What Helga Pataki From "Hey Arnold!" Taught Us About Being A Woman

Margot Nolan

An American animated television program called "Hey Arnold!" aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, until June 8, 2004. The main character of the series is a fourth-grader named Arnold, who lives in an inner-city tenement in Hillwood, Washington, with his grandparents.
Helga Pataki was, in many ways, the weirdest character in the iconic Nickelodeon series "Hey Arnold!". She was an admirer of Arnold and later, his girlfriend. She’s also Phoebe's best friend. Although she’s very beautiful, she’s widely viewed by her peers as a vain, cruel, and spoiled bully. She is known as a liar and a rude girl who can knock the teeth out of her classmates.
However, she was a very complicated female character for all of these reasons! She was romantic and gave us many valuable lessons about what it means to be a woman in hilarious, odd, and fantastic ways.
Scroll down to find out more about her lessons!

#1 It can be stressful and difficult to be a woman at times.


#2 Sometimes, you are negative about the world, although you don't want to be.


#3 You should never feel so afraid to show some of your private aspects.


#4 Always follow your gut and stay true to what you believe.


#5 You might even act crazily and weirdly in ways that you didn't think could happen to you.


#6 Be brave and ask tricky questions that others couldn't.


#7 You have to maintain a high level of self-confidence.


#8 Don’t be surprised if you end up changing your mind and opinions.


#9 It’s important to have strong friendships to help you get through it all.


#10 Sometimes, accepting help from others is fine.


#11 Be aware of your sexuality. And don't be afraid to ask questions or be curious about it.


#12 Don’t be afraid to go after what you want and go after it hard.


#13 Never make any apologies for the awesome person you are.


#14 You will encounter mansplainers aplenty, but don’t let them get the best of you. Not even for a minute.


#15 Only you can define what it means to be your kind of woman.


#16 Put your needs and desires ahead of what you believe others want or need from you.


#17 Learn as much as you can from your mother, whether or not she is aware that she is teaching you.


#18 Don't let anyone convince you that you don't deserve the privacy that you need and want.


#19 The complex game of love will play with your heart and have you second-guessing everything.