The TV characters we see on our screens and grow to love can represent who we are, or serve as an example of the women we want to become. My definition of ‘badass’ doesn’t only apply to clever superheroes who take down villains in epic battle scenes, although they are included, but rather relates to confidence, passion, generosity, and so much more.
Here’s what my favorite TV women Fiona Gallagher, Mindy Lahiri, Penelope Garcia, and Emily Prentiss have taught me.
- Be selfless, but know the limits
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I have to admit, a lot of what Fiona Gallagher of Shameless did is not the most ethical, or even legal for that matter. What draws me to her, however, is the reasoning behind it all: her family. Fiona would do almost anything to make sure she and her five siblings got by. She took any job and swindled her way into keeping the Gallagher family under one roof.
Eventually, Fiona had a wake-up call: she had never done what she wanted. So, she bid the Gallagher house and the South Side of Chicago goodbye in search of creating a new life.
Fiona showed me that while selflessness is an admirable quality, you can’t let it rule your life. You can’t give all of yourself to the point where you have nothing left. Know when it’s best to put yourself first and live for you.
- Go for what you want and stay true to yourself
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If Mindy Lahiri from The Mindy Project is one thing, it’s self-assured. She doesn’t allow the perceived seriousness of her career as an OB/GYN partner in a medical practice dampen anything about her. Mindy brings her bubbly, unashamed, pop-culture obsessed personality to everything she does, whether that be a dinner with her friends or a conflict amongst the other doctors in her practice.
Mindy taught me that one thing does not define you. You define yourself.
Under this lesson, I have to include Penelope Garcia, the technical analyst for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Criminal Minds. Penelope stays true to her charismatic and compassionate nature in every episode. Her office is decorated with pom-pom pens, and color-coordinated outfits are her staple. Despite the evil she sees from the killers the BAU tracks down, Penelope never becomes desensitized to the impact of her work, and cares deeply about each victim and her team.
At one point in the show, Penelope takes over the communications liaison role for the BAU, and believes she needs to appear more professional. She changed her appearance, but realized that she did her best work when she was true to herself: pom-pom pens, pumps, and all.
- Let people in
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For better or for worse, Emily Prentiss of Criminal Minds is the most independent woman I have ever witnessed. She didn’t tell her colleagues in the BAU anything about her past as an undercover CIA agent infiltrating a terrorist organization, even when one of the organization’s members was targeting her at home. She believed she could protect herself and handle the situation on her own. The BAU eventually did become involved once Emily was in danger. After her colleagues found out about her past, they felt that they didn’t know who she was at all.
This storyline showed me that the people close to you want to help when you’re struggling because they care. Let them in, and let them help you. It doesn’t show weakness, but rather, it shows trust and love.
These women may be fictional, but they give advice for real-life womanhood that we should appreciate. This Women’s History Month, show love to not only the women in your life, but also to the women in your favorite media!