Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on the geekilicious women who inspire us. Our crushes range from fictional female characters in our favorite genre shows, movies and books…to creators in geeky media. We celebrate you, oh women of geekdom!
DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for Bob’s Burgers. But, that’s really only true if you are an absolute linear timeline purist. You can really enjoy Bob’s Burgers episodes individually and at random if you like. Though there is a benefit to watching the full arc unfold.
SDCC 2019 takes place in San Diego this week. If you’re a big Bob’s Burgers fan, or want to be, the show will conduct a panel at SDCC on Friday, July 19th from 4pm to 4:50pm.
Tina Belcher
Fast Facts:
Tina Belcher (voiced by Daniel Alexander Mintz) is the oldest of the three Belcher children. She is a butt-crazed, horse-obsessed, zombie-loving, erotic fiction-writing, awkward, mild-mannered teenager with a lot of love to give and armed with unique social skills to give it. She is all of us.
In an ensemble cast based fairly equally on all five members of the Belcher family, Tina rises to the protagonist position more often than not. She’s a hopeless romantic adolescent girl, so her storylines have a lot of heart and very high emotional stakes. But, more than that, she hatches schemes and makes plans. She is the catalyst for a lot of the action in the show. To call her the star is a mischaracterization. She’s more appropriately the asteroid of the show. You don’t always see her coming, but she makes a huge impact.
The Real Deal:
Tina is the heart and soul of Bob’s Burgers. She is horny, yes. But, she is so much more than that. She is sweet, caring, independent, imaginative, smart, fierce and a really good friend and sister. She is in transition between girl and woman and she feels every moment of it. She’s full of wonder and angst and lust and humanity. Her earnest quest for love, romance, knowledge, butts and horses keeps us all laughing and touches all of our butts… hearts.
Why She Matters:
Tina Belcher is unapologetically expressive. She has a confidence in herself, her thoughts, and her desires that too many of us don’t have well into our adult lives. There is not a lot of frank talk about girlhood and adolescence. Everyone is happy to talk about a boy’s sexual awakening as an awkward and complex time… but girls’ stories are too often based on the male gaze rather than the girls’ thoughts, feelings or very awkward, ridiculous struggles. This is why Tina matters.
Tina is true to herself, open with her thoughts and unafraid to try. She is large and in charge. And, she is most often her own hero. Her problems get solved through her own actions. She has feminism and self-worth in her heart despite all of the uncertainty of growing up. Wise beyond her years, she handles interpersonal relationships with care and maturity… sometimes. She’s my role model. Tina is uniquely herself and we can all look to her as an example of how to grow.
So be like Tina Belcher. Care without apology. Earnestly endeavor to experience what you dream of. Treat people with kindness even when you’re angsty. Talk and write and sing about butts. Be yourself.
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Actor, Improviser, Comic.
I like to like things and talk about them.
I like to pretend.
I like to make things.
I like to write things down.
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