I've seen lots of blog posts lately about favorite fictional heroes, and that makes sense because we often read romance or watch movies and/or TV programs because of the heroes. I have to say, I like a heroine who can hold her own too. I like heroines, and even write some of them, who can kick butt and take names and still be feminine at the end of the day. All you have to do is scan the bookstore shelves, the TV Guide or the DVD selection at Best Buy to find that this type of heroine is popular. I think it's because we, as women, want to feel that we can hold our own with men, we can be in control without giving up those aspects that make us uniquely women (oh, say, like enjoying buying cute shoes).
Let's take a look at some popular gals who fall into this category:
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- I admire show creator Joss Whedon a great deal for the strong heroines he writes and his dedication to showing the strength a woman can possess. Buffy was a cute little blond teenager when she came into her powers, but looks were deceiving. She could kill vampires and various demons with an ease the grown men in her world couldn't even dream of. And the vast majority of the time, she was stylin' when she did it. Even if she was a badass, she still dealt with things like dating problems, losing her first love, and sibling rivalry. Willow Rosenberg, her good friend, was a very powerful witch who could even kick Buffy's behind if she fully tapped into her power.
2. Wonder Woman -- She was the first superheroine I remember, both on the Superfriends cartoon on Saturday mornings and in the Lynda Carter primetime show. Being a fan of Wonder Woman led to being a fan of other superheroines like Elektra, Firestar, Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm, Sara Pezzini/Witchblade, and Xena.
3. Max Guevara -- from the show Dark Angel (one of Jessica Alba's easier roles); she was a genetically enhanced super-soldier.
4. Bionic Woman -- Lindsey Wagner's version of Jaime Sommers was a childhood favorite, and I've been enjoying the new version played by Michelle Ryan.
5. The heroines of urban fantasy -- Urban fantasy is a very popular genre right now, and many of the protagonists are women. Authors such as Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Laurell K. Hamilton, Tanya Huff (her Blood books have made it to the small screen in the form of Lifetime's Blood Ties), Rachel Vincent and others bring strong heroines to the reading public.
6. If I think about just the TV shows I watch now, there are very strong women in Bionic Woman, Blood Ties, Heroes, Supernatural, Smallville, and Stargate Atlantis.
Even though many of these heroines either have superpowers or are just trained to be able to handle themselves in tough situations, that isn't the end all and be all of strong heroines. An everyday woman like those who appear in our Harlequin American novels can be strong too. They can face adversity, weather it, and come out the other side even stronger. I'm in the midst of writing my second American (actually that's why I'm late blogging today -- oops), and the heroine has had to be strong because her life was totally turned upside down by something someone close to her did. She's having to start over even though she doesn't know if it'll work out. That takes a different kind of strength, but strength nonetheless.
Give me a heroine who is strong any day, whether that strength is superpower in nature or just the strength of the Average Jane. Just don't give me a wimpy, whiney heroine. That will make me close a book or click off the TV faster than anything.
Okay, now it's your turn. Who are some of your favorite fictional heroines from books, TV or movies?
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17 comments:
Hi, Trish--I think we watch a lot of the same TV shows! I also loved Lindsay Wagner's Jaime Sommers (the new one didn't measure up for me, or, apparently, for most viewers) and Wonder Woman, though I wished she wouldn't end up needing Steve Trevor's help in the comic book. Let's remember who has super-powers here, huh?
One of the best non-powered heroines in science fiction is, for me, Col. Samantha Carter of Stargate SG-1. She's gorgeous and feminine and a genius physicist who frequently saves the day with her ideas. Stargate Atlantis is relegating her to a back seat in favor of the Shepherd character when they're both in a scene, it seems to me, and I don't like that, but I'm looking forward to the SG-1 movies.
I also loved Witchblade, which I wish had lasted longer lasted longer, Lara Croft despite her video game origins, and Sidney Bristow on Alias despite the fact that many of her "surprise" physical moves were telegraphed by her facial expressions.
For ordinary heroines, I don't think you can do better than the park ranger Samantha Mathis played in the thriller Broken Arrow with John Travolta and Christian Slater. I also enjoyed watching Catherine Bell as Lt. Col. Sarah McKenzie on JAG. That was sort of a macho show, but she hung in there with the guys, apparently without any trouble, and even had a pretty rough and tumble fight scene in one episode.
I also enjoy Dark Angel and Heroes. Claire is one of my favorites in the latter, but I think her Mom deserves a lot of respect for dealing with the weird circumstances that have surrounded her family and still keeping the family together.
Lisa Ryder as Bekka Valentine on Andromeda was also seriously kick-butt.
As a comics and SF geek, I could go on and on about this, so I'll stop. Fun post, Trish!
Great post, Trish!
I don't watch much TV, but my fave heroines are the ones who 'march to their own drum' and often against what is expected of them. I adore Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer. Her toughness, her way of thinking and her junk food obsession!
I really like JD Robb's Eve Dallas and Terri Garey's Nicki Styx in Dead Grils Are Easy for the same reasons.
OK, I'm going to stick to books, my Bandita buddy. But you do bring up an interesting point - endless discussions about heroes, yet less about the heroines. I wonder why. I think readers are tougher on heroines too. I wonder why. Anyway, just off the top of my head, strong heroines include Lizzie Bennett, Anne Wentworth, Natasha from W&P, Jane Eyre, Philippa from the Lymond series by Dorothy Dunnett, Anna from A Countess Below Stairs, Coco from Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory, Lara from the War series by Elizabeth Vaughan. Hey, hundreds of them! Great post, Trish!
Nancy, yes, I was really bummed when Witchblade was canceled so quickly. Grr. Samantha Carter is another one. I think maybe she's being put sort of in the background because coming in after the rest of the crew has been together for three seasons and Sheppard is just so darn much fun. Teyla seems to be the main (also kick-butt) female presence on the show, though I do like the new Dr. Keller. Even though Keller is timid when it comes to dangerous situations, she's a very strong woman when it comes to her medical skills. I'm hoping the blossoming romance with Ronon will help toughen her up a little without making her someone she's not.
Anna, I haven't seen The Closer but I've heard good things about it and Kyra's portrayal of that role.
Okay, she didn't kick butt, except for putting poor Gilbert in his place, but I think Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables was a fantastic heroine. Spunky, determined, smart. Yep, my kind of heroine.
I love Johanna from Julie Garwood's Saving Grace. A woman who fought for protection of other women, even though she was the only one to know about it. She also stood up to the King of England, the King's Bishop, and helped form two clans into one.
Anna C., good list of literary heroines. I have another -- Hattie Brooks from Hattie Big Sky. This is a YA novel by Kirby Larson. Hattie is a 16-year-old who inherits a homestead claim in 1918 Montana. She goes there and homesteads on her own, with some help from neighbors. The character is partially based on one of the author's own ancestors.
Suz, Anne may not have kicked butt, but she did break her slate over poor Gilbert's head. :) I think she's strong because she mostly maintains a very sunny attitude despite everything she goes through.
Ooh, strong heroines! I love them. I really like all my characters to be alpha - male and female. I have gotten a bit of push-back because of that, actually. In contests, if you get a judge who likes softer women, an alpha female can be a tough sell! *g*
I love Amelia Peabody in Elizabeth Peters' Egypt books. She is incredibly intelligent and clear-headed and quite a match for her uber-alpha husband, Emerson (he of the sapphirine gaze!). Adore Amelia!
I also loved Lessa, Menolly, Killashandra Ree and most all of Anne McCaffrey's heroines. Anne always wrote kick-ass heroines!
Eve Dallas. Truthfully, who can kick more ass than Dallas? Nobody! And she has the most totally smoking husband in the universe!
Last but not least, let us not forget Rene Russo's character, Catherine Banning, in "The Thomas Crown Affair". She was marvelous and certainly kept Thomas on his (gorgeous) toes!
Ah, yes, the strong heroine. Some of my very favorite characters ever!
Yikes, Trish. As you know I'm a telly addict, so I adore all of the heroines you've mentioned. No one's mentioned Kate in the LOST series. She is one tough cookie with a lot of baggage she's carrying!
It's such a cliche but who can forget Scarlet O'Hara's rise from poverty after the Civil War, even though she was fraught with those human weaknesses.
But I really think Austen's characters, especially Elizabeth Bennett, are my favorite. They are strong women who have to use wit and wiles to find happiness in a man's world.
I really need to push the Eve Dallas books closer to the top of my TBR pile, Caren. I've only read the first one, and that was quite some time ago.
Hi Trish! I love the kick-ass heroine, but the heroine who shows inner strength interests me even more, these days. What made Buffy a compelling character was the mental struggle she had to go through to work out what her destiny was and how she should use her power. I don't think I'd have lasted past the first episode if there hadn't been that undercurrent of fierce struggle going on beneath the slaying. Great topic!
Jo, can't believe I forgot Kate from LOST. I'm really looking forward to the new season starting this week.
Christine, I think you're right about Buffy. There was always such struggled there between what she wanted and what she knew was the best thing for mankind. When she sacrificed Angel in season 2 -- OMG I bawled like a baby.
Wow, Trish, I loved both Wonder Woman and Bionic Woman :-) I watch so little TV these days, but a couple movie heroines come to mind (prolly cause my daugtheer and I just watched them LOL)
Hermione Granger - cleverest witch of her age - in Harry Potter. This is a strong little girl. And a great role model for younger girls. I'd be thrilled (rule-breaking and all) to see my daughters emulate her strength.
Elizabeth Swan - in POTC. I mean, she's strong, she's smart and she's outwitting everyone left and right. But mostly, she got to kiss both Johnny Depp AND Orlando Bloom. Hubba de hubba!!!
Wow, Tawny, how could I have forgotten Hermione and Elizabeth, two of my favorite heroines. Great examples.
Eve Dallas, Scarlet O'Hara, Skye O'Malley
Trish, as always, you give us a topic I can sink my teeth into! Nancy, I'm with you-loved the original Jaime Summers (new one, not so much). My mom says that when I was young, I always made my own bionic sound effects when I was playing. ANd I loved your point about Claire's mom on Heroes--the woman may not have super powers, but she's tough enough to deal in order to protect her family.
In fact, while none of my heroines for American have anything going on for them supernaturally, I just turned in a book (A Dad for Her Twins) about a single mom. Talk about contemporary heroines! I don't know how they do it. My dh is a great help, but our two kids almost outmatch us.
In books, some of the strong women I love are Eve Dallas (JD Robb) and most of Jenny Crusie's heroines, who are usually stronger in wit and intellect than actual kick-ass strength. But that works well as a source of power, too! (After all, where woul Ron and Harry be without Hermione's booksmarts and deductive skills?!?)
You nailed it on the head with your number one, the women of Buffy have been among my favorite fictional heroines since their show began. Also, my beloved childhood idol Sailor Moon has a spot on my list. ;)
Hmmm... Samantha Carter from the Stargate franchise...
And somewhere near the top, women from the Japanese sentai shows (the Japanese series they use to make Power Rangers for North American kiddies). The original is a kid's show as well, but the leading female characters tend to be strong, smart, and beautiful~
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