Miss Independent

A few months ago I absentmindedly wrote on my Tumblr, asking my hundred or so followers what pairs of characters made up their favorite ships. I was hoping to get some crack ships but instead I ended up having my eyes open to something I hadn’t even thought of or considered. Looking at our favorite ladies and their independence, instead of in terms of relationships that seemed to define them on every forum and platform.

Nobody really responded to my post (no shocker there), except for my lovely and dear friend Shreya, who after watching all of Gilmore Girls, shared she didn’t really care about the heated debates of Jess vs. Logan vs. Dean, but instead wanted what was best for Rory and her independence, which probably didn’t include any of boy of her past. Going further into this idea, it got me thinking of why can’t all of our ladies we admire be shipped with not the dumbo boys that complicate their lives, but instead with their independence and overall badassery?

Let’s look at some of my favorite ladies, as case studies if you will.

First up! Buffy Summers. Is she a badass? Check that sucker off. She slays demons left and right, the very definition of today’s slang term. She is the real OG. Is there a heated battle over who she should “be with?” You bet your ass. Buffy is an amazing role model to ladies everywhere, but what do most people talk about in regards to the show? Angsty Angel and Psycho Spike. Let me put this simply, both men suck, blood and as suitors. Buffy should be remembered fondly for her kickass ability to take down any big bad, admirable wit and strength of character, not for which boy fucked up her heart and might have tried to rape her.

Next Up! Liza Miller from TV Land’s Younger. If you’re wondering why I put what show she’s from, Buffy is a household name, while Liza is an up-and-coming lady. Just last week I was in a conversation regarding whom her “perfect” man is, but why does this have to be the only focus of the series’ marketing campaign? Sure it’s enticing as hell to play with the audience’s loyalties ("OMG sexy Josh, but Charles is more appropriate") but its not all what the series is about. Far from it. At the core the series is about a woman reclaiming her life and youth after her husband cheated on her. Liza is fearless and incredible taking on the identity of a twenty something, despite being in her 40s. Perhaps three or so episodes this season lingered on her romantic life, but in the other seven episodes she’s working her ass off, decoding identities of elusive authors and wooing corporate investors. She is by no means defined by the men in her life and shouldn't be.

Circling back to what inspired this article to begin with. Gilmore Girls comes back in just a short week and already I’ve seen countless celebrities and Facebook posts announcing their loyalties to Jess, Dean and Logan. Like my friend Shreya, I’m team Rory’s independence. Fuck the boys; she’s better off without them. Like her headstrong mother, she’s persevered, through catty girls, Ivy League course loads, and men who wanted to lower her confidence and strike her down. Damn you Mitchum Huntzberger. She's strong as hell. The last we saw of her she was last seen focusing on herself, after shutting down Logan’s proposal and becoming what she always set out to be, a reporter. Hopefully the revival will not backtrack undoing the strength they gave to Rory. * Maybe the visits with her three evil exes will involve them urging her to keep on being the incredible and strong lady she is. Who knows? I know I’m holding out for #MissIndependent.

Credit: http://jessvmariano.tumblr.com/

*I do realize ASP was no longer a part of GG in the last season, thus it wasn’t her vision.