ERIN GRAY

Happy Birthday to actress Erin Gray! Born on this day in 1950, Gray rocketed on my radar in 1979 when she was cast as Colonel Wilma Deering in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. I loved how she portrayed a strong female role-model on that series. Much like the Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman, Deering was an independent and powerful character who reminded me of the real women in my family. It was a cool age that started to show some evolution in regards to gender. Gray once said, "I was the first female colonel. I enjoyed being that kind of role model for young women watching the show. A woman can be a colonel! A woman can be in charge! Those were new ideas then." Despite advancements in the culture, many people have continued to suffer from power struggles and abuse. Gray courageously shared her story of domestic abuse with Stand! here. This reminds me of a documentary I once helped get made called Wonder Women: The Untold Story of American Superheroines. We heard from many great minds in the film, including Lynda Carter, Gloria Steinem, Trina Robbins, Lindsay Wagner, and Kathleen Hanna. And as they discussed the various female action characters in films in TV shows through the decades, it was shocking to see how many were sacrificed, tortured, or were simply patterned on male power symbols. The culture still has a long way to go, but I want to give a heartfelt salute of gratitude to Erin Gray (and Lynda and Lindsay) for showing us our better potential back in the 1970s. We can get there! Celebrate by re-exploring the Buck Rogers TV series on DVD or Blu-ray. Reprints of the TV comic book were published recently by Hermes Press. Enjoy!