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diri power, a playful form of third wave feminism,1 seeks to reclaim the feminine and mark it as culturally valued. It is most often represented as the idea that girls can do anything they choose-especially on a personal level. In popular culture sites of girl power, "power" encompasses two key concepts: 1'. the ability to influence others and the surrounding world through independence, intelligence, and agency, and 2. the mental and physical strength that males typically claim. Grafting these concepts onto the idea of the "girl" suggests that "feminine" and "empowered" are not antonyms: Girls can make their own decisions, speak their minds, raise their voices, and be aggressive, while engaging in the production of normative femininity. The Powerpuff Girls (PPGs), an animated series that premiered on Cartoon Network in 1998, can be read as a keynote text in the girl power genre.
In the early 1990s, girl power emerged as part of the Riot Grrrl movement, a mode of feminist consciousness-raising2 that encouraged girls and women to eschew mainstream commodities in favor of independently producing their own items. The Riot Grrrls' girl power circulated through the do-it-yourself production of cultural forms such as punk rock music and zines3 (see Carlip 32; Evans 216; Riordan 285-289) and through weekly meetings in which grrrls discussed issues they faced (Brown 5). Riot Grrrls were aggressive and confrontational, and freely borrowed aspects of mainstream femininity to subvert them through strategic juxtaposition. Lyn Mikel Brown notes, "Contradiction is manifest in Riot Grrls' appearance-baby-doll dresses with lace peter pan collars worn with black boots, shaved heads, and cat's-eye glasses" (6). Their activities generally stayed below mainstream society's radar.
"Girl power" became a household term in the late 1990s when the Spice Girls-a wildly popular pop music group from England-claimed girl power as their slogan.4 The Spice Girls proclaimed the joys of strong-willed independence (Lemish 20) while engaging in elaborate performances of fun, sexy femininity, which they claimed was not intended for the pleasure of men.5 The Spice Girls' girl power referred to "physical and mental strength" as well as "freedom of expression and inner peace, [. . .] standing up for one's opinions and beliefs" (Lemish 21). They intended their actions as an "affirmation of girlness" (Brabazon and Evans,...