that is QUITE the, um, 'dress'

Certainly no-one as badass since her, but might I humbly suggest Big Maybelle Smith... this is perhaps the single YouTube video I was most pleasantly surprised at finding; it's her at the Newport Jazz Festival in the late 50s.

oh what a coincidence, i actually wore that same outfit today!

it's just so practical... goes with everything.

This makes me want to watch Thunderdome.

OH my god, what a wonderful performance. I never knew that she was this good.

One thing I really like about Tina is that even as she has gotten older, she's not afraid to show off her body and demand attention. So many female pop stars disappear or become demure in older age (due to societal pressures, of course). Tina hasn't folded.

Tina kicking Ike's ass. That's the ONLY thing more badass than Tina alone.

The woman is fabulous. The dress is fabulous. She's such an inspiration. Love her. Love her. Love her.

I just had the BEST class today in med school. The teacher was discussing observation of the body as a diagnostic tool. She had a picture of Tina Turner and Beyonce up as having "ideal legs". She said she only had Tina Turner on that slide until last year, when one of the students asked who she was. Ack, I am old.

I also had a classmate tell me he didn't know who Tone Loc was. He is not as bad ass as Tina, but still....I am old.

Tina is great but the challenge can be answered in one word: Aretha.

I nominate Dolly Parton. And I second CJJ's Aretha nomination.

While perhaps not more bad-ass, this woman definitely comes close: Doris, Thunder Tears. Shes the bad-ass bassist of a Taiwanese black metal band, the spokeswoman for a feminist organization working in that part of the world called "The Awakening Foundation" (http://chthonic.server341.com/newsen/?p=77), she shreds with the best of 'em, and she was just great when I got to meet her on the Ozzfest tour.

Obligatory video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSUN0LHjW4

At first watching this video, I thought, man, she looks old. But then I realized that's what makes it so cool. :)

Sarah Connor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Connor_(Terminator)

seriously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayaan_Hirsi_Ali

Zoe wins it. Sarah Connor is awesome. Although I would like to tentatively suggest Lt Ellen Ripley (and for that matter, Sigourney Weaver).

Oh, wow.

Though I actually don't think Tina, Aretha or Dolly can be challenged, I nominate Beth Ditto.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Ditto)

Long ago, Amanda Marcotte and I traded suggestions for coolest potential blog commenter. Hands-down consensus winner: Kathleen Hannah.

I think Aretha could have her beat on the goddess scale...but bad-assness is still Tina's. And I reject movie characters--Tina can't be beat by a fictional movie gal!! :)

maybe not more bad-ass, but AS bad-ass, for sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjD4eWEUgMM&mode=related&search=

I'd say that although she wasn't as bad-ass as Tina Turner, Janis Joplin ranks up there.

Great performance, but I can't really be too impressed by a singer who's best song is a cover (and isn't even as good as the original version).

My last comment is probably a little unfair. She didn't write the song, but she does sing the hell out of it.

I don't know why it wasn't posted but... I nominate Janis Joplin and Sinead O'Connor as equally bad ass. And since I'm posting this again I'd like to add Alanis Morissette to that.

Hmm.

Outside of fictional characters, it's hard to think of anyone more badass than Tina.

That being said, Irina Derevko is scary, Zoe Washburn is cool as ice, and of course there is Mara Jade whom those fuckers at Bantam nerfed like General Grievous in Episode III.