100 Kick-Ass Female Characters: #29
29. Jenna Hamilton, as seen on Awkward, portrayed by Ashley Rickards
I started watching this show entirely on accident. The previews did absolutely nothing for me, so I would always turn the channel after finishing "Teen Mom" (stop judging me!) It was my cousin Jolene who told me that I should watch it because - in her words - "It's shockingly dirty for a sitcom on MTV and really funny, like those old movies you like." And by "old movies," she meant John Hughes' movies, which promptly made me feel about 105-years-old.
The premise of "Awkward" is slightly convulted but nonetheless works. Jenna Hamilton is a geek, unnoticed by the school at large unless to be used as a target of mocking; through a series of gaffs, everyone comes to believe Jenna attempted suicide (which she did not) and she ends up in what is initally a friends with benefits esque relationship with Matty, a popular jock. She is constantly bearing the brunt of mocking from Sadie, a mean girl cheerleader who is in love with Matty, and her best friends - Tamara and Ming - are equal parts supportive and judgmental, much like most friends in high school. Jenna's mother plays a large role on her life; Lacey had Jenna when she was a teenager and is very superficial, and it is she who, we learn in the season finale, writes the "care-frontation" letter Jenna receives in the premiere which leads people to believe Jenna tried to kill herself. My main complaint with most shows aimed at teens is that they don't accurately capture what it's like to be a teenager; for as much as shows like "My So-Called Life" capture what it feels like emotionally to be a teen, "Awkward" does a wonderful job at capturing the more comedic end of it.
What makes Jenna such a great protagonist is she's smart, she makes ridiculous mistakes and tries to bear the responsibility for them, and, as the season progresses, we see Jenna grow more and more of a backbone. This is perfectly represented in Jenna's handling of her relationship with Matty. Throughout the season, I was frequently frustrated with the way Jenna allowed Matty to treat her (sex in private but no dating in public) before I realized that, for teenage girls with low self-esteem, it's not really a strange way to behave. But when Jenna finally gathers the courage to tell Matty to either put up or shut up, and, in fact, moves on with a guy named Jake, I fistpumped.
In a world of teen shows where girls put up with an endless amount of bullshit and often times excuse what is downright emotionally abusive behavior, Jenna Hamilton is one of the few who says, "Nope, I'm done, I'm better than this, and I can find someone who will treat me better."
And that's awesomely kick-ass.
I started watching this show entirely on accident. The previews did absolutely nothing for me, so I would always turn the channel after finishing "Teen Mom" (stop judging me!) It was my cousin Jolene who told me that I should watch it because - in her words - "It's shockingly dirty for a sitcom on MTV and really funny, like those old movies you like." And by "old movies," she meant John Hughes' movies, which promptly made me feel about 105-years-old.
The premise of "Awkward" is slightly convulted but nonetheless works. Jenna Hamilton is a geek, unnoticed by the school at large unless to be used as a target of mocking; through a series of gaffs, everyone comes to believe Jenna attempted suicide (which she did not) and she ends up in what is initally a friends with benefits esque relationship with Matty, a popular jock. She is constantly bearing the brunt of mocking from Sadie, a mean girl cheerleader who is in love with Matty, and her best friends - Tamara and Ming - are equal parts supportive and judgmental, much like most friends in high school. Jenna's mother plays a large role on her life; Lacey had Jenna when she was a teenager and is very superficial, and it is she who, we learn in the season finale, writes the "care-frontation" letter Jenna receives in the premiere which leads people to believe Jenna tried to kill herself. My main complaint with most shows aimed at teens is that they don't accurately capture what it's like to be a teenager; for as much as shows like "My So-Called Life" capture what it feels like emotionally to be a teen, "Awkward" does a wonderful job at capturing the more comedic end of it.
What makes Jenna such a great protagonist is she's smart, she makes ridiculous mistakes and tries to bear the responsibility for them, and, as the season progresses, we see Jenna grow more and more of a backbone. This is perfectly represented in Jenna's handling of her relationship with Matty. Throughout the season, I was frequently frustrated with the way Jenna allowed Matty to treat her (sex in private but no dating in public) before I realized that, for teenage girls with low self-esteem, it's not really a strange way to behave. But when Jenna finally gathers the courage to tell Matty to either put up or shut up, and, in fact, moves on with a guy named Jake, I fistpumped.
In a world of teen shows where girls put up with an endless amount of bullshit and often times excuse what is downright emotionally abusive behavior, Jenna Hamilton is one of the few who says, "Nope, I'm done, I'm better than this, and I can find someone who will treat me better."
And that's awesomely kick-ass.