Say My Name, Say My Name: Quvenzhané Wallis

It’s Friday. It’s been a long week and I’ve got big plans this weekend that may be squashed, or at least may be fashionably thwarted by snowboots and bulky layers, thanks to a storm named Nemo. Don’t even get me started on the name because this thing does NOT look friendly and/or trapped and if someone tries to tell me to “just keep swimming” in the midst of knee-high thundersnow, we’re going to have issues.

So here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to give you something that is both adorable and useful to get you through the rest of your day (and mine). At the Oscar Nominees Luncheon this week, the perfectly pretty in purple, 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who is nominated for her heart-wrenching role in Beasts of the Southern Wild, spoke to a room full of reporters who had a (understandably) hard time pronouncing her name.

“Q,” she responded when asked what her friends call her. But then she sounded the whole thing out for all of us who have avoided referring to her in conversations since the nominations came out. And then people still mispronounced it.

But thank you anyways, qua-vin-janae. From one girl with a tough name to another (pear-E earns-burger … and no, I don’t need your fast food-related jokes). You are beautiful and talented and precious and my 9-year-old self is swooning over all your sparkly dresses and PUPPY PURSES. I’d probably bring a few Barbies along to keep me company during all the boring formalities, but other than that, you’re doin’ great up there, kid.

Featured image via People