Played by Diana Rigg in the mid-sixties television series The Avengers, Emma Peel was a force to be reckoned with, and I loved to watch her. She was the transformation of my girlhood’s beloved Laura Petrie from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Marlo Thomas in That Girl.
Charming, sexy and self-assured, she was a preteen girl’s ideal. As Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and Shirley Chisholm were shaping my political view of world, the fictional Emma Peel captured my sense of wonder and helped define the meaning of feminine power.
-Beth Blitzer
For more information, visit The Avengers Forever.
Check back tomorrow to learn about a fictional heroine whose series of books is still read by girls today.