Generation X had the privilege of being graced women from the '90s on the big screen to ruling the airwaves, these icons not only paved the way for my own aspiring make of girl power, but also they taught many of us how truly awesome it was to be a grow up being a girl.
Power icons of the '90s were all around us in pop culture, from movies and television to the music we listened to, and the one you resonated the most with probably says a lot about you. It is time to pay a tribute to the '90s women who made us feel strong and confident, also to think of yourself as just as awesomely strong as they were.
1. TLC
The girl group, TLC, totally embodied not only self love and inner beauty with their hit, 'Unpretty', but also gave us an anthem for generations, 'No Scrubs', that taught us to watch out for men who do not value the women they desire. Thank you T- Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli for the bops, independence, and empowerment.
2. Jessie Spano
What was so powerful about Jessie's character on "Saved By The Bell" was how effortlessly a displaced her true self. She constantly called Slater for being a "sexist pig" and defined what was degrading. Jessie stood up for herself and rose up against toxicity of masculinity, gender roles, and social inequality. Bless you, Jessie Spano.
3. Powerpuff Girls
In the episodes of the Powerpuff Girls, there were always very compelling messages within them. One that sticks out is the “Equal Fights" episode, the villain Femme Fatale convinces the girls to “hate men” in hopes of possibly stealing Susan B. Anthony coins from local banks.
The end of the episode reveals a powerful message about what feminism really means: equal treatment not special treatment. I applaud these adorable and intelligent gals for highlighting this controversial topic in a portion of their show.
4. Matilda
Whether you fell in love with her from the book, movie, or both, Matilda slays the girl power scene. At a young age, I thought her father was rude and misunderstood his daughter, Matilda. It was not until I start rewatching the film that I realized her father exuded undermining sexism.
She taught us how to fight back with class and intellect. Matilda discovered from an early age that she had magical powers and used all her energy to acuminate those powers for her amusement. She found a solution to her disillusion, which is an extremely valuable skill to obtain.
Matilda completely embraced who she was and was happier for it. Her courage inspired me to accept and love my differences.
5. Clair Huxtable
What a woman. She made equality in the workplace and in the home seem so effortlessly normal, so natural and so achievable. In her work environment, she shuts down that is not the token black woman. Also in an episode, Claire shuts down her daughter's sexist boyfriend after he suggests she is “serving” her husband by offering to bring him a cup of coffee. Clair shuts down his overly "macho" attitude and schools him what marriage is all about.
Additionally, an overall theme in "The Cosby Show" was how aware Clair is of her inner and outward beauty. 30 years on she remains as relevant as ever.
