30 Female Characters in One Day Meme
Mar. 19th, 2011 08:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatThis is the abridged version...because it's hard enough to do in this format. Note - I'd have troubles with this for male characters either. What? You want me to pick just one? Ugh. Impossible.
Not sure I can do this. My memory tends to blank on stuff like this. But...I want to make a point about something - male characters ARE not written better than female characters. We just tend to think of male characters more - because action/adventure and sci-fantasy/mystery genres tend to be overwhelmingly male oriented. But that is changing and there are quite a few strong and great female characters in those genres.
Day One: Favorite lead female character
Difficult. Who to pick? Buffy (kick-ass, but...super-powered), Veronica Mars (snarky), Cristina Yang (on Grey's Anatomy), Alicia Florek on The Good Wife, Brenda Lee on the Closer? Mary Shannon on In Plain Sight, Nikita on Nikita...or Rachel Morgan in The Kim Harrison novels, Vicky Bliss in Elizabeth Peters...
I'm going with Mary Shannon. Because she feels the most real to me. An adult. A woman. Not empowered by supernatural powers. Not victimized. Although she does survive difficult situations, including being shot. Her job is impossible - a Witness Protection Marshal, unable to tell anyone what she does.
And she has a steel will. Portrayed by Mary McCormick - 6 foot or close enough, big boned, weathered, and over 35. Witty, snarky, with a heart of gold.
Day Two: Favorite supporting female character
Another hard one. I think it is Doctor Cristina Yang - who is almost the second lead of Grey's Anatomy. Although Dr. Bailey is a close second. Sometimes I forget they aren't the leads. Cristina
is again, a tough woman, but still a woman. She's allowed to be feminine without glaringly girly - actually Cristina hates the girly. She puts her career first and foremost. She holds emotion close to the vest.
Although Ivy in the Hallows series by Kim Morrison is a close third. She's a living vampire that can give both Spike and Angel a run for their money. Hot, Asian, Deadly, and Human - with a soul. Also bisexual.
Day Three: A female character you hated but grew to love
Tough. Drawing a blank. Which is a good thing, I guess. Cordelia in Buffy and Angel, Fred in Angel...
I'm thinking it's probably a Star Trek Character - maybe D'Enna Troy? OR maybe Six on BSG?
Or ...hmmm, maybe Rose Tyler on Doctor Who? Can't really say I ever felt hate towards a female character exactly.
Going with Cordelia - I actually loved her in S2-the beginning of S3 in Angel, before they ruined the character completely in Birthday and I couldn't stand to watch her, then they turned Fred interesting and I loved her after Supersymmetry and well they ruined her in Hole in the Wall, but gave me Illyria. Both are examples of female characters with no super-powers (Fred and Cordy), who stay women, yet can go toe to toe with men.
Day Four: A female character you relate to
Buffy in S5-7 (I didn't identify with her until she broke up with Riley, oddly enough.) Another is Mary Shannon and Cristina Yang - but I already put them in the above two categories. Also Erica on Being Erica fits this bill. Very much Erica - although she's a lot younger than me and has a lot more sex...dang it. If you haven't checked out the adorable Canadian Series Being Erica - you've no idea what you are missing.
Day Five: Favorite female character on a male-driven show
I'd say Aeryn Sun but not sure that fits, because while Farscape was Crichton's show, they were almost co-stars. Hmm.
Doctor River Song. Yes, definitely Doctor River Song on Doctor Who - that's the most male driven show that I watch with a strong female character. (I watch other male driven shows but a lot of them lack well-written female characters unfortunately.) As portrayed by 40 something Alex Kingston (who used to be married to Ralph Fiennes, and made her big debute in Moll Flanders, then did a stint on ER, but now plays my favorite Doctor Who character. A female character that rivals the Doctor in wit, brains, ability to fly through time, and amorality. She may well be the closest we ever come to a female doctor. Go River.)
Day Six: Favorite female-driven show
The Good Wife. It is one of the very few tv series I've seen that doesn't fall into one of two cliche traps: the chick melodrama or the super-powered little girl who kicks ass. Also one of the few that has not one, not two, but three strong, complex, and fascinating female characters. Plus several supporting ones.
This is the best tv show on right now. I'm sorry, but it is. Also the best legal procedural ever! And proof that female characters can be written as well and often far better than men. Alicia Florek as the lead is contained, almost repressed, careful. I identify oddly enough with her - never been married and don't have kids, but I get her wary caution and poker face. How she controls everything and struggles with the realization that this is an illusion. Then there's the brilliant Diane Lockhart - who has chosen her career over everything. Smart, sharp, and toe to toe with Will Gardner. As portrayed by one of my all time favorite character actresses Christine Baranski - she's older, sharper and complicated. And finally Kalinda - the private investigator, both alarmingly feminine yet in a male occupation, holding her own with no insane super-powers.
One of the few shows where the women have power, without being sexually violated or raped first.
It also depicts the machoism of the US legal system and politics and how women struggle within it.
Day Seven: A female character that needs more screen time
Doctor River Song - that's cheating, mentioning the same character twice, isn't it? But I want more of her, dang it. This tv show/book trope of showing only glimspes of best characters is annoying.
Spike, Doctor Song, and numerous others. I call it teasing and want to smack writers upside the head for it.
Day Eight: Favorite female character in a comedy show
Murphy Brown. I'm sorry Liz Lemon fans, but Murphy was the original. I loved her. It's amongst the few sitcoms I stuck with for long. I usually lose interest somewhere around the second season. Also 90% of sitcoms are male dominated. Murphy was amongst the few exceptions. Also she wasn't flaky like Cybil or girly like Mary Tyler Moore with the high pitched whine - "mr. Graaaant!" No, Murphy was the boss, she controlled that show, and she had a gritty charisma. I loved her and I miss her.
Plus how many female sitcom characters kill a Vice Presidental campaign? Yes, Murphy Brown made Dan Quayle's hit list for being a single older mom who refused to marry the baby's father. And she made it to another season, while Quayle disappeared.
Day Nine: Favorite female character in a drama show
Kalinda - The Good Wife. Tough, strong, together. And can do accessories. Also kicks stereotypes to the corner.
Day Ten: Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show
Hmmm. So many options. Aeryn Sun, Kara Thrace, Buffy, Xenia, Nina. I'm going with Aeryn Sun from Farscape.
Day Eleven: Favorite female character in a children’s show
Don't really watch them so this is hard. Can I pick a movie? No, it says a show. Is Doctor Who a Children's Show? Or how about The Adventures of Sara Whatshername (can't remember)? I'll say Sara from that Doctor Who children's spin-off.
Day Twelve: Favorite female character in a movie
Now, I'm drawing a blank. Haven't seen many films lately that I can remember with a female character I liked. Which may explain why I'm not crazy about the movies at the moment. Hmmm. How about animated films? IF so, I'm going with the female character in Spirited Away or Hermoine Granger in Harry Potter.
Day Thirteen: Favorite female character in a book
Rachel Morgan in the Kim Harrison Hallows Novels. Although Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games is a close second. But Rachel is more interesting. Bounty Hunter, witch, demoness, and all around tough gal - with the female equivalent of Harry Dresden novels. In some ways she's actually more complex and better written than Dresden, less cliche and predictable, although Butcher is the better writer stylistically and plot wise. Harrison takes more interesting risks.
Day Fourteen: Favorite older female character
Trying not to keep repeating myself. But I'll list the candidates: Nora on Brothers and Sisters, Glenn Close on Damages as Patty Hewes, Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife, Donna Nobel on Doctor Who,
Murphy Brown, and Candice Bergen on Boston Legal. Favorite? Diane Lockhart - The Good Wife.
Day Fifteen: Favorite female character growth arc
Aeryn Sun - with the caveat that S4 is sort of spotty. I like her arc better than Buffy's in some respects. Although Buffy is close. Another is Kara Thrace in BSG. I don't know. Maybe Kara Thrace or Buffy - since neither ended with motherhood.
Day Sixteen: Favorite mother character
Nora on Brothers and Sisters - a matriarche who gets to be feminine. She reminds me of my mother.
The other is Dame Judi Dench's character on As Time Goes By.
Day Seventeen: Favorite warrior female character
Kara Thrace. Starbuck. The genderswitch to end all genderswitchs. Yes, there was Xenia. But Kara is so deliciously complicated and twisty. And so unpredictable. The best thing about BSG in my opinion was Kara.
Day Eighteen: Favorite non-warrior female character
Veronica Mars. Wait does Veronica count? Maybe not. Hmmm...a non-warrior female character haven't listed yet. Brenda Lee from the Closer is also a Warrior in a way. So is Laura Roslynn.
Maybe Bailey. Yes, Bailey fits that - she's not a warrior = she's a surgeon on Grey's Anatomy.
So does Nina on Being Human. Let's go with Nina.
Day Nineteen: Favorite non-human female character
Nina? No, human and werewolf. Aeryn Sun isn't human. Although that's probably pushing it.
Darla was human and a vampire. Illyria? Yeah, Illyria works - she wasn't human at all - from Angel.
Day Twenty: Favorite female antagonist
As in villain? Ponders. Maybe Six on BSG? She was deliciously complex. Another might be Darla on Angel.
Day Twenty-One: Favorite female character screwed over by canon
Xenia.
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
Is there such a thing? I'm trying to think of one. Doctor Song? Veronica Mars? Martha Jones?
Gwen on either Merlin or Torchwood. I can't really think of one. Who does everyone else hate?
Ah, figured it out - Gwen in Merlin (I love her, others hate her because they apparently ship Merlin/Arthur? (mind-boggling)) and I love Cuddy on House, and Gwen on Torchwood. Also
love Martha Jones on Doctor Who.
Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship
Cristina and Meredith on Grey's Anatomy
Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship
Callie and Arizona on Grey's Anatomy.
Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship
Nora/Sarah on Brothers and Sisters or Sarah/Amber on Parenthood or Rory/Lauren Grahem Gilmore Girls
Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character (from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like)
Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice.
Day Twenty-Seven: A female character you have extensive personal canon for
Buffy, Starbuck, and Katniss Everdeen, also Aeryn Sun.
Day Twenty-Eight: Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.)
Don't know. I don't ship writers any more. They frustrate me. Tend to be one-hit wonders mostly.
I loved Lois McMaster Bujold for a bit, then it was Dorothy Dunnett, for a little while Agatha Christie, then Minette Walters, and Anne McCaffrey, then Jane Espenson, and JK Rowling, and Kim Harrison...it jumps around. Shondra Rhimes for a bit as well.
Hmm. Toni Morrison - I respect the most, and Octavia Butler and Ursula Le Guinn. Also have a lot of respect for Dorothy Dunnett and Maria Doria Russell.
Day Twenty-Nine: A female-centric fic rec
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
selenak has written some very good female centric fic - the best was a female pov of Torchwood Children of the Earth. She also did a very good one from the perspective of Nikki Wood.
Day Thirty: Whatever you'd like!
Favorite female singer? Aimee Mann or Joni Mitchell, as a child Janis Ian - who I'm seeing soon.
Favorite female detective? Veronica Mars.
Not sure I can do this. My memory tends to blank on stuff like this. But...I want to make a point about something - male characters ARE not written better than female characters. We just tend to think of male characters more - because action/adventure and sci-fantasy/mystery genres tend to be overwhelmingly male oriented. But that is changing and there are quite a few strong and great female characters in those genres.
Day One: Favorite lead female character
Difficult. Who to pick? Buffy (kick-ass, but...super-powered), Veronica Mars (snarky), Cristina Yang (on Grey's Anatomy), Alicia Florek on The Good Wife, Brenda Lee on the Closer? Mary Shannon on In Plain Sight, Nikita on Nikita...or Rachel Morgan in The Kim Harrison novels, Vicky Bliss in Elizabeth Peters...
I'm going with Mary Shannon. Because she feels the most real to me. An adult. A woman. Not empowered by supernatural powers. Not victimized. Although she does survive difficult situations, including being shot. Her job is impossible - a Witness Protection Marshal, unable to tell anyone what she does.
And she has a steel will. Portrayed by Mary McCormick - 6 foot or close enough, big boned, weathered, and over 35. Witty, snarky, with a heart of gold.
Day Two: Favorite supporting female character
Another hard one. I think it is Doctor Cristina Yang - who is almost the second lead of Grey's Anatomy. Although Dr. Bailey is a close second. Sometimes I forget they aren't the leads. Cristina
is again, a tough woman, but still a woman. She's allowed to be feminine without glaringly girly - actually Cristina hates the girly. She puts her career first and foremost. She holds emotion close to the vest.
Although Ivy in the Hallows series by Kim Morrison is a close third. She's a living vampire that can give both Spike and Angel a run for their money. Hot, Asian, Deadly, and Human - with a soul. Also bisexual.
Day Three: A female character you hated but grew to love
Tough. Drawing a blank. Which is a good thing, I guess. Cordelia in Buffy and Angel, Fred in Angel...
I'm thinking it's probably a Star Trek Character - maybe D'Enna Troy? OR maybe Six on BSG?
Or ...hmmm, maybe Rose Tyler on Doctor Who? Can't really say I ever felt hate towards a female character exactly.
Going with Cordelia - I actually loved her in S2-the beginning of S3 in Angel, before they ruined the character completely in Birthday and I couldn't stand to watch her, then they turned Fred interesting and I loved her after Supersymmetry and well they ruined her in Hole in the Wall, but gave me Illyria. Both are examples of female characters with no super-powers (Fred and Cordy), who stay women, yet can go toe to toe with men.
Day Four: A female character you relate to
Buffy in S5-7 (I didn't identify with her until she broke up with Riley, oddly enough.) Another is Mary Shannon and Cristina Yang - but I already put them in the above two categories. Also Erica on Being Erica fits this bill. Very much Erica - although she's a lot younger than me and has a lot more sex...dang it. If you haven't checked out the adorable Canadian Series Being Erica - you've no idea what you are missing.
Day Five: Favorite female character on a male-driven show
I'd say Aeryn Sun but not sure that fits, because while Farscape was Crichton's show, they were almost co-stars. Hmm.
Doctor River Song. Yes, definitely Doctor River Song on Doctor Who - that's the most male driven show that I watch with a strong female character. (I watch other male driven shows but a lot of them lack well-written female characters unfortunately.) As portrayed by 40 something Alex Kingston (who used to be married to Ralph Fiennes, and made her big debute in Moll Flanders, then did a stint on ER, but now plays my favorite Doctor Who character. A female character that rivals the Doctor in wit, brains, ability to fly through time, and amorality. She may well be the closest we ever come to a female doctor. Go River.)
Day Six: Favorite female-driven show
The Good Wife. It is one of the very few tv series I've seen that doesn't fall into one of two cliche traps: the chick melodrama or the super-powered little girl who kicks ass. Also one of the few that has not one, not two, but three strong, complex, and fascinating female characters. Plus several supporting ones.
This is the best tv show on right now. I'm sorry, but it is. Also the best legal procedural ever! And proof that female characters can be written as well and often far better than men. Alicia Florek as the lead is contained, almost repressed, careful. I identify oddly enough with her - never been married and don't have kids, but I get her wary caution and poker face. How she controls everything and struggles with the realization that this is an illusion. Then there's the brilliant Diane Lockhart - who has chosen her career over everything. Smart, sharp, and toe to toe with Will Gardner. As portrayed by one of my all time favorite character actresses Christine Baranski - she's older, sharper and complicated. And finally Kalinda - the private investigator, both alarmingly feminine yet in a male occupation, holding her own with no insane super-powers.
One of the few shows where the women have power, without being sexually violated or raped first.
It also depicts the machoism of the US legal system and politics and how women struggle within it.
Day Seven: A female character that needs more screen time
Doctor River Song - that's cheating, mentioning the same character twice, isn't it? But I want more of her, dang it. This tv show/book trope of showing only glimspes of best characters is annoying.
Spike, Doctor Song, and numerous others. I call it teasing and want to smack writers upside the head for it.
Day Eight: Favorite female character in a comedy show
Murphy Brown. I'm sorry Liz Lemon fans, but Murphy was the original. I loved her. It's amongst the few sitcoms I stuck with for long. I usually lose interest somewhere around the second season. Also 90% of sitcoms are male dominated. Murphy was amongst the few exceptions. Also she wasn't flaky like Cybil or girly like Mary Tyler Moore with the high pitched whine - "mr. Graaaant!" No, Murphy was the boss, she controlled that show, and she had a gritty charisma. I loved her and I miss her.
Plus how many female sitcom characters kill a Vice Presidental campaign? Yes, Murphy Brown made Dan Quayle's hit list for being a single older mom who refused to marry the baby's father. And she made it to another season, while Quayle disappeared.
Day Nine: Favorite female character in a drama show
Kalinda - The Good Wife. Tough, strong, together. And can do accessories. Also kicks stereotypes to the corner.
Day Ten: Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show
Hmmm. So many options. Aeryn Sun, Kara Thrace, Buffy, Xenia, Nina. I'm going with Aeryn Sun from Farscape.
Day Eleven: Favorite female character in a children’s show
Don't really watch them so this is hard. Can I pick a movie? No, it says a show. Is Doctor Who a Children's Show? Or how about The Adventures of Sara Whatshername (can't remember)? I'll say Sara from that Doctor Who children's spin-off.
Day Twelve: Favorite female character in a movie
Now, I'm drawing a blank. Haven't seen many films lately that I can remember with a female character I liked. Which may explain why I'm not crazy about the movies at the moment. Hmmm. How about animated films? IF so, I'm going with the female character in Spirited Away or Hermoine Granger in Harry Potter.
Day Thirteen: Favorite female character in a book
Rachel Morgan in the Kim Harrison Hallows Novels. Although Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games is a close second. But Rachel is more interesting. Bounty Hunter, witch, demoness, and all around tough gal - with the female equivalent of Harry Dresden novels. In some ways she's actually more complex and better written than Dresden, less cliche and predictable, although Butcher is the better writer stylistically and plot wise. Harrison takes more interesting risks.
Day Fourteen: Favorite older female character
Trying not to keep repeating myself. But I'll list the candidates: Nora on Brothers and Sisters, Glenn Close on Damages as Patty Hewes, Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife, Donna Nobel on Doctor Who,
Murphy Brown, and Candice Bergen on Boston Legal. Favorite? Diane Lockhart - The Good Wife.
Day Fifteen: Favorite female character growth arc
Aeryn Sun - with the caveat that S4 is sort of spotty. I like her arc better than Buffy's in some respects. Although Buffy is close. Another is Kara Thrace in BSG. I don't know. Maybe Kara Thrace or Buffy - since neither ended with motherhood.
Day Sixteen: Favorite mother character
Nora on Brothers and Sisters - a matriarche who gets to be feminine. She reminds me of my mother.
The other is Dame Judi Dench's character on As Time Goes By.
Day Seventeen: Favorite warrior female character
Kara Thrace. Starbuck. The genderswitch to end all genderswitchs. Yes, there was Xenia. But Kara is so deliciously complicated and twisty. And so unpredictable. The best thing about BSG in my opinion was Kara.
Day Eighteen: Favorite non-warrior female character
Veronica Mars. Wait does Veronica count? Maybe not. Hmmm...a non-warrior female character haven't listed yet. Brenda Lee from the Closer is also a Warrior in a way. So is Laura Roslynn.
Maybe Bailey. Yes, Bailey fits that - she's not a warrior = she's a surgeon on Grey's Anatomy.
So does Nina on Being Human. Let's go with Nina.
Day Nineteen: Favorite non-human female character
Nina? No, human and werewolf. Aeryn Sun isn't human. Although that's probably pushing it.
Darla was human and a vampire. Illyria? Yeah, Illyria works - she wasn't human at all - from Angel.
Day Twenty: Favorite female antagonist
As in villain? Ponders. Maybe Six on BSG? She was deliciously complex. Another might be Darla on Angel.
Day Twenty-One: Favorite female character screwed over by canon
Xenia.
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
Is there such a thing? I'm trying to think of one. Doctor Song? Veronica Mars? Martha Jones?
Gwen on either Merlin or Torchwood. I can't really think of one. Who does everyone else hate?
Ah, figured it out - Gwen in Merlin (I love her, others hate her because they apparently ship Merlin/Arthur? (mind-boggling)) and I love Cuddy on House, and Gwen on Torchwood. Also
love Martha Jones on Doctor Who.
Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship
Cristina and Meredith on Grey's Anatomy
Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship
Callie and Arizona on Grey's Anatomy.
Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship
Nora/Sarah on Brothers and Sisters or Sarah/Amber on Parenthood or Rory/Lauren Grahem Gilmore Girls
Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character (from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like)
Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice.
Day Twenty-Seven: A female character you have extensive personal canon for
Buffy, Starbuck, and Katniss Everdeen, also Aeryn Sun.
Day Twenty-Eight: Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.)
Don't know. I don't ship writers any more. They frustrate me. Tend to be one-hit wonders mostly.
I loved Lois McMaster Bujold for a bit, then it was Dorothy Dunnett, for a little while Agatha Christie, then Minette Walters, and Anne McCaffrey, then Jane Espenson, and JK Rowling, and Kim Harrison...it jumps around. Shondra Rhimes for a bit as well.
Hmm. Toni Morrison - I respect the most, and Octavia Butler and Ursula Le Guinn. Also have a lot of respect for Dorothy Dunnett and Maria Doria Russell.
Day Twenty-Nine: A female-centric fic rec
selenak has written some very good female centric fic - the best was a female pov of Torchwood Children of the Earth. She also did a very good one from the perspective of Nikki Wood.Day Thirty: Whatever you'd like!
Favorite female singer? Aimee Mann or Joni Mitchell, as a child Janis Ian - who I'm seeing soon.
Favorite female detective? Veronica Mars.
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no subject
Date: 2011-03-20 04:32 pm (UTC)And yeah :"So to each their own. ;-)"
I wouldn't want everything to think like me because other perspectives remind me of things I did love in shows I've mostly forgotten about....
Today I was watching Dr. Wilson hook up with Amber (Cut Throat Bitch), and man I loved Loved LOVED her... I wish they had kept her character going longer.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-21 02:34 am (UTC)Today I was watching Dr. Wilson hook up with Amber (Cut Throat Bitch), and man I loved Loved LOVED her... I wish they had kept her character going longer.
Amber is another character that I LOVED and everyone else hated.
I forgot about her. I should have put her in the character that you love everyone else hates category.
I went a different direction than most people - selecting a lot of non-genre, more mainstream tv series for my list as opposed to mainly sci-fantasy shows or "Fandom" shows. Not that I don't watch the other shows, but the female characters aren't as strong in them.
I really should have named Mary's relationship w/her Mom as my favorite Mother/daughter (I found her relationship w/her sister to be uninteresting and annoying....
Interesting. Had a completely different reaction. The mother/daughter relationship grew on me on In Plain Sight. It starts out somewhat annoying and cliche, but then much like the sister relationship completely changes. The series says some really interesting things about addiction and how it affects families. I love that the mother finally moves out and starts teaching dance classes.
In Plain Sight is one of the few shows that actually evolves its characters and doesn't just recycle the same story endlessly.
House has also evolved, which is reassuring.
(Watching the concert of Les Mis on PBS - and they have all the actors who ever played each of these roles on stage now singing them - it's amazing. )