Why Donald Trump's "Locker Room Talk" is Harmful, Unacceptable, & Disconcerting.
Unless you've been hibernating the past couple days, you've heard the leaked audio recording of Donald Trump and Billy Bush's conversation that's been blasted over all social, radio, and television media outlets. With good reason. I've seen many different opinions on the matter, but what's worrisome to me are those people that brush off his comments or say that sure, he's a scumbag, but it doesn't have any affect on his Presidential "abilities".
This raises about a dozen million red flags in my head. How could people not be worried about this? How do people not see the DAMAGE this does to women and society. How could we possibly be making things BETTER in our society, if sexual assault, violence against women, and rape culture aren't stopped dead in their tracks? This is a man running for President of the United States of America, and we're going to let him say these things without consequence? When are we going to take violence against women seriously?
"Locker Room talk" has been acceptable in our society for too long. Here's why it needs to stop:
1. "Locker Room Talk" Promotes Rape Culture.
Rape Culture is the idea, coined in 1970 by Feminists, as the normalization of sexualized violence by society. Author Emily Buchwald defines it in her book, Transforming a Rape Culture, as "a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women...In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm...and both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable".
By allowing there to be no consequences for Donald Trump's actions, and furthermore, allowing him to still run for President of the United States, we are doing just that. We are condoning his behavior, we are furthering the ideology that it is acceptable for men to show sexual aggression, harassment, and violence against women.
2. Trump's "Locker Room Talk" isn't just disgusting, it's illegal.
Not only is this unacceptable, it's illegal. What Donald Trump is describing is sexual assault. Talking about grabbing women by their genitalia IS sexual assault. What's disturbing is that he brushes his actions off as "locker room talk", leading us to ask if he even understands the definition of sexual assault, because if he did, he wouldn't be so openly admitting to it.
3. "When you're a star, you can do anything".
His response that "when you're a star, you can do anything" demonstrates his manipulation of power and dominance. If he says this before becoming President, what will he do with the added power of being the President of the United States? And what does he think he can get away with doing to women, being the President? His words should frighten and alarm everyone.
4. The Excuse of "Locker Room Banter" is Harmful to Men Too.
The men I know, don't talk this way about women. It shows a utter disrespect to women, as a whole. Trump's comments are disgraceful to all the men who respect women because it normalizes this specific "locker room talk" as being something that is so common and acceptable, that it doesn't merit any consequences. Michelle Obama replied to this comment by saying that "to dismiss it as locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere". It also leads to "Toxic Masculinity", the concept of what it means "to be a man" in our culture has for so long, depicted womanizers and sexually violent men as the epitome of masculinity, enough to where many boys fear going to college "still a virgin". Donald Trump is THE epitome of Toxic Masculinity. [Read it here]
5. It Demonstrates the Over-Sexualization, Objectification, and Disrespect of Women.
In Donald Trump's comments, he blatantly objectifies women, making it seem as if their bodies are the only thing of value. His words are so hyper-sexualized, demeaning women down to their genitalia. And his words were said in such a violent way, that many women felt threatened by them. In an article released by the New York Times, Trump's words were so obscene, they brought back memories of sexual assault and abuse for many women, who expressed their feelings of disgust and fear over social media. It boils down to the disrespect of women. These words are harmful to not just women, but society.The normalization of such "banter" makes it seem as if it's okay, in America, to hyper-sexualize, objectify, and disrespect women.
His words are a big deal. We need a leader who is championing for the rights of half it's citizens, not brushing off sexual assault as if it's normal or "okay". He CANNOT be our President. He actions MUST BE MET WITH CONSEQUENCES. Step down, Donald. We don't want or need you as the figurehead of our Great Nation. It's about time you lived with the consequences of your actions and faced some disciplinary action for the damage you've done to others, for once in your life.
I'm SUPER excited to share my first EVER Guest Contributor with all of you! Teaching Girl is a 2nd year PhD student studying at the University of Nevada, Reno. She loves ice cream and her kitten, Ollie. When not writing for work, she loves reading the poetry of Adrienne Rich and imaging having tea parties with Jane Austen.
It is an absolute pleasure to get to share her article with you. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
So, without further ado...
Basic, Hipster, or Basic Hipster? Why We Have to Stop Labeling Each Other
I teach freshman-level college English classes for a living. As each new semester starts and ends, I feel the cultural distance between myself and my students widen faster and faster. I hear my student talking about TV shows I’ve never heard of and I have to be educated about slang like “fleek” and what “Netflix and chill” really means. Nothing about young adult is intuitive to me at this point, which brings me to two labels that I’ve heard thrown about among my students recently: basic and hipsters.
Being labeled ‘basic’ or a ‘basic bitch,’ I’ve learned, is not much of a compliment. According to one Hello Giggles blogger, enjoying mildly popular things like Starbucks and Instagram make a woman ‘basic’—somebody who is trying to be ‘cool’ but has been called out by opposing girls (mostly) for such attempts. As a student in one of my classes has pointed out, Taylor Swift is, above all others today, the epitome of ‘basic.’ Not only does loving Taylor Swift and her album 22 meet the ‘basic’ criteria in one BuzzFeed quiz (I got 14 out of 119, by the way), but the saturation of social media with photos of Taylor carrying Starbucks coffee and wearing trendy hats seem to point us in her direction. But there was something about these explanations of Taylor’s basic-ness that never made sense to me.
Those hats she wears, the ‘nerdy’ glasses she loves wearing, even her oversized sweaters all made me (an admitted outsider) believe Taylor was a supposed hipster. This label, as my students helped me realize, is even more ambiguous than that of the basic bitch, and here’s why: like being ‘basic,’ someone who is a ‘hipster’ doesn’t ever self-identity as being hipster. These individuals try to reject contemporary young adult culture (pop music, fashion trends, and all things middle class) by fleeing to what had been on the margins—beards, flannel, and, yes, those pesky ‘nerd’ glasses. These distinctions didn’t make sense to me. If Taylor was ‘basic,’ as Time Magazine claimed she is, could she also be a hipster? Some would say no, since her lyrics clearly make fun of hipsters, but as the Guardian pointed out, she embodies hipster culture in many ways: her unabashed acceptance of crooked teeth, her identification as ‘quirky” and “a nerd,” and as a musical “outsider” who doesn’t belong to one genre all seem to indicate some allegiance with hipster.
All of these labels, these interpretations and reinterpretations of one, highly visible woman got me thinking this semester. What’s the real difference between being basic and being a hipster? And, as it turns out, there really isn’t a lot of difference.
Both labels are used by (mostly) women against mostly women (‘basic) and men and women (hipster). Both are, at the end of the day, simply labels—words we use to keep “my group” pure from other groups who threaten my idea of myself. As it goes, if I can make you feel ridiculous for trying to be cool by labeling you ‘basic,’ then my social status can be maintained. I don’t mean to try to rehash Tina Fey’s indictment of girl against girl bullying in Mean Girls (she did it well enough without me), but I want to draw attention to the lines girls seem to continue to draw in the proverbial sand. When we obsess about who we define as ‘hipster’ and who is ‘basic,’ we continually draw ourselves into a label---That Girl. We become That Girl who always hates on others. And, while it may work for a while in high school or college, it is never That Girl who gets ahead in life. Karma has a way of coming back to them by Those Girls that That Girl always hated on. -Teaching Girl
"Women Crush Wednesday" has really given me an opportunity to make a tradition out of highlighting women once a week, and I have to say, I'm very grateful for it. What started out as a "fun thing" has morphed into something more for me, and I've really become invested in learning, researching, and my most favorite, SHARING all of the great things wonderful ladies are doing to uplift, impact, and change my life. I am a self-proclaimed Feminist. And while I'm a Psych Major, I have added in gender studies within my coursework because I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I hope to one day so something as amazing and impacting as what these lovely ladies have done, but for now, I'll do my best to just keep learning and improving so that I can one day get there. They have, however, inspired me to make small changes and become more involved, and for that I am forever grateful. We can't all be Emma Watson's or Malala Yousafzai's or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's, but we can be ourselves, and we have SO MUCH to offer! We can ALL make a difference by making small changes, by doing the little things that add up to big things. If we ALL do OUR PART, we can unify and make a REAL IMPACT. I believe that, whole heartedly. I believe that small changes can grow into big changes; after all, doesn't a small pebble dropped into the vast ocean still send ripples far beyond it's reach? Couldn't we do the same? These wonderful women are sure showing us that, indeed, WE CAN! Women Who're Changing the World
Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador,He For She "Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence as a child as much as my mother’s. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality either. We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence". [Source]
Dear Emma. What a source of goodness and strength you exhibit for all of us. I'm just barely two years older than her, but I always felt like the same age, and naturally, I looked up to Hermoine Granger because she was the most amazing #bosswitch EVER! But As Harry Potter ended, I very soon began to look up to Emma Watson, the person, rather than just Emma Watson, the wonderful actress that played one of my favorite Heroines. Emma is changing the world. The "He for She" campaign is changing Feminism as we speak. But even more than that, she's inspiring us to be better. She's taught me how to speak out, speak UP, despite the "credentials" other may or may not think you have. You are important. You have something to say. And YOU have the right to say it, regardless of sex, education, occupation, or social class. You are YOU, your individual perspective matters, you have a voice for a reason, so use it, and use it for good. I used to be nervous about saying things that I believed or speaking up about issues, especially those that meant so much to me and those that I very much disagreed with others close to me. But she taught me to believe in myself. Still, till this day, I mutter her words from the UN speech, if not me, who, if not now, when?
[Watch the full beautiful speech above]
Sophia Bush, Invisible Children, Global Green Gulf Relief, DoSomething.org, Pencils of Promise, Global Poverty Project, I Am That Girl, etc.
“I gave myself some space and traveled for two and a half months...I opened the school I built for my 30th birthday in Guatemala, and then built another school in Guatemala...One of my best friends describes me as an activist who is inconvenienced — in a good way — by her career as an actress...I love my job, but I couldn’t keep doing this if it ever actually precluded me from working on the world. I would just get another job....I wish I’d known to trust my instincts more, but that’s just life, though. When a red flag comes up and you ignore it because you’re trying to be nice or keep things easy, I’ve learned not to do that. I’ve really realized I don’t need to be a people pleaser. I don’t need to give anyone else’s opinions more weight than my own. My opinions should matter the most because they’re mine. And if your opinions are formed from a place of genuine honesty and kindness for others, then your opinions are worth defending — and now I do.” [Source] I have a deeply rooted love for Sophia. She is the kind of role model I'm glad girls have to look up to. I certainly look up to her, and We're roughly the same age. She inspires me to be better, to do more, to give more. I love how she uses her platform to promote good. I love that she speaks up for injustices. I love that she declares and defends her opinions, never shrinking back like I feel I so often do. She embodies courage, bravery, honestly, and kindness. She shares that with the world and I could not be more appreciative. She has really influenced me to become a better person. Just look at all those organizations she's involved in, all of which I didn't even include! And she works A LOT, which begs the question, WHY AM I ((WE)) NOT DOING MORE?! Thanks for being your amazing self Sophia, and thanks for inspiring us to better ourselves! You are a true GEM!!
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All be Feminists
"Some people ask: "Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?" Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general - but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. That the problem was not about being human, but specifically about being a female human. For centuries, the world divided human beings into two groups and then proceeded to exclude and oppress one group. It is only fair that the solution to the problem acknowledge that.
We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls: You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man. If you are the breadwinner in your relationship with a man, pretend that you are not, especially in public, otherwise you will emasculate him."
I bought the paperback copy of Chimamanda's Ted Talk and stayed up reading the whole thing because I COULD NOT STOP. Since, I can't stop reading her works. She is so extremely talented, so honest, so brave, that it just lights a fire inside my soul. I used to worry that I'd intimidate men, that my career and educational goals would make it hard for me to find someone to eventually settle down with, that I should, in some ways, turn down the notches of my mind/heart/voice so as to not make any waves. I've always had a problem with wanting to be liked. I needed it for so long, it's actually pretty embarrassing. But she's taught me so much; she's taught me to be myself, to not hinder myself or tone it down, just to appease other people. She taught me that by being myself, I can create more profound and honest work, that I can actually do more, do better, once I've fully accepted to I am and no longer shy away from it. She taught me embrace my femininity, to embrace what being a woman means to me, to live my life for myself and not anyone else. She taught me that there's power in talk, even a single voice.
[Listen to the full Ted Talk above]
Jennifer Lawrence, Lenny Letter- Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co‑Stars? "When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself. I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early. I didn’t want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly, due to two franchises, I don’t need. (I told you it wasn’t relatable, don’t hate me). But if I’m honest with myself, I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight. I didn’t want to seem “difficult” or “spoiled.” At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn’t worry about being “difficult” or “spoiled.” This could be a young-person thing. It could be a personality thing. I’m sure it’s both. But this is an element of my personality that I’ve been working against for years, and based on the statistics, I don’t think I’m the only woman with this issue. Are we socially conditioned to behave this way? We’ve only been able to vote for what, 90 years? I’m seriously asking — my phone is on the counter and I’m on the couch, so a calculator is obviously out of the question. Could there still be a lingering habit of trying to express our opinions in a certain way that doesn’t “offend” or “scare” men? A few weeks ago at work, I spoke my mind and gave my opinion in a clear and no-bullshit way; no aggression, just blunt. The man I was working with (actually, he was working for me) said, “Whoa! We’re all on the same team here!” As if I was yelling at him. I was so shocked because nothing that I said was personal, offensive, or, to be honest, wrong. All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have thought I had said something offensive. I’m over trying to find the “adorable” way to state my opinion and still be likable! F--- that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard". [Source]
I LOVE Jennifer Lawrence, like most of the world. She's an Oscar winner, been a revolutionary in the war against body image, and single handedly took down the "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" argument. But even more amazing than that, she wrote a letter published in Lena Dunham's Lenny, blasting Hollywood's issues of sexism and the gender wage gap that so many women, in the US and abroad, are affected by. I couldn't believe the amount of backlash I heard on the internet, radio, school, etc. Seriously, I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. Of course, it only furthers her point. And in a very Jennifer way, she acknowledges that in her situation, it's not about the money, it's the principle. I have, on so many times I couldn't even count, felt that same way, that I shouldn't complain and just be grateful for something, because I was a girl or afraid to voice my opinion on matters, just because I was afraid I'm come off too aggressive, too mouthy, too harsh. But I think she's absolutely right in suggesting that these concepts seem to be gender-specific for the most part. I think she's incredibly brave for speaking out, especially in an industry that is so male dominated. I had to have taken a lot of courage to publish this essay, knowing that people were going to most likely say "what does it matter to you, you're not hurting for money". Ugh. That argument bothers me to NO END. It's not about the money people, it's about principle. It's about feeling equal to men, in a way that we should and deserve to feel. It's about fairness and being appreciated, and acknowledging that THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM HERE. Even in 2016.
Amy Poehler, Amy'sSmart Girls
“Some big actors and musicians feel like they have to speak to their audience and [feminism] is confusing to their audience. But I don’t get it. That’s like someone being like, ‘I don’t really believe in cars, but I drive one every day and I love that it gets me places and makes life so much easier and faster and I don’t know what I would do without it.’ ” [Source] I just love Amy. She has been an icon for me for so long; her openness about her beliefs, her willingness to stand up for them and her shining positive example has definitely influenced me throughout the years. She is a strong Feminist, who doesn't take sexist-crap from anyone, and doesn't shy away from speaking up about the issues, even if they are uncomfortable or unpopular. She is an all-around superstar; she writes, produces, and directs, but maybe my most favorite creation of hers is Amy's Smart Girls. Amy's Smart Girls is an organization which is "dedicated to helping young people cultivate their authentic selves [and] emphasize intelligence and imagination over “fitting in.” The website, amysmartgirls.com, offers a place of support for girls, activities and DIY, articles like "How to change a flat tire", "How to interview like a boss", etc, and my personal favorite, downloadable Women's History coloring pages, because, you know, everyone loves to color,amirite?! I also love the "ABC's of Smart Girls", which are articles like "K is for knowledge", "M is for Magic", "J is for Justice", "I is for Intelligence", "F is for Friendship", and so on. They are truly inspiring, honest, and positive. I think all women, not just girls, can benefit from what they have to offer! They also have an amazing "Take Action" segment that shows people getting involved in making changes around their community and also ideas for how you could get involved in your own community. Basically, Amy's Smart Girls is FREAKING AWESOME and its everything we could've ever dreamed of and more.
Malala Yousafzai, Winner of Noble Peace Prize, The Malala Fund "As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world. Education went from being a right to being a crime. Girls were stopped from going to school. When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too. I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up. The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today, on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas nor their bullets could win. We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder...I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls... I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to the Malala Fund, to help give girls quality education, everywhere, anywhere in the world and to raise their voices. The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan—especially in my home of Swat and Shangla. In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and to get this opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school." [Source] https://www.malala.org/malalas-story Malala is seriously the most amazing role model in the history of role models. She is the YOUNGEST winner of the Noble Peace Prize (2014), who then donated the $1.1 million dollar prize to finance and open a secondary school for girls in Pakistan. She is an education activist, who's fought for the rights of all children to have the ability to go to school, both boys AND girls, which is HUGE. In 2011, she was awarded Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize and was also nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize. These acknowledgements of her work, and her growing popularity as a child activist, received the attention of the Taliban leaders, who voted to kill her. On October 9, 2012, gunman attacked her school bus, shot her with a single bullet that entered her head, neck and shoulder and was left for dead. She survived, though she was hospitalized for months before she made a full recovery. "The Taliban's attempt to kill Malala received worldwide condemnation and led to protests across Pakistan. In the weeks after the attack, over 2 million people signed a right to education petition, and the National Assembly swiftly ratified Pakistan's first Right To Free and Compulsory Education Bill". She of course did not stop her work; in 2013, she and her father created The Malala Fund, which advocates for girls receiving education and bringing attention to the social, political, legal and economical factors that have denied girls in her country from getting a formal education. [Source] I can't think of a better example of standing up for yourself, for others, and fighting through persecution than Malala. She is a true shining light in our often dark world. I can't wait to see what she continues to do, and she's certainly inspired me to stand up and DO MORE. As Malala said, "let us pick up our books and pencils. They are our most power weapon". *** Malala has teamed up with TOMS to create an exclusive scarf in which 100% of the profits will be donated to The Malala Fund, which supports girls' empowerment through education. Buy it here: http://www.toms.com/malala-fund-toms-scarf/the-malala-fund-toms-scarf
[Watch her full Noble Prize acceptance speech above]
Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Gender Equality is a Myth!
"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect. Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible. We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities". [Source]
Beyonce wrote the above letter for Maria Shriver's ShriverReport.org about gender equality and it is fantastic! Queen Bey is a music icon in her own right, but she is also an activist and philanthropist, which many people don't realize. Beyonce is a Co-Founder with Salma Hayek-Pinault in ChimeForChange.org, which is a global campaign to promote health, justice, and education for girls and women around the world. She put on an amazing concert in 2013 called The Sound of Change Live, which was broadcasted on TV, and in which she headlined, joined by Florence + the Machine, Jennifer Lopez, Ellie Goulding, Mary J Blige, and you know, her hubby Jay Z (amongst others). Ticket prices were donated to the organization, as well as the ability for viewers watching on TV to donate as well. It was pretty amazing, and the videos are on YouTube if you still haven't seen it. I respect people for using their platforms for good and to advocate for change, especially when those platforms are as large as Beyonce's world stage. From her girl-power style anthem's to her charitable work, Beyonce is an awesome figurehead of Feminism and Activism, and reminds us that there is still much work to be done within our Country, and we ALL need to do better!
Anna Kendrick is one of my favorite actresses. But even more than her movies, I love her. Anna Kendrick just being Anna Kendrick is just about the BEST THING EVER. She is funny, witty, a little awkward in an endearing sort of way, and just completely amazing. She also has killer style. Her Twitter account is probably thegreatest piece of social media. EVER. No seriously, it's that good. She is so HILARIOUS, she definitely needed her own section in my "Queens of Comedy" blogs, because well, she deserves it! Welcome to the club Anna, you reign supreme for SO MANY reasons, it will be hard to actually count! But I'll do my best! ;)
Can we be BFF's please?!?
Reasons why Anna Kendrick is THE BEST:
1. She acts like we would with other celebrities, which makes her super cool and real.
Exhibit A.
And B.
2. She's inspirational.
3. She is obsessed with Queen Bey just like the rest of us.
4. None of us are worthy of her, Anna. None of us are. I love that she doesn't try to be "cool" with her celebrity crushes, she is just a normal girl who had a panic attack when she saw Beyonce, like any of us would.
5. Not afraid to show her true fangirl status.
6. She accepts and embraces who she is and never tries to be anything different.
7. Remember what I said about her Twitter account being the greatest thing ever...
8. I was 100% accurate.
9. So accurate.
10. Like, I couldn't have been more accurate if I'd tried.
11. She'll call you on your B.S.
12. She's a good role model.
13. And campaigns for the spread of *love*, not hate.
14. She makes you feel good about yourself.
15. She knows that everybody needs their own dessert. She knows what she needs out of relationships and doesn't take anything less!
16. See what I mean? She knows she deserve better and won't settle for anything less.
17. She may say exactly what she'd thinking, but it's always in a comically endearing sor tof way.
18. She's got wonderful attitude and the head-bob down on lock.
19. And she owns the RBF game.
20. Literally. Owns. They even make meme's about it.
21. She is so real.
22. REAL.
23. She contemplates the complexities of life in a way we wish we able to.
24. SHE IS JUST LIKE US.
25. Seriously, she motivates us to keep on keepin' on.
26. She's got BIG ideas!
27. One's we wish would come to fruition. Like, so badly.
28. BIG IDEAS.
29. She had one of the most EPIC Lip Sync Battle's (Spike) vs John Krasinski...
30. In her first song, a love song, she busted out a T-shirt that had a picture of her and Emily Blunt on it, and sang away, who also happens to be John's wife. And it was AMAZING. Actually, you should just basically watch the whole episode. The second battle song is the greatest!
[Watch a clip here]
31. And because she knows where it's at.
32. Exactly where it's at.
33. She loves adorable animals, just like the rest of us...
This panda impersonation is the BEST.
Buy all the red pandas!!
34. She gives credit where credit is due.
35. Did I already mention she's hilarious?? And humble.
36. She's self-reflective and honest about who she is.
37. She has serious #friendshipgoals with other amazing Queens of Comedy!
38. She knows when it's time to be serious and get down to business.
39. The struggle is real, and she knows that. A Diet Coke + MAC lipstick in D for Danger = surviving the day
40. And finally, because she loves Taco Bell just as much as we do. ((Even though we'll never admit it))
We totally get it! Especially when PMS is involved... eat all the Taco Bell!! So thank you Anna for being amazing, hilarious, insightful, and real. You inspire me to be who I am and own it! You're the BEST!
