May 7 2008: My Tribute To The Spice Girls
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Note: I accidentally closed comments on the challenge post yesterday, but it’s been reopened now!
The question of “How have the Spice Girls influenced you?” is difficult to answer. Them, their music, their tabloid adventures, many aspects about them have become inextricably linked to particular memories and experiences.
Performing “Say You’ll Be There” with four other girls at a camp concert in primary school perhaps. Seeing my first movie sans adult presence (Spiceworld forever!). Taping their televised “Live In Istanbul” concert, and religiously watching and re-watching their performance, teaching myself their dance moves and lip-synching along with their tunes. Going through a phase where I made everyone call me Posh Spice, refusing to answer to my actual name. Three years of wearing sneakers that had a platform, just like the girls. Crying and sympathising with Victoria when that Loos woman threatened her marriage. Reaching my first 9000+ score on the Playstation 2 game Singstar when singing “Who Do You Think You Are?”. Still on that constant search for my very own Union Jack dress.
I write essays now for university classes about feminism, about raunch culture, about the objectification of women, and recognise that the Spice Girls were feminists in their own right. It’s easy to fall into a trap of believing that feminists are all unshaven-armpits/legs, bra-burning, militant and argumentative male-suppressing women, but the Spice Girls shows us that feminism can equally be about celebrating femininity and girliness, about embracing sisterhood and taking delight in dressing up and loving the fact that you’re female. The technical term may be third-wave feminism, but they’ll always just be “Girl Power”. And to a girl who was brought up in a culture which doesn’t celebrate women and their role in society, the Girls gave me the confidence that I could be whoever I wanted to be. Their particular brand of female bravado is the reason that I’m fearlessly blogging here today about sex, contraception, and topics that may be taboo in society – they gave me the confidence to embrace my femininity and sexuality.
I’m actually planning on holding a Spice-themed slumber party for all my girl friends sometime this year. It’ll involve lots of hair-braiding, popcorn, Spice music, singing along to my Spice karaoke DVD, watching Spiceworld, and dress-ups. I had originally envisioned a “nineties-music” themed slumber party, incorporating other music acts like the Backstreet Boys, N’sync, Aqua, old-school Britney, Hanson, and the like, but then realised: “Why bother with those acts?”. The Spice Girls were the 1990s. I needn’t include anyone else, because nothing could ever compete with the influence they had, and still have, over pop culture.
They are a love of music, sisterhood, girl power, self-belief and self-confidence. They are standing out from the mainstream, they are loudness and brashness. They are the soundtrack of my life, the five women who have played a part in my personal growth. They are quite simply, the incomparable Spice Girls.
4 Responses to “My Tribute To The Spice Girls”
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[...] Amanda of Jingwen [...]
Jingwen » Blog Archive » The Common People’s Tribute To The Spice Girls on May 7 2008 #
Aww, that slumber party sounds fun. I wish I had friends to do that with.
Britney on May 8 2008 #
I’d love to see that Union Jack dress on you Amanda!! With super duper platform boots like Geri herself :D
AMEN to all of this Amanda, AMEN!
Juice on May 8 2008 #
Reading your post completely, it brings me back my memories of the Spice Girls. Oh how I do miss them, and I still listen to their songs daily. You’re right, they were able to show girl power, but still remain girls pridefully and powerfully.
Destiny on May 8 2008 #