I realize a fictional cloven-hooved actress is not on the level of the Marie Curies or Anais Nins of the world, but can we learn a few life lessons from her pig power, can't we? I think so, because for women of my generation, the pratfalling porker with the golden tresses and bawdy attitude, was a trailblazing feminist. For starters, Miss Piggy’s biggest fan is unapologetically…Miss Piggy—and shouldn’t we all be our own biggest fan? Self-Actualization In the Muppet universe, one could say she was the classic rags-to-riches story. Wikipedia reports she came from humble beginnings from a small mid-western town. After her father died in her youth, she was raised by an unkind mother. It even goes as far as to say that Miss Piggy “had to enter beauty contests to survive.” As an outsider from the sticks, she got ahead not by her looks, but by grit, resilience, and chutzpah. With early traumas, people can often get stuck in time, but this babe moved on. She hoofed her way to Hollywood stardom, achieving the holy trifecta of hits in film, television, and books. She even had her own perfume line, Moi —which, thanks to its certain, “je ne sais moi,” convinced the world that it’s sexy to smell like a pig. So, she’s kind of a branding genius, too. As a psychotherapist, I cannot ethically diagnose an individual I’m not treating (nor can I legitimately diagnose a fictional character), so this is purely speculation. But, I feel like Miss Piggy became what Abraham Maslow defined
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as a self-actualized person, which is the “full realization of one’s creative, intellectual, or social potential.” In today’s parlance, we’d say Piggy was the “best version of herself,” nailing every step in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: food, water, shelter, safety, job, community connection, and yes, feeling loved….by a frog, no less. My guess is Miss Piggy transcended her past by doing a lot of self-work to heal her deep childhood wounds before she could reach her full potential. Surely, she didn’t merely slap some lipstick on and suddenly become an authentic, multi-dimensional, and happy individual. More likely, Miss Piggy put in the work and found a way to turn her wounds into a warrior spirit. I mean, just look at her. She wears her strength of character right on her leopard print sleeve. She Practices Self-Acceptance & Positive Body Image In a world of tummy tucks and butt-lifts—Miss Piggy embraces her natural body. While managing to stay in tremendous shape, she still preaches “snackerizing” over jazzercising.
