Herstory

As you should all know, March is Women's History Month, but in case you did not know that, Will Forte shares the amazing richness and depth of women's herstory on Saturday Night Live:

Good job, women. Indeed.

For March, the lovely ladies over at On How to be Lovely are celebrating women. Go join them! It was there that I learned that TV Squad was paying tribute to the 100 Most Memorable Female TV Characters. zOMG! I love TV and female characters! Not all of these characters are role models or feminist-approved, but I think they are largely memorable. Some of my favorites include Karen Walker, Lorelai Gilmore, Starbuck, Sydney Bristow, Joan Harris, C.J. Cregg, Liz Lemon, Veronica Mars, and Laura Roslin. Good job, TV.

Just today, The Critical Condition and Low Resolution revisited Alanis Morissette's debut, diamond-certified, album of 90s amazingness, Jagged Little Pill, on its 15th anniversary (of what I'm not entirely clear since it was released in 1995). I would not hear Alanis wailing for several more years since at the time I was nine-years-old and did not know what pop music was. But she was still my first radio love, because even seven+ years later Ms. Morissette was still getting a lot of radio play on Star 102.7. However, it wasn't until my freshman year in college that I bought the CD and listened to it in the car ALL THE TIME. So rest assured, Alanis was there to guide me through angsty teen times with girl power. Time to re-listen. Good job, Canada.

It would not be until later in college that I would be introduced to Tori Amos. You know how Emma Thompson, in Love Actually, says that Joni Mitchell taught her husband's cold, English wife to feel and that true love lasts a lifetime. That is Tori for me. And not to diss Alanis, but Tori is the better musician and feminist. Good job, Tori. and Joni.

In case you want something meatier for March than corned beef, you should check out the stylized HBO film Iron Jawed Angels which recounts how activists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns formed the National Women's Party and petitioned for national suffrage. The film was written, directed, and produced by women and features a nearly all female main cast, including the delectable Angelica Huston. It's kind of amazing that less than 100 years ago, women didn't have the right to vote--and how hard it was to get it. Good job, ladies. and HBO.

As much as the women's rights have been enlarged, equal pay is still not a reality and the glass ceiling remains very real. There's still a lot to do--for both women and men. How are you celebrating women's history month?