Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest
Female Heroes
-
01-01-2010 11:44pm#1Okay, this thread is about women (famous or relatively unknown) that inspire you. We all hear stories of women who get the rough end of the stick, are victims or taken advantage of. What about the survivors or god forbid, those who broke the mould, whatever gender they were?
I'd like this thread not to become an argument of what makes a feminist or posts about peoples amazing mums (they are great i know but I kinda want anyone who comes to this thread to be able to come away and read up about someone they might never have known about).
I thought this thread could act as a pick me up, with inspiring stories and would be suitable for the Ladies Lounge.
If possible please include a bit of info, a photo maybe and reasons why shes your hero.
One of mine would probably be Louise Bourgeois.
She's known as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, regardless of gender. She wasn't cornered into traditional art, she helped lead contemporary art, outliving her peers, using "manly" materials on a giant scale but always brought a concept and care that while female, didn't seem obsessed by its gender.
Her work was the first I'd ever seen at an exhibition and because of her I think, subconsciously, i've never seen typically "male" areas of art as "male".
She's 97 going on 98, still producing artwork and although it's unlikely i'll ever get the chance to meet her it's a goal of mine.
so who's your hero?21
Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
As a lover of all things scientific, my heroine has to be Marie Curie. She discovered the elements radium and polonium and went on to become the first person (never mind woman) to win two Nobel Prizes.
Her study of radium in particular changed our view of the scientific world re energy and matter and of course her study of radioactive isotopes led to a new era of medical research and treatment which continues to this day - made all the more amazing as she became a recognised and respected scientist in the 19th century. :cool:
0 -
I've started boxing recently... Just training, not combat! It's really tough.
I'm inspired by world champ Katie Taylor. She's my age and from my home town and she rocks!
Hopefully I can get motivated enough to end up with arms like hers.0 -
Lil Kitten wrote: »I've started boxing recently... Just training, not combat! It's really tough.
I'm inspired by world champ Katie Taylor. She's my age and from my home town and she rocks!
Hopefully I can get motivated enough to end up with arms like hers.
...really.. why? I doubt it will add to any attraction0 -
Constance MarkieviczConstance Georgine Markiewicz, Countess Markiewicz (née Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), was an Irish Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil politician, revolutionary nationalist, suffragette and socialist. She was the first woman elected to the British House of Commons, though she did not take her seat and along with the other Sinn Féin TDs formed the first Dáil Éireann. She was also the first woman in Europe to hold a cabinet position (Minister of Labour of the Irish Republic, 1919–1922).
Wiki Article...really.. why? I doubt it will add to any attraction
Maybe she's doing it for herself and not in an effort to add attraction?0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
...really.. why? I doubt it will add to any attraction
Eh... To feel fit and strong and pack a good punch.
It's empowering.
Ayways I'd like to trade my bat wings for tight toned arms.
While on the subject of fit women, I'd like to mention Shakira. I was in awe watching her video for Shewolf. She's teeny tiny like me but her strength and flexibility and balance is phenomenal. Imagine how much determination and motiviation you must need to get to that stage of fitness. She's pure muscle!0 -
-
No seriously ? why do you want arms like hers?
why do men want muscle? jeeze i didnt even post it. I'll stop now anyway this is going off topic. this isn't a topic on what makes a woman pretty.
whats important is she is making something of herself and to like minded women shes a role model
0 -
-
-
-
I don't have many famous female role models.. Probably because I'm not aware of them historically or politically. Which I guess says a lot about society and the media.
I know this isn't deep or relevant but I really admire Kelly Clarkson.
She broke away from her cookie cutter blonde image, put up with criticism about her weight and refused to slim down. Against her record label's wishes she released her own rock style album, My December. It's all written/ co - written by her about a dark and depressing period in her life. Some of the tracks are so pure, honest and raw that they break my heart. How someone can pour their heart and soul into something and put it out there to the world amazes me.
Her record label dropped her, she fell out with management, she paid for the album production. Radios wouldn't play her songs because it wasn't "radio friendly".. Even her tour was scaled way back to only play in tiny venues.
But she did it anyways, her way, and I have all the respect in the world for her. I mostly listen to rock and metal but My December is one of my favourite albums of all time.
Another female that I think is coming up in a predominantly male trade is tattooist Kat Von D of Miami Ink. She's only 27, has been tattooing for 11 years, has her own tattoo parlour, High Voltage (seen on LA Ink), a book of her artwork and has a Guinness World Record for most tattoos done in 24 hours.
She also breaks the mould about how a female should look to be considered attractive and sexy.
0 -
Isabel Allende
"I think that my most significant achievement is not my writing, but the love I share with my family"
First off I love her books. She recieved death threats after the coup that killed Salvador Allende (a relation and president of chile). When her daughter was dieing, she wrote to keep her going and later published what she wrote, far enough about her daughter dieing but it must have been really difficult to publish the book after. She also set up a charity in her name to help women (don't know how).
Grace Jones
Up until I saw her in the James bond film all other women on tv/films were portrayed as 'weak' needing/wanting a man and very femine. When I saw her in the film a strong woman that wasn't as femine as others but still looks great and to top it off she was the one doing the saving, she made an impression on me. I wouldn't be very interested in her music but I love everything else about her, she's brave enough to wear what she wants and look the way she wants and doesn't care what people say to her.
Mother teresa
I'm not religious or anything but anyone who spends there life helping sick poor who's own society regected them is worth a mention.
Fery (I can't pronounce her second name and fery is just a nick name too can't pronunce her first name either:o let alone spell either it)
This is someone I know, she started seeing my uncle a few years ago now. She lives in Germany and is from Iran. She used to be a muslim had an eranged marriage that wasn't working. She left the husband, converted her religion, raised 4(or three can't remember) children, volunteered in Amnesty international(I think it was with them), worked as a nurse, set up an orphage in a big city of Iran which was just for girls(the only one of it's kind in the area, there were two for boys) and just did alot for muslim womens rights. She's very active in what ever she does and she's one of those people that's good at whatever she does.
She also cooks very yummy Iranian food and said I was good driver:D and she's in the process of moving to Ireland (hopefully I'm going to go over to germany in the summer before she moves over here)0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
Mother teresa
I'm not religious or anything but anyone who spends there life helping sick poor who's own society regected them is worth a mention.
I'd hold off on that one, she had her critics. In a few years time you'll start seeing stories come out in India about her orphanages and girls homes similar to the ones we're hearing now. Here stance on abortion was also draconian by any standard.
Anyway,
Channel 6's April O'Neil
April O'Neil though often playing the Damsel in distress was also a carrier driven successful reporter struggling in a male dominated world. For a huge number of Irish males she would have been the first experience of a powerful female character in mainstream media, considering that it was still the decade where woman had to quite their jobs in they got married.0 -
-
-
-
Give the sparring a try as well as the boxercise. It feels a whole lot better and is a lot more motivating than just hitting a bag/jab pads and skipping.Lil Kitten wrote: »Eh... To feel fit and strong and pack a good punch. It's empowering.
Ayways I'd like to trade my bat wings for tight toned arms.
Boston beat me to Constance Marcivicz so I'll say; Hillary Clinton.
Not a big fan of her politics but she completely revolutionalised what the office of First Lady entails. First one to have a postgrad and hit the ground running with being the first female president.0 -
Excellent idea for a thread!
I'm going to go with Amelia Earhart. The wikipedia article is worth a read - she fitted a lot into her forty years.
Some quotes of hers that I like:
"Never do things others can do and will do if there are things others cannot do or will not do."
"Please know that I am aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others."
"The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship."
Earhart referred to her marriage as a "partnership" with "dual control." In a letter written to Putnam (her husband) and hand delivered to him on the day of the wedding, she wrote, "I want you to understand I shall not hold you to any medieval code of faithfulness to me nor shall I consider myself bound to you similarly."
"Women must pay for everything. They do get more glory than men for comparable feats, but, they also get more notoriety when they crash."0 -
Join Date:Posts: 14669
My biggest influence is sport, so my first two are sports based
Juliet Murphy - captain of the Cork ladies football team leading them to 3 of their five AI titles, an absolute lady on and off the pitch, remember chatting to her after the semi final, one of the last in of the pitch, and yet she'd talk to anyone, no problem. A role model for all female athletes. One of the nicest and most genuine people you could ever meet. A leader on the field, controls the game. Roadbowler and basketballer as well, and a dedicated trainer.
Other one would have to be Sonia O Sullivan - She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early 2000s. Her crowning achievement was a gold medal in the 5000 m at the 1995 World Athletics Championships. She won silver medals in the 5000 m at the 2000 Olympic Games and in the 1500 m at the 1993 World Championships. She has also won three European Championship gold medals and two World Cross-Country Championship gold medals. I had always admired her for what she had acheived and how genuine she is, but after reading her autobiography, I was even more impressed by her.
There is a few other I thought of earlier, can't think of them at the moment, but will post as soon as I do0 -
Advertisement
-
Can us guys post here? if so then two women i really admire being a huge movie buff (the word hero is thrown around way too much imo) are Kathryn Bigelow, probably not very well known to most people , shes a movie director who made Point Break, Strange Days and last years underrated classic The Hurt Locker, women directors arent a strange occurence but she specialises in action movies, which is a genre sorely neglected by female directors. She was also married to one Mr James Cameron for a few years (made a little movie about some boat that sank a few years back, you may have heard of it)
also Gale Ann hurd, again most people wouldnt know her, but shes one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, a producer who has made Aliens, The Terminator movies, Armageddon, etc etc, some huge blockbusters were her doing and she's one of the few women who can say NO to the powerful guys in the industry.
Its nice to see empowered women in a pretty much male dominated industry, in the creative process side of movies, obviously there are some hugely powerful actresses but the women behind the scenes are often of unsung importance0 -
-
-
Capt'n Midnight wrote: »Anyways
"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission"
Grace Hopper
She was the first woman I thought of when I understood the concept of the thread!
Grace Hopper
Moved computer programming forward more than anyone else, probably. And she has a great surname! 0 -
women directors arent a strange occurence but she specialises in action movies, which is a genre sorely neglected by female directors.
Not trying to split hairs but I'd imagine action scripts don't land on too many female directors tables, maybe a bit of a boys club? I know if i was a director i'd love to make action movies!! 0 -
-
Advertisement
-
This thread is very interesting. I must admit there is many women on here I have never heared of before which is astonishing considering their achivments.
I had few female heroes when I was growing up but there is one Irish women I have come to admire more and more over the last few years and that is Joanne Cantwell.
She has managed to establish herself in the male dominated world of RTE sport. Her interviews are excellent as she was an all star footballer herself. Unlike so many young female presenters she hasnt felt the need to strip off or use her sexuality ,she is very much apart from the celebrity culture . I think she is such a positive role model for young Irish women and I would really like to meet her!0 -
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
Martha Argerich
She's probably one of the biggest influences (musically) on my life. I love her She broke all the rules of classical performances in the 60's, walking out on stage in mini skirts. She made classical music sexy.
I admire her even more for takling the Rach 3 (hardiest piece is the world supposodly), she does the best interpretation i've ever heard or seen.
She is so focused on her music you can see her drift off in her own world, she's phased by nothing. She has never succumbed to the craziness of fame either, always shyed out of the public eye and concentrated on the music. I think it's great that she also tries to promote young talented pianists, a lot of people wouldn't be bothered.
No one plays Chopin, Ravel, Shostakovich or Rachmainov like Martha. She's magical! Not to mention that she came out performing Chopin with just as much passion as any man (it was mostly men at that time who struck fame as professional players).
She's amazing
0 -
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
Advertisement