In these turbulent and downright terrifying times, everybody should have a role model to look up to. Someone who is kind. Gentle. Compassionate. A true leader.
Frankly, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is none of these things, but she’s the best we’ve got.
Fearless, tough-as-nails and often just plain scary, Rosa is the guide we all need to get through the day. If we were just a little bit more like her, then maybe the world would be safer, more honest and, dare I say it, better.
Sure, we would all have to learn how to pull off a black leather jacket, but I for one think that’s better than the world I see myself living in. Let’s explore how Rosa can be a bad-ass role model in every facet of your crummy life.
Are you ready?
Work
Sure, Rosa Diaz is a New York City cop dealing with drug cartels, mobsters and hard-line criminals on a day-to-day basis. If you’re sitting in a plush office or serving coffees to business people in said plush office, the opportunities to let out your inner rebel are very slim. But there’s always a way to bring a certain level of bad-assery into your workplace. Whether that be by talking openly and honestly to your colleagues or keeping up a reputation of being the coolest person in your office, we should think more like Rosa in order to get the job done.
Health
You got to take care of yourself! Rosa can’t be a good detective or a trained martial arts expert without some R&R. Eat right, sleep well and don’t think you can’t be a bad-ass when you’re dreaming.
Feminism
The big one! People can and probably will be threatened by your newfound self-confidence and fierce attitude. So it’s your responsibility to tell it like it is. This goes for men, too. Everyone can deliver zingers like this:
You’re allowed to be anyone you want to be, even if that person is a fictional sitcom character. Don’t let gender norms stand in the way of your personal identity and bad-assery.
Romance
Relationships are a minefield, right? They can get anyone down even when you’re the most bad-ass woman on television. But any issue can be solved with the right attitude and an honest approach. Rosa’s dating advice may be a little blunt, sure, but I think we can all learn a thing or two from this:
Friendships
It’s good to have a supportive network of friends, just like the rest of the clan in the 99th precinct. Everyone outside of that network can go to hell, though.
Family
It’s always important to make time for your family. Regardless of your personal feelings towards them, a plan is a plan and shouldn’t be broken, as clarified expertly by Rosa.
Most importantly though, Rosa Diaz can teach you this:
Showing vulnerability is the most bad-ass thing you can do, OK?
It’s hard to let people in on the real you. Especially when it comes to opening up about your sexuality. But take it from Rosa – no matter how tough the exterior or violent the tendencies, we can always show a little bit more of ourselves and put more trust in the people around us.
So there you have it. Proof (and a handy self-help guide) on why Rosa Diaz is the most bad-ass woman on television. You can probably feel yourself becoming a better person just by having read it.
Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Wednesdays at 8pm on SBS VICELAND. You can watch episodes fast-tracked after US broadcast from 3pm every Monday afternoon.
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