An interesting submission:

I don’t know if I’m qualified to answer this since i’m not a teenage girl…. or a girl… but here are my 2 cents… I think the one female character that is a good role model for girls right now is Pam from The Office. Though they’ve made reference to her having premarital sex (try and find one that hasn’t), she is seen as a hero because she escaped a dead-end relationship with a grown child in favor of the relationship with the truly decent and grown up Jim. Also, her first fiance, Roy was opposed to her returning to art school to pursue her dreams while Jim has encouraged her to use her gifts. Another example I am sure you will hear is Tina Fey. Tina represents all that is cool to young women right now. She’s successful, professional, funny, and cute. Her character on 30 Rock is a single, insecure woman but yet she is so gracefully awkward. I think a lot of girls need women like Tina Fey to look up to as someone that is imperfect but significant.

On the Pam point: The e-mailer says: “try and find one that hasn’t — this is part of my point. Are there any cool models out there of real or fictional single gals living differently (chastely)? Not the 90210 newspaper editor who’s infamously a virgin … well, until she gets her repressed self pregnant. Not the Britney who pretends while slutting herself out on stage. Real, normal, cool 20somethings whose lives are so full and they are so loved or at least have such self-respect that they don’t need all that wonderful stuff until they’re married.

I should point out that Wendy Shalit in Girls Gone Mild offers some real life gals who happily live young lives of modesty and self-respect.