Today I'm am going to give you my top three shows featuring strong female leads. And you should watch them.
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
At this point, BTVS is a classic. Both the film and the TV series. But I'm focused more on the TV show in this post. The title really sums up the premise. A girl named Buffy is the Chosen One. She slays vampires, demons, monsters, gods, and frequently stops the apocalypse. She does all of that while going through high school, boy troubles, friends becoming witches, and much more. Buffy is a young lady with super powers. With the weight of the world on her shoulders. She kicks ass every night, but since she is a human being, she also deals with the feeling of being vulnerable and lonely. Watching tiny little Buffy save the world over and over with her horrifying puns is one of my favorite things to do. An interviewer once asked Joss Whedon (the writer/director/producer guy) why he kept writing strong female leads instead of the typical male leads. His answer: "Because people keep asking me that question." All seasons of Buffy are on Netflix.
2. Lost Girl
I sort of touched on this with my post about the entire show, but it bears repeating. Bo is a gorgeous, butt-kicking succubus who refuses to commit to Light or Dark Fae. She's a leader. She's not sexually shamed. She is a character who makes her own decisions. Bo isn't the only woman you should be watching the show for, however. Her best friend, Kenzi, a human holds her own in a world she really doesn't belong in. She is unswerving in her loyalty to Bo, to the point of putting herself in danger. She fights the monsters and is on the front lines with her friends. And she does it in stilettos.
3. Teen Wolf
I have plans to do a post on Teen Wolf as a whole during the winter, when the second half of season three starts again. Or maybe earlier than that. Anyway. Though they are not the main character of the series, Allison and Lydia are certainly two of the best. Allison transforms from reserved girl to bad-ass werewolf hunter with knives. And Lydia is the smartest one of the bunch right from the start.
I am currently in a women studies class so seeing strong representations of women in the media is an interesting topic to me. I have never heard of the "Lost Girl" TV series but it seems as thought the main cast of characters is female, which is surprising because many TV shows have a male leading cast with either weak or stronger female supporting roles. It seems like an interesting show to check out if it is truly breaking gender stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven't experienced any of these three shows, I really appreciate your focus on female leads. I agree with Christine in that many TV shows cast male leading roles; so it's great that you've chosen a few that focus on women. Great post!
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