I am a firm believer that you can learn a lot about the world, the human condition, and yourself from watching the plethora of shows that are on TV or Netflix. This may sound like a bunch of bologna or like a futile attempt to explain why I’ve been cooped up inside of my bedroom watching Netflix non-stop since school let out for the summer. However, I’d like to make the case that the shows I have become so engrossed in over the years have actually had a tremendous impact upon how I have developed into the person that I am today, thanks especially to some of my favorite, strong, compassionate female characters. These women, honorable, loving, and kind, but also flawed and broken like humans are in the real world, have, in a sense, become powerful role models for me and, I would posit, for other young women who are navigating the stresses of school, social circles, and work, with a little help from the world of entertainment. Here are a few of the most remarkable ladies I have come across in my career as a Netflix junkie and TV show connoisseur.
Miranda Bailey
Dr. Bailey, now Chief Bailey on “Grey’s Anatomy,” won my heart early on in the show’s history when she took that motley crew of young interns under her wing and turned them into some of the best surgeons that Seattle Grace (now Grey Sloan) would ever see. Bailey always weathers the trials and tribulations of being a surgeon, hospital leader, wife, and mother in the most human, most believable, and most relatable ways. She is all about tough love and helps those around her to grow as both doctors and as individuals. For some viewers, she might exemplify a woman who overcame the odds that appeared to be stacked against her (i.e. being a petite, shy woman in a hospital full of men) and who now runs the place. For others, she represents a woman of undeniable strength: one who witnessed and combatted tragedy after tragedy within her place of work and among her beloved friends and coworkers, but one who has maintained her sense of self, her personal bravery, and her sense of morality. Bailey, you are a kick-ass surgeon, a loving friend, wife, and mother, and you constantly show us that women, like us, are a force to be reckoned with.
Tami Taylor
You all know Mrs. Tami Taylor because she is the matriarch on that feel-good, southern, sentimental show “Friday Night Lights.” Besides being the wife of Eric Taylor (swoon), Tami is the loving mother of Julie and Gracie, the protector of football players from Matt Saracen to Tim Riggins (swoon again), and the principal of Dillon High School. In her spare time, Tami enjoys wine. Basically, Tami has got it all: a great job, a picture-perfect family, a compassion that extends to people who seem impossible and unkind, and a glass or two of wine always at her fingertips. Tami exhibits the qualities that so many young women viewers hope to embody should they choose to become mothers: love, an ability to discipline, patience, sympathy, and that incessant sense of honor. Thank you, Mrs. Taylor, for becoming one of the most human and sassiest mothers that has ever been on television. Your southern wannabe matriarchs are indebted to you.
Olivia Benson
Olivia Benson has been a central, influential character within the hearts of television viewers since the late 1990s, as she is the protagonist and most well-developed character in “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” When Ms. Benson is on the job, investigating “sexually-based offenses” as a “dedicated detective,” she illustrates to the viewer and to the other characters within the show that she is a person of integrity and understanding, with a heart and mind always oriented toward what is right and moral. Throughout 17 incredible, drama-filled seasons of “SVU,” Benson has time and time again conveyed her enormous strength as a cop, a friend, and, most recently, a mother. She is an expert at communication and is a woman of unending humanity, despite her sometimes gruesome occupation. She exhibits all qualities of a skilled leader (and a total badass) and always leaves her audience, myself included, thinking: “Damn, I wish I could be like Olivia.”
Who said that TV characters couldn’t be role models? These women certainly have taught me a lot, and I look forward to learning more about what it’s like to be a woman, friend, and leader in the world from the other shows I will likely become obsessed with in the future.
