How Pete Souza's adorable tortoise Charlotte became a Trump-resisting icon
Have you ever wondered how to be Instagram famous without needing to know how to take a perfectly-framed photo or write an inspiring caption?
It's possible... if you're Pete Souza's pet tortoise Charlotte. Thanks to the former White House photographer under President Barack Obama, Charlotte -- better known as @charlottethetortoise to her 20,000-plus Instagram followers -- has not only become the internet's latest viral animal sensation, but also a rallying soldier in the resistance against Donald Trump.
The Washingtonian has published a short chronicling of Charlotte's rise to fame and unexpected modeling career in Souza's photography, which often throws shade at Trump and his administration in the cleverest of ways by contrasting the embarrassingly chaotic White House with the dignified and more orderly administration under former President Obama.
With Souza running Charlotte's Instagram account, she's been able to resist Trump without having to take much action. No need to speak. No need to march. No need to do anything but be herself and let Souza snap her photo and caption it to hopefully inspire change from those who can.
If you've ever doubted the power of social media to make an animal a resistance icon, doubt no more because Charlotte's slaying days have only just begun.
Below are just a couple of Instagram gems Souza's posted:
And, oh yes she did throw shade at Brett Kavanaugh:
If a tortoise can fight the good fight against Trump, surely anyone who's unhappy with his governance can contribute in some way. Anything, however small or larger.
Social media's so powerful because its reach has the potential to cast a net on a massive audience. Why not use it for positive and progressive action instead of merely complaining about Russian manipulation of the platforms?
Topics Animals Instagram Donald Trump
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
