Girl Power Less
A review by Jennifer Cognard-Black
Run a Google image search on "girl power," and what comes up is a series of visual contradictions: a pink woman's symbol with a fist in the circle; a photo of a businesswoman's legs, in stockings and stilettos in front of a chorus line of men's trousers; girls sporting athletic gear; "girl power" emblazoned across bikini underwear; and an ad for a porn film. In these images the power afforded girls is mixed. A working woman is reduced to her girly fashion sense. A little girl's source of influence is what's written on her panties. And almost every image is linked to consumerism. "Girl power" is up for sale. In Feminism, Inc., Zaslow details the contradictions within a media culture that's been pervasive and potent ever since the Spice Girls popularized the phrase in 1997. On the one hand, she writes, "girl power is a commodification of opposition to traditional femininity." Epitomized by such popular figures as Lisa on The Simpsons and rapper Missy Elliott, girl power encourages...
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