A bit of froth for Brendan’s Prompt on Real Toads: Heroes and Heroines. I must be honest, I own all the CD’s of the series while Diana Rigg was playing Mrs. Peel. I stayed up late in order to watch the TV series. I took karate, judo, fencing, and my father taught me how to shoot a revolver. Emma Peel was bad to the bone. I was Emma Peel-lite.
When I Grow Up
Because of you
I took judo and karate,
Fencing.
Because of you
I discovered
Women can be strong –
Damascene steel under lace,
Tigress in black leather.
The lithe lissome beauty
with a Webley in hand –
Kikazuke Geri
Tiger claw
Remise
Passata soto
Fleche
Intelligent witty elegant –
Dangerous
I still want to be Emma Peel when I grow up.
public domain
public domain
kanzen sakura 
May 20, 2018 @ 00:11:50
I love the tale of that young girl growing strong, “steel under lace, tigress in black leather.”
May 20, 2018 @ 00:18:01
Before I ever heard of onnabugeisha (female Samurai/warrior) there was Emma Peel.
May 20, 2018 @ 04:52:31
I sure was nuts for Emma Peele too, watching those episode of “The Saint” in the Sixties. Oddly, the first female lead in that show was Honor Blackman, whom Rigg replaced after the former went on to play in “Goldfinger.” And then Rigg appeared in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” the first Bond film after Connery’s departure and my utter favorite. Miss Peele was so compelling a hero, so desirable and yet aloof, unattainable, above and apart from the crowd. No wonder you found in that figure the archetype of the female Samurai!
May 20, 2018 @ 08:40:57
And that wretched Linda Thorsen replaced Rigg. She truly was onnabugeisha and not your usual female of the sixties. I also fell in love with Patrick McKee as well who, was raised by his mother and her lesbian lover. I think that gave him a vulnerability most men did not have back then. Because of him, I still carry an umbrella sword and they are always black in color.
May 20, 2018 @ 07:10:23
I am more familiar with the Avengers in the comic books and on the silver screen at the moment, but that TV series does look very cool.
May 20, 2018 @ 08:35:47
Those Avenger s were comic book folks. The Avenger s was a way cool tv series in the late sixties from England. If it had not been for the Beatles I doubt we in the States would have seen it. You may want to check out some things from before you were born. You may be surprised at the way coolness of them. There was also a comic book series of The Avengers. Before the modern day Avenger s were born.
May 22, 2018 @ 05:53:40
*snort laugh* Yes, I was fairly aware of the difference between the two and that cool art existed before I was born. But thanks for the thoughtful reminder.
May 22, 2018 @ 06:28:28
You are more than welcome. Always glad to inform you young folk, especially when you young folk have stated that you are not aware of things that happened before you were born. You have a tremendous day! *smiling gently*
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May 20, 2018 @ 08:07:26
I loved that show, and Emma Peel was definitely the coolest.
May 20, 2018 @ 08:36:12
Yes she was!
May 20, 2018 @ 08:17:12
Ha! Didin’t all we girls want to be her, the female antidote to the aggressively male Bond-men, (tho I must say, Steed was a tad bit more flexible, ironic and vulnerable than the usual.)Loved this, Toni–thanks for taking me back there.
May 20, 2018 @ 08:50:55
You are mos def welcome. Patrick McKee was the bestest ever. When I met my husband, I keep thinking he reminded me of someone – extremely intelligent, funny in a low key dry way, urbane yet vulnerable. About three months after we met I sat up in bed and went Steed! The man of my dreams. Like me, he also carried an umbrella that was a sword. I married the man of my dreams.
May 20, 2018 @ 09:43:20
We all need role models who speak to what we instinctively know is the best in ourselves. Although i never got into The Avengers, I know that for a great many, Mrs. Peel was IT.
May 20, 2018 @ 11:17:00
Yes ma’am. She was mos def the IT
May 20, 2018 @ 09:53:26
Oh yes… I remember when they had the old avengers on rerun… Emma Peel knew how to handle herself…
May 20, 2018 @ 11:17:25
And others!
May 20, 2018 @ 10:34:16
I think your wish has been granted. Loved this write.
May 20, 2018 @ 11:08:52
Loved this! I wanted to be Bruce Lee when I was younger. Emma Peel was the original Wonder Woman….as far as I’m concerned.
May 21, 2018 @ 15:17:10
Yes. She was mos def an onnabugeisha – female samurai. And how cool that you wanted to be Bruce Lee!
May 21, 2018 @ 15:55:53
🙂
May 21, 2018 @ 19:53:40
Wonderful, Toni! I feel inspired to watch some original Avengers in action, especially Peel! 🙂