Whenever I watch a movie that has a Lara Croft, Wonder Woman, Black Widow, leather clad, gun toting, crime fighting, martial arts female character, I think to myself (who else would I think something to?) “I want to BE her!” And the thing is, it has nothing to do with that character being sexy, or tough, or bad ass. It is because of the kind of girl I perceive her to be. These women represent something to me. They are possibilities of being adventurous and powerful and fearless and still being feminine. If the ever penetrating “male gaze” that dresses these women in leather cat suits or crop tops and low-rise shorts, has taught me one thing, it is that those women are still seen as women in spite of being tough, adventurous, heroines. I do not want to go into everything I have to say about women being viewed as weaponized sex, objects, and any of the other feminist angst I have, because it is a lot and I have other things to do today. I want to talk about the person I want to be and how these characters represent that.
Growing up I was what was considered a “tomboy.” It is not a term I like. I always thought it implied that you could not be feminine and enjoy things that fall under the scope of “boy things.” You learn how to fight, how to backpack on your own, how to play sports, and suddenly you stop being a girl. Instead you are a wannabe boy. That is not who or what I was. The fact that as a young girl I hungered for adventure and to be out in the wilderness, or the fact that I was filled with fight, did not make me less of a girl. Yes, I liked dinosaurs and nerf fights and I was still a girl and I only ever wanted to be a girl.
Which is why I was always so drawn to those characters. Feminine warriors, adventurers, spies. Women who did not just get notice but stood miles above the rest. Possibility and adventure in person.
So, in an effort to understand the kind of woman I want to be, I have compiled a list of women I want to be and why.
Dr. Sattler
What an amazing heroine, that I was fortunate enough to “know” from an early point in my life. Dr. Ellie Sattler, who outran velociraptors, turned the entire park back on, and was the only woman in the room without ever becoming a damsel. That last one, is the primary reason I want to be like her. Dr. Sattler is a doctor, a PhD, which means that she is smarter than everyone with her in almost every room, she knows that and acts like it. When she makes a decision it is never a question, it is a statement.
What girl would not want to be like that?
Black Widow
For years, the best thing that EVER happened in cinema was Black Widow in the end of Ironman 2 kicking all of the ass and then doing it again at the beginning of Avengers. Since then Wonder Woman finally appeared on the silver screen and we entered the glorious age of female superheroes. Still, Black Widow, busting heads and breaking hearts was the first step toward that age.
You disagree? FIGHT ME!
I adore Black Widow. I dye my hair red because I want to be Black Widow.
Black Widow is another one of those women who is the smartest in the room. You can tell by her quick, sharp, wit, and her ability to read a situation and become what is expected of her. She is tactical and analytical and while you can tell that her emotions are sharp and deep, they do not dictate her actions.
As an INTJ, I strongly relate to that and want to be more like that. I have strong emotions, excessive emotions, and sometimes I can shut them off and respond completely rationally. Sometimes, I cannot. Seeing a woman like that, who is not controlled by her emotions and still feels and expresses those emotions is exactly what I needed when I was young. That some woman then using her brain to kick all of the ass is amazing and everything I want to be.
Kim Possible
Speaking of redheaded warrior women. My ringtone is, and will always be, the kimunicator beep. It will be that until no one but me even knows what that is. The other day I wore an outfit that I felt pretty good about, a pair of high-waisted cargo pants and a black sweater. My friend Amy looked at me, standing in her doorway, and asked, “are you Kim Possible today? I’m getting a Kim Possible vibe.”
“Um, I wasn’t, but that is the best thing I have ever heard.”
Another reason I like to dye my hair red.
The thing about Kim Possible, other than her punderful name, is that she really is just a normal girl who struggled with peer pressure, schoolwork, dating, and even a bully. On top of all of that, she regularly saves the world. That’s a pretty great model. Instead of succumbing to all of those pressures, which I often feel like I might, she goes about her business, doing what she does with confidence.
Lara Croft
I will tell you one thing. I have been trying to dress like Lara Croft since high school. The colors and comfortable nature of her aesthetic is exactly how I want to look. Add into it the fact that Lara Croft is an adventuring archeologist who solves puzzles and saves the world, that doesn’t seem to be her primary goal but it seems to be something she does.
However, I never really liked the Angelina Jolie version. I was drawn to the idea of her, but every portrayal I ever saw of her was weaponized sex. Then, by pure chance, I saw the new version on an airplane and my whole life changed. This Lara Croft was everything the had ever been to me. Smart, strong, adventurous, and she was entirely her own complex, ever changing character, free from romantic entanglements.
All of these women are smart and brave and smell of adventure and fight. None are the archetypical smart girl, the nerdy waif. They are examples of women being both brilliant and brave without compromising who they are.
Wonder Woman
There is only one other movie that I will ever openly say “changed my life.” That was Wonder Woman.
Honestly, I understand men so much better now. Of course, the world belongs to you! I saw one female superhero rise up, completely unstoppable, and suddenly the world belonged to me and I could fight anyone.
The reason Wonder Woman has been my favorite superhero since before I was even certain I liked super heroes or knew much of anything about her, is that I knew what she stood for.
Wonder Woman’s main weapon is a lasso of truth. She is just. Not standing just for what is legal or a certain side, but for what is right and true. I have heard some theories that so long as she carries the lasso of truth that she can only tell the truth, no matter how cold those truths are. She stands in truth and distributes justice. She is who she is. She is those things and I want to be those things too.
There are other women who exemplify who I want to be, but those are the ones I want to be. They are all heroes. They use their abilities and brains for good and to be good. Whatever type of woman you are or want to be, that should be part of who you want to be.
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