A Strong Woman

[Mercen-X]

A strong woman has been defined as a female who makes cutting remarks to men and women, keeps her jaw clenched and holds out for more money.

So, what's your definition of a strong woman?

What might you feel are characteristics missing in most female characters, particularly in anime?

[Miriel]

SYNDNEY MOTHERSMURFING BRISTOW.

Girl power to max, y'all.

Also, I think this belongs more in the Lounge since we're talking about characters and all.

[Chimp]

A woman strong enough to hold me.

Not emotionally ;[

[Araciel]

beat me in an armwrestle.

[El Bandito]

While I would be hard pressed to define a "strong" woman, I know I'd take my grandma (raised 8 kids in near poverty, put them through college, all of them successful now and raising her grandkids with the same love) over the most asskicking "tuff grrl" anyday.

[SuperMillionaire]

Try watching Bionic Woman on NBC... now THAT'S a strong woman!

[Fatal Impurity]

Watch 300 and see Leonidas' wife twist that damn knife and you'll know what strong is!

"This is will NOT be quick"
"You will NOT enjoy this"
"I am NOT your queen"

Gotta love it!

[Madame Adequate]

My grandma was a nurse for forty years. She had no prospect of rising very high in the hospital ranks, getting higher pay, or anything of the like. She spent decades with people in their dying moments, cleaning up after people who couldn't retain bowel control, cleaning up every kind of bodily excrement or fluid you can imagine. She worked nights most of that time, too. She never complained; she got on with the job, and she never begrudged the patients for the things they couldn't help doing, but always tried to give them whatever comfort and dignity she was able to, whether they were there for a short stay or until the bitter end.

She had four children, loved her husband until the day he died, and has pined for him every single day of the fifteen years since then. She raised me when my parents couldn't with infinite love and kindness. She has struggled with depression her whole life, and comes from a generation with far different attitudes towards it. And all this, through the Troubles, at risk of being bombed or shot or God only knows what else - indeed, several of her brother's family were killed Shankill Road bombing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankill_Road_bombing) (The Bairds, and Michael Morrison, Michelle Baird's father). She stayed strong throughout it all, helped her brother raising his surviving grandchildren.

That's a strong woman. This nonsense about a woman who can look a man in the eye, or hold her own in a fight? I'm hardly impressed.

[Breine]

SYDNEY MOTHERSMURFING BRISTOW.

Girl power to max, y'all.

Also, I think this belongs more in the Lounge since we're talking about characters and all.

Yep, I'd have to agree. Ms. Bristow is one tough cookie! Other than that there are of course female characters like Xena, Buffy, Ripley, Sarah Connor and Beatrix Kiddo (The Bride). Girl Power, alright :cool:

[MJN SEIFER]

particularly in anime?


Most anime girls define strong in my opinion.

[JKTrix]

particularly in anime?


Most anime girls define strong in my opinion.

If the anime girl is a leading lady in a series geared toward guys, then they're usually 'strong'. The average anime girl is anything but. Usually the damsel in distress type or fodder for fanservice and awkward adolescent situations. The best ones are the ones who start out normal or insecure and grow to become strong, rather than those who start out as a badass and don't really change. Escaflowne, 12 Kingdoms and I'd even go as far back as Gunbuster are some good examples of normalish girls who become strong.

I think a strong woman is any woman who can survive on her own. Probably synonymous with 'independant'. Even if one gets married, it shouldn't entirely kill the independance of the individual. It's not about talking back to men and junk like that. Children can do that too. I think it's more about knowing one's values (male or female) and sticking to them.

As far as anime goes, there are a fair share of 'strong' women. It's almost a sort of prerequisite now for action shows, that there must be at least one woman who can at least match the main character--if they're not the main character themselves. However, I don't want every girl to be Yoko (http://www.nobm.org/gallery/v/anime/1180571597161.jpg.html) or Revy or Mireille. It's fine now and then, but if they're not unique enough I lose interest.

[No.78]

Strong: having strength or power greater than average or expected

Woman: an adult female person


Silly.

[Laddy]

Just about any role played by Geena Davis or Jodie Foster.

[rubah]

I think a strong woman is not one who acts like a man, but acts like a woman to do a 'man's work.

So there is Uma Thurman in Kill Bill for you!

[fire_of_avalon]

I don't like this question. It assumes a strong woman is an anomaly. That they're hard to find. I don't think that's true at all. I know plenty of real life "strong women" who are strong people. Why should I judge women's "strength" by a different set of standards than the "strength" of men?

[rubah]

Well, in animé foa, a strong woman is a rarity!

Or rather, they're a 'rarity' that script writers like to use a lot.

[ReloadPsi]

Four words: Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley.

And four more words: Lieutenant* Colonel Samantha Carter.

That is all.

*"Lieutenant" literally means "placeholder" in French, more or less. Teehee!

[MJN SEIFER]

.
If the anime girl is a leading lady in a series geared toward guys, then they're usually 'strong'. The average anime girl is anything but. Usually the damsel in distress type or fodder for fanservice and awkward adolescent situations. The best ones are the ones who start out normal or insecure and grow to become strong, rather than those who start out as a badass and don't really change. Escaflowne, 12 Kingdoms and I'd even go as far back as Gunbuster are some good examples of normalish girls who become strong.


As far as anime goes, there are a fair share of 'strong' women. It's almost a sort of prerequisite now for action shows, that there must be at least one woman who can at least match the main character--if they're not the main character themselves. However, I don't want every girl to be Yoko (http://www.nobm.org/gallery/v/anime/1180571597161.jpg.html) or Revy or Mireille. It's fine now and then, but if they're not unique enough I lose interest.




Do not agree at all.

No offence.

In fact most of what you described is how a define a strong anyone not just a strong woman. True strength is dealing with something hard towards youself, even if you don't want to. I have never seen any damsels in distress in anime save for a dream sequence, and even then the character in question didn't really need saving. That is why I conicer anime girls to be the strongest of TV girls. I am a huge fan of girl power.

[Araciel]

*"Lieutenant" literally means "placeholder" in French, more or less. Teehee!

Yeah, they stand-in for higher officers...

[JKTrix]

Do not agree at all.

No offence.

In fact most of what you described is how a define a strong anyone not just a strong woman. True strength is dealing with something hard towards youself, even if you don't want to. I have never seen any damsels in distress in anime save for a dream sequence, and even then the character in question didn't really need saving. That is why I conicer anime girls to be the strongest of TV girls. I am a huge fan of girl power.

I'll just take it that you're very selective of the anime you watch and you don't quite have as broad a base of anime to go off of as I do. But I'll agree that 'strong' females seem to pop up more noticeably often in anime than other forms of entertainment.

You bring up an interesting point about my point though, in how I described a 'strong anyone'. Perhaps part of being a 'strong woman' is not expecting to be treated or classified differently and behaving as such. Perhaps it's refusing to be treated differently in a given situation just because one is a woman. I keep putting 'strong' in loose quotes because it's obviously something that can have individual meaning.

[Mercen-X]

I don't like this question. It assumes a strong woman is an anomaly. That they're hard to find. I don't think that's true at all. I know plenty of real life "strong women" who are strong people. Why should I judge women's "strength" by a different set of standards than the "strength" of men?

A woman once said to me that they wish an anime would feature a truly strong female lead. Not just a hot girl with muscles and no depth of character... or something like that. I tried to make suggestions but was told that I don't understand what a strong woman is. Thus the question.
I really don't see how you can compare the defining of a strong woman with assuming one is an anomaly. It just sounds ridiculous. Just because stronger or more independent women are more prevalent in modern society doesn't mean we have a clear definition of what it means to be a strong woman. In fact, we probably don't have a clear definition of what it means to be a strong man, or a strong person.

I'm in heartfelt agreement with JKTrix. I think the idea of strength is synonymous with independence. However, you can only be so independent before it starts to eat away at you. People are meant to depend on other people. If you can't trust or rely on others, you become maniacal in nature like Lex Luthor or Hitler.

I would hazard that a strong person is someone who believes in something and believes in themself and refuses to be used or taken for granted; someone who does what's right by them despite what others might think, no matter how painful it might be; someone who does what's right altogether despite the consequences that might befall them and pushes themself to the limit to defend what truly matters; someone who can stand on their own but can realize their weaknesses and ask for help.
You think in situations when there is time to think. You act in situations where there is not. Then you live with whatever outcome you wrought and move on so that you can make the next tough decision. Most of all, you never allow your judgment to be clouded by oppinion. Only the facts and the emotions set upon you. You never allow yourself to be ruled by your ego.

[Spammerman]

What might you feel are characteristics missing in most female characters, particularly in anime?

non oversized boobs.

[Mercen-X]

Hmm. That's not really all that informative.

[Tallulah]

My grandma was a nurse for forty years. She had no prospect of rising very high in the hospital ranks, getting higher pay, or anything of the like. She spent decades with people in their dying moments, cleaning up after people who couldn't retain bowel control, cleaning up every kind of bodily excrement or fluid you can imagine. She worked nights most of that time, too. She never complained; she got on with the job, and she never begrudged the patients for the things they couldn't help doing, but always tried to give them whatever comfort and dignity she was able to, whether they were there for a short stay or until the bitter end.

She had four children, loved her husband until the day he died, and has pined for him every single day of the fifteen years since then. She raised me when my parents couldn't with infinite love and kindness. She has struggled with depression her whole life, and comes from a generation with far different attitudes towards it. And all this, through the Troubles, at risk of being bombed or shot or God only knows what else - indeed, several of her brother's family were killed Shankill Road bombing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankill_Road_bombing) (The Bairds, and Michael Morrison, Michelle Baird's father). She stayed strong throughout it all, helped her brother raising his surviving grandchildren.

That's a strong woman. This nonsense about a woman who can look a man in the eye, or hold her own in a fight? I'm hardly impressed.

Abso-freaking-lutely! If only there were more people in general, let alone women, like your grandmother. I'm humbled by your grandma's story. You should be proud to know such a wonderful caring woman. :)

[Peegee]

You can tell what is a strong woman by using the opposite. What is a weak woman?

To me a weak woman is one who acts stereotypically like a 19th or earlier century woman would normally act, which (and I'm choosing my words to indicate my displeasure of such behaviour) might include feigning or acting or being helpless, not being independent, and indecisiveness.

Most of my female friends aren't anything even close to this, for the simple reason that I likes my strong wimminz.

[Mercen-X]

Is this what makes Lara Croft a strong woman?

[MKusanagi]

the "Major" from Ghost in the Shell. She's a major badass. She is the symbol of badass. She set the bar for badass. She holds the world record for badass. Know why her name is "Major"? Cuz she is a "Major" badass. I would go on. But you get the idea.