Guest Article by Cordelia LeFay

Sailor Moon Mentioned in Bitch Magazine

In the Winter 2008 issue of B*tch Magazine (titled Lost and Found), Sailor Moon goes head to head with the Spice Girls.

Huuuuuh? You say?

In the issue, because of the Spice Girls’ recent reunion, there's an article revisiting the pop culture icons. The writer asserts that when we reminisce about the feminist icons of the 90s, the Spice Girls are largely left out--why? Consequently, the Spice Girls and their Girl Power are compared with other feminist icons of the era. How do they match up? I don't think I need to tell you who wins....LOL

Here is the blurb:

Conflict and Resolution: Subtext vs. Spice

Sailor Moon>>>>

Supertext: An animated children’s show originally adapted from Japanese manga about a team of superpowered high school girls.

Subtext: Whether she wields power over the seas, heals others, or protects the space-time door, each Sailor Scout is well-equipped to battle evil—but the heart of the show is female comradery. Out lesbianism and teen sexuality were also in the mix in the original version, but were deliberately dubbed out for American audiences.

V. Spice>>>>>

Compared with the 10 fully developed Sailor Scouts, the five Spice [Girls] fall a bit short in the personality department. The [Spice] Girls’ distinctions don’t go much deeper than their costumes, whereas each Scout has her own strengths and limitations, not to mention complex relationships with her fellow heroines. In other words, SAILOR PLANET POWER!

For more delicious articles about feminism in pop culture, you can check out Bitch magazine here: http://www.bitchmagazine.com/