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Thanks
for your note. I personally
think that "The Spice Girls'"
and the current attention to
"Girl Power" has misrepresented
feminism. I don't know much
about the former, but I'm sure
in the larger scheme of things
they are harmless. The latter
ignores the deeper problem that
men and women face, which is
that women can't claim "equal
power" until men let go of power.
So while some "girls" have gained
power, "boys" still haven't
put themselves in equilibrium
with women, which leaves us
unbalanced. This current trend--which
certainly is not new--is forgetting
the roots of feminism and not
remembering that this generation
could not be where it is were
it not for its predecessors.
The recent rise in the "girl"
trend reminds me of the use
of "queer" in the gay and lesbian
movement. However, while it
is okay for "queer" to be used,
referenced in a "queer" safe
community, it is still a negative
term when used by those who
don't support gay and lesbian
rights. Similarly with girl
power--I'm all for using whatever
term it is that decribes your
path to equality, however the
more choices we include, the
less unified we are and the
further we are from reaching
a real place of real equality,
because we spend too much time
on the road explaing the different
nuances and not focusing on
the ultimate goal. On a simplier
note, I think that "girl power"
is silly and it's safe. It keeps
us young, naive, cute, but means
that we want to be on top. Power
only means "the ability to do;
act; or produce." Given that
definition, girl power only
means that we can function--would
you call that progress? The
real power lies in not being
afraid to recognize that feminism
isn't a bad word--and that "power"
lies in our own lives not in
some glib reference in a magazine
and on the pop charts.
Although I did say more than
I expected, I actually want
to give as little attention
as possible to "girl power"
-- not because I don't support
it or even agree with it, but
because I think that it is just
one more attempt to take the
focus off the real issues and
put it onto a cat fight. I have
much more in common with the
Spice Girls than I do Ralph
Reed--and he has a greater chance
of staying power, so I think
it's important to put my energies
there. Sorry to babble
—Amy
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