The feminist canon should span art, science, leadership and a host of ways women have contributed to society. Who are or were the women of television? Google might send you to the Emmy Awards lists, as nominees and winners reveal some of the most talented in the business for any given year. The feminist canon is shaped by many more women and men than just the big names. In their lives, they may have not received their due recognition.

Our In Memoriam episodes list TV women who passed in that year and are foundational to the mission of Advanced TV Herstory. For instance, MTV brought Irene Cara (singer of Fame and Flashdance)  and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac changed our world. We studied their polish and joy in making music. They are among the bigger names who passed in 2022.

Gendered History

Dead celebrity lists contain lots of men, because media elevates and sustains their celebrity status. Sports, politics, literature and  entertainment — their accomplishments are so close at hand. Dead women celebrities or women behind-the-scenes, suffer a different fate. They often have short bio profiles in IMDb or Wikipedia and few magazine or news mentions. In an business where age makes you invisible, a struggling actress or writer may not want update her bio.

But that shouldn’t mean she didn’t exist or that her work is no longer remembered. Advanced TV Herstory strives to give these women their final flowers. So long as I pay my hosting fee, it’s preserved on the internet years to come.

Celebrating Your Circle

On a more personal note, the same can be said of women in our lives –  relatives, old neighbors, co-workers, teammates or classmates. In 2023, I  pledge to keep celebrating the women in my life and remind them just how caring, talented, smart, etc… they are. It’s much more rewarding than saving kind words for the end of the year in which they  passed.