Penny in Inspector Gadget was clearly smarter than her uncle and had a trained dog. She predates Zelda.

Well, I guess there goes my suggestion of Velma from Scooby-Doo.

How about Smurfette? She was confident, had great hair, and had to trailblaze women's rights in a male dominated world (not to mention bearing sole responsibility for the future of Smurfkind).

I gotta go with Penny, too. She and the dog were the real stars of that show. Although the way she constantly deferred to her bumbling cyborg uncle got a little grating. Where's her thanks? Where's her pat on the back from that guy with the mustache? Of course, it might have all been just a clever ploy to keep Whats-his-name-cat-stroker from knowing his true enemy...

Yeah, she's pretty much the only one. Every other female in the shows I watched were only good for being kidnapped or threatened or otherwise impersonating Achilles's heel. Infuriatingly so, at times. I was only six, and I still wanted to smash in Smurfette's stupid, blonde, featherbrain head. I don't care if Gargamel did create you to be a dizzy bitch, show some personal growth!

Okay I'm done now.

I disagree about Smurfette being a good female role model. Her entire (if left implied) purpose for existing was to give the Smurfs someway to procreate. I don't see how her being a ready vessel for Papasmurf seed is somehow progressive. Not to mention all she seemed to do was get captured.

In contrast, Josie and the Pussycats did things, went places, had jobs, solved crimes. They were proactive members of their own lives, rather than waiting passively for the next thing to happen to them (well, mostly; it seems they did their fair share of getting captured by villians, but it appears that they always managed to escape on their own). Their stories didn't revolve around men as much as other shows, although male roles were included in the show (Sebastian, for instance); the cartoon revolved around solving crimes and playing music. That's pretty darn cool. No wonder the show didn't last that long.

Cheetara. Definitely Cheetara. She kicked ass and was HAWT. What else do you need?

I still think Wilma isn't a great role model. I mean, there's a woman who's completely happy to have no aspirations whatsoever. Her entire life revolves around being the perfect 1950s housewife. What kind of role model is that? Plus, Wilma teaches young ladies that it's okay if your husband is a sodden-drunk, lazy layabout...wait, I do like Wilma after all.

(Granted, I haven't seen The Flintstones in...I don't know, fifteen years.)

True, but, you know, excuses. I meant "purpose for existing" as purpose bestowed by the cartoonists, not by Gargamel. Without her, it would just be a bunch of guys in Smurfville, a la Brokeback Mountain, right? Her existence somewhat negates that possibility.

(I'm totally talking out my ass here. Did it work? )

Um, what about Lisa Hayes from Robotech?

Which brings up the question as to whether it's a bad thing to focus on being a good homemaker. Lois Griffin might have words for you aobut that.

What, the Woman who got a job as a secretary and who lost her powers if she got tied up?

The original scope of the discussion from the other thread was cartoons only, and implicitly American cartoons. However, feel free to expand the discussion as you see fit; I don't mind.

Although I agree with Pred that there's nothing wrong with being a damn good homemaker, especially considering the social standards for women a la early 1960's, I don't think Wilma's a particularly great role model either. She's completely defined in the TV show by her role as foil to her alcoholic, lazy layabout of a husband--that is, her identity is entirely dependent upon her man's. Plus, she wears pearls and high heels to cook dinner.