This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

Nobody deserves a hot girl summer more than “Phineas and Ferb” character Candace Flynn. Not only is she routinely manipulated by her family about the truth behind her little brother’s escapades, but she is also wholly underrated by “Phineas and Ferb” watchers. Yes, this is a children’s show, and yes, I am reading too much into a fictional character, but this girl really deserves a good massage and date night with her forever crush, Jeremy.

We all know that “Phineas and Ferb” is mainly focused on the inventions of the Flynn brothers and the often out-of-pocket side plot that surrounds their pet platypus and DILF, Heinz Doofenshmirtz. But where’s the appreciation for the big sister that often is used for comedy relief and nothing more? We laugh at her pain (like when she was turned into an orangutan or a platypus), but who is there to rejoice in her happiness? No one. Or, at least, not enough people.

If Candace Flynn has 10 fans, I am one of them. If she has one million fans, I am one of them. If she has one fan, I am that fan. If she has no fans, I am dead. Because of this, I’m using Women’s History Month to celebrate the icon that is Candace and some of the reasons she is the absolute best.

Phineas And Ferb Stacy Hirano GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY — Via Giphy

She Persists, Despite Being Gaslit by Literally The Entire World

Everyone treats Candace Flynn as a literal lunatic. Even the official “Phineas and Ferb” fan page (which, by the way, I didn’t know existed until two minutes ago) treats her like she should be locked up. This site says, and I quote, that she behaves “in an erratic manner many would call insane. Her brothers occupy a large portion of her thoughts and their regular endeavors, although unintentionally, are a menace to her composure.”

This begs the question: how would any normal person act if their little brother built a rollercoaster, or a monster truck arena, or unfroze a preserved and alive caveman? Are you telling me you wouldn’t try to tell someone what they did? Keep in mind that Phineas and Ferb are like ten years old. If your younger brother did these things, and you routinely were harmed by them (again, she has been turned into an orangutan and a platypus before), would you pretend it was normal? Besides, she’s not busting for the fun of it. It’s shown multiple times throughout the series that she cares about her brothers and wants to protect them from themselves.

Now that we’re on this subject, why does no one in the entire Tri-State area confirm Candace’s reason for busting her brothers? Phineas and Ferb’s adventures literally affect the whole city, and the whole city then gaslights Candace in pretending nothing ever happened? Candace Flynn is the only sane person in this show. Yet, she still spends all 104 days of her summer vacation pursuing justice.

She Embraces Her Emotions While Dismantling Gender Roles

Candace also gets a bad reputation for being boy crazy, specifically over her show-long love interest Jeremy. Would you rather her be obsessed with multiple men? No. She’s loyal. Some may say she’s a little stalkerish when it comes to Jeremy. I call it “devoted.” After all, he’s into her too.

Honestly, the way Candace objectifies Jeremy should be commended. Usually, in the media, it’s the woman that is reduced to her looks and is talked about as if they’re an object to be acquired. Candace flips those roles completely and instead objectifies the man for once. So what if she’s obsessive? She’s still dismantling the patriarchy.

Via YouTube

She Eventually Uses Her Busting For Good

Candace, as revealed in the last episode of “Phineas and Ferb”, eventually goes to law school. It is also revealed that one of her dissertations is about “busting.” So, not only did she continue to try and bust her brothers after being manipulated by the entire tri-state area, but she continued to bust well into her life. Who knows what she’s done with that perseverance? Maybe she’s busting government corruption or the mafia.

She’s Taken Her Brother’s Inventions and Uses Them For Her Own Gain

Remember when Candace became the Queen of Mars? Or when she drove a monster truck? Or when she became the Mayor of Danville for a day?

Despite, as previously mentioned, being continuously emotionally manipulated, Candace still capitalizes on the opportunities created by her brother’s dangerous plots. While I haven’t seen “Phineas and Ferb” recently, I remember a couple of plotlines where Candace absolutely killed it.

She and her best friend Stacy read the entire “Sherlock Holmes” series (there are 62 stories in it) in one night, making her an incredibly fast reader and intellectual. She’s crowned the Queen of Wahini when her brothers make a beach in their backyard, making her a natural-born leader. She saves her brothers from a high-security prison, despite them treating her awfully most of the time. I could go on.

Her Songs are Uncontested Bangers

“Phineas and Ferb” has a lot of songs that, while embarrassing to be caught listening to, go absolutely crazy. Out of these songs, though, Candace’s are the best. “S.I.M.P” is the most iconic song of the show, and “E.V.I.L B.O.Y.S” is also iconic. “Queen of Mars” and “I Love You Mom” are also works of art, but of course they are–Candace is voiced by Ashley Tisdale, who also plays Sharpay Evans in “High School Musical.” Of all the songs by or about Candace, however, my favorite has got to be “Busted.” She never misses.

Via Spotify

So, even though I haven’t really watched “Phineas and Ferb” for years, I still think Candace Flynn deserves better. Even more than that, we should all look up to her. So go out into the world, and bust some brothers.