Velma Dinkley from Scooby Doo

Who could forget Velma's bright orange sweater, red skirt, and clunky glasses? She dresses modestly and relies on her brains. What could be more awesome?

Without Velma, it's likely Mystery Inc. would cease to exist. Unlike Daphne,--who is always clinging to Fred for protection and getting abducted/seduced-- Velma usually manages to take care of herself. She is the brains of the operation and 90% of the time she solves the mystery! On top of that, Velma and Fred work together to devise criminal catching devices/traps. She doesn't shy away from unmasking criminals once they're caught, either!

In addition to her usual crime solving skills, Velma has a multitude of awesome talents. She has been known to decipher Chinese writing, operate communications equipment and computers, read scientific data/formulas, and is a history buff.

Velma still has her weaknesses. She often loses her glasses -- without them she's blinder than a sound deaf bat.

Mission Statement

THE ISSUE

Lately there has been a lot of focus on the lack of women in certain scientific fields -- including engineering and computer science. Personally, I don't consider myself to be a feminist. However, I did notice, while growing up, that there were certain things that were off limits. Certainly, even today, women seem more inclined to behaviors and careers which are more socially acceptable.

GROWING UP

I was of an offbeat and intelligent kid. I was always reading. My dad is an English major and always had books around. My father also went through a huge movie phase. He managed to collect about 3,000 movies and television shows within a 5 year period. By the time I was 10, I was reading comics in mass quantities. At 13, we got access to the internet -- a then new and exciting technology.

As a child in the 1980's, I had very few role models. My own mother never learned to drive and dropped out of college. I was constantly being told to limit myself to feminine pursuits by the women in my family. My grandmother told me to become a secretary or a teacher. My mother always told me to marry a rich man and stay pretty. I'll never forget the student teacher that punished me for reading beyond the class level in the first grade. I refused to read again until the third grade. Certainly, intelligence was punished and penalized in my home and school life.

FRUSTRATION

I usually associated more with intelligent men in fiction. The women were usually portrayed as malleable, whiny, and/or vapid. Who wants to be pigeonholed into such a role? I went through a phase where I denied being female. Even today, I get frustrated by the lack of intelligent, strong, or otherwise admirable female role models in popular culture. There are a few shining contradictions to this observation and for that I am sincerely grateful.

BE THE SOLUTION

Throughout the years, I've learned to see myself as my own primary role model. The things I respect are poise, grace, intelligence, maturity, and self acceptance. So much of this was learning that being intelligent, strong, and feminine are not contradictions. Along the way, I have been fortunate to find a few female role models. They have helped shape me into the woman I am today.

This blog will focus on positive fictional female role models. I will discuss different female characters in an attempt to promote positive ideals for intelligent and capable women.