A characters wears this shirt in the show because it’s the name of his band. I own the shirt because I’m a nerd and MOUSE RAT ROCKS
Parks and Recreation is quite possibly my favourite television show of all time. Which you will probably already know about me if you’ve spoken to me for ten minutes while sober or at all while drunk. (Alcohol makes me reference TV shows, especially Parks, way more than usual. Which is admittedly already a lot.) It was the show that cemented my changing allegiance from film to television. I’m a TV girl through and through, and shows like this remind me why.
Incase you doubted how much I love Parks and Rec, my wonderful friend Ebba made me this masterpiece of a T shirt featuring myself and Amy Poehler
Set in the small town of Pawnee, Indiana, the show follows Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the rest of the Parks department in their jobs in local government. I could go into more detail about the plot, but all you really need to know is that it is a clever comedy about a group of very different people who are thrown together and grow to love each other anyway. It gives you characters you can root for, which doesn’t always happen in comedies. If you like shows with heart, then this is for you.
Greetings from Pawnee (I like to pretend I live there)
One of the many reasons I love Parks and Rec is that it is such a bold and outspoken feminist show. It doesn’t try and present the topic of feminism in a subtle way, it refuses to play it safe. It features unapologetically smart women. Brave women. Women who know what they want. Women who are comfortable in their own skin. Women who love each other. Women who are willing to speak up about the many injustices and inequality they often face. Women who are role models. I don’t know about you, but those are the type of women I like to see on television.
What Would Buffy Do? – The most inspiring piece of nightclub bathroom graffiti I’ve ever come across
If you’re a keen reader of my blog then you may recall me mentioning in a previous post that I might be talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer at some point. Always a woman of my word, I am now here to fulfil that whispered promise. I can only assume how on edge you’ve all been as you eagerly awaited my opinion on your favourite vampire busting show, so without further ado…
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Or what I will now refer to as BTVS. (My generation loves our acronyms.) Where do I start? If BTVS was a person I would write many a sonnet about it, declaring my ever-lasting love and gratitude. These sonnets would be bitter sweet and beautiful. For as much as I loved BTVS, it ended and as the years pass, it’s spoken of less and less. It does still have a massive cult following but I feel like it’s not something that really reaches younger television viewers. At a certain point in life you start to realise how old you are when the shows you loved growing up no longer mean anything to the current youth of today.
However while I love modern television, I think it will always be important to remember the outstanding shows of the past. So if you are reading this and loved BTVS like me, why not watch it again? Or watch it with that annoying little cousin you have to babysit. Do anything you can to help spread the word of good television. And if you haven’t seen it before listen carefully.
BTVS is completely and utterly brilliant. It has everything that makes a good show. Its writing is superb; it’s always interesting and never too predictable. The quality of acting is high and is accentuated by the strong chemistry of the cast. It’s never too much of one thing, perfectly mixing teen drama with the constant fight against the supernatural forces of evil. In a way it transcends genre; it’s often funny, it’s sometimes truly scary, and it’s emotional, and powerful, and empowering. It’s a show you won’t forget.
Ok so I’m cheating a little here as this isn’t actually a television programme, it’s a web-series. However, I’m going to make an exception, because it really does deserve the recognition. Seriously, it’s so good. I almost wanted to write “it’s so good” 300 times and let that be my entire post. However, I’m trying to be professional so I won’t do that.
Loosely based on the 1872 J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella of the same name, Carmilla tells the story of Laura Hollis (Elise Bauman) a girl who discovers that everything isn’t quite as normal as it appears when her roommate disappears and is replaced by the mysterious and quite possibly supernatural Carmilla Karnstein (Natasha Negovanlis).
It’s another show that features a mainly female cast (because at this point in life, I seem to rarely settle for anything less). In fact there are only two male characters and they play relatively small parts. It puts the women in the heroic roles, which is a nice departure from typical stereotypes portrayed on television. Laura even exclaims at one point: “We need to girl the hell up!” which is a phrase I plan to use liberally for the rest of my life. The characters are strong, capable women, who will sooner look to themselves to fix problems, than to some random dude-bro. HOW REFRESHING.
One of the coolest things about the web-series is the queer representation. Most of the main characters are queer women, and honestly how often does that happen? Not nearly enough. It also features a gender questioning character, LaFontaine (Kaitlyn Alexander) which is something I haven’t seen much of in television, especially not in shows aimed at teen audiences, which is arguably where the representation is needed most. But unlike a lot of stories about queer people, their queerness isn’t the point of the story. It’s just a part of who they are. Don’t get me wrong, coming out stories are important, but they’re not the only type of story featuring queer people that needs to be told. This is probably one of the reasons why Carmilla is so popular.
Another cool element of Carmilla is that it utilizes social media to create a trans-media experience. Both Laura and Carmilla have official Twitter and Tumbr accounts to help supplement the story.
URGENT: My roommate is missing. If anybody has seen Betty Spielsdorf, have her call me ASAP. Please.
Each episode is around 5 minutes long so you can easily binge-watch it. This might not seem like a lot, but it does so much within that time. The episodes are comedically driven yet still allow for an interesting narrative to play out on screen.
With over 6 million views on the 36 episode first season on YouTube, it has clearly been an overwhelming success, especially considering it was such a small production. The second season is scheduled to premiere this spring but for now here is the link to the first episode. Enjoy!
Orange Is the New Black promotional Image (Photo: Netflix)
I remember the first time I heard about Orange Is the New Black, it was a few weeks or maybe a month after it had been released on Netflix. It started off with a few people tweeting about it. Then a few more. Then lots more. Until suddenly it was all I was reading about. I avoided it for a while, not really knowing what it was and being reluctant to give in to the hype. Eventually I relented and decided to give it a shot; I’d watch the first episode. I then proceeded to spend the next two days binge watching the whole thing. I just couldn’t look away. Once you go black you never go back.
Presumably my anecdote isn’t quite enough to make you watch it. (Unless you really do trust me that much in which case, please reach out to me, you already believe in me more than my friends.) So I should probably explain what it’s about. The show tells the story of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) a white, upper middle class (please bear with me, it gets better) woman who goes to prison 10 years after carrying a suitcase of drug money for her girlfriend Alex (Laura Prepon). While in prison Piper is forced to confront who she is and what she believes in. A great quote that sums this up is when Piper says “I’m scared that I’m not myself in here and I’m scared that I am.”
Orange Is the New Black is the show that, along with House of Cards, cemented Netflix’s place in quality programming. It’s received universal praise from critics and audiences alike. And, in my opinion, there’s no other show that is doing representation so well right now. The cast is predominately women playing characters of many different races, sexualities, and class groups. A lot of women that wouldn’t get to see themselves on television can see themselves here. It doesn’t just leave it at that either, it tackles important questions about all of these things. Questions that we don’t see asked enough in regular broadcasting.
This is the type of programming that is so important to feminism. Not only does it show a multitude of different women, it shows that women centric shows can be successful, popular, and critically acclaimed. That’s something that a lot of us would have expected anyway, but unfortunately there’s still a lot of people who wouldn’t agree with that. So let’s prove them wrong and keep working hard to get these quality shows made. Check Orange Is the New Black out on Netflix now and show your support.
Tatiana Maslany in promotional image for Orphan Black. Photo: BBC America
Disclaimer: This post may turn into an ode to the incredibly talented leading lady of Orphan Black: Tatiana Maslany. But can you blame me? She is a treasure.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way let’s get right into it. Orphan Black is a science fiction show about a group of clones (all played by Tatiana Maslany…ALL OF THEM) who fight to discover who they are and who made them. All while trying to avoid mysterious enemies who seem intent on killing them. Not the best predicament to find yourself in, is it? But it is great to watch.
This is a very female centric show, and the clone story line means that there is a wealth of different female characters. Despite the fact that they’re clones, each one is very unique in both their personalities and the slight difference in their appearances. It’s incredible to watch Maslany bring each character to life. Whether it’s the punk rock Sarah, the soccer-mom Alison, the scientist Cosima, the terrifying Helena, or one of the other clones (seriously there is so many, let us all worship Tatiana Maslany) she always manages to give them a unique identity.
Not only is the acting superb (have I mentioned how much I love and respect Tatiana Maslany yet?) but the writing is sharp and daring. It’s the type of show that you can’t really look away while watching, from the moment it starts until the moment it ends. Even sometimes after it ends I find myself staring blankly at the screen trying to process the episode. In between episodes you will constantly be trying to predict what’s going to happen. The show is a puzzle and each episode brings another piece. With each piece the story gets more complex and your need for another episode becomes more intense.
I could go on and on about how great it is but it’s better to find out for yourself. So check out the trailer below and then watch the show and tell me how much you love it. (Because you will love it.)
I got some great responses including quite a diverse range of shows – and even some movies! A lot of them I love and a few I’m not a massive fan of but it was interesting to see other people’s perspectives. (I can’t always be right, as much as I like to believe I am.) So let’s jump right into it shall we!
Bit of an interesting choice some might say as there has definitely been criticism over the way women are often portrayed in an over sexualised or degrading way. However, I’m a massive fan of Game of Thrones and think they have an outstanding range of women. Some rely on brains, some brawn, and some sheer will power. It might not be apparent at the first watch but many of the big power players are actually the female characters.
One Tree Hill
@TVforFeminists I find that the journey Brooke did in OTH from being a insecure girl to an empowering woman is very inspiring
Despite the fact One Tree Hill is one of my all-time favourite shows (oh the years I spent pretending my life was as dramatic as it is in Tree Hill) it’s never been one to immediately jump out at me for feminism. However after this reply I’ve realised just how wrong I’ve been. The tweeter was absolutely spot on, Brooke’s journey was nothing short of inspirational and definitely the type of important character arch that girls should be able to see on television today.
My friends and I are all quite obsessed with this show right now. It’s definitely one of the best sitcoms made in recent years. So if you’re looking for something more on the comedy spectrum definitely check this out.
I LOVE this show. It succeeded in making me quite mad about the current state of the American Congress despite the fact I am not actually American. I like to pretend however. Claire is a fantastically intricate character and definitely a great foil for Frank. It’s very unlike other shows in that their relationship is based more on a mutual desire for power than any typical type of love. It definitely makes for an interesting watch.
Other Mentions:
Fargo (if you don’t want your friend to defriend you then watch this. Everything needs an incentive)
I’m a huge fan of this show and I’ve been itching to write about it since the first episode and I’m so glad I finally have an excuse to do so. The 100 is a post-apocalyptic drama about a group of teenagers that are sent to Earth from a space station that the human race survives on (known as The Ark). It’s been 97 years since a nuclear war destroyed the rest of the population (or so we are lead to believe) and the 100 are sent to see if the planet is now survivable.
In the show, a new world is created within our own. We learn more about unique civilizations that survived the nuclear war, as the 100 try to keep themselves alive. It’s soon shown that life on the ground is never safe. It’s a constant fight. One of my favourite quotes from the show and one that I think sums up the theme of The 100 quite well is: “Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things.” Themes of war and morality constantly hang over The 100.
But aside from the persistently solid plot and interesting characters there’s something I like more about this show, its treatment of women. Too often I watch shows that portray women as weak or, if not weak, then strong but not quite in charge. Or if they are strong, it’s strong for a woman. Or if they’re in charge, being in charge is contested because she’s a woman. However the women of The 100 do not get forced into this badly written cliché.
There are many great female characters on The 100 but I’m going to go into more detail about three of the most important ones. Clarke Griffin, Octavia Blake and Commander Lexa. If you’ve watched the show you’ll understand why they are so deserving of this extra attention. If you haven’t then you’re about to find out why. (Also what the hell are you doing, go watch it immediately!)
Clarke Griffin (portrayed by Eliza Taylor)
Clarke Griffin – taking charge and making peace #likealeader (photo from CW)
Clarke is the main protagonist of the show and has undergone probably the second most drastic character arc. She started off bright eyed and idealistic and has grown into a fiercely intelligent, strong leader. As the show has progressed her position of power has grown as people began looking to her to take charge more and more often. Not only do the 100 recognise her as the leader but enemy clans do too. In season one while meeting for peace talks the grounders wish to speak to Clarke because of her assumed position as leader of the Sky People (those who have come from The Ark.) In season two her role as leader is solidified in a great scene in which Clarke tells her mother “You may be the chancellor, but I’m in charge.” Clarke takes control and becomes the leader that her people need, often being forced into morally ambiguous territory because of this. She isn’t less in charge because she’s a woman. That’s not important to her, or to the people of the show. What’s important is that she was the one that was willing to stand up and be the hero that her people needed.
Octavia Blake (portrayed by Marie Avgeropoulos)
Octavia Blake – you probably shouldn’t make her mad (photo from CW)
Octavia Blake is undoubtedly one of the strongest characters on the show. After being hidden on the Ark for most of her life due to the one child per family rule, being sent to the Earth is her first true chance at freedom. And boy does she use it well. Octavia is set up as if she’s going to be the damsel in distress type character but that idea is quickly shot down. Despite the men in her life (mostly her brother Bellamy and the grounder Lincoln who she has connected with) constantly trying to protect her, Octavia has proven that she is strong enough to look after herself. She fights for herself and she fights for the people she cares about and she doesn’t let anyone keep her down. Octavia is also the character that has bonded most with the Grounders. As each episode passes she begins to look more like one of them. She’s becoming a warrior. Her strength has been recognised by the Sky People and The Grounders. And with the knowledge that the writers of The 100 don’t shy away from strong women, I’m incredibly excited to see where her character will go next.
Commander Lexa (portrayed by Alycia Debnam-Carey)
Commander Lexa – are you scared of her yet? (Cate Cameron/The CW)
My personal favourite character! (Heart-eyes at you, Lexa.) Leader of the Grounders. Stoic, strong, and sensible. Time and time again it’s been shown that she’s able to make the tough decisions that are necessary in war. She united 12 different tribes and was integral in the alliance between the Sky People and the Grounders. Without her and Clarke, that wouldn’t have happened. Not only is it incredible to see a young woman in charge, what’s cooler is that Lexa is a queer woman. Seeing queer women in positions of power is something we don’t see enough on television or in real life, so it’s great to see this kind of representation in The 100. What’s also worth noting is how it’s a non-issue on the show. Sexuality isn’t something that people care about within the world of The 100. Lexa is queer and a woman and a leader and no one questions any of those things. And perhaps if we can see a world like that on television, it can eventually become a reality.
So to summarise, if you like awesome television and bad ass women, you should probably be watching The 100.
Remember when people thought women weren’t funny? Oh how foolish they must feel. There’s been a massive rise in the number of women in comedy recently. Look at NBC’s critical darlings of the past decade, Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. Both outstanding shows with hilarious leading ladies. Look at this seasons Saturday Night Live line up and how the women are clearly outshining the guys. Look at Netflix’s Orange is The New Black. Fox’s The Mindy Project. CBS’s 2 Broke Girls. But there’s still been an area of comedy that women have been under represented in: stoner comedy.
Co-creators and stars of Broad City: Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer (Photo by Lane Savage)
I’m so tired of male centric stoner comedies. Don’t get me wrong, I love guys…sometimes. (And if the laws here were different perhaps I’d feel the same about pot.) But the idea is entirely played out. Luckily we finally have a female answer to these ever present and never inspiring rehashes of the same concept; Comedy Central’s unabashedly brilliant Broad City. Starring and created by the incredibly talented duo of Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, this show follows the girls during their many misadventures through New York City.
Road trip gone wrong in Broad City (Photo by Ali Goldstein)
The pair are sometimes careless, sometimes raucous, and always hilarious. But most importantly they’re not here to please. However what sets it apart from shows like HBO’s Girls, which it is often favourably compared to, is that the characters still find a way to be likable. They’re twenty something’s who don’t have their lives together but what they do have, and love, is each other. Their friendship is the central point of the show and it’s so refreshing to see a story about two females that isn’t constantly side-tracked by males. That’s not to say that it doesn’t show their encounters with men. Abbi and Ilana are both unapologetically sexual and with that comes all the wild and wacky stories of a woman in the twenty first century. But it’s never the main focus. And that’s one of the reasons so many people have latched onto this series. It puts the women first. It’s their story and they are going to tell it however the hell they want to.
TV for Feminists 