In Defense of the Spice Girls
The article above is certainly an interesting addition to the Spice Girls/feminism discussion - however I will take issue with the whole, “we hated The Spice Girls because they were a manufactured group controlled by men.” The Spice Girls were five women from several walks of life who at ages as young as 17 made the decision to go after their dreams. They were smart businesswomen. Once they made it into the band and realized that Chris Herbert was bent on turning them into something they didn’t want to be: (a sexy five-some in matching sequin gowns), they packed up their shit and left. They stole the master recordings of their songs, to ensure that they’d have control of their work. Each girl took charge of a different aspect of managing the group (Victoria was in charge of finances!), and for months, they hustled on their own, going from management company to management company to try and get a break, until they finally met Simon Fuller. Their personas were their own ideas and creations. Yes, they had about a bajillion endorsements, from Pepsi to Chupa Chups to Polaroid - but guess what? They were a pop group, not some underground indie band - and in that respect they pretty much smashed it. They became one of the biggest girl groups in history on their own terms and if that isn’t ~girl power~ I don’t know what it is.
