Wednesday, August 03, 2011

A New '30 Days' Challenge...Female Awesomeness

Let it be said that I like women. Not in the usual piggy male way, although I cannot claim to be completely without the testosterone fueled, lizard-brain lustthink, but I've just always preferred the company of women. I prefer to have a mostly female crew in my shop because they tend to be less flighty, more detail oriented, and less likely to come in with a concussion because the previous night's drunken parkour session landed them face-down in the parking lot. Most of my closest friends are women, and I have always related better to women than to men. Maybe it's because my mom was a single mom for a lot of my formative years, maybe it's because I am not into most traditional guy things like cars and sports, or maybe it's just because I have an acute sense of smell, and boys are stinky. Whatever, I like women. So without further preamble, the next month's worth of posts shall be thus:


30 Days Of Female Awesomeness

Day 1: Favourite Lead Female Character.
Day 2: Favourite Supporting Female Character.
Day 3: Favourite Female Character In A Canon You Gave Up On
Day 4: A Female Character You Relate To
Day 5: Favourite Female Character On A Male Driven Show
Day 6: Favourite Female Driven Show
Day 7: A Female Character That Needs More Screen Time
Day 8: Favourite Female Character In A Comedy Show
Day 9: Favourite Female Character In A Drama Show
Day 10: Favourite Female Character In A Scifi / Supernatural Show
Day 11: Favourite Female Character In A Children’s Show
Day 12: Favourite Female Character In A Movie
Day 13: Favourite Female Character In A Book
Day 14: Favourite Older Female Character
Day 15: Favorite Female Character Growth Arc
Day 16: Favourite Mother Character
Day 17: Favourite Warrior Female Character
Day 18: Favourite Non Warrior Female Character
Day 19: Favourite Non Human Female Character
Day 20: Favourite Female Antagonist
Day 21: Favourite Female Character Screwed Over By Canon
Day 22: Favourite Female Character You Love But Everyone Else Hates
Day 23: Favourite Female Platonic Relationship
Day 24: Favourite Female Romantic Relationship
Day 25: Favorite Mother / Daughter And / Or Sister Relationship
Day 26: Favourite Classical Female Character ( From Pre 20th Century Literature Or Mythology Or The Like )
Day 27: A Female Character You Have Extensive Personal Canon For
Day 28: Favourite Female Writer ( Television, Books, Movies, etc. )
Day 29: A Female Centric Fic Rec
Day 30: Whatever You’d like!


Day 1: Favourite* Lead Female Character.



This is a toughie because there are so many from which to choose, but I think I'll keep it simple here at the beginning and go with Princess Leia from Star Wars. Not only was she smart, strong, and beautiful, but her no-nonsense attitude set her apart from the usual 'convenient hostage' type of female protagonist of the time. She was my first cinematic crush, and was one of the main reasons that I saw Star Wars at least twenty times before it finally left the cinema. Now here's something I've never told anyone before. I never really cared for her in the slave girl outfit in Return of the Jedi. Yes, Carrie Fischer was smoking hot in the costume, but I felt every ounce of Princess Leia's embarrassment and shame at being put in such a position, so that rather than being a titillating scene, it was just uncomfortable for me.

So that's my favorite lead female. Who is yours?

Peace,
Marius








*I cut and pasted this from a friend's blog in the UK, and I can't be bothered to change the spelling.

5 comments:

flurrious said...

Mine is Norma Rae. There was something so inspiring about seeing an ordinary woman stand up for herself and others like her. In general, the 70s were a much better time for women in the movies. Unlike the current state, there were roles available other than the girlfriend, the ex-wife, or the crazy bitch.

Pntherpaw said...

Rick I love you but there must be too many wandering hormones from your lovely wife's maternal state. Leia is a 70's version of many before her including Hepburns character in The African Queen.
There's Ellen Ripley then a HUGE canyon of distance and everyone else standing on the other side. Ripley was everything that anyone man or woman aspires to (except able to build a nurturing relationship with a partner but thats pretty tough when monsters try to destroy you & everyone you meet).
Ripley is the first fully realized female character in film and the mother of not just most every fictional female anyone else is going to nominate but an inspiration to thousands of real life women who hadn't contemplated anything better than a supporting role in real life.

Unknown said...

Oh, I don't disagree about Ripley, Pntherpaw, but the question wasn't who was the best, just who is my favorite. And to be honest I thought of Ripley a few hours after posting this entry and wished I had thought of her, but Leia is good, too. I'm sure our beloved kick-ass warrant officer will make an appearance ere this month is done.

stinkypaw said...

Louise, in "Thelma & Louise"

Laughing Collie said...

How interesting -- I really disliked the slave girl outfit too, for much the same reason. All these years of hearing people rave about it... you're the first person I've found who was also empathetic to the character's anger and frustration at wearing it. Cool! :)