# Women you admire. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233 "2004-11-01T02:23:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/21 "2004-11-01T13:04:54Z")
[Kathy Bates](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/). She’s one of the few, good actresses who isn’t known for her beauty. She’s been in several dozen movies. My favorites are _Misery_, _About Schmidt_, and _Primary Colors_. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/22 "2004-11-01T13:31:30Z")
[Eleanor Roosevelt](http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ar32.html) [Virginia Woolf](http://www.utoronto.ca/IVWS/) [Lillian Hellman](http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc55.html) [Elizabeth Kubler-Ross](http://www.elisabethkublerross.com/) [Marie Curie](http://www.aip.org/history/curie/) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/23 "2004-11-01T13:51:06Z")
Martha Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/24 "2004-11-01T16:05:04Z")
just gonna do living public figures… Maggie Thatcher Nancy Reagan Condi Rice Phyllis Schlafly Mother Angelica (I think she’s still alive- btw, I disagree with her stridently hard-right Catholicism but I admire her for launching EWTN) Tori Amos (her RAINN work & musical innovation) Kate Bush (also musical innovation) I’m sure there are more but they are the first who came to mind ---
**Author:** ![Jamlad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@Jamlad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamlad)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/25 "2004-11-01T17:45:24Z")
Margaret Cho ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/26 "2004-11-01T18:05:32Z")
Oprah Winfrey–for being one of the most gentle, caring, generous, talented, inspirational women in the world. Angelina Jolie–for her work in Cambodia, etc. She more than just a beautiful face. [http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/Celebs/Gossip/Articles/Honorary+Cambodian.htm](http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/Celebs/Gossip/Articles/Honorary+Cambodian.htm) Joanna Lumley–for being hilarious and talented beyond her beauty. [http://www.tmaw.co.uk/joannal.html](http://www.tmaw.co.uk/joannal.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/27 "2004-11-01T18:16:15Z")
My own great-grandmother. She got pregnant out of wedlock in the 1920s and the guy offered to make an honest woman out of her. She said no way loser, had the baby (my paternal grandfather) on her own, and raised him alone. I knew her for the last seven years of her life, the last three or so years of which she was completely blind, but she lived on her own, kept her apartment clean and cooked her own meals until she died from a stroke. I don’t care what universe you’re from, she had backbone. And guts. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/28 "2004-11-01T18:36:34Z")
I can’t believe it’s taken until the 28th post for **Mother Teresa** to get named. And by an atheist, yet! ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/29 "2004-11-01T20:00:01Z")
Elizabeth I Martha Washington Abigail Adams Mary Wollstonecraft Jane Addams Hedy Lamarr Rosa Parks Melina Mercouri Aung Sung Su Kyi ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/30 "2004-11-01T20:43:43Z")
> [@F. U. Shakespeare](#): > > I can’t believe it’s taken until the 28th post for **Mother Teresa** to get named. > > And by an atheist, yet! Do a thread search on her to see why she’s not particularly admirable. As for Mrs. Parker, I love her work and her wit, but she was a self-pitying, suicidal, alcoholic _mess_. “Admire?” I guess Queen Eliz. I, Jan Morris, Eleanor Roosevelt, Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony & Eliz. Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, Lillian Gish . . . ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/31 "2004-11-01T20:50:42Z")
Originally posted by **Eve** > [@](#): > > As for Mrs. Parker, I love her work and her wit, but she was a self-pitying, suicidal, alcoholic _mess_ Isn’t that the reason she is admired so much? Don’t we all love messes? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/32 "2004-11-01T21:05:56Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Maggie Thatcher > Nancy Reagan > Condi Rice > Phyllis Schlafly Votin’ Democrat this year, are we? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/33 "2004-11-02T02:40:20Z")
The two dozen breast cancer survivors I coach for dragon boat racing. Quite seriously, they are my heros. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/34 "2004-11-02T03:02:31Z")
Doris Day. Started out as a promising dancer and her career was cut short by injury. Within a few years, never having sung before, became one of the biggest selling jazz vocalists in America. After her incredibly successful movie career retired and discovered that her husband had embezzled all her money and lost it. Re-invented herself as a TV star and made back her fortune and retired again to work with her own animal welfare group. Her somn has said that when Rock Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS, she asked him to get Hudson to live in her guest cottage so she could look after him. Debbie Harry. Repeatedly managed musical success as everything from a prototype punk diva to a jazz singer. Gave up 3 years of her career to nurse boyfriend Chris Stein even though the relationship was on the verge of ending and ended once he regained his health. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/35 "2004-11-02T03:13:00Z")
Flannery O’ Connor, though that’s more “love” than “admire.” My hero, and I’m depressed that she hasn’t been named yet: [Aung San Suu Kyi.](http://www.dassk.org/index.php) ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/36 "2004-11-02T03:42:58Z")
> [@furt](#): > > My hero, and I’m depressed that she hasn’t been named yet: > > [Aung San Suu Kyi.](http://www.dassk.org/index.php) Don’t be depressed – she’s been mentioned twice so far, at least on my screen. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/37 "2004-11-02T03:51:19Z")
[Claire Wolfe](http://www.clairewolfe.com/) – Libertarian author [Sunni Maravillosa](http://www.sunnimaravillosa.com/) – Libertarian author [Joni Mitchell](http://www.jonimitchell.com/) – One of the best folk song writers ever [Annie Oakley](http://www.cowgirls.com/dream/cowgals/oakley.htm) – One of the best shots ever [Jan Axelson](http://www.lvr.com/) – Computer interfacing expert [Una Persson](http://www.geocities.com/unaboard/index.html) – Coal Goddess ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/38 "2004-11-02T04:05:02Z")
> [@LilyoftheValley](#): > > Don’t be depressed – she’s been mentioned twice so far, at least on my screen. 😕 That’s fine for you, Miss knows-how-to-read. What about those of us who don’t own computers, eh? [/passive-aggressive outburst occasioned by acute embarrasment] ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/39 "2004-11-02T04:26:09Z")
Susan B. Anthony - thank you for tomorrow Elizabeth Cady Stanton - thank you for tomorrow Rosa Parks - refused to move to the back of the bus - think how hard that must have been Harriet Tubman - underground railroad for children Oprah Winfrey - took the high road when talk shows turned to crap Eleanor Roosevelt - knew her own mind Of course their stories are much larger than my phrases but that is what first comes to mind about why I think they are so great. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233/40 "2004-11-02T05:59:04Z")
[Margaret of Anjou](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_of_Anjou) Joan of Arc (OK, OK, I’m a fifteenth-century-history geek) 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-you-admire/272233.md?page=3)