(no subject)

[zinnith]

Penelope Garcia (Criminal Minds)

Because Garcia is someone I can identify with. She was the one who showed me that it was possible for a big, geeky woman to get a positive portrayal in media. I love her for her self-confidence, her compassion, her awesomeness with everything technical and pretty much just for existing.
(And also, because sometimes when work is overbearing and boring and the headset chafes and I get tired of being nagged for information all day long, I pretend that I'm Garcia and it all gets a little easier.)

Karrin Murphy (Dresden Files)

Because she's mundane but not helpless or in need of protection. Because she knows what's out there and she still keeps doing what she does, fighting an uphill battle every step of the way. Because she doesn't hesitate to step up against supernatural threats to keep her city safe, even when all she has to put up against them is a gun and a badge.

Lanie Parrish (Castle)

Because Lanie makes me very happy whenever she's on screen. Because Medical Examiners are often portrayed as quirky and weird, but Lanie is refreshingly sane and sensible. On a more shallow note, she looks gorgeous in those pink scrubs.

Elisabeth Burke (White Collar)

Where do I start? I think I love El the most because she makes sure she gets what she wants in a straightforward way. She doesn't have to manipulate the people she loves in order to get it. She's not just 'the wife', but she contributes to the plot with more than adoring support. Her love and care for her family and her friends is very tangible, and she just seems like a very pleasant person to have in your life.

Jo Lupo (Eureka)

Because she's a gun nut whose childhood dream was to be a ballerina. And she's one of the most competent characters on the show. I also have a thing for her voice. (And I'm only halfway through season three so far. Please don't spoil me?)

Ellen Harvelle (Supernatural)

If there was one single SPN character I got to bring back to life, it would be Ellen. I miss her tough-as-nails attitude and her endless love for her daughter and the way she wouldn't accept any bullshit excuses.

Zoe Washburne (Firefly)

I think I've been a little bit in love with Zoe since the first time I watched Firefly. I love her loyalty and her strength and the way she keeps standing with her back straight no matter what the 'verse throws at her.

Barbara Gordon (DC Universe)

Babs was the first Batgirl. Then, Alan Moore thought it was a good idea to shoot her in the spine and paralyze her just so the male Bat-characters could angst a bit. I will not go into that because it just makes me rage. Thankfully, editor and writer Kim Yale and writer John Ostrander turned her into Oracle. Babs is fierce. Her disability is never forgotten, but it doesn't define her. What defines her is her ability to kick unholy amounts of ass, both in cyberspace and in the real world. I'm pretty sure even Batman is scared of Barbara. If he isn't, he should be.

Kono Kalakaua (Hawaii Five-0)

Because she's my tv-girlfriend! Also because of her loyalty to her family and her friends, and of course because of her ass-kicking abilities. It's my private belief that one of Kono's side projects in her spare time is to take over the world. And she will succeed.

Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

Because she's my favourite companion. She could be loud and obnoxious, she wasn't a drama queen and she didn't need to be someone's love interest to be interesting.

Madeline Westen (Burn Notice)

Because she's such a mother. She's not above lying and manipulating her children to get her way but it's still clear how much she loves them. She's made mistakes in the past and she's doing her best to make up for them and mend fences. Also, she once successfully interrogated a bad guy in her garage while Sam and Fiona were in the kitchen arguing about the best way to break him. Maddie did it with a cigarette and a kind voice.


...and the real-life ladies...

Frida Kahlo (Mexican artist)

Because of her incredible strength and her amazing self-portraits, so full of pain and emotion.

Elsie Johansson (Swedish author)

Because she tells stories about women and class in a way I can relate to. Because she writes about growing up poor, about finding your way in life, about the complicated love for a mother, of a mother, about mental illness before it was socially accepted, about the sexuality of an aging woman. Because I never get tired of listening to her speak. (Dear fellow Swedes, if you ever get a change so attend one of her lectures, you have to go. It's a fantastic experience.)

Team Norberg (Swedish curling team)

Because you usually have to bribe me with cash or vast quantities of alcohol to voluntarily watch any kind of sport, but any time these ladies were playing, I'd be glued to the screen. Two Olympic golds in a row!


Please feel free to add your own female role models - real or fictional!

Comments

[hildejohanne.livejournal.com]

Gratulerer med dagen, Zin!

I don't know who all these women are, as I don't watch all the shows. With the ones I do, I wholeheartedly agree. I love Garcia, have from the moment I saw her on screen. And I'm totally in love with Kono.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

Anyone who is not in love with Kono clearly should be!

[irishjeeper.livejournal.com]

This is perfect and lovely and very awe inspiring and now I know who Babs is! Thanks love. :D