As we get further into Women’s History Month I love looking at all the amazing women in our society. But, I also wanted to look at some of the amazing female characters in some of my favorite TV shows and movies.
- Elle Woods (Legally Blonde, 2001)
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In my opinion, Legally Blonde was one of the best movies of the 2000s and Elle Woods was ahead of her time. Similar movies from that time period seemed to have a weird trend of using the “not like other girls” trope. Elle Woods on the other hand does the exact opposite. Rather than making Elle change to become more masculine or more like her peers to fit in or taken seriously, she fully embraced her unapologetic femininity and love for pink , making her peers take her seriously anyway by proving herself as an amazing lawyer. Elle Woods is such a fun and lighthearted character and has always been one of my favorites.
- Fallon Carrington (Dynasty, 2017-current)
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Dynasty, the reboot of the original series in the 1980s, is one of my favorite shows at the moment. Although I have never really watched the original, one of my favorite things about this show is Fallon Carrington. Differently from the original series, Fallon’s character focuses mainly on her as a businesswoman. She is determined to run her father’s business, but isn’t taken seriously, so she decides to start her own business and do it better. Not only do I love her iconic one liners, but I love that she’s ambitious and intelligent. Does she always handle her problems the right way? Definitely not. But Fallon is self-aware, determined, and will always protect her family. In some ways I think we can be a little bit like Fallon Carrington.
- Mulan (1998)
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Mulan has always been one of my favorite Disney characters— and in this case I am specifically referring to the 1998 Disney movie. I think the reason why so many people disliked the remake of the Mulan movie (outside of the moral reasons) is because it completely ruins the original story behind Mulan. In the reboot Mulan was gifted and had supernatural abilities; this completely changes the original legend and moral behind Mulan. Rather than it being a story about a girl who was strong, willing to protect her family and embrace her own identity, it became a story about a girl who was special because she had powers. Mulan has always been one of my favorite Disney princesses, and I think the original story has always been a strong message to young girls.
- Starr (The Hate U Give, 2018)
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The reason I love Starr is a little different from the reason I love the other characters on this list. I love both this movie and the book. I love Starr and related to her in a lot of ways. As a black woman, there were multiple times in the movie where I genuinely understood how she felt and related to her. Living in a lower income neighborhood, I have seen a lot of the same things Starr went through, you begin to feel helpless watching people around you disappear and there was nothing you could do about it. Although I’ve never been put in a situation like Starr’s, I related to her feeling of helplessness and anger. I thought that this movie shed a light on a side of police brutality that is not always looked at. I loved Starr’s symbolism throughout the story and loved how she went from a reluctant girl in the beginning of the movie to an outspoken activist who wanted change for her community.