Back in 1997, I was rocking a tiny metallic backpack while hanging out at the mall, a Spice Girls lollipop in hand. Those lollipops came with stickers of Ginger, Posh, Scary, Sporty, or Baby, and they decorated my folders and walls. The Spice Girls were on fire, outselling even the Beatles, and their catchy brand of feminism—“Girl Power”—was taking the world by storm, complete with platform shoes and friendship vibes.
Their immense popularity led to product promotions, a movie—Spice World, which is nothing short of a cinematic treasure—and they even found time to tackle sexism on set. In a recently resurfaced outtake from a commercial shoot for a Spice Girls-themed Polaroid camera, the girls, led by Melanie Brown, push back against a request for more “cleavage shots” and “midriff shots” from a director who clearly thought he was being clever. When asked why he wanted those shots, he smugly replies, “It’s every man’s fantasy. That’s showbiz.”
But Brown wasn’t having it. She’s soon joined by Geri Halliwell and the rest of the Spice Girls in a powerful display of girl power. Victoria Beckham (then Adams) even snatches the man’s sunglasses off his face, quipping, “Stop trying to look cool.”
Now, you might say, “But didn’t the Spice Girls market themselves with midriffs and cleavage?” Sure, but they did it on their own terms. There’s a world of difference between choosing to express your femininity and being pushed to fit a mold that caters to “every man’s fantasy.” Halliwell even points out, “What kind of message would that send?”
The Spice Girls, in all their campy glory, knew exactly the message they were sharing: girls have value, women have value, and it’s not tied to male approval. “Girl Power” was not just a catchy slogan for them; it was a mantra they lived by. Teenage me would’ve cheered them on, and present-day me is still proud of them.
Looking back, that on-set exchange should’ve been the real Polaroid commercial instead of the bizarre, noir-themed version we got, featuring a vomiting nun and operatic chaos, with the Spice Girls getting kicked out of Catholic school in the rain.
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In summary, the Spice Girls were more than just a pop group; they were trailblazers who stood up against sexism and championed empowerment. Their legacy of “Girl Power” continues to inspire generations.