A Youthquake Moment in Time
Now That's What I Call Pop Culture HERstory
Living every month like it’s women’s history month is the empowering attitude we should all adopt. Without the extraordinary heroines of our past, we wouldn’t be where we are; the incredible women in my family taught me strength and resilience.
Conversely, it wasn’t always a Full House episode with rose-tinted glasses. These women also projected their inheritance of insecurity, cattiness, and intergenerational culturally biased beauty standards that I’ve been trying to shed. Hence, I gravitated toward such strong women because we’re still human, even at our most badass moments of vulnerability. Emotions aren’t a weakness; harnessing them is a powerful trait I’ve been learning.
Shutting the world out to tune in during my time away from my sisters, cousins, or neighborhood friends. Before my parents could comfortably afford additional TVs for our household, we all shared a Zenith Space Command tv (precisely this model HERE). Being the baby and, eventually, the third-born middle child meant I didn’t get a lot of saying into what we watched, but there was a lot of ’80s powerhouse feminism due to my parents. For instance, they share an affinity for romcoms and dramas with leading ladies with a commanding presence. Iconic films like Welcome to America, Alien, Moonstruck, Dirty Dancing, Star Wars, and Mermaids (Cher was essential in my growing up) all feature strong women in their own right and were staples in our household.
Later, our family of six settled in nicely onto a bigger house where I had my room at eight years old. My parents happily passed down their heavy Zenith tv in favor of those chunky big-screen TVs of the ’90s, and they bought me a Phillips Magnavox 25” complete with the Starz movie channel.
My affinity and penchant for films were born during the summer of ’96. I spent the entire time drawing (an animated series), writing (short stories), and watching movies like my life depended on it. This newfound freedom to watch what I wanted whenever I wanted was thrilling, mainly because my overprotective and religious Mexican parents didn’t set up any parental lock. Hence, it was like discovering an entirely new galaxy unsupervised. This newly-discovered freedom is how I discovered movies that helped mold me into the person I am today.
I consumed so much pop culture that year. My parents extended our strict bedtime, so I’d stay up and watch Nickelodeon, which would turn into Nick at Nite— which I loved researching on YouTube— childhood nostalgia is instant serotonin from 1997 here. 1996 here. Lastly, 1995 here. My forever feminist icons include Jeannie, Laverne & Shirley, Lily, Lucy, Morticia, and Samantha. However, four shows had my heart from an early age. The Munsters and The Addams Family were relatable as both were families of outcasts and misfits that didn’t assimilate into American culture. While That Girl and The Mary Tyler Moore Show empowered and instilled being a modern-day woman living life as she wants without societal or familial pressures. The latter two are a testament to their power in pop culture herstory since Mary and Rhoda were the ultimate for me— witty, funny, beautiful, responsible, flawed, single, stylish, and independent. Not to be left out is their neighbor Phyllis Lindstrom, played by the hilarious Cloris Leachman.
The 90’s third wave of feminism— defined by Woman of Color Rebecca Walker— caught my twinkling eye thanks to my classmate Ashleigh— if I remember correctly, that’s how she spells it— she lent me her Deluxe purple TalkGirl with the new Spice Girls tape introducing me to modern pop music. I spent my childhood listening to classic rock or whatever my mom was into at the moment, like disco or Mexican divas.
If my stoner brain memory is correct, this school trip is where I refused to shake then-governor George Bush’s hand— somehow, my intuition always knew about him— in his state-owned mansion. It was like a light switch went off in me, and I found the power in having a choice.
I wanted to channel the energy of confident women I was enamored with— regardless of not yet standing up to the mean girls in my grade who picked on me relentlessly when I moved to that mostly all-white school during midsemester the previous year. Due to the instilled “be seen, not heard” at a young age, my social anxiety and insecurities were targets considered easy prey. Until I learned early on, I had an inner firework personality and venomous tongue when approached disrespectfully. Also, having rowdy male cousins and a harsh mother picked on you worse than any of those supposed mean girls could.
Outspoken and defiant women of the ’90s introduced me to artists like Fiona Apple, Alanis Morrissette, and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. For television and films, I gravitated toward films with black sheep or feminine rage and more if they intersectionally featured women of color. For instance, Waiting to Exhale, The Craft, A League of Their Own, Daria, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lisa Simpson, Xena: Warrior Princess, Reggie Rocket from Rocket Power, Miss Grotke in Recess, VH1 Divas, and more were hypnotic and captivated my attention with their mere presence of assuredly knowing who they are and what they stood for.
This combination is met with being overexposed to pop culture and my naivety in believing that women weren’t marketing ploys being overtaken by the constant oversexualizing and commodifying of women. A strange amalgam during rampant raunch culture that hid beneath the supposed sexual liberation. Sadly, along with fierce women came oversexualized and sexist media exploitation. We saw it with Ana Nicole Smith, Princess Diana, Pam Anderson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Tara Reid, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Amanda Bynes, Meghan Markle, and more.
Nothing was off-limits in the big media machine, and their sensationalized lives are world news that we all see happening. Women were still held down and used by opportunistic and cowardly men— Princess Diana and Monica Lewinsky were ridiculed and ultimately skewered by the world. Then came the angry, bitter ’90s bitch trope that was born when the entire feminist wave was infiltrated and twisted by sexist media in reality.
Despite all of that, my feminist foundation solidified throughout the years. Learning and unlearning simultaneously paved the way for Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality concept. Looking back, I’m thankful to have latched onto this ideology and stuck with it. These lasting impressions aren’t conclusive or obtuse since we continuously learn new information. Still, because it’s always nice to have a retrospective look through HERstory, this was a fun moment in Youthquake HERstory and why pop culture’s embedded within me— may we always go forth with the incendiary energy of ALL trailblazers before us.
Previously, I put together 13 Movies that Feature Complex Yet Positive Female-Centric Friendships via Play Into It. Well, I wanted to put together 13 more since there is no definitive list but instead another jumping-off point.
B.A.P.S. (1997, stream: for free via Tubi)
Spice World (1997)
Crossroads (2002)
Gotta Kick It Up! (2002, stream: via Disney+ subscription)
The Cheetah Girls (2003, stream: via Disney+ subscription)
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004, stream: via Disney+ subscription)
Josie and the Pussycats (2001, stream: via Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime subscription)
The Color Purple (1985)
The Handmaiden (2016, stream: via Amazon Prime subscription)
Aquamarine (2006)
Ghost World (2001, stream: via Hulu, Sling, Starz, and Amazon Prime subscription)
Nine to Five (1980, stream: via Hulu subscription)
Daises (1966, currently streaming via HBO Max subscription)
I chose an iconic and mighty song for this week’s Audio Files. Blu Cantrell gave us much with Hit’ Em Up Style (Oops!). It’s a vibe, a mood, an anthem. A pop-culture reset in 2001 and a dream song to feature in a revenge film.
Since 1996 was such an incredible standout year, I dove back into the fashion archives, and of course, I had to pick the lovely Diana Spencer. Princess Diana famously attended the then-December event to be at, the Met Gala; the theme was Christian Dior.
Diana wore a classic and stunning midnight blue satin gown (and matching Lady Dior mini bag) designed by future disgraced John Galliano from his first collection with the fashion house. Her signature pearl choker was sophisticated yet trendy, and her notorious sapphire wedding jewel was even color-coordinated (the stunning ring now belongs to Kate Middleton).
For your enjoyment, here are some words of affirmation from goddesses Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. You can watch them both on Netflix’s fantastic Grace & Frankie.
Time Warp is where I’ll feature moments in pop culture for the day. Here’s what happened on this day, March 5th.
1894 - Coca-Cola bottles were sold to the public for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
1912 – The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) were founded in the United States. As a former girl gang, I’m very proud.
1923 – Phonofilm, the first motion picture with a sound-on-film track, was demonstrated at a press conference by Dr. Lee De Forest, who was also the inventor of the radio tube in 1907.
HBD Jack Kerouac, American author, and poet.
HBD Liza Minnelli, American actress, singer, dancer, and icon.
1951 – The first sex reassignment surgery was performed in Denmark. Christine Jorgensen came out of her chrysalis and emerged exactly who she is, a trailblazer.
HBD Graham Coxon, English singer-songwriter.
HBD Homer Simpson American animated icon.
The # 1 Hit in 1988: Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up
American lawyer and public official Janet Reno was sworn in as U.S. attorney general, becoming the first woman to hold the office.
The # 1 Hit in 1994: Ace Of Base The Sign
2003 – The Chicks’ lead singer, Natalie Maines, said, in an iconic interview with The Guardian, that they stated the following.
“Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence. And we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.”
Sadly, those are fighting words in republican-ruled Texas. The women were vilified for being anti-patriotic and included a fan revolt with country networks refusing to air their music. The Chicks got the last laugh, as Texas legends should.
Bend It Like Beckham debuted in theaters in 2003.
Hulu opened online in 2008.
mary tyler moore show 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 the ultimate girl power show. anytime i have a job interview, i blast ‘love is all around’ on my way and just imagine myself getting it and tossing my (imaginary) hat up in the air 🥰
great post!!!