12 ‘90s Powerhouse Female Characters Who Exude Feminism
Start writing a post
Entertainment

12 ‘90s Powerhouse Female Characters Who Exude Feminism

Let’s all take a page out of their books, shall we?

158
12 ‘90s Powerhouse Female Characters Who Exude Feminism
Ariana Carpentieri

The ‘90s were a time of good style, grunge music, and incredible movies. This decade was chock-full of kickass women in movies and TV shows who were strutting their stuff, standing up for their rights, excelling in their positions, and showing females of all ages that they should flourish in their femininity. On a bad day, nothing feels better to me than curling up on the couch in my pajamas with a cup of tea in my hands and watching a ‘90s flick to cure whatever’s got me down. Despite the female empowerment occurring on-screen, this was the time when the third wave of feminism kicked up. This wave of feminism partially destabilized constructs from second-wave feminism, which means that women began to embrace their femininity opposed to pushing it away and burning their bras. But the kick is: they took pride in their girlish ways, all while working to achieve their equality. With the rise of this new feminist movement came these beautiful ladies from movies and TV shows who remind us about the roots of what it means to be powerful females and how to enjoy every inch of our femininity:

12. Wednesday Addams from "The Addams Family Values"

This little lady takes no crap from anyone. She is small but in charge, and she never gets jerked around. She wears whatever she wants (all black everything), isn’t pressured into wearing skimpy swimwear, “pities” any man who would ever fall in love with her, and she’s extremely mature for her age. Also, she sported the original resting-bitch face.

11. Lisa Simpson from "The Simpsons"

She speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to do so! She knows her own worth and in multiple episodes, she makes it clear that if she isn’t respected by a man, then she would rather spend her life without getting married. She’s the kind of gal that sticks to her principles, is independent, not afraid to be different, and her incredible saxophone skills shows that she is a female worthy of musical recognition in the man’s world of jazz.

10. Josie Gellar from "Never Been Kissed"

Josie is a sweet girl who got bullied very badly in high school. But she grows up, beats the odds, and works as a journalist. For the sake of a piece she is required to write (about the illicit things young people are up to) she needs to go back to high school as an undercover student to get all the details she needs. Josie takes her position at work very seriously, and like the movie title suggests, she’s “never been kissed.” Some might say this is a weakness, but this defining part of her character portrays how she was never persuaded by a man to do anything against her will, and she doesn’t give in until she finds the right person for her.

9. Sue Ellen Crandell from "Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead"

When her mother goes on a three-month vacation to Australia, 17-year-old Sue Ellen is left with her four siblings under the care of a nasty old babysitter. But rather early on, the babysitter kicks the bucket and the kids dispose of her and bask in their newfound freedom—and in order to keep this freedom, they can’t spill the beans to their mother. Soon after, their money runs out and Sue Ellen has to step up and be the “mom” of the house. She applies for a big job at a fashion company and snags the position as an administrative assistant. At work, Sue Ellen has to balance the adult responsibilities thrust upon her while still trying to enjoy herself as a teenager. But she’s incredibly good at her job and she proves that a young woman can chase her dreams no matter what the circumstances are.

8. Daria Morgendorffer from "Daria"

Daria was one of those shows that makes us think back to our high school days and reminds us how much we don’t really miss being there. Her level of sarcasm when facing prevalent women’s issues is what makes her so gosh-darn relatable, and her character serves to challenge patriarchal values. Her uncaring and unsympathetic facial expression nearly says it all, and she breaks many social stigmas surrounding females in general.

7. Rose Dewitt Bukater from "Titanic"

Rose was brought up to be a proper lady, to never disrespect anyone, and to willingly marry whoever she was told to. But when she encounters Jack on the Titanic, her world begins to change. Yet, Jack cannot be credited for Rose’s progressiveness. She has opinions that she isn’t afraid to share, demonstrates strength in her own way (standing on her tippy-toes at the “steerage” party), expresses interest in doing what men do (“teach me to ride like a man…and spit like a man!), challenges the ideas of men above her, stands up for herself against the threats of her own mother, has enough confidence to be “painted like one of Jack’s French girls,” punches and spits in men’s faces, is the hero and saves Jack when he’s locked up, is a survivor of the shipwreck, and starts her own life as an independent woman once she makes it to New York. Not to mention, she is the “big spoon” during the heated sex scene in the back of a car. Go Rose.

6. Sydney Prescott from "Scream"

When we first meet her as a teenager, she’s recovering from the murder of her mother that occurred a year before. Despite this tragedy, she still attempts to lead a normal life. She stands up for herself against her boyfriend, and successfully outlives over half of the movie’s cast. She’s the badass heroine of her own story and doesn’t need to be saved by anyone else.

5. The Powerpuff Girls

These superhero chicks are not to be trifled with. They exhibit extreme strength, have sick powers, are not overly-sexualized like the majority of super-heroines, and their distinctly different personalities overthrow the common idea of “the perfect female.” While Second-wave feminists would argue that “their popularity may not reflect a dramatic shirt in our society’s view of gender roles, but rather our inability to stomach female anger unless it’s sugarcoated in cuteness and scored with a pervasively chirpy, nonthreatening tone,” these little powerhouses are a perfect example of third-wave feminism because they are able to kick butt, all while remaining true in their own feminine identities and exuding all the girlishness they want to.

4. Laney Boggs from "She’s All That"

Laney makes you want to prove you don’t need no man, challenge society’s stereotypes, pick up a paintbrush, and apply to art school. She’s the kind of girl that secludes herself for her own reasons and even when she gets bullied, she sticks to her guns. Behind her back, the leading male interest (Zach) has a best friend who makes a bet with him that Laney would never go out with him. As Zach moves in for the kill, Laney is NOT an easy catch. She is hyper-aware of Zach’s ill intentions. But they both start forming genuine feelings for one another and when Laney finds out she was just a “bet,” she completely backs away from Zach…and has a few unmentionable-choice words to say to him! Even though they wind up together in the end, Laney does so on her own terms and exhibits her feminine power through being the one to escalate the relationship—she’s the one to kiss Zach, and she makes damn sure it’s not the other way around.

3. Cher Horowitz from "Clueless"

UGH. AS IF. But in all seriousness, Cher is quite the feminist figure. It may seem to be as if she’s just a ditzy rich girl, but her intelligence expands far beyond the stereotypes that surround her appearance. Whether she’s accepting her friends' sexuality or standing strong in her own choices when it comes to her body, Cher is an incredible role model for all females. She doesn’t feel any pressure to lose her virginity (even though her girlfriends have) and likewise, her friends don’t press her about it. There’s no virgin-bashing or slut-shaming here! Aside from this, Cher has no problem letting guys who hit on her know that “no means NO.” Also, she’s a third-wave feminist; she celebrates and takes pride in the fact that she’s a girly-girl. She has a keen eye for fashion, adores shopping, and loves wearing makeup. Yet the movie never portrays her feminine interests as a symbol of the conventional “fragile female nature.”

2. Mulan

Some claim that many of the Disney movies set back feminism, which I agree with (but that doesn’t mean I still don’t binge-watch all the princess movies). But in my eyes, Mulan is one of the only exceptions of this. She is a woman defying all traditional gender roles, becomes a skilled soldier, and saves her whole country. She physically fights nearly to the death for her family in order to earn respect and bring honor upon herself. She saves the lives of various different men who never would have given her the time of day as a fighter if they previously knew her gender. Some may argue that, “While Mulan may seem like a feminist film because in the end she is seen as a hero, it must be noted that she was only successful because she was disguised as a man; emphasizing that success is a predominantly male trait.” But what they aren’t remembering is that not only does she challenge gender roles, she also reverses them in the end—the men dress like females in order to save the day. She risks her entire life to save her father and the fate of her family, and if you don’t think that equates to being a kickass feminist, then I don’t know what will. (Also, I’m totally convinced #FreeTheNipple derived from that lake scene when she was bathing and all the other dudes jumped into the water with her, totally unaware that she was actually a girl. I know you all silently rooted for a potential nip-slip).

1. Kat Stratford from "10 Things I hate About You"

If you’ve ever seen this movie, then Kat coming in hot at number one should be pretty self-explanatory. Kat, oh Kat. She’s the girl every feminist aspires to be like. She marches to the beat of her own drum, doesn’t let her father make her important life decisions when he wants to, challenges teachers when she feels they are incorrect, pretty boys with nice cars don’t faze her, she has no fear of dancing on tabletops, most of her flirting is done sarcastically, she has rules set for her own body, and she opens herself up to falling in love. But over everything else, Kat has a voice that she makes sure is always heard, and she never does anything she doesn’t feel comfortable doing. She’s definitely a strong female who consistently remains true to herself. Plus, I mean, there’s one scene where she’s snuggling on the couch reading Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. #GOALS

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

50644
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

32385
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

955647
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

180719
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments