Did Must See TV Spawn Today's Lady Antiheroines?

[Primetimer]

Liz Ball is not a crackpot; she just thinks the complex ladies of today's TV would be nothing without Elaine & Co.

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[Swellcatt]

I love Elaine. She was my role model when I was an awkward snarky teen. (And she had curly hair like me!) I could be like Elaine and it was lauded:

ELAINE: Look at that guy’s dog. I hate it when their ears get flipped inside out like that. Why doesn’t he fix it?
She moves so she can yell out the driver’s open window.
ELAINE (yelling): Hey! Fold your dog’s ear back!

(Fave moment! I say that to my dog all the time)

[zxy556575]

Claire Huxtable vs Elaine Benes! Perfect counterpoints. Other female sitcom stars were allowed to react to the wacky personalities around them but still had to maintain their core of goodness and nurturing. Even Mary Tyler Moore, save for some comedic facial expressions, wasn't really allowed to be funny on her own show (although it could be argued that supporting characters Sue Ann and Phyllis were prototypical Elaines).

I don't suppose one can cite JLD on herself, but her subsequent character on The New Adventures of Old Christine pretty much carried over Elaine's selfish traits. Which I also enjoyed.

[rejnel]

Let's not forget Grace Adler and Karen Walker--each a great badly behaved woman in her way.

[Delwyn]

I am not a crackpot, but... I would be emotionally satisfied if the final episode of Veep reveals that Selena Meyer accidentally found herself at an Avengers after party, gets knocked up by Agent Coulson and moves to the suburbs to be an alcoholic divorcee with zero instinct for parenting. Tony Stark would build Buster Bluth the best bionic hand, which he would use to take seals to the brink of extinction and also taunt Hamish Linklater about who has the creepiest/most devoted vibe. Selena will definitely get into a competitive karaoke situation with the fox from Zootopia and Michael Scott. Afternoon Delight, obvs, while Mallory Archer rolls her eyes in disgust.

Wait, BRB, I have some crossover fanfic to write.

[Temperance]

I have been thinking about this post for a while. I agree with most of it and I really liked the shout out to Lucy Ricardo. I also think what is so different about these ladies is that they are all relatively young and of ahem child-bearing age.
Older women have always been allowed to be difficult and hard to please, as in the mother-in-law jokes dating back to the fifties. Lucille Bluth owes as much (or more) to Endora on Bewitched as she does to Elaine. If Lucille Bluth is one of the Bluth monstresses, then Emily Gilmore also deserves a shout out. And maybe Lorelai too!