HEY EVERYONE! Thank you so much for the support! I’m officially at 1000 views. I couldn’t be more thrilled. As promised, I said I would do something a little different after view 1000.
Well, I’ve decided that instead of complaining about awkwardness and life, I would commemorate the kick ass ladies of books, movie, television, etc that we can be proud of! It’s a bit of a long one and took me quite some time to write..but here we go.
I’ve carefully constructed a list of about 20 but with the help of my veteran panel of super cool gals, we narrowed it down to 10 together (ok, so I narrowed it down to 10 considering none of these people are real…I’m not a schizo..but let’s be creative and pretend shall we!?) – Also, if I forgot someone amazing, I’m so sorry! Please tell me in the comment section and maybe they can get a shout out at some point or another in the future.
First, let me introduce you to the panel!
From top left to bottom right:
Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, book and movie, played by Audrey Hepburn, written by Truman Capote) – Holly is a free spirited young woman living on her own in the city, she doesn’t need a man, or anyone but her cat to make her happy. She’s cool.
Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen,represented by many on stage, TV, and movies) – Elizabeth is arguably one of the first female characters in fiction that actually spoke her mind and wasn’t crazy like her lunatic sisters over a husband. She’s pretty much the oldest of our gals, but still the coolest.
Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) – It’s pretty obvious as to why a teenage girl who kills vampires is on this list. Bad ass.
Far Mulan (Disney’s Mulan) – She dresses as a man in order to fight for honor for her family and her country. Plus, she’s not afraid to get a haircut.
Lara Croft (Lara Croft Tomb Raider Video Game) – Finally! One of the first girl’s in video games besides Princess Peach that can totally use a gun at any time and break into anything. We love you and your wicked braid.
Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City, books and TV show) – Carrie’s not afraid to say, or write, what’s on her mind. A loyal friend, listener, and defender of female behavior—she’s a winner.
Nancy Drew (from the Nancy Drew novels—not the stupid movie) – Nancy has been investigating mysteries for just about ever. She’s sharp and quick thinking. Plus, it’s just so darn fun to read.
Josephine “Jo” March (from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women)- Jo’s not only a good sister, but is independent and vivacious in comparison to them. She has a wild imagination and likes to read, which of course, makes her awesome.
Lois Lane (from the comic books of Superman) – Lois is more than Clark Kent’s love interest, she is also a strong willed, aggressive, and career focused reporter that is quite sassy.
Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, Crown Princess of Genovia aka Mia Thermopolis (from the book series and movies The Princess Diaries) – Mia’s not just eccentric but she is also hilarious, being thrust into the spotlight and to rule a country isn’t easy for a teenager, but what’s so great about Mia is her down-to-earth attitude and her ability to talk incessantly about her cat, Fat Louie.
ALRIGHT! Now that we have the panel introduced, let’s begin the countdown!
10. Holly’s Pick….. Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) from FOX’s New Girl
You know I couldn't make this list without putting my girl Jess on there!
Jess, aka Zooey Deschanel is amazing for many reasons, with the main one being that she made it cool to be nerdy, again. She made us realize that not all girls have to be seemingly "perfect" and that we're all flawed. We've all got our freak flags. Jess just flies hers a lot, which is awesome.
Plus, she makes Lord of the Rings references often.
Why Holly picked her? She's a single girl living in the city with three guys and still manages to be amazing. Also, she rocks those outfits and bangs.
9. Mia’s Pick…..Olive Penderghast (played by Emma Stone) from Easy A
How I love Emma Stone, let me begin to count the ways...
Emma does a superb job of portraying Olive Penderghast, a girl who gains some unwanted attention for a nasty rumor started about her. Instead of cowering in shame over the rumor that she's a whore, literally, she decides to fight back and embraces her newfound status.
While some of the plot of Easy A is questionable, girls, don't pretend to be hookers, please...that doesn't mean that Olive shouldn't be considered an awesome modern heroine. She's hilarious and caring, helping geeky virgin guys gain some popularity points. But at the heart of the story you have a young woman who is able to thwart her ridiculous classmates and make us laugh while doing it.
Why Mia picked her? They both gained lots of popularity for reasons that they aren't particularly happy about.
8. Mulan’s Pick……Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) from Disney’s Tangled
Princesses are often judged for being too "Damsel-y" (I made that word up), Rapunzel especially. What, so she sits up in a tower waiting for a prince to come and rescue her?
And her hair is super long and beautiful?
Please, no beauty product can make THAT look okay.
Disney decided to put a new spin on the fairy tale. Now, sweet, hidden Rapunzel has been armored with magical powers....and a frying pan.
We've got to give Rapunzel some respect here. She wants freedom, adventure, and liberation from her crazy "mother". Who can blame her? She's a lot better than some other princesses out there...that's for sure.
Why Mulan picked her? She finally felt comfortable handing the reigns of coolest Disney Princess of the 90s over to the coolest princess of the 2010s (?) !
7. Carrie’s Pick……Daenerys Targaryn (played by Emilia Clarke) from HBO’s Game of Thrones and George R.R. Martin’s Series
Okay, so only people with HBO probably know who this is. But she...is...awesome.
Any girl that can catch on fire and be completely fine in my book is deserving of heroine status.
I'll admit, when I first watched the show, I was questionable. She basically gets whored out by her power-seeking brother to a barbaric, horse breeding, war lord with amazing muscles as his wife.
She decides to take hold over her situation and gains a bit of power.
For those of you that read the book series, you probably know by now that she's going to be a key player in gaining the coveted "Iron Throne" for herself. Wouldn't that be cool?
Oh, and there was that whole "walking through fire, hatching the dragon eggs" deal, also.
If you haven't watched "Game of Thrones", you really should, for this very reason.
Why Carrie picked her? They both bared their boobs on successful HBO series, but of course, there's more to both of them than meets the eye. Carrie liked the way Dany was able to transform herself from scared little girl to dragon warrior princess. You go girl.
6. Buffy’s Pick…..Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel) from FOX’s Bones
How could we make this list without putting Bones on here?
To say she's amazing wouldn't be enough. The woman is freakishly smart and gorgeous, plus she's quick on her feet, always thinking. Her chemistry with Booth isn't the only type of chemistry this forensic anthropologist shows off well. She manages to make an intelligent scientist look into a kick ass crime fighter. We are definitely more than okay with this! After watching a bunch of shows where men are taking on these type of roles, it was time for a sassy, smart woman to take the reigns.
Why Buffy picked her? Besides their mutual love for David Boreanaz, they both fight off the bad guys in their own unique way. Thumbs up, girlfran.
5. Lois’s Pick…..Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) on NBC’s 30 Rock
Tina Fey is always brilliant, and Liz Lemon, we can assume, basically IS Tina.
Liz is another one of our smart girl, nerds on the list. She may not fight crime or walk through fire, but she's still pretty freaking sweet. To say she's a bit neurotic would probably be an understatement. This doesn't make us love her any less. She's a sharp writer that has to handle a bunch of crazy peopel all day while trying to keep her own life under control. I have a lot of respect for any female comedy writer. It's hard to make everyone laugh when you're a woman, considering comedy seems to be such a male dominated realm of entertainment. So thanks, Tina, eh...I mean, Liz for bringing us all back.
Why Lois picked her? They both love to write, they both are one of the few intelligent females in their workplace, oh and both of them share a love for sweaters.
4. Lara’s Pick…..Mindy Macready “Hit Girl” (played by Chloe Grace Moretz) from the movie Kick-Ass
For obvious reasons, Hit Girl makes one of our top spots.
She managed to look twice as bad ass as any super hero we're used to seeing in our modern day and age, while still being incredibly adorable underneath it all.
Not saying that going around stabbing people and beating the crap out of them is something the average 11 year old should be doing...but we must admit, this is pretty cool.
It's rare enough to see a female superhero, let alone one that doesn't even have their driver's license yet. Kick-Ass may not be the most memorable movie, but Hit Girl definitely is and her amazing-ness will live on for quite some time, I would say.
Why Lara picked her? They both share a love of shooting people to death for the greater good and Lara said it's about time someone took her place as most bad ass female action hero.
3. Jo’s Pick……Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) from the book trilogy and future movie, The Hunger Games
Speaking of super heroes....
This one just emerged really within the past few years.
It's no coincidence that The Hunger Games is so successful and it's main character is a female.
Katniss is most definitely a heroine.
At first she's just trying to stay alive so that she doesn't have to leave her mother and sister alone, but as time progresses she becomes a 'Mockingjay' figure of revolution for her oppressed society.
Um...that's pretty cool.
If you've read my blog or are friends with me you most likely know how I think Katniss Everdeen is one of the best as far heroines of modern times go. Unlike so many other females portrayed in young adult literature, Katniss does not think through pure emotion. She's smart about her decisions (come on, the berries at the end of the Hunger Games? Classic!.. SPOILER...and don't even get me started on her assassination of you-know-who in the 3rd book..SHOCK)
Why Jo picked her? Like, Jo, Katniss doesn't mind adventure, but most importantly she would do anything for her family, or her beloved sister, even if it means her life.
2. Elizabeth’s Pick…..Lisbeth Salander (played by both Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara in the movies) from the movies and book trilogy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
As far as game-changers go, Lisbeth Salander is totally one of them.
Normally when thinking of a computer hacker, you think of some loser who just got let go at Best Buy or that creepy Anonymous group. Not some super smart, goth girl with brains like Rain Man.
She may not be the most social girl or the best looking, but she's got motive for fighting crime of her own. After being attacked by a disgusting creep, she decides to seek vengeance on him and any other of the pigs out there who look to exploit women.
UM HELLO!
She's amazing. (I know I throw this word around a lot, but she really is)
Read the books, if you can, but if you're like me and are a college student with way too much to do, you should see the movies. They're awesome.
A crime fighting Swedish girl with superb technological skills as well as a sharp fist?
This is your girl.
Why Elizabeth picked her? Although the two don't seem to have much in common besides, you know, their name, Elizabeth decided that Lisbeth is one of those "game changers/innovators" as far as women in literature go. She may not be telling Mr. Darcy off and scoffing at marriage, but Lisbeth still has got that something that most characters don't anymore.
AND FINALLY…..THE WINNER….NOT THAT I’M BIASED….BUT HERE WE GO….
1. Nancy’s Pick…..Hermione Granger (played by Emma Watson) from the Harry Potter books and movies
Granger Danger!
I'm proud to announce Hermione as the winner of the list of female heroines.
While, yes, Harry Potter is of course, about Harry Potter as the hero....Hermione still plays a detrimental role to the story.
I mean, come on, for the most part Ron and Harry are complete dumb asses without her.
The reason Hermione holds such a close spot in my heart is that I've grown up with her, as so many have. We've seen her transform together from know-it-all book worm to a strong, intelligent young woman who helps Harry defeat Voldy.
She's the brains behind the entire operation of the series, and I'm convinced that J.K. Rowling is Hermione Granger and that she manifested herself through this character--which I'm sure some Harry Potter lovers out there can agree with.
Hermione only has one weakness, and that is Ron Weasley.
While some may say this takes away from her feminist appeal, I say no. This makes her real.
She's only a teenager in these books after all.
Ask any girl who their favorite Harry Potter character is and I promise more than half will say Hermione (the other half will say Neville because, let's admit it...he's sexy now) and if they don't say it, they're thinking it.
Hermione is beyond awesome.
Thank you J.K. Rowling for creating such a fabulous role model for young girls.
And not to digress, but I just found this quote because I was curious:
"I have often said that Hermione is a bit like me when I was younger. I think I was seen by other people as a right little know-it-all, but I hope that it is clear that underneath Hermione's swottiness there is a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure" (Rowling)
Don't we all?
If Hermione were real, I would want her on my side.
Why Nancy picked her? Why wouldn't she pick her? They're both iconic book figures and pretty cool sleuths.
Other nominees that didn't make the cut this time but are also awesome:
Elena from Vampire Diaires - She's just cool, even though she's a bit too boy crazy
Kate from Lost - She's a bad ass, but Lost is a few years over now so she just didn't make the cut.
"Sasha Fierce" - Beyonce's alter ego, just listen to "Diva" and you'll know why
Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich novels - Also a crime fighter, but not enough people know about her I suppose
MacKayla Lane from the Karen E. Moning novels - Once again, freaking sweet, but not many know of her. Educate yourselves, I promise you won't be mad about it!
Emily Thorne from Revenge - I personally haven't watched the show, but I hear it's amazing and upon looking into the show, Emily seems like a pretty awesome character..maybe next time!
Peggy Olsen from Mad Men - One of the few females working in an all-man's workplace and NOT just as a secretary? Automatically cool.
Maddie Ross from (the new) True Grit - Much like Hit Girl, Maddie Ross makes young teen girls feel empowered again. This young lady manages to hunt down the most ruthless U.S. Marshall there is to avenge her father's murder.
Juno from Juno - Once again, she made nerds feel cool again and made being pregnant and a teenager not something to be glorified but something that is what it is--life changing.
Anyone played by Zoe Saldana - she's just a bad ass on all levels in everything she's in, even in her original best, Britney Spears' Crossroads..okay not that, but come on, go see Columbiana..wow
Some criteria for making the list, must posess one or more of the following qualities:
- Must know how to use a weapon (machine gun, bow and arrow, frying pan...)
- Has read a book before or makes literary references. (The Scarlet Letter, The Tales of Beedle and Bard, Lord of the Rings, etc.)
- Has a romantic interest, but that is not the center of their being.
- Fights crime of any kind.
- Is able to catch on fire without dying.
- Is not in a love triangle with a werewolf and/or vampire.
- Wears cool glasses.
- Has their own signature outfit or style (black leather, Hogwarts uniform, piercings on their lip).
- Rocks a side braid.
- British.
- Has a sidekick. (includes cops, chameleons, horses, dragons, and investigative reporters)
- Has a cool hair style. (25 feet long, purple, white, bangs, side braid--again)
- Has a singing and/or dancing number.
- Can punch a guy. (random guys that steal your purse on the subway, Draco Malfoy, super villains)
- Be a Deschanel sister.
**DISCLAIMER:: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE ABOVE PHOTOS, THEY WERE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE! MUCH LIKE EVERY OTHER PIECE OF INFOMRATION IN LIFE**
THANKS for your time! Hope you enjoyed. I’ll be writing a worst female characters of pop culture soon, enough, don’t you worry.
Until next time,
Kaitie xo
