What We Can Learn from 90’s & 00’s Girl Power

              Girl Power has been a topic of conversation ever since the slogan became a global phenomenon in the 90’s and 00’s. A new crest for girlhood, this catchphrase became a symbol for our fierce allegiances, tight knit friendships, and (of course) wicked threads. For many (not all) of us who grew up during the age of Girl Power−  cycling through every media release from the Spice Girls to Legally Blonde− attempting to grasp the very basics of women’s empowerment is not extremely difficult to do. As feminist writers have pointed out though, a lot of the popular media that claimed to demonstrate these themes instead used diluted versions of real feminist ideologies to paint girlhood as a universal experience. To best utilize Girl Power as an approach to creating and analyzing art for children & young-adults, we first (as the audience) have to understand it’s our responsibility to develop personal philosophies about feminism and how to challenge the status quo. We’re also allowed to embrace and enjoy the pleasures of girlhood, but it needs to inform and create new possibilities and better choices by first acknowledging the flaws of this genre (and still bringing along the glitz and glimmer that came before, when the time and place is right). Especially for those of us who grew up during the height of this era, I think it's important to reflect on the positive impacts that this time has had. There’s no need to suppress this media or deem it all as completely harmful if the message continues to show growth, and the conversation surrounding these pieces provide stepping stones for audience members to truly engage in real feminist thought.

Where My Girls At?

We couldn't discuss Girl Power without first addressing the essential component of friendship. As a woman, knowing how to build and maintain close relationships with other non-men is important for your wellbeing. Feeling understood by other people who share similar experiences to yours and can relate to the many nuances that come with girlhood, is vital in developing the village which every person needs to feel supported. Sarah Raphael beautifully wrote for i-D Magazine (1), "Sharing and over-sharing is a very female trait. We share every morsel of emotion, we share emotions we don't even feel, we share menstrual cycles and sometimes roll-on deodorant too. A good girlfriend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you just the same... Girls need each other to feel less weird, and in a good friend, you find a second self." This isn't to say that friendships between women are never difficult, especially during adolescence. Still, once we've matured and understand that we are better united and making an effort to listen to one another, the better we all are for it. Eventually, every person has to assess and take responsibility for the people they keep in their lives, as well as what each of these people offer them. Eden Tijerina adds (2), "...[There] is something to be said about women who aren’t stingy with their expertise. That acumen becomes even more powerful when shared, honed with new and deeper meaning." People often associate wisdom with age, but wisdom comes from putting yourself out there and being open to hearing women of different backgrounds, offering your own stories, and developing ideas as a united whole. Something that we absolutely know from Chick Flicks is that relationships are fleeting. Especially if you date men— coming out of a relationship or even dealing with extended arguments with your significant other can feel extra cold and lonely when you haven't been putting in the effort to maintain friendships with the women/non-men in your life. Having a wide support circle is a key part of not crashing and burning, even if you are in a relationship, so stay connected.

Reasonably Conceited

Many of our favorite heroines and starlets from the 90's and 00's, whose images helped shape the prototypes for women in media today, embodied Girl Power to the fullest and had a confidence so grandiose and unshakable, they've forever embedded themselves within pop culture history. A woman embracing her individuality never comes without its share of scrutiny, though. Both in the media and in everyday life, we see women given a range of labels such as diva, bimbo, poser, or brat for something as simple as waking up and getting dressed in the morning. Michelle S. Bae stated (4), "[The] view of feminine practice as liberation is marked by girls’ self-centered attitudes and use of autonomous decision making about the female body and sexuality for the sake of their own pleasure. Hence, girl power sends the message that the paramount importance of sexualized appearance and style in girl power is to encourage contemporary girls to take care of the self as a major part of self improvement." It’s already been established that women are critiqued no matter how they choose to express their gender. Women who are interested in traditional expressions of femininity (from Barbiecore to Cottagecore) are often assumed to not engage in any feminist thought, due to their interest in things such as makeup and “girly” clothing. Meanwhile, those who reject this are accused of being joykills or not “getting it” for pointing out the traps that keep our collective interests based in consumerist values and feminine ego. Feminist organizers have highlighted in the past (3) that Girl Power is about more than embracing normative forms of femininity− though, spending hours on grooming and being late because you changed your outfit anywhere from four to eleven times is all well and fun. However, I think it’s important to pause and reflect on what Girl Power tries to tell us. Girl Power loves a personal growth arch and it often comes back to knowing who you are and what’s important to you− the most crucial part of having unwavering confidence. This means believing in something and being able to stand for it, even if you are alone, and I do hope that those who find inspiration from what Girl Power offers understand that personal growth means more than simply being empowered by materials. Women are allowed to enjoy things, yes, but finding balance and remaining skeptical about what you’re consuming is vital for progress. Girl Power deserves to go beyond the face value, the excessive need for an aesthetically pleasing lifestyle (or "-core" culture), and consumerism being linked to girlhood in general. It is easy to fall back into these norms assigned to girlhood because it is fun for some of us, but even so, women deserve to be more than whatever advertisers assign to us. It’s worth it to go beyond what’s immediately served to us on a silver platter. Fashionable women know this. Intelligent women know this. Confident women know this. Be different.

Different Spots, Different Colors

When the market finally began to open up for tween and teenage girls, this meant that young children would also be the target of vicious and exploitative selling tactics. Though music and video media both played a role in this, there were also a large number of talented women in both industries at the time, meaning more representation. Take the Spice Girls for instance, who popularized the term Girl Power (though it was coined during the Riot Grrrl movement by Kathleen Hanna & her band, Bikini Kill). Those five wacky British women had to fight to have each of their own identities showcased (5), which arguably ended up being the very thing that catapulted them to their current level of fame. Stevie Mackenzie-Smith explains in i-D Magazine (3), "The Spice Girls made things better! Beneath the marketing lay a real message: be who you are, unapologetically. Individuality was celebrated on a basic level, through each Spice Girl's taste in clothes, her accent, which colored strip of light she'd stand in, or her hobby. Ginger Spice's mom worked as a cleaner, Posh Spice was driven to school in a Rolls-Royce; they encouraged us to look at our own friends and realize that difference makes people cool." Differences between women were celebrated several ways through popular music at the time. Rather than only seeing the success of boy bands, which gave teens a chance to imagine their favorite members in a romantic light, girl groups (such as the Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, & Danity Kane− my personal favorite) saw enormous success because they allowed fans to identify with the young women they saw strutting on MTV. Even iconic collaborations like “Lady Marmalade” (2001), which highlighted each woman’s strength, left us with a timeless pop song that still has the power to transform any listener into the self-assured sex kitten that they all embodied. While the media painted a much different story and pitted women in the industry against each other, women from all genres continued to pop-up and make their mark in music history. Enjoying the freedom to express their personalities freely and cater to their individual brands, some pop artists were even able to connect to their fans by diving into some deeper subjects of girlhood in their music, such as TLC and their hit song “Unpretty” (1999)**. Songs like this one can resonate with so many of us and give the sense that, despite all of our differences, we’re still a collective. Film and television saw a high amount of success for similar reasons. The Color of Friendship (2000), The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants (2005), Clueless (1995), & Legally Blonde (2001) are all examples of Girl Power media that celebrate differences between leading women, who all have very different interests, personalities, and backgrounds. Not only do the girls in each of these stories overcome their differences to form a connection, but their bonds become strengthened by them. Overcoming petty differences and supporting each other in times of need is how we combat the notion that relationships between women are naturally competitive and the sooner we see that there is indeed room for all of us towards the common goal of equality.

**On the right day, this song will still make me cry at the drop of a hat. I dare someone to say that pop music is meaningless.

Us Against the World

Girl Power’s biggest critique is how it misses the mark in terms of actually grappling with feminist topics− opting for more digestible and acceptable topics surrounding girlhood and femininity. If we allow this style of media to be a stepping stone for tackling more complex ideas, I do feel it’s important for Girl Power to discuss the personal ways women show up for each other, and young girls should have useful examples of that in the media. When these stories acknowledge the true difficulty that girls can face (despite their go-get-em attitudes and incredible talents) and encourage them to stick together despite all of it, it only adds to their strength and the overall message of Girl Power. In The Cheetah Girls (2003), four friends end up choosing each other over a chance to work with a celebrity producer. All collaborators in a rookie pop girl group, they meet fictional industry mogul, Jackal Johnson, who tries to change their sound and image. This causes division within the group− particularly with one member who deems herself leader without the consent of her bandmates. Emilie Zaslow wrote (6), “Sisterhood represented the idea of a collective struggle in the interest of equality for all women and the belief that despite differences, there were fundamental oppressions faced by all women... Rather than focusing on individual moments of success, the concept of sisterhood drew on the commonalities of women and their ability to coalesce around similar oppressive conditions.” Real power is when we are united, not when one or two women find themselves lucky and sitting at the top. The Cheetah Girls are not meant to be symbols of pity because they decided not to work with Jackal. Their choice not to work with him was an act of empowerment and rebellion, as the girls had decided they were unwilling to compromise their sense of self-worth in their pursuit of industry success. Yes, he did vocalize his mistakes and allowed them another chance for a seat at the table, but The Cheetah Girls say it the best themselves (7): “... The Cheetah Girls follow their own dreams and nobody else’s… [We] depend on our family and our friends and the growl-power of the cheetah-licious divas who came before us… You tell [Jackal Johnson] we’re gonna be stars our day, our way.” These young women had talent that could never be taken from them and, with this understanding, they were able to find growth through their love of music and loyalty to each other. More importantly, they were able to unite on these fronts to resist institutional efforts to conform them to something that they were not.

Baby Feminism & Wannabes

Talking about the commodification of feminism through popular culture is an important conversation to keep having. Calling out what feminism is versus what it isn't is important to keep doing. Speaking on something in theory is a lot easier than putting it into practice and I want more from those who claim ideologies they don't understand the full meaning or history of. This is a real movement whose pioneers deserve to have their work, words, and ideas honored. I do also believe, though, that it's important to meet people where they’re at— especially when we are discussing young women, their introduction to feminist ideas, and the collective future. Everyone may not have the same intentions when first beginning to think about the women's movement, but I do believe that a lot of themes in popular media do stick with young people over time and these silly forms of entertainment do indeed have a role in our society. Andi Zeisler, co-founder of the feminist magazine Bitch, told the New York Times (5), "I think it’s possible to say, on the one hand, the Spice Girls and girl power were this very contrived marketing technique. And that’s true... [but] that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t very real for the Girls themselves, or for the audience. I grew up with feminism as an irredeemably dirty word. No one wanted to be associated with it. So just the optics of having a group of women talking about feminism in a different language, making it accessible — that’s really important." Seeking further education is up to the individual and those who want to learn will, while others should be allowed time and grace (when appropriate). I don't believe that Girl Power media is Public Enemy No.1, but I do hope for more meaningful conversations within media intended for young women. In the meantime, focusing on dismantling institutions of power that uphold these values should be at the center of attention so that more artists can create and share more easily. And even better art can continue to be made.

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Read Our Sources:

1. Raphael S. female friendships can be the most rewarding of our lives. i-D Magazine. August 28, 2014.

2. Tijerina E. The importance of creative girl friendships. C-heads Magazine. February 14, 2021.

3. Mackenzie-Smith S. how girl power made us who we are today. i-D Magazine. July 7, 2016.

4. Bae M. Interrogating Girl Power: Girlhood, Popular Media, and Postfeminism. Visual Arts Research. University of Illinois Press. 2011.

5. Haridasani Gupta A. Harlan J. How the Spice Girls’ Manufactured Girl Power Became Real. New York Times. April 28, 2022.

6. Zaslow E. Moving From Sisterhood to Girl Power. APA Handbook of the Psychology of Women: Vol I. History, Theories, and Battlegrounds. American Psychological Association. 2018.

7. Scott, O. (Director) . (2003). The Cheetah Girls. [Film].