20 Women We Would Never Mess With—And WHY
If you got offended by the Women's March sign created by Beyond The Interview's very own, then you probably weren't looking closely enough.
Here it is, in case you missed it:
The sign, which went viral on Saturday, doesn't say "20 Visionaries," though some of them are. It doesn't say "20 Women To Bow Down To." It also doesn't say "20 Women That Your Children Should Look Up To." So, let's relax, people.
All it says is that these are 20 Women Not To Mess With.
And why is this so important?
Women are tested time and time again. We are disrespected. We are highly and overly-sexualized. We make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. We are subject to disproportionate rates of sexual harassment and assault. We are, still, underrepresented in leadership roles. And I'd continue, but this is making me sick.
According to the LA Times, activists at this year's Women's March in Los Angeles said their main objectives include “ending violence, protection of reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights, civil rights, disability rights, immigrant rights, Indigenous people’s rights and environmental justice.”
LOVE IT. But when I think of the women who can help us do that? They do not come in just one shape or one size, or with a uniform way of thinking or behaving. Of course, Oprah, Beyonce, Barbara Walters, Malala Yousafzai, and many others came to mind. But we already know about them. They're helping us as I type this. We've watched their documentaries and read their books. And they do deserve constant coverage, but today we're trying to make a point.
Observe popular culture, movies, sports, politics, TV shows, et al., and you will see men who are powerful forces to be reckoned with. You will see men who are litigious and relentless. You will see men who stand up for what they believe in, in ways you couldn't imagine. You will also see kind men, stable men who happen to be geniuses. You will, essentially, see a range.
Now, let's look at women in popular culture. What are we supposed to be? How are we supposed to act? Delicate? Relaxed? Polite? Gentle? Quiet? Silent when we get disrespected? A little aggravated during a fight on Reality TV, only to be labeled "crazy" 5 minutes later by TMZ or The National Enquirer? Maybe before, but this is a new world, babe. Women are diverse, and we have range, too. Believe me.
So here's our list of women with qualities that go BEYOND the media's typical illustration of what women should be, and how they should act. These are women who push the boundaries, and defy cultural norms.
These women are powerful, outspoken, adaptable, funny, confident, controversial, adventurous, courageous, empathetic, generous, witty, and even frightening at times. And really, we wouldn't mess with any of them.
1. Cardi B – Watch: Bodak Yellow.
2. Susan Collins (R-ME) – Susan Collins is one of the few Senators who not only preaches about the necessity of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill but also exemplifies it with her actions. But don't be fooled by her ability to work well with others; she has NO problem addressing buffoonery if you come at her wrong.
3. Khaleesi – Khaleesi is quite literally the f*%&ing Mother of Dragons. Is that someone you want to cross?
4. Wendy Williams – Dressed as the Statue of Liberty, Wendy Williams fainted on live national television and came back on-air 6 minutes later. In the same fashion, Wendy's feuds with the likes of Diddy, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, etc., have all attempted to knock her down, but she always hits back harder and gets right back up to check "how you doin?"
5. The Entire RHOA Cast – Where do I start? Porsha snatching Kenya's weave and dragging her to the floor... Kenya gathering Kim at Nene's white party... Kandi's Twitter Fued vs. Kim's "box-licking" comments... Sheree "who gone check me boo" Whitfield.
6. Judge Judy – Every man, woman, and child—regardless of age, race, religion, color, creed, and sexual orientation—is DEATHLY scared of Judge Judy.
7. Nikki Haley – She straight up threatened, I don't know, like, 30 countries at the United Nations. Would you want to mess with a woman who had the balls to do that?
8. Adele – She loves her fans and the intimacy she shares with them. So if you try and break that bond, Adele (and her North London Cockney accent) will treat you to a expletive-filled confrontation.
9. Remy Ma – Nicki Minaj thought it was a good idea to take a dig at Remy's "plaque sales" earlier this year. Well, this Castle Hill native didn't take it lightly and viciously came back 48 hours later with what can only be described as a encyclopedic biography of every Nicki Minaj secret, ever. What Michael Wolff's "Fire & Fury" did to the Trump Administration took more than 18 months and 500 pages to write. Remy's "ShETHER" was able to do the same thing and only took her 48 hours to rap a 7-minute masterpiece. Also, Sheree Whitfield, if you're still wondering who would check you—I'm pretty sure Remy would.
10. Ana Navarro & Angela Rye (pretty much anyone at CNN who has ever had to debate Jason Miller) – For more on these two, watch: This. This. This. and This.
11. @jstlbby – I don't think anyone who follows Just Livin Baby knows her real name, but she makes her presence loud and clear with her microphone. While you love her for her positivity, you know that should you dare try her, she will have you finished with an Ebonics master class, accented by the most EPIC nail art you will ever see.
12. Judge Pirro and the rest of the articulate/strong Fox News women – The internal and external environments these women are subjected to would make anyone—regardless of where you fall on the ideological spectrum—understand why these women do not play around when it comes to their jobs. You just can't shake these women. They've seen too much.
13. Angela Merkel – Angela Merkel is now enjoying her 4th term and well on her way to becoming the longest serving Chancellor of Germany... and after 13 years in office, I can say without a doubt, that I have never seen her smile.
14. Whitney Wolfe – Just read THIS.
15. Erika "Jayne" – Erika gives, in her own words, "0 fucks." She doesn't like a "polite anything," and has no problem telling you what's on her mind, directly to your face. And when she does do it, she looks 10x better than anyone in the room, which is terrifying.
16. Naomi Campbell – With the intent of exposing Naomi as a bully in the 90s, Tyra Banks invited Ms. Campbell to hash things out live on air. Naomi was having none it, and treated Ms. Banks to some Mariah Carey-inspired treatment by asking Tyra if she even knew Gianni Versace personally. She also has an evidenced history of throwing inanimate objects at people who piss her off. So there's that too.
17. Meghan McCain – Being constantly surrounded by seemingly far-left liberals as the inarguable sole conservative commentator on The View, Meghan McCain’s short time as a co-host on the show has seen her ability to rebut and provide insight and humility into Republican values often misconstrued and mischaracterized by Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents alike... and she does it all with class (most of the time, but we’re not going to knock her for it because we also think Logan Paul is a “complete and utter insensitive idiot.”)
18. Kamala Harris (D-CA) – Even though every time I watch Kamala I have to stop and check a dictionary or thesaurus because I have literally no f&%$ing idea what she’s saying, I would never want to be questioned by her. She uses her time to fervently cross-examine anyone and everyone during Senate-Hearing Committee meetings. Also, she makes our Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, ‘nervous.’
19. Justice Ginsburg – no explanation needed. If you don’t know who she is, grow up, and Google her.
20. Blac Chyna – The ‘trail of tears’ is known by many as a result of forced Cherokee land removals, but thanks to Blac Chyna, that term has a completely different meaning to Rob Kardashian.
21. My mom – Like most women, she has faced discrimination in the workplace, and worked tirelessly to raise my brother and me alongside my father, who respects her deeply. She is independent. She believes in us, empowers us, and questions us when she doesn't understand us. She defends us in our absence. And she was right about every friend who ever screwed me over. Moms just KNOW. I wouldn't mess with her. And honestly, I probably wouldn't mess with your mom either.
Special Mentions to women who probably should have been on the list: Solange Knowles (in an elevator), Rihanna, Chrissy Teigen, Tiffany Haddish, Tomi Lahren, Kris Jenner, Tonya Harding, Molly Bloom, Cissy Houston, Cookie Lyon, and the rest of the cast of The View.