I like to believe I was raised into a feminist nature.
My mother always told me that men and women alike had the opportunity to do whatever they set their minds to. It should never make a difference just because of gender differences. So, It baffles me that today, in 2020, so many humans have trouble grasping this concept.
I was three years old and fully grasped it.
With that being said, I grew into a habit of witnessing kick-ass women doing anything and everything. I was taught and cultivated by the most astonishing, sensational flight attendant that fought the adverse every single day and still does thirty-five years later.
My mom.
Not only was I watching her be the best female, version of herself, but I was also watching them on TV, reading about them in books, and seeing them in movies everywhere I looked. As a lover of pop culture, I absorbed everything I watched, in pure awe.
When this topic came to mind, it immediately sparked the faces of women who I have watched on my screen for years and years. The list was EXTENSIVE, to say the least. It was like narrowing down what kind of ice cream to choose, a terrible decision-making process.
Each one of these women embodies the traits that I only hope I could grow into as I become a more seasoned member of this world. Tenacity, ferocity, bravery, confidence, grace. I could only hope to exhibit these characters and pass them on to my daughters for years to come.
Mary Tyler Moore
From the cusp of women on television, Mary Tyler Moore paved the way. She was the first woman on television to have her own show and take a stand in the ways of feminine positivity. In her program, 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', she plays herself, a woman who is running from an ex-flame. She settles down in Minneapolis, in an apartment with a crazy landlord and crazy neighbor, and must navigate the world of being a woman in the workplace. She gets a job with a local news station where she is treated like a woman but rises to the occasion as the amazing, strong female she is. She was the female that reminded housewives and mothers across the US that they held power that was much more than waiting on a man, hand, and foot. Spectacular.
Jennifer Jareau
The strength. Unmatched. Jennifer Jareau is the figurehead of female success in the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit. JJ, as she is known on the extremely popular show, 'Criminal Minds', is the communication liaison that knows a thing or two about handling a department full of men and a world full of criminals. Her mind works as fast as the BAU team does and she handles the world with grace. Being in charge of the press and the news, she is constantly being overwhelmed by male figures, attempting to force the worst out of her. She is not only a wall of strength, but she also demonstrates it with her love for her husband, her son, and her co-workers, who act as her family every day.
Blanche Devereaux
A feminist is a woman who knows what she wants. Blanche embodies everything that modern women should think of themselves. She is confident and witty. She also knows that she is what the men want, yet she uses it to her advantage, as to not get hurt. In the classic sitcom, 'Golden Girls', Blanche is the clever one. She reminds the ladies of Shady Grove Retirement Home that they are the most important thing in their own lives. They should radiate independence and freedom. Every woman in the '90s is reminded of their worth and their strength, simply from behind their television screen.
Jane Villanueva
Not only does this woman know herself, but also her importance. Her story is the craziest of the crazy. Jane Villanueva, a woman who decided from a young age to remain a virgin, is accidentally impregnated at a routine doctor's appointment. She then finds out that the man that is the father is the former love of her life, Rafael Solano. On top of that, she is engaged to another man. Even though all of the adversity that she is dealt with, she brings a healthy baby boy into this world. Season by season, she is reminded of her worth as a woman, a lover, and a mother.
