Every character on Bob's Burgers is awesome in their own way, but Bob's Burgers' Tina Belcher holds a special place in my heart for being the teenage feminist hero that television so desperately needs: Her words of wisdom are truly the stuff inspirational posters are made of. Tina offers us sage advice on expressing our sexuality, being confident, embracing our quirks, and rebelling for a good cause. With her signature "ugh," glasses, and knee socks firmly in place, Tina defies our expectations of what a feminist hero should look like. She may be a 13-year-old cartoon character, but she has her life sorted out.
While her little sister Louise is set on world domination and little brother Gene is busy working on his music/being a kid, Tina is secure in her interests (horses, zombies, butts) and willing to take risks — like reading her erotic "friendfiction" in front of the school. Just like Tina, we should never let our creativity and uniqueness be stifled, or think anyone is out of our league.
Tina's title of feminist hero needs no defense, but it never hurts to take a look at her smart, truth bomb quotes.
Check out these 11 quotes that reveal why Tina Belcher is the hero we all need:
1. "I am a smart, strong, sensual woman."
Need a confidence boost? Remember that time Tina completely unironically told everyone exactly how she sees herself and owned it.
2. "I'm no hero. I put my bra on one boob at a time, just like everyone else."
Tina is all about standing up for others — she even does her best to get along with Tammy. She doesn't see herself as a hero, but the way she fights for her fellow students (helping Zeke steal the school mascot to cheer up his grandmother, going undercover to find the mole in her Thundergirls troop) says otherwise.
3. "Your ass is grass, and I'm gonna mow it."
Tina is usually mild-mannered, but underestimating her is a big mistake. This is the girl who schooled everyone who thought she was naïve enough to believe she had a ghost boyfriend in a shoe box (okay, she believed it for a little while).
4. "Dad, if you believe you're beautiful, you will be. I did."
Self-confidence is a way of life for Tina.
5. "We can make this work. We can work out a dating wheel, just like a chore wheel. Let's put the try in triangle."
Tina enjoyed having two dancing cuties fall for her at the same time, but she ultimately proved to be too progressive for either of them. When she proposed they "put the try in triangle" and make their three-sided relationship work for everyone, the boys bailed, but I like where Tina's head was at. Her views on sexuality are delightfully progressive.
6. "I'm going to write the most erotic, graphic, freakiest friendfiction ever."
Girls are taught from a young age that some of their interest should be kept to themselves. Fanfiction is a great place to find feminism at work (even though it is often used to mock the writers by talk show hosts), and Tina's passion for her "friendfiction" makes her a true champion of self-expression.
7. "I don't need a boy to pay attention to me. I'll pay attention to myself."
Boys can be fun, but they should never define you. As young as she is, Tina already knows that she can be awesome without a boy by her side.
8. "Which are the lady parts?"/ "The vagina and the heart."
Tina is always candid about the female anatomy...even when it makes her dad uncomfortable.
9. "This year I'm a mommy mummy, and I'm single and I'm working two jobs and I'm just trying to get back out there."
Remember that time Tina used her Halloween costume to send a shout out to working moms? Because I do.
10. "Don't Hide Your Ta-Tas Under a Bush."
Body confidence comes from within, and as far as Tina is concerned it is the one style we should always be rocking.
11. "Time for the charm bomb to explode."
Tina enters every situation with optimism, and even if it doesn't work out in her favor, she never loses sight of who she is, or stops trying to make the world a happier, more butt-friendly place.
Images: Fox; Giphy (11)
