Ever since I started this blog I’ve wanted to do a post highlighting some of the different ways female scientists are portrayed in pop culture (as you may have seen me mention in this post listing some of my favourite fictional women in science). This post is primarily based on things I’ve watched or read, so if I’ve missed your favourite feel free to hit me up in the comments. I was basically able to break these characters and the ways they are portrayed into three categories: the good, the bad, and the crazy.
The Good
To start off this section we have the iconic characters that I grew up with in the 90’s, Ellie Satler and Dana Scully. Satler (Jurassic Park) is blonde but super smart, not afraid to get her hands dirty, and not here for your misogynistic bullshit. Scully (The X Files) is a total badass who doesn’t take any crap, and while strongly believing in science is also open to new ideas. In the 00’s I was a big fan of Abby Scuito from NCIS, and it is mostly for my teenage self that she gets a nod on this list. On the one hand she’s a TV forensic scientist which means there are definitely inaccuracies in the work she does, but on the other hand she smashes all the stereotypes of how scientists look and behave (Note: most of the characters I use as examples in this post get off the hook when it comes to scientific accuracy because they are sci-fi or fantasy but NCIS is meant to be more realistic).
In more recent years the diversity of female scientists on screens has expanded to include more than just straight white women. Orphan Black features Queer science power couple Cosima Niehaus and Delphine Cormier. Cosima will do whatever is needed to help her sisters, including dropping out of her PhD to study their unique biology. Delphine is originally working for the enemy but changes sides when she falls for Cosima, and will do anything to protect her. The female reboot of Ghostbusters has been pretty polarising with people either loving or hating it, but it shows a diverse group of smart women (both academic and street smarts) working together to kick ass. Earlier this year Black Panther hit cinemas and has been killing it at the box office. Featuring in this movie is Shuri, Princess of Wakanda, who is the genius behind much of the nation’s incredible technology, and isn’t afraid to stand and fight for what is right.
Of course awesome female scientists don’t have to be restricted to live-action movies and TV shows. There are also some great animated examples! Adventure Time’s Princess Bubblegum is an important role model in a show mostly watched by children. Not only is she a female scientist but PB is also a princess who refuses to be a damsel in distress. Disney’s Big Hero 6 also featured some talented women in STEMM in Honey Lemon and Go Go Tomago. Honey Lemon is a bit clumsy and awkward with a cheery, optimistic personality. She is also a chemistry genius and is able to make complex calculations at record speed. More of an engineer, Go Go is pretty much the opposite of Honey Lemon in every way. She is sarcastic, cynical, and athletic with a need for speed. However she is also fiercely loyal and will do anything to help her friends.
The Bad
I’m going to start this section with the TV show whose portrayals of scientists annoy me the most, which is The Big Bang Theory. This show reinforces a lot of old stereotypes about scientists that should have died long ago. Yet because of its wide-spread popularity it is what many people immediately think of when picturing scientists. I really hate getting Sheldon comparisons when I mention I’m a scientist or that I have a PhD. In my opinion pretty much all the characters in this show are terrible but this post focuses on female scientists. I dislike that they go with the cliche that most females in science go for biology or medical research over physics or engineering, and that the women who go into typically male-dominated fields act more like men. At one end of the spectrum there is Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, a feminine former-beauty queen microbiologist who works for a pharmaceutical company. On the other side is Leslie Winkle, a theoretical physicist who is kinda tomboyish and manipulative. There is also Amy Farrah Fowler, a frumpy, slightly robotic neurobiologist who is basically meant to be “female Sheldon”. She’s played by Mayim Bialik who is a neuroscientist in real life, but she is also noted as having some pretty non-scientific views on vaccines and homeopathy.
I also hate the old sci-fi trope of scientists who are overly ambitious, motivated by greed, or just plain careless and accidentally end up endangering the entire human race. In reality most scientists are in it because it is their passion, or because they want to help people and solve real problems. Many are struggling to keep their heads above water in terms of funding and job security. One recent offender of this was Doctor Who, but in a win for diversity the female scientist featured in the particular episode I’m thinking of was a woman of short stature. A recurring female scientist character in Doctor Who is Petronella Osgood. Whilst Osgood has many traits of the stereotypical nerd (she’s a Doctor fangirl with low self-confidence who wears big glasses and has allergies/asthma), she is also smart, brave, and able to stay cool in a crisis.
My last example of a bad portayal of a woman in STEMM isn’t a paticularly serious one and the character herself is fabulous, but it is a bit disappointing that Edna Mode from The Incredibles is shown as more of a fashion type when she is clearly a brilliant materials scientist. She also appreciates occupational health and safety (“No capes!”).
The Crazy
There is a much greater prevalence of male mad scientist-type characters but females are definitely not immune. Probably the most notable is Poison Ivy from the Batman universe. Poison Ivy (real name Dr Pamela Isley) is a botanist who turns super-villain after being poisoned by her professor and developing immunity to all natural toxins. She seduces her victims using plant pheromones and can kill with a kiss, secreting toxins from her lips. Outside of comic books, another example of a female mad scientist is Karen Ross from Michael Crichton’s Congo. She starts off just in the overly ambitious category but goes a bit loopy towards the end of the story and insists on preceding with her mission despite obvious dangers (eg. setting off explosives in the walls of a volcano that is about to erupt). Finally we have another Disney character, Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove who I definitely think is one of the more underrated Disney villains. She’s power hungry and crazy but definitely has some science skills with her ability to concoct a range of poisons.
Reign of Science 