Some Love for Great Women
Jan. 15th, 2009 03:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deelaundryI have been thinking about women a lot today. Let's do some celebrating. Tell me about your favorite real and fictional women, and why they are so awesome.
Forgot to mention this is a meme. Post to your own journal if you want to spread the love.
I'll start:
My grandmother is awesome. She played basketball throughout high school and college. In her late teens, she was dating a boy who didn't treat her as well as she wanted so she eloped with her second cousin instead. After she married, she still finished her bachelor's degree and then went on and got her master's (rare for the 1930s). She is the strongest, most positive, most interesting person. When I was in college, after my grandfather had died, she had a more active love life than I did, dating more than one man at once (including that boy from her teens, who was better to her this time around), before happily re-marrying. She loves people and hates computers, and she's very, very awesome.
Fictional women
Kinsey Milhone. The series she's in has gotten kind of blah, this far down the alphabet, but I still like this character. Independent and smart, she reminds me of my mother.
Nicky Grant from Big Love. I don't like her, and I wouldn't want to be her friend, but I love her. She is sneaky, manipulative, arrogant, and complex, with a strategic genius that has to be seen to be believed.
Anyone Maggie Smith has ever played ever. "It's true I don't tolerate fools but then they don't tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that's why I'm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies."
Forgot to mention this is a meme. Post to your own journal if you want to spread the love.
I'll start:
My grandmother is awesome. She played basketball throughout high school and college. In her late teens, she was dating a boy who didn't treat her as well as she wanted so she eloped with her second cousin instead. After she married, she still finished her bachelor's degree and then went on and got her master's (rare for the 1930s). She is the strongest, most positive, most interesting person. When I was in college, after my grandfather had died, she had a more active love life than I did, dating more than one man at once (including that boy from her teens, who was better to her this time around), before happily re-marrying. She loves people and hates computers, and she's very, very awesome.
Fictional women
Kinsey Milhone. The series she's in has gotten kind of blah, this far down the alphabet, but I still like this character. Independent and smart, she reminds me of my mother.
Nicky Grant from Big Love. I don't like her, and I wouldn't want to be her friend, but I love her. She is sneaky, manipulative, arrogant, and complex, with a strategic genius that has to be seen to be believed.
Anyone Maggie Smith has ever played ever. "It's true I don't tolerate fools but then they don't tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that's why I'm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies."
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Date: 2009-01-15 09:27 pm (UTC)Mrs. Bloomingdale aka "Kwan": It's not often that one can say that a former teacher is one of your best friends, but Kwan is. So much. I had her English class junior year of high school, the year that I moved halfway across the country. She was one of the first people to really notice me down here and to really take an interest in me and make me feel included. So much so that I joined the Academic Decathlon team the next year, of which she was the coach. I learned so much from her. And she's so cool -- I was also on dance team, and for senior there's always a mom/daughter dance. Well, my mom had a big meeting the evening of the pep rally, so Kwan stepped and took her place. She was so bad ass! And she's my surrogate mother. There is nothing she wouldn't do for a student.
My mom: My mother may be one of the hippest women I know. She went to NSYNC concerts with me -- not as a mom, but as a fan. She's a big Hugh Laurie fan. She lets me be an obsessive nerd without too much interference. And she's done so much. She lived in Bolivia for a year during the revolution. I love talking to her. She's sometimes overprotective, but she's a real source of strength and confidence.
Emma Thompson: Really? This doesn't speak for itself? She's one of the most beautiful women in the world, and she's also one of the most natural women in the world. She's funny and passionate and outspoken and friends with Hugh and beautiful and friends with Stephen Fry and an amazing mother and on QI in March and, and... yeah. I'm sure there's more.
Fictional Women:
Beatrice: Talk about your strong women. This woman has wit coming out of every orifice. She's passionate. She's protective of her family. And she still gets the man in the end, and he respects her. I love her so much.
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Date: 2009-01-15 09:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2009-01-16 06:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-15 09:31 pm (UTC)my girlfriend, who I would say is awesome even if she wasn't my girlfriend. she writes and edits queer erotica novels, is learning braille and sign language and making three-dimensional books for my boy, sews, knits, parents an incredible child who was the bloody knuckles champion for her eighth grade class, wrote me fanfic last valentines day, cooks about four or five enormous meals at once (one for today, and a bunch more so she can freeze them - and this is for her husband and kid, because she's removed grains and legumes from her diet (no, really, it works), is learning to run again when last year it took her twenty minutes to get her clothes on in the mornings (without socks), researches new drugs to see if any new therapies are available and brings information in to tell her doctors what to do, does not take shit from anyone, is constantly there for me - and she has severe fibromyalgia that is occasionally bad enough that she can't get out of bed on the bad days. On the good days, her life exhausts me just to think about it.
fictional women: The Golden Girls, all of them. i bought all seven seasons of that show. it deals with more subjects than your average drama does today, and it was on the air in the 1980's. four hilarious women living as roommates together that always stick together and never let each other down.
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Date: 2009-01-15 11:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-15 09:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-15 09:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-15 09:54 pm (UTC)I'm going with the obscure & historical. Lady Rhondda, top equalitarian feminist in the UK between the world wars. Successful businesswoman in an age where there were very few - her father didn't have any sons to leave his businesses to, so his daughter took over instead. When he died, she inherited his title but not his seat in the House of Lords (women couldn't sit in the Lords until 1958) & she challenged it and damn nearly won. And when she didn't, she moved on to fresh challenges. She was a militant suffragette in her youth. She survived the sinking of the Lusitania, spending several hours in the water before being rescued. Fascinating woman all round. More info here (http://www.100welshheroes.com/en/biography/margarethaigthomas) and here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Mackworth,_2nd_Viscountess_Rhondda) and here (http://lifepeeragesact.parliament.uk/womenInPolitics/landing.php?id=44).
Fictional women; on the female kickass crime front, I'm very fond of Kinsey Millhone too, and V I Warshawksi. But recently I've been absorbed with Stephanie Plum, who is awesome because she defies her family & society expectations to become a bounty hunter, and because she refuses to choose between the two hot men in her life.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-15 11:52 pm (UTC)\o/ Go, Lady Rhondda, go!
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Date: 2009-01-15 10:53 pm (UTC)My mother. She had a lot of problems and issues, but she did the best she could. She was the strongest women I'd ever known, given all the things she went through. She didn't deserve all the bad things that happened to her. But the things she accomplished were amazing. She released an album in the 80s, got on Countdown to perform her single, which was a pretty big hit out here at the time, had a role in a movie, got a teaching degree when she quit the music industry and ended up being a big inspiration to a lot of her students. I'm in contact with a number of them through Facebook and they still tell me how much they admired and looked up to my mum and how much she helped and supported them through hard times.
Dawn French (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_French). (She played The Fat Lady in Prisoner of Azkaban, for anyone who doesn't know who she is.) She's talented, she's intelligent, she's funny, she's had a hard life, she's a big lady and she likes herself just as she is. I'm reading her memoir at the moment; she's such a fascinating lady. She's so down to earth and grounded. And this is the best thing anyone has ever said about being fat, ever. She was asked in an interview with a man called Andrew Denton (famous journalist out here), "How do you see your body?" and she replied,
Well I don’t think I do see it. I think this is part of the problem. I think if I was keeping an eye on it and it wouldn’t look like this, but I don’t really keep an eye on it at all. So long as it does the stuff I need to do which is walking, swimming, sexing, dancing, all that sort of stuff that you need to do in life, so long as it does all that stuff I’m not really bothered about it any other way. As long as I can fit my trousers on which I can, because I bought a shop for myself where you make your own trousers with elastic at the waist, so as long as you can get trousers to fit you which I can, what’s the problem?
Lisa Edelstein. She's an incredibly beautiful, bubbly, vivacious woman who always seems optimistic. She comes across as the kind of woman who would light up a room just by walking into it. She's passionate about what she does, she's achieved a great deal in her life, and she's dedicated a huge deal of her time and money to worthy causes. She's a lot of fun, and I like that she's never afraid to say what she thinks.
There are plenty of other women I admire and look up to, but the three I've listed are the first that come to mind. I'd be here forever if I prattled on about all the women I appreciate and admire.
Fictional women:
Lisa Cuddy. I don't care what anyone says about her. She's fantastic. She's as flawed as she is successful and I really like that about her. She's strong but not in all areas - and who is? Nobody is. She's determined and vulnerable and human, and while a lot of people are quick to pounce on her weak spots, I think her weak spots are what make her most interesting.
Claire Fisher from Six Feet Under. There are a lot of things Claire does that makes me want to shake her. But watching her struggle to find her place in life as a woman and an artist is such a fascinating journey. She has so many issues and does a lot of things in her power to avoid the things in life that she can't or won't deal with; she tries so hard to be tough and pretend nothing in life can harm or touch her, but she's really extremely vulnerable.
edit - one more. Ada McGrath from The Piano. I'm not the hugest fan of Holly Hunter, but she brought so much beauty and strength and layers to Ada. This whole film was an interesting commentary and study into women of the 19th century and the tribulations and unfairness they faced, and Ada went so much against the norm and had such a fierce, determined spirit. The whole movie was incredibly powerful.
Again, I could go on and on about fictional women I love, but we'll be here forever.
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Date: 2009-01-15 11:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 12:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 01:12 am (UTC)Mary Oliver, because her poems can take my breath away with how right they are. "Some Questions You Might Ask" is what I wanted to say but better, and "A Bitterness" and "Wild Geese" have moved me to tears.
Neko Case, because damn but that woman can sing.
This whole post should make you happy. (http://apocalypsos.livejournal.com/1665238.html)
Fictional women
Sophie, from Dick King-Smith's Sophie's Snail, because when I was six I loved having someone like me to read about.
Miss Christina Kyle from PS238. A professional teacher and former superhero who looks like someone I could meet instead of a doll, she's come to kick ass and take attendance. And she takes no guff (http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/ps238/comics/index.php?date=2008-12-12).
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 01:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 01:50 am (UTC)My Aunt: She's as screwed up as the rest of the family, but she's moved past the mistakes of her youth and put her life back together.
Roberta Bondar: First woman in space,I don't think I need to explain this one. She's also awesome because she inspired the greatest rumor to ever hit my alma mater (where she is chancellor) and has given me many moments of amusement. Also, she's a kick ass public speaker.
Kate Gosselin: Any woman who can birth and take care of 8 kids has nothing but my respect. She's also a real person with flaws and problems and isn't afraid to show it.
Fictional women:
This one really stumped me....but
Lorelei Gilmore of Gilmore Girls: She's sassy and fun even though her life has had it's share of heartache. She broke out of her family cycle and allowed love to be an everyday part of her life.
Elly Patterson of For Better or For Worse: She raised her kids and took care of the home but never forgot her own aspirations.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 03:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 02:27 am (UTC):D
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Date: 2009-01-16 03:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 02:35 am (UTC)My paternal grandmother. My grandfather was an alcoholic from a family of alcoholics, worthless drunks all of them. My grandmother was an ordinary woman who did one remarkable thing: she bore and raised nine children with that man and not ONE of them became alcoholics themselves.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 03:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 12:53 pm (UTC)My wife (standard disclaimer: yes I'm a chick too, for anyone reading). She is an amazing singer and songwriter, just starting out now to make music her career (we're both young, okay!) She can sing in any style and writes AMAZING songs, which are not only interesting lyrically but have incredibly catchy melodies. (She can write at the drop of a hat, too.)
For Christmas she wrote a song for my nephews that incorporated their names and that was all about them (they're 2 year old twins). She also made an animated cartoon to go with it, and when everybody gathered around to watch it (we weren't there) everybody raved about it and, according to my mom, at least three people said that she should start a business for personalized cartoons and songs for kids.
But she mainly writes "grown-up songs," and also wrote a song for my mother for Christmas that made my mom cry. (Only three of her songs are up, but you can get a taste here: http://www.myspace.com/abicolemanmusic).
Anyway, aside from music she has a degree in anthropology (cum laude, thankuverymuch) and is about to start working as a teacher. She's an excellent actress who has won local awards. She also has two novels in the works, is extremely funny, does math equations for fun, loves kitties, and considering that she is one of the girliest girls ever she's suprisingly good at manual stuff: she assembled the chair I'm sitting on and the desk I'm typing on. Oh, and she also boils pasta perfectly every time - and makes a mean omelette.
She's accomplished all this despite almost dying in surgery in her late teens. Her thyroid was enlarged crushing her airway and had to be removed. She also has accomplished all this despite a myriad of health problems including: Meniere's disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis (onset was in her late teens) and an inability to control her body temperate because of her lack of thyroid.
And she's the sweetest, cutest, most generous and adorable woman in the world.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 01:49 pm (UTC)When she was just Linda Eastman, she was the resident photographer at the Fillmore East in New York City. She was also the first female photographer to shoot a cover for Rolling Stone (Eric Clapton, 1969). She did all that too while a single mother. It wasn't a case of her latching on to stars after she married one herself: most of those guys Paul McCartney actually met through her, like the Grateful Dead. Guys like Pete Townsend and Neil Young spoke at her memorial services, and were eternally devoted to her. Pete has done interviews where he talked about how he only became friends with Paul through Linda, and Neil Young (who dated her briefly in the Sixties) was supposedly the last concert she saw, because he invited her and Paul special to one of his concerts when she was dying of cancer.
She dated Tim Buckley and Jim Morrison and was best friends with Jimi Hendrix. Of course, with Paul she also raised four kids who are the rare celebrity children who you've never heard of being arrested or out clubbing: Mary is an extremely successful photographer herself and Stella is, of course, an uber-famous fashion designer. Both are also working mothers themselves.
Here are some Linda photographs (crappy quality):
Tim Buckley (http://www.iowrock.demon.co.uk/images/afton30/timbuckley.jpg)
Jimi Hendrix (http://archiv.hofmobiliendepot.at/linda/gross/jimi.jpg)
Aretha Franklin (http://www.ackland.org/art/exhibitions/mccartney/arethafranklin.jpg)
Ray Charles (http://www.afterimagegallery.com/mccartneycharless.jpg)
The Grateful Dead (http://www.ackland.org/art/exhibitions/mccartney/gratefuldead.jpg)
Janis Joplin (http://www.ackland.org/art/exhibitions/mccartney/janisjoplin.jpg)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-16 02:50 pm (UTC)Fictional woman: Murphy Brown, strong and funny, and she was able to have a job and a baby. It can be done, Cuddy.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-17 03:00 pm (UTC)Also, she played a big part in proving another of my parents' beliefs, that everyone is equal regardless of race. I knew that Uhura was 'brown' (again, I was very young :D ) but otherwise she was just another person.
I'd also vote for Cuddy, but mostly in seasons one and two, before her character got somewhat diluted.
(I don't have an Uhura icon, but Spock and McCoy were hugely influential, too, even though they're not women ;D )