One thing that always bothered me in media is that when writers wanted a female character to be portrayed as “strong” they immediately created a woman who was both beautiful and able to kick ass. She had to be able to throw a punch in red lipstick and keep up with the boys while running in heals. She had to have the physical capability as a male action lead in order to be acknowledged as someone empowered. If she was portrayed with little fighting experience or a pacifist, she’d be labeled weak because that’s not what the media’s definition of “strong” is for women.

For a long time as I was growing up I couldn’t stand the stereotypical strong female character. She was always bland and her only redeemable quality was that she could fight. As someone who isn’t physically strong and terrified of confrontation, I had difficulty relating to…