Topic: Girl Crushable

Girl Crushable: TV Writer and Whedonverse Superstar Jane Espenson

What kismet — today is Jane Espenson‘s birthday, which validates even more my choice to make her this week’s Girl Crush. Even though I say that it’s Joss Whedon who made me think that I could make a living as a writer, Jane Espenson is a more personal idol. Obviously there’s the fact that she’s one of the top-ranked female TV writers, but she is just so damn cool. She’s so well-respected, in fact, that she’s inspired a hashtag just for her special day: #JaneBday More »

Girl Crushable: Princess Wonder Woman

I’m cheating on today’s Girl Crushable, but I don’t care because I have to put this video up. Here’s the scenario: Little Daria got invited to a birthday party where the boys get to dress up as superheroes but the girls can only be princesses. Enter her incredibly smart (and obviously geeky) father Jay C. Batzner, who sews her a Wonder Woman costume. That’s Princess Diana of Themiscyra, always wriggling through birthday party loopholes. More »

Girl Crushable: Megan Fox

Hear me out.

I’m probably the closest thing to a Megan Fox apologist: I’ll insist to anyone that she was one of the best things about Jennifer’s Body because of how she embodied the deadly teen queen but was still vulnerable and downright hilarious. Unfortunately, she’s received a ton of bad press lately, mostly for getting herself herself kicked off Transformers: Dark of the Moon after she complained about Michael Bay‘s dictatorial directing. Girlfriend, that is the smartest thing you could’ve done. More »

Girl Crushable: The Education Connection Girl

I’m here today to tell you about Education Connection. Not because I advocate going to school online while wearing your PJs, but because the TV commercial is wonderfully cheesy. Even though it’s over two years old, almost weekly I watch this nameless girl sing (and rap) about how getting a degree will net her a bigger income. It’s got color changes, costumes, and some wicked dance moves.

My affection for this girl is twofold. You can’t help but root for her on-screen persona, the waitress with big dreams of the music business (I’m guessing from the ketchup and mustard bottles rotating on the turntable). But then you have to give props to the actress who’s willing to rap out this silly song with such conviction. More »

Girl Crushable: Alicia Jo Rabins and Girls in Trouble

For all of my issues with religion, I’m grateful that I grew up with a Catholic school education, because the rich stories and characters became ingrained in my subconscious. Whether I actually believed passages from the Bible didn’t matter as much as the emotional attachment I had to these people — especially the women.

Girls in Trouble, an American folk/underground rock group comprised of husband and wife Alicia Jo Rabins and Aaron Hartman, enlivens these archetypal women through beautiful, multi-instrumental songs and haunting lyrics. I’m no music expert, but Girls in Trouble reminds me of singers like Joanna Newsom and Patty Griffin — whimsical melodies that have real weight to them. More »

Girl Crushable: Countess LuAnn from ‘Real Housewives of New York’

I did not see this coming. When I started watching The Real Housewives of New York in 2009, LuAnn de Lesseps was one of my least favorite because of her insistence that people refer to her as “Countess” and her judgment of others’ social faux pas. Despite being season 1′s token sexy divorcee, she was a drag.

But as the interesting ones leave (Bethenny Frankel) and others become hideously manipulative shrews (Ramona Singer), I have newfound respect for LuAnn. More »

Girl Crushable: Maurissa Tancharoen

It was clear in my interview for Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: The Book that I respect and admire Maurissa Tancharoen for her work in the Whedonverse, so at the risk of seeming redundant, I’ll keep today’s Girl Crushable short. The thing is, I didn’t post one yesterday because I didn’t have a particular woman in mind for this week. Then last night, I happened across Tancharoen’s Twitter, where she had written, So in my prednisone-induced insomniac state, I started this with a link to a new blog, It’s So Not Sexy. More »

Girl Crushable: Kristina Horner, Creator of the “What Would Buffy Do?” Music Video

I just learned about Kristina Horner from her cute tribute video “What Would Buffy Do?”, but the musician is a bonafide YouTube celebrity thanks to her work in the worlds of vlogging and Harry Potter-inspired wizard rock. Like a younger Felicia Day, she champions the geek-girl cause with songs and videos that remind us how inspiring these TV shows and books are. Her latest: An anthem for girls who want to stand up for others, following in the footsteps of Joss Whedon‘s iconic heroine. More »

Girl Crushable: Annie Walker from ‘Bridesmaids’

She doesn't have to be drunk to have a good time.

When you write a movie, it would be so easy to turn yourself into a Mary Sue: The author’s self-insertion, a perfect beauty who everyone loves. Thank goodness that Kristen Wiig resisted that temptation when she took on the role of Annie Walker in the comedy Bridesmaids. Annie is unemployed; sleeping with a guy who doesn’t respect her after, let alone the next morning; and has almost hit rock bottom as regards her bank account. As Maid of Honor to her best friend, everything she touches turns to shit: The dress fitting, the bridal shower, the bachelorette party. And yet, Annie’s endearing because she tries so hard to make her best friend happy. Plus, she has really kickass fashion sense. More »

What We're Reading:

Girl Crushable: Ginnifer Goodwin

While Something Borrowed isn’t the pinnacle of wedding-themed romantic-comedies, it does have one major upside: Finally bringing Ginnifer Goodwin to the forefront as a leading actress. In this case, art imitates life: Goodwin, after spending years playing sidekicks and unresolved love interests, steps out of other actors’ shadows. More »

Girl Crushable: Gaby Rodriguez, the High School Senior Who Faked a Pregnancy as a Social Experiment

Teen pregnancy: Everywhere you turn, there’s a high-school girl with a swollen stomach and a misguided sense of what it means to be a mother. MTV capitalized on it with the reality shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom; Secret Life of the American Teenager owes its existence to the phenomenon; and Lifetime modeled a movie after a real-life pregnancy pact at a Massachusetts high school. But social experiment? That’s a new one. More »