#The cheetah girls girl power series#

I actually wonder if the unity message isnвЂ™t so strong precisely because all the characters/singers/actresses are at least part Black and/or Latina (see character descriptions). So the вЂsisterhoodвЂ™ message of вЂњCheetah SistersвЂќ seems pretty great for what it is. However, the individualistic narrative of вЂgirl powerвЂ™ can be troublesome too, because it so often involves a woman fighting for her own right to occupy a traditionally male role of power, almost always without regard for other women, and often even at their expense. Saying that the girls need help to carry on departs so shockingly from the other Girl Power narrative weвЂ™ve been looking at this semester: the one of the individual woman, underestimated by society, who fights her hardest and maintains her composure, in order to be accepted in a (traditionally male) position of power, e.g. The girls donвЂ™t just benefit from having each other around, they depend on each other for the strength to follow their dreams: ThereвЂ™s a time when we all choose / To either quit, or follow through / To just loose faith, or trust your heart somehow to lead you through the dark / WeвЂ™re not the only one whoвЂ™s dreaminвЂ™ / Who needs help to carry on / We might geet lonely but weвЂ™re not alone.

So what problem do I have with вЂњCheetah SistersвЂќ? Well, I wonder if it doesnвЂ™t emphasize unity a little bit too much. In this way, the song teaches girls to trust in themselves more: Got the brains got the power and we speak the truth. And astonishingly enough, all of the girls seem to matter in the group, with their own personalitiesвЂ“everyone brings something to the table, and everyone has something that makes them special. Furthermore, I think the fact that the girls are fashionable and show off their dancing skills without being sexualized is really importantвЂ“itвЂ™s letting girls have fun without introducing them to things that theyвЂ™re not ready for yet. It emphasizes unity, no matter how different girls are from each other: Cuz we are sisters we stand together / we make up one big family though we donвЂ™t look the same our spots are different / different colors we make stronger, that ainвЂ™t ever gonna change, and it even emphasizes global unity with WeвЂ™re from everywhere all around the world. I think this song has a really great message for young girls who are at an age when they probably start feeling like they need to compete with their friends for boys and popularity. Here is a song/movie clip from the first Cheetah Girls movie, вЂњCheetah SistersвЂќ: ThereвЂ™s a lot to positively acknowledge hereвЂ“theyвЂ™re closer in age to their market than a lot of other girl groups (such as the Pussycat Dolls) are, they present themselves more age-appropriately while still being вЂcoolвЂ™ and fashionable, they have a вЂsisterhoodвЂ™ messageВ as opposed toВ girls being pitted againstВ each other for menвЂ™s attentionВ (again, look to theВ Pussycat DollsвЂ™ breakout single, вЂDonвЂ™t Cha (wish your girlfriend was hot like me)вЂ™, and most importantly I think (especially in light of my recent post about tweens and race), theyвЂ™re diverseвЂ“racially, body shape, вЂimage,вЂ™ etc.

#The cheetah girls girl power series#

As a Disney Channel creationвЂ“a made-for-TV-movie based on a book series spawned the real girl group and various merchandiseвЂ“theyвЂ™re definitely relevant to the tween market right now.

ThereвЂ™s a post over at the main blog about the Cheetah Girls as a symbol of the Girl Power movement.