Why Peppermint Patty Is the Best Peanuts Character

Peppermint PattyDo you have a favorite Peanuts character, friends? That’s an age-old question, I know, and there are so many possible choices for a favorite. There’s Charlie Brown, with his lovable innocence. There’s Lucy, with her bossy attitude, which I can admit to identifying with. But when all is said and done, there’s one character that towers above the rest. She’s the one, the only one — Peppermint Patty.

First of all, yes, I’m aware that this seems like an incredibly random post on a completely random Tuesday in February. But I’ve been saving this idea since November — over Thanksgiving weekend, to be exact. You see, I was SO sad to see everyone dragging Peppermint Patty on Twitter. It was the night that A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was on TV. Maybe you’ve seen it; in fact, you’ve probably seen it! It’s the classic where Peppermint Patty invites herself to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. I mean, OK, so maybe it wasn’t exactly nice to invite yourself, but people on Twitter were coming for her like there was no tomorrow!

And that’s when I realized just how much I love that shirt-and-sandals lady! She’s fierce and strong and outspoken and powerful. Plus, she’s not afraid to be herself, even when her friend Marcie is constantly calling her “sir.” Like, that doesn’t even seem to faze her in the slightest and, well, I AM HERE FOR THAT. I’m here for her bucking conventions and saying “this is who I am.”

Isn’t that a beautiful thing?

Peppermint PattyPlus, she had such a huge crush on Charlie Brown and he was oblivious!! He totally friend-zoned her!!! Honestly, I’ve never identified more with a cartoon character in my entire life and I can’t emphasize that enough, people!!!! Friend. Zoned.

Seeing Peppermint Patty trending also reminded me of that time those internet trolls compared me to her, so I’d just like to end this post with one more important question: Who wears green better?? And, we both have that Big Hair Energy that is just wild and phenomenal — in cartoons and in real life, of course!!

Peppermint PattyI’d love to hear all about your favorite Peanuts character and why you love them! Their adventures never get old, do they? I particularly love the one where they all go to Europe as exchange students and have all sorts of wild adventures!! xoxo

Yes! Lizzo Is Making Us All Feel “Good As Hell”

LizzoApparently, not everyone thinks Lizzo should feel good as hell — hi, Twitter trolls…we see you! It doesn’t matter, though, because she’s too busy feeling good as hell on the cover of Rolling Stone to even notice!

Oooooh, and don’t forget about those shiny Grammy trophies she won last night!

Following the singer tweeting that she was leaving the social media platform for awhile because of trolls, she isn’t holding anything back in her interview with the venerable music magazine. I’ve been thinking about the powerful meaning behind that Rolling Stone cover. It’s sending a message and one that the world needs to hear.

The message? That she’s #sorrynotsorry. That she’s going to exist and thrive whether you (read: trolls) like it or not. It’s as if she’s telling off the entire world and I’m here for all of it.

LizzoWe live in a world that loves to comment on people’s weight, especially when it comes to women’s bodies. And not just comment — judge, criticize, rip apart, dissect, shame and insult. And yet, we don’t criticize men’s bodies in the same way — or even at all. In fact, we openly praise the Dad Bod trend. We love Dad Bods — we’ve even said how “hot” they are on celebrities.

The double standards and hypocrisy is never-ending, it seems. I’ve been called all the names, so I feel for Lizzo. The world isn’t kind to people who live outside the lines, who don’t fit society’s definition of pretty and who dare to be unapologetically themselves. And when those people are women? Society is extra vicious, especially online.

The body-shaming that women experience just for existing is harmful and doesn’t belong in 2020. Can this please be the year that we stop with the fatphobia? Better yet, let’s stop commenting on women’s bodies altogether. Let’s stop policing their very existence.

Because here’s the thing: People like Lizzo and myself…we don’t need your approval to feel good as hell about ourselves. We didn’t ask for your approval and we don’t want it. We love our bodies and we’re proud of our bodies. And we’re going to keep loving them whether you like it or not.

LizzoWomen have the right to feel good as hell about themselves. Women have the right to celebrate their bodies. And women have the right to love themselves — just as they are. Lizzo is telling us that on the cover of Rolling Stone. Are we finally going to listen? Living well really is the best revenge and I’m here for all of Lizzo’s revenge!!!

All the Feels: How Frozen 2’s Kristoff Redefined Masculinity For a New Generation

KristoffAs I mentioned yesterday, there’s A LOT going on in Frozen 2 — even beyond the powerful statements about sisterhood. Case in point: The adorably sweet and lovable Kristoff. The portrayal of his character and how he presents healthy masculinity is such a groundbreaking Disney first and it’s so important that we keep talking about it, even long after the movie is gone from the theaters.

First, though, I must admit something: I didn’t pick up on this right away. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve always loved Kristoff, with his sheepish grin and boyish nature. Plus, did you know that he was raised by trolls?? How cool is that?? Like I said, there’s a lot to love about this guy. But as I sat in the theater, I was so focused on Elsa and Anna and completely absorbed in their sisterly love, so I think I overlooked Kristoff’s storyline. Or maybe I just passed it off as not that important??

Well, friends, I’m here to tell you: His storyline IS important! It’s so important. And the fact that this is a Disney movie makes it even more meaningful. We’re so used to the typical Disney trope: Damsel in distress. Dashing prince on horseback gallops up and saves her — and saves the day in the process. The prince is deemed the hero and everything is happy for all eternity, but usually not before there’s a snag or two — namely, the princess strolls about singing some catchy but morose song about how she doesn’t know how said prince feels about her and how she has no idea where their relationship is going.

Yet in Frozen 2, it’s Elsa and Anna who are the heroes. They’re the ones who are in charge and saving the day on their own. They don’t need a prince at all. So here we see Kristoff being the one left behind to do the pining and pondering. In fact, he sings a monstrous ’80s-inspired power ballad about his feelings.

KristoffSinging about his feelings. His genuine, honest, vulnerable feelings and, well, it’s AMAZING to see him not holding back in any way. He isn’t afraid to talk about his feelings. He’s not afraid of being seen as a “weak” man. And he certainly isn’t too prideful to put it all out there.

And all throughout the film, he’s the one selflessly supporting Anna with key lines like…

*”My love is not fragile.”

*”I’m here. What do you need?”

Do you see just how powerful this is? In a world that is still dripping with toxic masculinity — those dangerous things we teach boys about what it means to “be a man” — here’s Kristoff essentially rejecting all that. In its place, he gives us a new version of masculinity — one that is healthy and evolved and every mood that we need in 2020. He’s Elsa and Anna’s equal; instead of trying to save them in the epic battle, he’s fighting alongside them.

That is the definition of a real man. I’m telling my kids that this is healthy masculinity. Men being vulnerable is sexy. Men talking about their feelings is sexy. Men sharing their emotions is sexy.

Kristoff is all those things. Be more like Kristoff. Please, world, be more like Kristoff. We need you now more than ever… xoxo

Four Ways You Can Support Disabled People

Disabled PeopleHappy International Day of Persons with Disabilities!! Yes, I said happy because we need to be celebrating and supporting the disability community EVERY DAY. The day was officially designated by the United Nations in 1992 as a way to highlight the lives of disabled people. Here are four ways you can do that…

LISTEN TO DISABLED PEOPLE

RESPECT DISABLED PEOPLE

TREAT DISABLED PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY

AMPLIFY DISABLED VOICES

PSA about using the term ‘differently abled’: Please, just don’t. Honestly, as a disabled person, I cringe every time I hear those two words. Saying ‘differently abled’ is condescending. I hate how people dance around the word disabled and think they’re doing us a service by using those euphemisms. It’s insulting and patronizing. Say it with me…

DISABLED ♿️ IS ♿️ NOT ♿️ A ♿️ BAD ♿️ WORD

Plus, you know what I’ve noticed lately, especially when it comes to how the media covers disabilities? People are surprised to find a disabled person who is considered conventionally attractive. Of course, it’s never said outright, but there’s this underlying sense of shock because attractive disabled people? They’re assumed to be the rare unicorn. Like, whoooa…those people exist? The notion that disability = ugly is so ingrained in our culture and it’s one I absolutely HATE. It’s a stereotype I was trying to change with my viral tweet — or at least get people to start thinking about. It’s like when people say “Oh, wow! You’re really attractive for being disabled.” That’s not a compliment — it’s actually incredibly insulting and ableist.

Disabled PeopleI snapped this photo on the bus recently and I love it because it’s such a good representation of so many things at once — disabilities, accessibility, independence. For people like myself, going shopping or going to work isn’t always as easy as just hopping in the car. I’m so grateful that my town has these accessible buses!! Here’s to independence on my own terms and living a full, fun, fabulous life as a disabled person!! xoxo

P.S. Four more things I want you to know…

Two Months Later: Why Did My Viral Tweet Resonate So Much?

My Viral TweetLife is so strange and magical and unpredictable, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking a lot about my viral tweet lately and can’t help but wonder: What was it about that one tweet that resonated so much? Like, I just randomly posted that tweet on a Saturday night and I never expected any of this to happen AT ALL.

I wrote about the beauty aspect of it in this essay for HuffPost Personal, but I think there’s more to it than just that. Y’all know I’ve tweeted A LOT (42K+), so why that tweet? I’m so happy people have embraced and related to the tweet, but it really made me realize how wild and unexpected life can be!

I used to hate the unexpected, but you know what? If it wasn’t for this unexpected tweet, I wouldn’t have met so many AMAZING people over the last two months!! So many people who I now consider friends and I am so grateful for that!! Thank you for the emails, tweets and outpouring of love!! Thank you for being you!! And thank you for your beautiful selfies!! What an incredible journey this had been!!

My Viral TweetAnd speaking of photos, I had a HUGE revelation recently: I rarely post photos that show my wheelchair and that made me a little bit sad, especially since my wheelchair is such a part of who I am.

So that’s why I’ve chosen this photo as my new profile pic on social media. I mean, the yellow flowers may have swayed me too, but I love how my entire wheelchair is on full display…

As a woman with a disability, I’ve struggled for a long time with self-confidence, body image and just being OK with myself. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but it’s something I’ve tried to work on. We all have things we’re self-conscious about and mine just happens to be a very visible disability. I’m not sure the journey will ever be complete for me — maybe something like self-acceptance and self-love doesn’t have a finish line? Maybe it’s a lifelong process.

Can you relate, friends? What have you struggled with when it comes to self-esteem, self-confidence and self-love? Let’s support each other! And as always, thank you for all the support for my viral tweet… xoxo