Within hours of Anna Nicole Smith’s passing, we knew everything there was to know about her. Not that there was much left to the imagination as it was. A good portion of the general public had already been tuning in to watch her attempt to coast through life with morbid fascination as she put her life on display through the microscope of reality television.
The news media let us in on all of it. Where was the body? How did she die? Where’s her baby? Who called 911?
Meanwhile, political columnist and bestselling author Molly Ivins passed away only days before. Considered to be one of the most influential voices of the political left, her commentary regarding the Bush Administration had received her both accolades and jeers.
Her death was merely a footnote in the national media.
It can hardly be called surprising. Britney Spears shaves her head, having a mental breakdown publicly and it makes the cover of People. Lindsay Lohan’s crotch slip has the ability to push more pressing matters such as the current atmosphere in Iraq to page two. The surefire way for a female astronaut to make the cover of People isn’t to come home from orbit, but to go on a murderous rampage. It’s a bad girl’s world and good role models for young girls are getting increasingly more difficult to find.
They are out there, though. Many of them, in fact. They’re just not making the cover of People. However, I think it’s clear that mothers, aunts, grandmothers and even young girls themselves are actively seeking these women out and besides those that we call mother, sister or doctor, there are many out there making waves in the world as well.
1. Oprah Winfrey
You simply can’t let a list of female role models go by without a mention of Ms. Winfrey. Easily the most successful woman, if not entertainer, currently on the Forbes entertainment list, Oprah is also the first black woman to ever claim the title of billionaire according to Forbes.
The truly inspiring thing about Oprah isn’t her bankroll, but what she does with her time and money when she walks out of Harpo Studio (and sometimes, when she’s within). A generous philanthropist and a crusader for human rights, Oprah has used her celebrity to better the lives of millions.
2. Nancy Pelosi
The first female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi has already made waves within the first year of her tenure. A no-nonsense woman whose efforts to question the War on Iraq have continually made her the subject of media scrutiny, Ms. Pelosi has retained a stronghold on her beliefs and her stance on the current affairs of the country.
3. Ali Hewson
The cliche, “Behind every man is a great woman,” is one often used to justify a woman’s place in the shadows of her more successful husband. For Ali Hewson, however, this is simply not the case.
Wife of Bono, frontman of U2 and activist for many causes including The ONE Campaign, a campaign which fights for better living and medical care conditions for the people living within Third World countries, Ali has long been active in her own struggle for a better earth. Fighting for victims of nuclear toxins such as those of Chernobyl and for the abolishment of sweat shop labor, Ali Hewson lives a double, yet rewarding life: wife of an international rock star and independent political activist.
4. J.K. Rowling
According to Forbes, J.K. Rowling is the second richest female entertainer, sitting right behind our #1 entry, Oprah Winfrey. While still a barely surviving single mother on welfare, J.K. – known to her friends as Joanne – created and wrote her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
That novel and those that followed in the seven part series would go on to make Rowling the first author to claim the title of billionaire. Sparking controversy with the subject matter of her books that were aimed at young adults (but found as equally as enjoyable by adults as well), Rowling quickly found her books on banned lists in schools across America while churches held “Potter burnings.” The fight against her books only made her more of a force to be reckoned with as her books went on to encourage millions of children to read for pleasure and the last book in the series, due out in July of 2007, is already stacking up pre-orders in bookstores across the globe.
5. Tina Fey
Tina Fey has the distinction of being the first head writer for the popular comedy sketch series, Saturday Night Live. Widely being revered as a boy’s club, SNL hurtled Tina Fey into television stardom. Staying mainly behind the scenes for years, she was soon approached by the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, to co-anchor Weekend Update, SNL’s mock newscast.
Currently headlining her own successful series, 30 Rock, on NBC, Fey is also an accomplished screenwriter (Mean Girls) and working mom.
6. Ellen Degeneres
It was Ellen’s wandering train of thought that made her comedy acts so spectacular. A rant on cars could quickly turn into a theory on how spiders got into the shower. It was this very trait that won Ellen her own sitcom on ABC.
After coming out on her series (ironically enough, to a therapist played by Oprah Winfrey), the series ratings faltered. The show was soon cancelled and Ellen found herself fighting her way back to the top.
Resilient, Ellen not only rose to her former heights, but surpassed them when she became the host of her own talk show. A show that merges the light hearted comedy of Ellen’s stand-up with the optimism of Oprah and the star power of Leno, Ellen’s show has been one of the few to stand out among the celebrity attempts to become a fixture of the talk show circuit. Her star only continues to grow brighter as she just completed hosting of the 79th Academy Awards.
7. Waris Dirie
A former supermodel, Waris Dirie fought her way out of Somalia to London in order to escape an arranged marriage that would have had her wedded at the age of thirteen. Discovered for her beauty in London, Dirie’s face began to grace calendars and magazine pages.
A victim of genital mutilation at the tender age of five, Dirie used her celebrity to fight against the genital mutilation of young girls. A fight that she continues to fight to this day.
As you see, many women have made their way against adversity and sexual stereotypes, prevailing and forging the way for generations to follow. Joining mothers, teachers and those women that surround us everyday, these women prove that the breadth of a woman lie not in the price tag on her handbag but in the motivations and strength that lies within her.
