Disney's "The Cheetah Girls" has an unexpected and surprisingly strong feminist message. I don't think I realized it at the time of its release in 2003 when I was just seven years old, but now 12 years later as a 19-year-old and very passionate feminist, I watch it again and see a positive message about female empowerment and gaining strength from loving friendships. The movie follows four best friends, The Cheetah Girls, in high school as they struggle to make their dreams of becoming a famous girl group a reality. The movie stars Raven Symone, Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan as Galleria Garibaldi, Chanel Simmons, Aqua Walker, and Dorinda Thomas. The girls are discovered by a hotshot producer, Jackal Johnson, who wants them to change their image in order to sell records, to the point where it is no longer a proper representation of themselves and the group. It causes a riff amongst the girls and the band breaks up. Ultimately, the bond of sisterhood and girl power is what brings them back together. Throughout the movie there are many powerful scenes and songs about the their "growl power," and staying true to themselves. Here are the top eight feminist moments from the Disney channel original movie.
8. "Together We Can" - The Cheetah Girls
A powerhouse song about how anything is possible with your friends by your side.
7. Summoning inspiration from past divas. Before their performances, The Cheetahs call on famous female performers whom they look up to in order to gather strength and self-confidence. A very important message to young girls about the importance of positive female role models. Galleria says before a performance, "May the power of all the fabulous divas who came before us be with us now. May we use our hearts, our brains, and our courage to reach our cheetalicious potential."
6. Talk about what it means to be a Cheetah girl. For The Cheetah Girls, the thing they pride themselves most on is their inner strength and hard work. They do not call themselves the prettiest, or the hottest, or the most desired. Instead, they focus on character development and becoming the best versions of themselves they can be. Galleria shares this when she says, "We call ourselves The Cheetahs because the cheetah is the fiercest feline in the jungle." During another moment, where Chanel is comforting an upset Dorinda, she says, "Do, you're a Cheetah because of who you are and what's in your heart."
5. "Cheetah Sisters" - The Cheetah Girls
The Cheetah Girls most well known song which celebrated their individuality and unbreakable bond.
4. The lack of love interests. It is not common to find a movie in which the central plot does not revolve around a love story. While the main character Galleria does have a love interest, it is not a main component of the movie. In fact, she is very adamant about not needing him to be happy or fulfilled. The movie focuses on friendships instead of teaching young girls that they need a romantic partner to be fulfilled. At one point, Galleria shares with her friends that respect is the most important fundamental building block to any relationship, when she says, "If he can't respect my art, he can't have my heart." She's also very wary of trusting him after he calls her his "boo" when she says, "It's a trick, you guys. Every time he bats those long eyelashes of his it's just a way to bring down the hammer on our success. Don't fall for it."
3. "Girl Power" - The Cheetah Girls
Another great, empowering song about the power of females who believe in themselves.
2. When the girls finally tell off Jackal Johnson. It took them a bit of time and a lot of growing, but eventually The Cheetah Girls worked up the inner strength to cut ties with a very successful music producer who was offering them the world, because they knew it wasn't right for them. They joined together and rejected Jackal's offer when he called, begging them to give him another chance. They said to him, "Hello, The Cheetah Girls do not run with wolves or hang with hyenas. You tell him that The Cheetah Girls follow their own dreams and nobody else's. We depend on our family and our friends and the growl power of the cheetahlicious divas who came before us to see us home. We're gonna be stars our day, our way."
1. "Cinderella" - The Cheetah Girls
The lyrics say it all.
