I’m just going to say it outright: I’ve come to determine that Friday Night Lights is indeed the best show on television. At first hesitant to watch a show about high school football I finally gave in only to pleasantly discover that what parades as a show about the machismo sport of football is in fact a show about community, family and integrity in middle-America. Lacking in the wealth and gloss of shows like Gossip Girl and The O.C. the filming, acting and storylines are all gritty and real. While all of the characters are extremely well-written and multi-dimensional, I’m continually struck by how amazingly bitchin’ the women of Friday Night Lights are. Just like that other seemingly male-centric show Mad Men, what lies beneath is indeed a multi-layered feminist portrayal of strong women.

Having just aired the series finale after five seasons, the show has unfortunately come to a end. (See the finale promo here, non-spoilery and fantastic.) But I hope the show lives on, if only to show how women on television can be portrayed–smart and sassy with no need to be slutty. If you haven’t seen the finale, slight spoilers ahead.

Praise for the Women of Friday Night Lights

Becky Sproles

Much has been written about Becky who during the fourth season chose to have an abortion. While abortion has been discussed on television before, the characters either back out–Miranda on Sex and the City, Andrea on Beverly Hills 90210–or conveniently lose the child–Julia on Party of Five, Cristina on Grey’s Anatomy. But Becky indeed went through with the abortion after carefully weighing her options, and the honest storyline was featured in articles in the New York Times and the Washington Post. The show soldiers on and Becky’s abortion isn’t touched upon again until the next season when she expresses hesitance to have sex again. Neither slut-shaming nor preachy or overly politically correct, the entire story line was very realistic and I’m glad it got the sensitive honest treatment that it did.

Lyla Garrity and Tyra Collette

At the start of the show Lyla, the popular cheerleader girlfriend of star player Jason Street, and Tyra, the wrong-side-of-the-tracks ex-girlfriend of boozer Tim Riggins, were very much opposites and did not get along. But the one thing they did indeed have in common is how they viewed themselves–through their relationships with men. Lyla made no plans for herself as far as college, she expected to go wherever boyfriend Jason went. And Tyra, whose sister was a stripper and mother endured abusive relationships, used her sexuality and power with men as her validation. Tyra could have easily been the one-trick-pony slutty character of the show, but she evolved into something so much more.

But by the end of the third seasons we see both of them in a very different light–each has found their way as independent women. Lyla goes off to her dream college, leaving her boyfriend behind. As for Tyra we watched as she gained scholastic motivation and worked her ass off to get into college to escape the same life as her sister.

In the finale we see Tyra return to Dillon for Christmas and, in her words, is “kickin’ ass” in college. As she begins to rekindle affection with old flame Tim Riggins she lets it clearly be known that she has dreams, that she intends to go places and won’t let a relationship get in the way of what she wants. She has an independent spirit and agency and is, in a word, inspiring. (Although, let it be clear, I’m rooting that their characters eventually get together in some hypothetical non-written television world.)

Jess Merriweather

By the end of season five I was so incredibly in love with Jess’s storyline that during the finale I teared up. Seriously. Jess begins as girlfriend to QB Vince Howard, helping coach him through summer practice which ignites her love for football, eventually arguing her way into becoming the equipment manager. When she tells Coach Taylor that she wants to become a coach herself he laughs in her face–football is a male-dominated sport, there’s no place for a female coach. And yet her perseverance persuades him to take her under his wing and shadow him. When Jess transfers schools Eric makes sure to tell the football coach at her new school how great Jess is; in the finale we see her coaching on the sidelines of the new team, still reaching for her dream of being a football coach herself.

Tami & Eric Taylor

Tami Taylor is kind of my hero, and not just because she likes her wine. She’s sassy, supportive and loving and holds high standards for the people in her life. As the moral touchstone of the show, she remains neither preachy or judgmental and always lends an ear and encourages every character to reach for their potential.

I cannot think of another marriage on television that is as strong as Eric & Tami’s. No cheating, no melodrama, just support and love, and seeing that on television is amazingly refreshing. Their example of a committed supportive relationship is indeed feminist. Eric in the finale says, “Marriage requires maturity. Marriage requires two people who for the rest of their lives are willing to listen, to really listen to each other. And that marriage requires, the greatest of all things, which is compromise.” Uh-freaking-mazing. In the finale we see Eric step down from his position as football coach in Dillon and, for the first time, puts Tami’s career as top priority as they leave for her new job in Philadelphia. Marriage is compromise, as Eric said, and it’s amazing to see.

If you’re a fan, weigh in…isn’t it refreshing to see strong women portrayed this way on television? I’ll take one Tyra over ten Ally McBeals any day…

(Seasons 1-4 of Friday Night Lights can be streamed on Netflix; some episodes are available on Hulu. Season 5 just aired on Direct-TV and will begin airing on NBC on April 15th.)

This was one that didn’t surprise me.
(1) Does the movie have two or more named female characters?
Nope! Our lone speaking, named lady is Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz) who plays Brit Reid/the Green Hornet’s brainy assistant. She comes across as smart, competent, and grounded, a welcome foil to Reid’s frat boy persona; however, Reid comes across more caricature than character, undermining Diaz’s more realistic portrayal. The more that I think about it, it seems like this flick has an identity crisis. Is it a light-hearted comedy? Or is it trying to reboot the franchise a la Christopher Nolan’s Batman? Either way, it fails for me.

(2) Do the female characters talk to each other? (3) About something other than a man or shoes?
Unfortunately, not applicable. Lenore is able to articulately speak about journalism, the lack of integrity at Brit Reid’s paper, and more, but she didn’t have any fellow female characters to talk to, except the nameless maid and newspaperwoman.

While it failed majestically at the Bechdel Test, there were a few things that I think worked really well in this one– actually pretty much everything except the Green Hornet himself. It was surprising because I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities in Seth Rogen’s Mr. Reid. He was completely unrelatable and I think that ultimately hurt the film overall.

For me, the best part of the film was Christoph Waltz’ portrayal of the eccentric evil villain Chudnofsky. In the beginning I was very, very nervous that James Franco was going to kill off Chudnofsy and become the main villain (were that the case, I can’t promise I would’ve stayed in the theater). Mercifully, that scene instead demonstrates Chudnofsky’s ruthlessness and insecurity.

A close second was Kato (Jay Chou). Kato. was. incredible. I loved this character, particularly his quiet humor, intelligence, and crazy-awesome fighting skills. My recommendation for the sequel: get rid of the Green Hornet and make a movie about this guy.

I wanted to enjoy this movie, unfortunately I came away thinking “meh.” Good, not great– I was entertained, but it wasn’t grab-me-by-my-eggs awesome– and for reasons that had little to do with the dearth of female characters.

One of my many resolutions is to write more often.  One way I’ve decided to do this is to apply the Bechdel Test to every movie I see in theaters this year and write it up for BTW.  The Bechdel Test, for those of you who’ve been living in a cave, has three rules.  In order to pass this test, a movie must (1) have two or more named female characters, (2)  that talk to each other, (3) about something other than a man or shoes.  My first contender this year?  Tron: Legacy.

Date night this week finally featured Tron: Legacy, the much-anticipated sequel to Disney’s groundbreaking 1982 film, Tron, which I’m convinced Disney’s thrown back into its infamous vault. But I digress. Does the sequel pass the test?

(1) Does the movie have two or more named female characters?
Yes, though barely. There are precisely two female characters with names and speaking parts: Quorra (Olivia Wilde), an ISO who has been taken in by Kevin Flynn as a sort of surrogate child; and, Gem (Beau Garrett), one of the sirens who gives Sam his disc and prepares him for the Games when he enters the Grid. There’s also the secretary of ENCOM, another siren, and Sam’s grandmother who each deliver a line or two.

(2) Do the female characters talk to each other? (3) About something other than a man or shoes?
NOPE.
Siren #3 says to Gem that Sam is “different.” Once the sirens are gone, Quorra is the only woman we see onscreen. While I loved Wilde’s charming yet courageous portrayal of Quorra (and somewhat reminiscent of Bridget Moynhan’s Susan Calvin from I, Robot), I couldn’t help thinking that she was a bit under-utilized.
Seriously, screenwriters? You couldn’t turn the security guard from ENCOM or some of the contenders in the Games or Clu’s minion or any of the other billion dudes into ladies? Come on.

Even though Tron: Legacy failed the Bechdel Test, I still managed to remain entertained. It was visually appealing; I enjoyed the costumes, the futuristic technology, the stark contrasts.  I loved the creativity inherent in the creation and depiction of a brand new world– from small details like hairstyles and colors used in the costumes to huge ones, such as the ships and motorcycles used and the layout of the Gaming stadium.  The soundtrack, and cameo provided by Daft Punk themselves, was dramatic and grand– reminding me of a cross between Inception, the Dark Knight, and Discovery. Did I wish there were more women?  Absolutely.  But what can I say, I’m a sucker for sci-fi…

Have you seen Tron: Legacy? What were your thoughts?

Let me begin by saying that I had high expectations for Jennifer’s Body.  Since reading Diablo Cody’s interview in the Aug/Sept 2009 issue of BUST, I’ve been wanting to see this flick.  I missed it in theaters, and finally got around to seeing it recently.  Why was I excited?  Two reasons, mostly: first, because of what I’d read about it; that it was supposed to be a feminist take on the horror genre.  As a viewer who enjoys shows like CSI and Law & Order, I was anxious to see the bad guy played by a girl.  Frankly, I’m sick and tired of always seeing women cast as the corpses, or soon to be corpses, running and screaming from Faceless Rapist and Murderer of the Week.  I was beyond excited to witness Ms. Cody turn the tables on men and make the killer a hot young woman targeting men.  And second, I’m not gonna lie, I wanted to see how Megan Fox would do in a non-decorative role (::cough::Transformers::).  I have a soft spot in my heart for her because I think she’s gotten a disproportionate amount of hate, and for virtually no reason.  I recently read a piece over at HuffPo posing a similar question: Why do we hate Megan Fox?  The author argues that we hate her because she’s beautiful and she speaks her mind: a lethal combination in a culture that rewards and values silent womanhood.  Check it out.

So I watched it and I’m left a little flummoxed; but I’m going to give it a B-.  If you’re still with me, read on…

Let’s start with the bad news.  I was hoping that this so-called “feminist take” on the horror genre would eliminate sexualized violence, and while it did, it instead sexualized the agent of violence instead of the victim.  So even though Jennifer targeted all types of boys: hot topic goths, jocks, foreign exchange students, and band geeks, not just the standard “hotties,” she was still the one being sexualized and objectified.  We get it, Jennifer’s hot.  And eating boys keeps her that way.  Le sigh.

I can’t not talk about the girl-on-girl kiss between Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer.  I’ve heard it defended by Cody: “It was a quick kiss that demonstrates that Megan Fox was trying to control Needy the same way she controlled the men around her,” and that it was totally downplayed by Needy pushing Jennifer off of her.  NOT.  The kiss was less a kiss than a full-on make-out sesh!  It seemed gratuitous.  Was there really no other way to demonstrate the same idea?

And just because I can: Ms. Cody, when people from the suburbs or rural Minnesota talk about Minneapolis/St. Paul, they don’t say “the city” like Jennifer and the other folks from Devil’s Kettle did so many times– they say “the cities.”  To wit: “I can tell you’re in an indie band from the cities because of your guyliner and ironic tattoos!”  Shame on you, Ms. Cody, you lived here!

Wow.  After all that, you must be wondering what the hell was good about this movie.  Well, quite a bit actually.

I really appreciated the depiction of teenage relationships, namely Jennifer and Needy’s “friendship.”  I thought Cody captured perfectly (sans the kiss) the toxicity that some young girls’ relationships with each other can have; the frustration that Needy’s boyfriend expresses, I think, is common for many men who don’t understand or grasp the depth that some of these relationships can have, or the hold that they can have over a girl’s life.

Amanda Seyfried was phenomenal in this film, I think she really stole the show.  She first came onto my radar in Mean Girls, but her film cred is really stacking up: Mamma Mia, Veronica Mars, and a rumored role as Red Riding Hood with Gary Oldman?!  Way to clean up.  Seyfried’s portrayal of Needy was spot-on, believable both before and after Jennifer’s demon possession.  When we first meet her, she’s locked up in a correctional institution and ostensibly bat shit crazy.  We then meet the bespectacled goody-two-shoes version of her back at high school, and one can only wonder how the EF that transformation occurred.  Needy is the only one who sees Jennifer for what she really is (“Seriously evil.  Not high school girl evil.”), and is thus the only one who can stop her.  I really found myself identifying with her and rooting her on.  When she finds the bowie knife at the end, Adam Brody’s “sweet” murder-weapon-of-choice, you couldn’t help but cheer.

Speaking of Brody, the shitty indie rock band Low Shoulder from the cities rivals Drive Shaft for stereotyped ridonkulousness.  What’s with car-related shitty bands in popular culture these days?  Low Shoulder is so sleazy, you instantly hate them.  Adam Brody plays the disgusting lead singer that Needy describes as “Skinny and twisted and evil like this petrified tree I saw when I was a kid.”  And then there’s the one-liners!  Brody asks his band mate, who expresses concern over whether to sacrifice Jennifer to the devil, “Dirk, do you want to work at Moose Hoof Coffee forever?  I don’t, OK?  Do you want to be a big loser or do you want to be rich and awesome like that guy from Maroon 5?”  Dirk admits: “Maroon 5.”  Between that and calling Jennifer a State Fair Butter Princess– winner!

The slang that Jennifer spouts got a little annoying, but it wasn’t as over the top as Juno.  I could potentially see my past girlfriends and I calling each other “Vagisil” and “Monistat.”  Maybe…some of them anyway.  Although I can just hear Regina George now: “Stop trying to make Monistat happen. It’s never going to happen.”  It was refreshing to see Jennifer, who could have just been another airhead-cheerleader-bitch-bimbo have lines like “PMS isn’t real, Needy.  It was invented by the boy-run media to make us seem crazy.”  (Which is mostly true- just read Flow!)  Or “Do you buy all your murder weapons at Home Depot? God, you’re butch!”  She was funny– and evil…

My last praise for the film is for its casting.  I was excited to see Diablo Cody cameo as the line-less bartender at the Melody Lane Tavern where shit went down.  (Was she set on fire as she hoped she would be?…)  Kyle Gallner, also of Veronica Mars fame, plays the Hot Topic goth that agrees to go out with Jennifer to watch Aquamarine, described by Jennifer as a movie about a mermaid who has sex “through her blow hole or something.”  Amy Sedaris as Needy’s Mama Bear mother, Chris Pratt (Parks & Rec), Cynthia Stevenson, and man-you-see-everywhere-yet-never-remember-his-name J.K. Simmons round out the rest of the cast I was just tickled pink to see.

To wrap it all up: was Jennifer’s Body fabulous?  No, but I enjoyed it enough to question the amount of vitriol and backlash heaped against it.  It was a fun movie, and I hope Diablo Cody tries her hand at another Horror-Fantasy-Comedy genre flick.  Watch for yourself and see if you agree.

Back when we picked this book I posted “Sure, it probably won’t be a core-shaker, but I’m looking forward to a chuckle–and something tells me we can all relate to dating the dud dudes.” And it was just that–a great pool read (I actually did read it by the pool, my copy is now warped from getting wet) and jus  a fun laugh-out-loud time. I couldn’t remember the last time a book made me laugh in public like a crazy person on the subway. Yet…it wasn’t what I expected, and unfortunately leaned far too much on stereotypes as a way to get a laugh.

First the good. Klausner is the witty foul-mouthed redhead Jewish nerdy best friend you’ve always wanted. In writing about her failed relationships, all you want to do is exchange snarky stories with her over a pint of beer. She shares stories with complete abandon and no pretension whatsoever, documenting her trip through the dating duds. The point of the book? Still not quite sure. When I first started reading I Don’t Care I wanted it to be this deep, profound book but once I gave up looking for something deeper, I just went along with the ride and had fun.

So here’s the thing with me and musicians. I know most girls go crazy for frontmen who close their eyes when they sing and nod their heads when the drums kick in, but I’m like Shania Twain with that stuff. That don’t impress me much. I’ll take somebody funny and brainy over a peacock with perfect pitch any day. You can teach a moneky to play the guitar, you know–and, as a bonus, watching him do it is hilarious. Still, anyone who can make a living doing something creative is impressive. And that, reader, is the single most Jewish thing I’ve said in this book so far. [...] I tried to listen to a comple of his songs online, and I got too bored by the melodies to may attention to his words.  It was typical indie rock stuff: droney, thick, exhausting; but obviously heartfelt. Bring a book. I tried to get to the end of one of his tracks, but a Youtube clip of a basset hound taking a shower was too tempting not to switch to, mid-verse.

Of course there are some good “value yourself, ladies!” bits of the book that I did appreciate.

My advice to women who habitually gravitate towards musicians is that they learn how to play an instrument and start making music themselves. Not only will they see that it’s not that hard, but sometimes I think women just want to be the very thing they think they want to sleep with. Because if you’re bright enough–no offense, Tawny Kitaen–sleeping with a musician probably won’t be enough for you to feel good about yourself. Even if he writes you a song for your birthday. Don’t you know that a musician who writes a song for you is like a baker you’re dating making you a cake? Aim higher.

The downside of the book, like I said, was that she sometimes rested on stereotypes to get a chuckle out of the readers. Spitfire and I were discussing this earlier–why is it that people feel the need to utilize this type of humor? There are ways of being funny without pulling out gay guy stereotypes.

The end of the book seemed rather tacked on and tried to give a point to the whole book…but it didn’t. It just felt silly. There’s no point, really, except that dating is weird. Especially as a female twenty-something New Yorker.

Did anyone else read? What’d you think? I didn’t get much meat out of it, so to speak, but it sure did entertain me.

I know, I know, I’ve been caught up in a grad school coma, but I realize it’s been a while since we’ve discussed books!! So we are back with a vengeance and a list of to-reads, not to mention a new bookmark and a pink martini in hand. So saddle in, here’s the next three books:

I Don’t Care About Your Band: What I learned from indie rockers, trust funders, pornographers, felons, faux-sensitive hipsters, and other guys I’ve dated by Julie Klausner

To be honest, this book had me at the subtitle. As a woman who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and has dated her fair share of faux-sensitive hipsters, the minute I saw a chapter entitled “Did I come to Brooklyn for this?” I knew I just had to read it.  The fact that Klausner is a former Upright Citizens Brigade performer and one of the quotes on the back of the book is from SNL alum Rachel Dratch clinched it as a metro transit must-read. Sure, it probably won’t be a core-shaker, but I’m looking forward to a chuckle–and something tells me we can all relate to dating the dud dudes. Let’s just hope post-read I’m a bit wiser when it comes to choosin ‘em.

Flow: The cultural history of menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim

No, we didn’t pick these because they have similar jacket designs (although, how adorbs!) I’m excited to read this one. I’ve head nothing but good reviews–it seems witty and well-written, two things I admire. And can I get a hells yeah for a book about a topic (GASP?! Aunt Flo?!) that we still for whatever reason don’t talk about with our girlfriends? What’s with that?! It stops here, ladies. PERIOD. Read this, come back, we’ll chat about our firsts.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Another coincidental retro swimsuit, I swear! (But yes, I chose this jacket cover instead of the knobby-knees and saddle shoes one.) I don’t think this book needs an introduction, I’m pretty sure we’re all aware of it. Alas, neither Ems or I have ever read it! It’s been on my to-read list for quite some time, and I look forward to reading what one guy told me was the sexiest book he’s ever read. Something tells me I may have issue with that statement… If you’ve read it before, reread and join in the pedo convo. Or if you’re like me and never got around to it, here’s our chace to read and discuss so we don’t sound dumb at wine and cheese night.

Enjoy!

Look at how shitty they are during the rest of the year (remember Guitar Hero? or Nabisco?), of course they’re going to ratchet up the sexism for their most-watched event of the year!!

For those of you who missed the following gems, I’m sorry to be the bearer of badvertising.

Exhibit A: Viewed a number of times in prime time for a new TGIFriday’s deal. A couple is on a first date and the man is getting more and more agitated about the amount of food his date is ordering, culminating in “What am I a bank?!”

TGIFridays: Cuz in here, it’s still 1950! Where men pay for everything and think they have a right to dictate, judge, or otherwise control what women eat.

T.G.I. Fridays 3 for $12.99 – Watch more Funny Videos

(^Click to watch!)

Exhibit B: Viewed during the Olympics. P & G (“proud sponsor of moms”) is apparently promoting the second shift. In a Tide commercial that ostensibly pays homage to Team USA mothers everywhere for doing their athlete-children’s laundry by reinforcing the gender stereotype that only women do laundry. Thanks, P & G!

While looking for this ad, I discovered that there’s one for Febreze, Bounty, Pampers, CoverGirl, Charmin– pretty much every domestic sphere product you can think of, reinforcing every gender stereotype you can think of. P & G: Dads are parents, too!

Febreze: “Team USA moms spend a lot of time keeping their kids’ duffel bags from smelling like duffel bags.” And if you’re not, that’s probably why your child isn’t in the Olympics.

CoverGirl: “Dark circles are nature’s way of telling you you’re doing a good job.” SO YOU BETTER BE COVERING THEM UP WITH COVERGIRL COSMETICS!!!!!

UGH! In conclusion, readers: advertising is fraught with sexism no matter when it’s aired.

I read Belle de Jour: the Diary of an Unlikely Call Girl during DC’s Snowverkill and was fully prepared to write a somewhat scathing review of said book.   Having spent the better part of my President’s Day roaming the internet reading more about sex work, the real Belle de Jour, and call girls galore, I’m unable to play the arrogant reviewer card [sorry!].

The book was an enjoyable and intriguing read– even if I hadn’t been snowed in, I have a feeling I would have read it just as quickly.  Belle writes in a familiar and accessible way so that you can understand and empathize with her decisions, in both her personal and professional lives.  The problems I had with the book seem to be common: first and foremost, I thought that she seemed a little too savvy, a little too hardened, a little too something.  She wrote with an almost too cool detachment; while Kate Hickman (above) lauds her work as groundbreaking, I found it to be more pedantic.  While she described and owned her sex work in her writing (although how much you can own your behavior while you remain anonymous is a valid question), she also seemed to make it clear that this was just a job, and she knew that she was fortunate to be educated and that she would eventually have options when she decided, on her own terms, that it was time to leave the business.

A few months back Belle de Jour outed herself to the Sunday Times.  I remember the splash of publicity surrounding the revelation of her identity, but, as I hadn’t yet read the book or watched the series, I didn’t pay close attention.  Today I went back and read India Knight’s article “I’m Belle de Jour“, and follow-up “Belle lays bare the myth that every hooker is a victim“, and am extremely glad I did (and I highly recommend that you take a moment to read one or both, especially if you’ve read the book or seen the show).  Having seen a few episodes of Showtime’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl by now, it’s nice to know what Belle de Jour’s real face looks like (she’s the one on the left) and to learn more about Belle/Brooke. It was increasingly frustrating how few details were provided about her life (education? major? school? field? anything?) in the book.

Dr. Brooke Magnanti, the real Belle de Jour, sat down with Billie Piper (the woman who plays her on the Showtime series) to discuss her sex work and you can watch a clip of their somewhat surreal interlude.  Piper seemed especially ecstatic to have the chance to interview her primary source material, an opportunity that, no doubt, will influence and inform her performance in the future. I was struck by how calmly and contentedly Belle/Brooke discussed her past as a call girl.

Getting back to the book– while reading I had to wonder how close to reality Belle/Brooke’s experiences were.  Salon.com interviewed three call girls in a piece creatively titled “Ask a Call Girl” whose responses were varied and provided a bit of interesting context. When asked “What do you think of Belle?,” Stephanie replied:

“Lovely but a bit hardened. I found her to be very cold in many ways to her clients. It’s very much about the sex with her. High-class clients are more interested in the overall experience. In fact, the sexual aspect is the least important. I would not class Belle as a “high-class” escort — more middle of the range.”

Magical Lizzy explains why a lot of women, in her opinion, “can’t handle the business:”

“Put it this way: If you’re an alcoholic, being an escort will make it worse; if you are a druggie, being an escort will make it worse; if you are depressive, a shopoholic, bipolar, any kind of fucked up, being a whore will make it worse. If you are pretty grounded, and like your work like I did, it’s a great job.”

And Cindy had interesting insights both about the persona projected by Belle with clients and the way she handled herself and the loneliness inherent in a double life:

“At first I didn’t like [Secret Diary of a Call Girl]. I found Belle really annoying — too hard, too cocky, especially with the clients. When you are that level of call girl, making $500-$1,000 an hour, your job is to be super-sweet, super-feminine, the perfect dream girl, not an edgy cool chick. But she’s growing on me… [I can relate to] Her loneliness. It is very stressful to lead two lives, to have to lie all the time — how is it that you can afford those great shoes, that $2,000 bag, the apartment? Of course you put up with it because you love the money and the control, like Belle says, but you do get lonely.”

And now for a mini-rant that has nothing to do with prostitution: I thought that Belle’s writing style was very similar to many other female authors who try to project worldliness, authority, and style, namely Helen Gurley Brown in Sex and the Single Girl (which I previously reviewed here) and Belle from Capitol Hill Style. Women who project all things stylish, perfect, and thin– and yet talk about a love for fried food, but keeping that love in check. Whenever I see, or hear, or read about, a thin woman who allegedly has a penchant for junk food or fried bacon wrapped dates or whatever I inwardly cringe. Why is it that women must a) be thin and b) treat food as a battleground with “good” food, “bad” food, and “guilty pleasures.” It’s annoying, unbelievable, and further entrenches the belief that all women have emotional and unhealthy relationships with food.

Has anyone else read the book or seen the series? What did you take away from it?

[Image via Peripheries]

Feisty Female: Plain, old, unromantic Anne — with an e– Shirley. (But couldn’t you just call her Cordelia?)

Year we got to know her:  1986 (1985 if you’re Canadian)

Best known for: Her quick temper, red hair, dramatic elocution, fierce intelligence, and loyalty to her friends and family

Why she deserves a second look:

Anne of Green Gables was another childhood classic of mine because it was my sister’s favorite book AND movie. I think she read every book that L.M. Montgomery ever published. I didn’t have the patience to read the books, and I didn’t lurrrrrve the movies like she did (truth be told, I preferred the spin-off series Road to Avonlea), but, because of my sister, Anne Shirley certainly resonated with me. Anne Shirley seemed so sophisticated, confident, and mature– her imagination and optimism were compelling. I didn’t think I would ever be as smart or as old and mature as she was.

I went back and watched Anne of Green Gables during DC’s Snowmageddon, and I thought a lot about my childhood self and how I perceived Anne. In my mind, Anne personified everything that I thought it took to make you a confident and mysterious adult: a large vocabulary, an active and inventive imagination, a secret code, intelligence, and an uncanny ability to inflect everything with a touch of the dramatic. I was so impressed with Anne’s ability to stand up for herself to Mrs. Linde, her schoolteacher, Gilbert Blythe (and he was the cutest boy in school!)– and yet, she was so sensitive and vulnerable at the same time. She was the smartest girl in school and didn’t take crap from anyone. I wanted to have the same backbone that she did.

Pretty much: Anne Shirley rocks. She’s a wonderful role model for young girls (and I can think of a number of women who would do well to take a page from her book) and I am so glad that my sister spent a year not watching any television and received Anne of Green Gables (on VHS!) as her reward so that we could spend the next year watching it every chance we got.

Did you know? “Katherine Hepburn originally suggested that her niece Schuyler Grant play the role of Anne. Schuyler gave quite a good audition but Kevin Sullivan ultimately decided to cast Megan Follows as Anne and Schuyler as Diana Barry.” Even if Diana is boring, at least she’s related to Katherine Hepburn.

Haven’t seen the movie? Here’s a taste of Anne’s penchant for flowery prose:
Diana Barry: “I wish I were rich, and I could spend the whole summer at a hotel, eating ice cream and chicken salad.”
Anne Shirley: “You know something, Diana? We are rich. We have sixteen years to our credit, and we both have wonderful imaginations. We should be as happy as queens. Look at that [sunset]. You couldn’t enjoy its loveliness more if you had ropes of diamonds.”
Diana Barry: “I don’t know about that.”

Anne: “My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes. That’s a sentence I read once and I say it over to comfort myself in these times that try the soul.”

Here’s a Love Song, because you need one.  When I texted my sister to tell her I was watching Green Gables, this was her reply: “ Isn’t Gil dreamy?” You decide.