Diverse Female Characters on TV

[shadowkat]

Saw somewhere on the lj this week a post decrying the lack of diverse women roles in tv. And at first I thought, yeah, they are right, tv is an evil male dominated world with no cool women, except male fantasy figures or super-chicks or pretty models - good for the guys. Then, I gave myself a task - come up with five tv shows and five tv show characters, female, that aren't male fantasy and are diverse and are cool and interesting and I can identify with on some level. And guess what? I came up with a lot more than that. [ETC: Wasn't very clear about this, apparently...what I was reacting to was a post that decried the lack of diverse women's roles - by that I mean women who are clearly not just cast for male fantasy or to support the male character, or to attract the male audience, who are not say "pretty" or "one type" - such as the character of Sarah on Chuck or Buffy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Fiona on Burn Notice - those were three of the characters referenced. In short, where are the Hurley's, Sheldon's, Leonard's, Raj's and Topher's for women?? My first response was, huh, they are right. There are none. Then I thought, can I challenge that assumption/generalization? And that's what brought about the list below. The choice of Juliet from Lost and V - is that this is a woman who was not just about the man, she affected change in both series and stood in her own right, sure pretty, but no super-powers, and was ordinary, an FBI agent with a son, or a fertility specialist who had bad luck in romance. Other, better choices, include Chandra Wilson's Bailey, a surgeon on Grey's Anatomy, who is short, black, and heavy-set, and over the age of 30. Tough as nails. And has won an Emmy for her role.]

Here's my list:

1. Bailey - played by the wonderful and versatile Chandra Wilson on Grey's Anatomy. She is black,
short, stocky, has a love interest, is a surgeon, and smart.

2. Kalinda - on The Good Wife, a lesbian indian private investigator who solves cases.

3. Marcy on One Life to Live - although not sure she is still on it, haven't watched that show in a long time...but she is heavy-set, homemaker, mystery writer.

4. Nora - Brothers and Sisters, runs a cancer center, is a mother to several kids. Played by the wonderful and aging Sally Field.

5. Mary - played by Mary McCormick In Plain Sight - A US Marshall with Witness Protection.
She and her partner help hide people and protect them.

6. Callie - on Gray's Anatomy - a bi-sexual woman surgeon, played by a heavy set-hispanic woman.

7. The lead character in TV's The Middle - a mother, used car salesman, and housewife, who struggles to juggle all these jobs simulatneously and barely manages. She fails a lot. It's a comedy.

8. Glenn Close as Patty Hewes in Damages - a tough dame who runs a law firm.

9. Alicia Florek - Juliana Marguiles in The Good Wife - a struggling attorney trying to hold her family together while her husband is being investigated by the federal government and is on trail for bribes and taking favors.

10. Diane - the partner at a law firm in the Good Wife - played by Christine Baranski.

11. Donna Noble - Donna - the Doctor's Companion on Doctor Who, over 40, heavy-set.

12. United States of Tara - Toni Collette's role in the HBO series about a woman struggling with a multiple personality disorder.

13. Lacey on Caprica - a teenage girl struggling to help her dead friend's avatar on Caprica
Smart and tough. But not superstrong or sexy or kickass. Just a normal teenage girl.

14. The lead role on the Closer - whose name I've spaced, but is about a Chief Inspector of Special Crimes - she solves cases. Played by Kyra Sedgewick. Not sex goddess.

15. Elizabeth Mitchell - the female FBI agent on V and Juliet, a doctor on Lost.

16. Epithany - a heavy-set black female head of nurses on General Hospital

17. Gwen - on Merlin, Merlin's friend and Arthur's - who is also Morgana's lady in waiting, and tough and yet not super-powered.

18. Chloe on Smallville - smart, girl-next door, runs Watchtower, no super-powers and not a damsel.

19. Tara - True Blood, Sookie's best friend, a black woman, who is tough, dealing with a drug-addicted mother, and who is a waitress in a bar.

20. Jane Lynch's character Sue on Glee - tough minded, sarcastic, girl's cheerleading coach, with a special ed sister...

21. Starbuck on Battle Star Galatica - a tough, swashbuckling, han solo type, but female.

22. Laura Roslyn on Battle Star Galatica - the President of the Fleet, dying of cancer.

23. Callie on BSG - a woman machinist who struggles with her husband.

24. Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer - a wiccan, not overly powerful, not super-skinny.

25. Ugly Betty - about to be canceled, but it was on - an heavy-set, frumpy, fashion magazine personal assistant.

And if you can think of more...add to the list. TV is actually a wonderful place for female roles. Better than most. Sure the guy action genre and sci-fi still tends towards eye-candy, but that's only because that genre is targeted towards a male audience. It is, like it or not. Frustrating, believe me, I know. Why do you think I loved Buffy, Caprica and BSG to pieces?

But...there are strong women in those genres...here's a list of them: (and yes, I know, I misspelled all their names...no time or patience to look them up, you will just have to deal. I've left off anyone with clear super-powers such as Buffy or Willow.)


Areyn Sun in Farscape.

Delenne in B5

Major Ivanov in B5

Major Kira in DS9

Captain Janeway in Voyager, as played by Kate Mulgrew (of Ryan's Hope, sigh, I've always loved Kate Mulgrew - I grew up watching her. She was also notable in the Manions of America and in
Mrs. Columbo)

Laura Roslynn/Starbuck/Sharon/Athena/Six/DeAnna/Ellen Tigh - BSG

Donna Noble and Dr. River Song in Doctor Who

Gwen and the ladies of Torchwood, including Children of Torchwood = whose names escape me, but if you can supply, duly appreciated.

Amanda Tapping as Dr. Helen Macgnus in Sanctuary

the lead female role in The Middleman (whose character name I can't remember but I adored)

Rose - in the TV series Lost, rarely seen, but a heavy set, older, black woman.

Sarah Connor - in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

The ghost - in Being Human

Comments

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I sort of avoided Sarah and the prettier ones as much as I could...wasn't very clear in the post above, apparently.

What I was reacting to - was a post decrying the lack of diverse women in tv - or women of multiple sizes, shapes, etc - who weren't all about the guy. Who functioned outside of him or weren't for his fantasy or interest.
A good example is LOST - it has Hurley, but where is the female equivalent.
Why aren't there a lot of diverse female roles. So I decided to think about it and try to come up with as many as possible - women of various shapes and figures and colors and styles and temperaments. Such as say Marci on One Life to Live or Scully on X-Files.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I kind of got what you were going for and, I admit, I hesitated before adding Sarah. But, to prove your premise to be true, I was having a very difficult time coming up with women, so I eventually included her.

But even by strict criteria, I think that 24's Chloe, Mad Men's Peggy, as well as Dana Scully qualify as non-stereotypical, independent women. :)