The rational women who live in my TV

Let me start out by saying that I don’t watch a whole lot of television. I find it hard to get into TV shows, and even some of the characters I’m going to mention are from programs I only tune into occasionally. But I do find it intriguing and exciting that I can think of more than one kickass female character who prescribes to rationality over faith who live in my TV.

The most obvious example of this would be Temperance Brennan, or “Bones” from the show of the same name. This is one of those shows which I only watch occasionally, but I am always drawn to Bones’s character when I happen to catch it on. She is consistently using logic and reason in all of her decision making, actively putting her emotions aside to pursue the most reasonable course of action. Granted, sometimes this is shown as being a flaw, but overall, it makes her the successful forensic anthropologist that she is.

The next character only plays a very minor role in her show, but I felt she was worth mentioning nonetheless. Played by the always fabulous Christine Baranski, we have Dr. Beverley Hofstadter, the mother of Dr. Leonard Hofstadter of the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”. Beverley, while clearly a parody, is analytical, precise, and rational above all else. Her existence is built upon facts and evidence, and she dismisses that which lacks even slightly in either of the two. Also, she is possibly the only person capable of wooing Sheldon Cooper, and for that reason alone, she is a great woman capable of great things.

Finally, I turn my thoughts to Maeby Funke of “Arrested Development”. While I wouldn’t exactly call her a “rational” woman – she is a horrible student, after all – she is clever and driven, enough so to con her way into being a film executive. The Bluths and Funkes in general are a pretty heathenistic lot, but Maeby has always held a special place in my heart, if not for this exchange between her and her uncle Michael:

Maeby: Do you guys know where I could get one of those gold necklaces with the ‘T’ on it?

Michael: That’s a cross.

Maeby: Across from where?

Simply brilliant.

What other rational/ heathen women am I forgetting?

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