Girls on TV: Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

Only recently I've begun catching up with the largely-hyped AMC Original Series Mad Men, about which, unless you completely avoid the media, you have probably heard a lot. One of the many things it receives praise for is its refreshingly honest portrayals of women, the three most important being of sexpot secretary Joan Holloway, disillusioned housewife Betty Draper, and unprecedented success story Peggy Olson. While Olson is characteristically underestimated by all, she manages to transition from Don Draper's secretary to his colleague, which, I'm sure you recall, was no easy feat at the time.
I've read one too many articles that have dismissed her with one-word descriptions such as the following: "frumpy", "ambitious"-- turning the focus to more overtly feminine counterparts, Betty and Joan respectively. While I adore both Betty and Joan, I feel that critics tend to tragically overlook Peggy-- I've almost come to find Jezebel's visible preference of seductress Joan over the blatantly more progressive Peggy offensive. Yeah, so sometimes she's a bitch-- she's human and every character on such a realistic show needs some weak points. But I can't do anything but admire her for skill, climbing the corporate ladder through creativity, not dirty tricks (which could be said, maybe half-heartedly, of her mysterious male double, Don). If she wasn't such a required focal point for the show, the pilot would not have revolved so much around her first day at Sterling Cooper. An outcast in both stages of her work environment, a great article I read on her suggested that her character's weight gain at the end of season one seemed to be a strong statement against the gender roles of the era-- the constant unspoken requirement of being pretty. Sudden physical anomalies aside, Peggy is promoted by her notably sexist male co-workers. These are just a few of the many reasons that I find her to be such an important, resonating character. Without her, I firmly believe the show could not go on.
So yeah, she may not be a Jackie or a Marilyn, but is that really such a hindrance? After all, I don't think anyone would want to be one of a hundred colors in a box, would they?

Girls on Film: Cherry Darling (Planet Terror)

It's damn hard to feel sexy when you're walking around with a useless dead thing of a limb. I should know-- I'm bedridden from taking a nasty spill last afternoon! So who else to brighten my mood with some serious asskicking than the fabulous Cherry Darling, whose former paramour replaced her dead leg with a machine gun?
Really, there's nothing I could say about this badass bitch that hasn't already been said. Disillusioned with her job as a go-go dancer, she decides to quit and pursue a career in comedy-- eventually providing one of the movie's great jokes when she loses her leg. "I was gonna be a stand-up comedian!" she says in tears. After all, she couldn't very well be a sit-down comedian, now, could she? This girl has so much spunk, she immediately regains confidence after her hospitalization. She treks outta there with no more than a wooden leg, later to become the weapon of choice for her ex-boyfriend, master gunman El Wray. She even manages to get some hot ex-sex pre-gun leg!
And of course, it was never the gun that made Cherry Darling so irresistible-- chick's already got all the ammo she'll ever need. Proof here:

Cherry, darling, I want to be just like you.

Girls on Film: Miss Spider (James and the Giant Peach)

Whinier Disney chicks can pack up and go home, because none trump the hotness of James and the Giant Peach's Miss Spider. Played by fellow sexpot Susan Sarandon, the girl thrives in darkness. I cannot resist old school goth, and if a children's cartoon character personified it, it would be Miss Spider. And her hot beatnik look? Um, seriously. She wears three pairs of stiletto boots at once. Charlotte Olympia would be proud.
A fiercely independent spirit, she prefers being alone. The other bugs naturally fear her, so she relocates to dark corners (and fittingly opens up a badass nightclub in New York City at the end). But beneath her scarier exterior lies a nurturing, appreciative soul, and a heroine who will risk all to get her friends out of a funk.

But this femme fatale is not without a trace of danger, of course-- on set, her live counterpart bit little Paul Terry, so frightened that he left the biz for good. Now that's what I call an intimidation factor.

Girls on TV: Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood)

I don't care about being a bartender, a tennis player, whatever the hell else people want to do with their lives. Because this month, I decided that I really just want to be Sookie Stackhouse (the awesome Anna Paquin) from True Blood when I grow up. I mean, really. What's not to love about this girl? She has telekinesis, adorable clothes that I want all of, ampules of Southern charm and um, a hot vampire (see above on left) who's totally infatuated with her to the point of killing bitches? (Oh, and how about the craziness of Sookie sucking Bill's blood last night? That was weirdly hot, and you know you agree. I know I'm not the only one obsessing over their mounting sexual tension. Hehe, "mounting".)

But seriously. This chick is a real lady-- and even better, she's the kind of lady who would comment on your lack of manners the first time you called her out and kick you in the face the next. She's a total badass. I want to be like her. I also want her hair.

So Sookie, I surrender to your glory. May you continue to have as much attitude, sugary-sweet femme fatality, and hot vampires looking out for you as possible until your death. I salute you!

P.S. How. Awesome. Is True Blood. Really. And it's just going to keep on getting more awesome, so if you haven't been watching it, don't get left behind! Watch the first episode at the official website now!

Girls on Film: Kay Bergdahl (The Oscar)

Earlier this spring, my mom urged me to come downstairs and watch this cheesy '60s B-movie on digital cable called The Oscar. It's a classic rise-and-fall in Hollywood kind of story that's a lot of fun but definitely not amazing-- unless you count the endlessly lovely Elke Sommer's role...

The movie's main character, Frankie, sees my girl sitting pretty at a party. She's obviously the hottest chick in the room. He walks up to her and basically starts hitting on her. Endlessly classy, Kay (Sommer) steps on his offer flatly-- and she does it well. Look at this beautiful piece of dialogue here and you'll see what a badass she is.

Kay: You're wasting your time. I'm not the kind of woman who uses sex as a release or, or even as a weapon.
Frankie: You always talk like that?
Kay: I try.
Frankie: Then do me a favor, will ya? Try droppin' it with me, I'm not that smart. You free-thinkers confuse me.
Kay: Let me put it this way-- I think I have more to offer than just my body.
Frankie: [mocking] Now I understand.
Kay: I am the end result of everything I've ever learned, all I ever hope to be and all the experiences I've ever had.
Frankie: How many experiences have you had?
Kay: None. But when the right time comes I'll be special for some man. So it's worth waiting for.

Obviously, this is not a soliloquoy by any means, but it's astonishing to see this hot chick who wouldn't even have to try to be a seductress is a virgin. This girl, of course, was the equivalent of a real lady, smokin' enough to know she doesn't need to give away the goodies just yet.

Of course, Kay doesn't stay a virgin in the movie (these are spoilers, but the movie is missable apart from her)-- but staying true to her ladylike self. She ends up marrying Frankie, and in the movie's hottest scene, when the douchebag is freaking out about his career, Kay shows up in some really hot lingerie and writhes about on the bed, cooing for him to come to her. This is a show that in spite of Kay's lack of sex partners, she sure as hell doesn't lack a libido. Sexually, she's a live wire to whomever's lucky enough to get her. The woman is brimming with hotness as she slinks about in the bedroom, and it's a moment even the straightest girls ever would get super-confused. Dumbly enough, Frankie refuses her.

Despite the imminent shit that's going to go down in a Hollywood disaster movie, Sommer is stunning as Kay. Her outfits are the epitome of '60s femme chic, and totally sexy but always classy, of course.

So yeah, your husband has totally snapped. But think about it, honey-- why else would he be? With untouchable beauty like this, there's no need to question why...