on, her character actually developed (!) and she was more than just a collection of deadpan quips. But her words from the first episode are still the most telling: "I don't have low self-esteem! I have low esteem for everyone else." Who hasn't been there? (Halloween: two years ago.) 8) Aeon Flux (Aeon Flux) Do I really have to explain this one? She's a renegade, a double agent, on no one's side but her own, she kicks ass in EPIC AMOUNTS and her sexuality is totally her own. And don't let the ridiculous fetish garb fool you--business comes first. In this strange totalitarian regime run by her on-again, off-again lover Trevor, she might appreciate boning for old times' sake, but fond feelings don't mean she won't put a bullet in your head. Plus, the show is SO WEIRD. But I think I'll pass on Halloween for this one. 9) American Maid (The Tick) [Sorry for all the links...man I love this show.]
2) She-Ra (She-Ra)
I have a great attraction to sidekicks. And like many sidekicks, Daria Morgendorffer's artsy friend Jane was the coolest character on the show. This gravelly-voiced, alternative-looking lady was just as sarcastic and principled as Daria, but you got the strong feeling that she was an outcast because she WANTED to be, not because she had to be. Though a scholastic underachiever, she was a gifted artist and, in one episode, a track star (before quitting out of disgust that athletes were given academic shortcuts), and when she wanted to she did well with boys. In an early episode she meets a guy at a party and promptly makes out with him in the laundry room, and you know that's behavior I approve. In a later episode they even addressed the burning Would-Jane-Sleep-With-A-Girl question. (The answer was no, but it was impressive that they broached the subject.) Perhaps most importantly, she was a crucial foil to her bespectacled best friend. She actually had interests and wanted to DO things--and she often got Daria to step a little bit outside all those fences she put between herself and the world. Way to send the message that high school may be lame, but you don't have to be.
I hope you all know this show--if not, you definitely owe it to yourselves. If you are familiar with the escapades of that giant blue moron, you will also remember American Maid, the only competent superhero living in The City. The "World's Most Patriotic Domestic" was your go-to girl-- she had strength, agility, and a tactician's level head. Though she'd roll her eyes at the ineptitude of Die Fledermaus, Sewer Urchin, and The Tick himself, she never hesitated to dive in with them, whether battling Chairface Chippendale or checking out that new superhero nightclub. But just when you think she's all-business and too cool for this crowd, her constant bickering with Die Feldermaus (obviously her ex) would interfere at a climactic moment, and you'd love her all the more. Halloween? Last year! I got recognized, like, once, but it was worth it.
10) April O’Neill (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Honorable Mention: Detective Elisa Maza (Gargoyles)
Next time: Live action!
*Actually, a lot of these ladies had low/rich/gravelly voices. Interesting.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Man I Love This Site
Check it out: Best 'Overheard' of the day?
I'm going to use "fridge eggs or baby eggs?" in conversation as much as I possibly can.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Skate Fast Good, Fall Down Bad!
As some of you know, I have a passion for roller derby. This is not the kind of derby like that in Roll Bounce or whatever--it's the kind from A&E's Rollergirls. Seeing that show a few times whilst in Texas is what got me into it, and when I returned to the Republic of New York I googled the shit out of that sport. No, sadly, I am not a practitioner--I wish! But as I am without time or talent, I must be content to cheer from the bleachers. Which, this Saturday, I did--Championship game! And my favorite team, the Bronx Gridlock, won it all, in a very dramatic game with a miraculous near-comeback from the Queens of Pain--it all came down to the last 2 minutes.
For those unfamiliar, there was an article in the Times on Saturday. I think it's ok, but it makes it sound like it's not a sport, and that the crowd is men who come to gawk. Make no mistake--these women are ATHLETES. It's like rugby on skates, plus fishnets and make-up. Rugby without any assumptions about sexuality. To cite the interview with derby girl Penny Larceny:
Derby originally appealed to Penny as an opportunity to be more social and feminine. Unlike some incoming skaters, Penny had already pursued other aggressive and physical activities such as kickboxing and martial arts, but viewed derby as a way to "reclaim certain girl traits without trading in power. Skirts and makeup to go along with skill and strength, instead of replacing it."
This is the kind of thing I love more than anything. The, "Look, we can be badass and powerful AND be girls!" There's nothing sexualized about a derby match, but the women clearly feel sexy and strong, and there's a lot of individuation--everyone's uniform is a little different, everyone has their own style and personality. There are women of all sizes and shapes (though unfortunately the league is mostly white), and they all have their own strengths.
So yeah, this last game was INCREDIBLE. Bronx was killing Queens, and in the second half Queens was slowly closing the gap but clearly didn't have enough time on the clock to catch up--until Suzy Hotrod...
...scored an incredible FOURTEEN POINTS IN ONE JAM. The score was 93 to 90 Bronx, 1:13 left to go, and all the Bronx jammers were in the penalty box, so Queens was skating unopposed! But then Brigitte Barhot got out of the box and managed to keep Queens at bay! The whole crowd was on its feet.Another cool part of the game was an exchange I had with my friend Dael:
Dael: Who's the leader of the E Street Band?
Susan: Um, Bruce Springsteen?
D: No, of the actual band.
S: Oh, I dunno. Max Weinberg? Stevie Van Zandt? Those are the only names I know.
D: Who's that guy sitting up there behind us?
S: Oh my god that's Stevie Van Zandt*.
Yep, this guy:
...whom you may also know as Silvio from The Sopranos, was there in all his head-wrapped glory. He was on his own at first but some off-duty derby girls came and sat with him, and he seemed to be very nice. So, that's how cool derby is-- The Boss's right-hand man is a fan!As you should be, too.
*Full disclosure: I actually went around calling him Steve Zahn most of the night.
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