Who were your strong female role models?

[LelaK]

I guess this is for those of us CDs who may tend to identify more with women than men. I don't remember identifying with male role models, but I think I tended to identify with the women.

I guess for me the first female role model was Wonder Woman. Then there was Xena, warrior princess, possibly based on a real person whose ancient letters to her mother were found a few decades ago. And then came Buffy, vampire slayer. I liked Buffy most, partly because the dialog was rather intelligent and humorous.

I think I identified more with Mom than Dad. Mom seemed more rational and kind, while Dad seemed more moody and hard-nosed (a workaholic).

I admire Hedy Lamar's intelligence, but I don't remember any of her movies that stood out for me. I liked also Barbara Stanwick (not Streisand) somewhat as Annie Oakley, as well as Gail Davis in the tv version. I liked Kim Novak in Vertigo, partly because she was progressive enough to go braless in the movie and because her role was tragic. I don't remember any other tragic role that moved me much. I like Gina Davis in her pirate roles and red hair.

I do admire men for some things, but I don't identify with them as much. But one is Lasse Gjertsen in Amateur and Hyperactive etc. I love his creativity.

I'm sure someone knows of a few women role models that would also go on my list.

[PaulaQ]

This is a great topic! Thank you for starting it.

My Great Aunt - she was my Grandmother's sister, oldest of 13 children. When their mother died, her father could not raise the family alone, so he offered her the family farm in exchange for skipping marriage and raising the kids. She took the deal, and raised all of her brothers and sisters, including her youngest sister, my grandmother.

She was an incredible, incredible woman. She loved everyone. She could grow *anything*. She was an amazing cook - people would drive for miles to come to dinner if she was making biscuits, for example. Everything she did - you could just feel the love. She thought the space program was idiocy while we had poor people on earth. She was just that type of person - I never heard her utter a cross word about anyone who didn't deserve a rebuke, and then some.

She was the kind of woman who could talk about the bible, and make you see the stories that were relevant. She also understood that people could take that stuff out of context - she was always a little mad that her father was kicked out of church for playing the fiddle.

She did not have an easy life, but I never heard her complain. Not once. She believed what was supposed to have happened, is what happened to her, and she made her peace with it. The thing is - this was the most natural thing I have ever seen. It was incredible.

Hers was a big family - and she touched basically every life in it, and all in a positive way. Dozens and dozens of people would tell you they were better for knowing her.

A humble woman, she decried vanity, and just said "I never planned on trading on my looks." She was a perfectionist - she always felt everything she did could be improved, even though to anyone else, it was absolute perfection.

I still have her picture, and miss her terribly sometimes. I think about her a lot. If I could be 10% of the woman she was, I'd be 100% a better person than I am today - no exaggeration.

[Lisa Gerrie]

Everybody told me I looked like Will Robinson, but I wanted to be Penny.

I don't consciously emulate my mother, but the older I get the more I see similarities.

[ClaudineD]

My two sisters who encoraged me at young age and have supported to this day.

[Erina]

My earliest role model would be my older sister. When growing up she had a kind, mature way of facing everybody which I really followed. I don't mean in a feminine way, more as in a rather cool way like Ghandi:)
We have always been best friends. So she has always been there for me as well.

[I Am Paula]

My mother. As a very wealthy younger woman she was the epitomy of the socialite. She worked tirelessly raising money for hospitals. Agreed, her version of fund raising involved wearing designer gowns and going to endless cocktail parties. However, dancing with snobs raised millions of dollars, and a Pucci dress isn't going to wear itself.
My mother has always oozed class, and refinement, has never had a mean word to say, and spent her active life making other peoples lives better or easier.
My mother is 85 now, did not recover well from a brain tumor operation. We do the best we can do to make her remaining life joyous.-Celeste

[Emma Beth]

I have to say that I identified with my Mother and Grandmother the most within my Family.
Famous ladies I would have to list Wonder Woman, Xena, Cat Woman (All three of the originals: Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, And Eartha Kitt.)
I also identified strongly with the strong leading lady characters of all the Anime's I have watched over the years. Bubblegum Crisis is one that comes to mind right off the top of my head; as well as the lady in my avatar, Fey Valentine of Cowboy Bebop.
I know, I am a Nerdett at heart. But I love every minute of it.

Jamie

Edit: I almost forgot about the female singers that influenced my tastes in music. The Runaways and the two that went on to their own solo careers; Joan Jett and Lita Ford are but a couple of solo artists that come to mind. The rest are far too numerous to name, but they are mostly from the eighties.

[LelaK]

TGC said: her version of fund raising involved wearing designer gowns and going to endless cocktail parties. However, dancing with snobs raised millions of dollars, and a Pucci dress isn't going to wear itself. My mother has always oozed class, and refinement, has never had a mean word to say, and spent her active life making other peoples lives better or easier.
Your Mom and Paula's Great Aunt both sound Great.

I've never cared for dancing, but, gee, if I could crossdress to dance and do fundraising at the same time, that sounds very interesting. But I'd have to learn a few steps, unless the dancing were free form or something.

Thanks for reminding me about Julie Newmar, Jamie. Oh, and I agree about some of the female anime characters. I think Sailor Moon is my favorite. I also like this anime video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-X1CxwUDt8 - the song and the scenes are all so haunting and lovely, though sad.

These days they have TSs for role models it seems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3iZCKeVzrk. Flip Wilson used to be kind of inspiring.

[Kate Simmons]

In real life, both of my Grandmothers. On TV, Honey West, Emma Peel, April Dancer, Pepper Anderson. Jaime Sommers, Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) to name a few.:)

[Bethany_Anne_Fae]

My sister first and foremost. I would have to add my grandmother into the fold, but she was more responsible for encouraging me to be me for ME. When I was younger I didnt understand her logic, but now I do ;)

Bethany

[Persephone]

One of the women I admire the most, and whom I have regarded as a role model, is Mary Kingsley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kingsley), an African exploress.

At a time when male "explorers" were going to Africa with dozens and even hundreds of native bearers carrying tons of equipment including portable bathtubs and cases of champaign, Mary Kingsley traveled alone. She observed the natives by visiting their villages, staying with them, and eating their foods.

She wrote two books, Travels in West Africa and West African Studies, which displayed her incredible sense of humor as well as her knowledge and the information she gathered.

Despite traveling by herself and carrying all her own gear, she used to explore West Africa in full Victorian attire, having once said, "One should not go about West Africa in a manner in which one would not wish to be seen in Picadilly."

Gotta love that woman!

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Barbara Maria]

I'm kinda like you,Lela.For me it's Ida Lupino,a great actress and the first female director ever,when it just wasn't being done.Of course the greatest actress ever(in my opinion)Barbara Stanwyck("Sorry,Wrong Number",oh boy!)And of course my namesake,beautiful and very talented Barbara Nichols.That name keeps popping up.Hmmm,imagine that.

[Tilly Vega]

Thora Birches character in Ghost World,Jennifer Tilly, Joan Jett,Cyndi Lauper

[BillieJoEllen]

I didn't really have any relatives that stood out for me that I admired. I loved the inspiration that Cyd Charisse delivered through her dancing. She worked very hard at it and it showed. Then there was a girl I used to see that one could say was 101% girl. She epitomized femininity. She was smart, very pretty and one heck of a dresser.

[kimdl93]

My role models aren't actresses or other celebrities....they are the real women in my life - my mother, aunts and cousins, female co-workers and supervisors, and of course, my wife.