Rebellious, determined, vulgar, radical, flashy, and atypical are just some of the words that I would use to describe the icon that is Roberta Pardo. For those of you who haven’t watched the telenovela Rebelde (which if you haven’t, you should do something about that ASAP), Roberta is one of the lead characters played by Dulce María. Maybe if you didn’t watch the series, you’ll definitely recognize her by her memorable hair:
Roberta serves as an icon to the thousands of Rebelde viewers around the world. Most of the young viewers, such as yours truly, were impacted by her strong character and outrageous hair.
Having such a strong figure in my favorite childhood series definitely influenced part of who I am today. Her trend-setting hair change inspired me to change the color of my hair at only thirteen years old. To date, I’ve grown to love changing my hair and have probably had about 10+ different hair colors.
Aside from the physical aspect, what truly inspired me about Roberta was her strong attitude. She would stand by her point of view and values if she knew she was right, even if it seemed like everyone else was against her. Roberta never let anyone’s insults change her personality nor determination. For example, in the first season of Rebelde, Mia, at Roberta’s rival, had her own dance team and didn’t let Roberta join her group just because she disliked her loud personality, even though Mia knew she was talented. Instead of letting this defeat her, Roberta decided to form her own dance group with her group of friends, which gained more attention than Mia’s in the long run.
Growing up watching such a strong character who seemed to be belittled and mocked in multiple occasions, but never let that deter her, definitely made me want to have that same confidence. This character showed me that it was okay to express myself and not let the opinion of others get in the way of my happiness. Thanks to the influence of this character, I can say I am expressive, determined, and persevering in everything I do.
No matter how foolish it may seem to be inspired by a character, I’m not going to deny that she influenced parts of my character. If there is someone, or something, that has inspired you, don’t be ashamed to admit it! Everyone has lived through their own unique experiences and it’s OK to acknowledge the factors that shaped your being.