Mel C recently talked about the Spice Girls, sexism, and the Me Too movement during a podcast! When she appeared on Table Manners with Jessie Ware, Mel C— whose real name is Melanie Chisholm— shared why the girl group found it challenging to be taken seriously when they first started out.
Spice Girls were told "girl bands don't sell records"
Chisholm said that the Spice Girls were told they wouldn't make it as a band since they were all girls. "We started talking about girl power because we experienced sexism in the industry," she explained. "Because we were just five girls, we wanted to be famous, we wanted to be pop stars, and quite quickly we were being told, 'Yeah, girl bands don't sell records, you can't be on the cover of magazines because — girls buy records by boys.'"
However, the sexism the Spice Girls faced only fuelled them to prove themselves! "And we were like, 'Seriously?' Don't say that to the Spice Girls, that's like red rag to a bull," Chisholm said. "We had a really important point to prove, which was great because it put a fire in our belly... It became more than 'girl power.' It became 'people power'; it became about equality."
Chisholm says Spice Girls were never sexually harassed
Chisholm also mentioned the Me Too movement, revealing that she and her bandmates never experienced sexual harassment since people were afraid to mess with them! "It's funny, because I get asked about the Me Too movement a lot and that within the music industry and if I've ever experienced anything," she said, "and I was like, are you kidding me? No one would come near the Spice Girls because they were petrified by us."
"I think often with these situations there can be vulnerable people that are targeted, aren't there?" Chisholm went on to say. "Which, of course, there are some vulnerable people in Spice Girls, but because you knew if you mess with one of them, you would have to deal with the other four, so we always had backup."
Spice up your spin cycle!
Victoria Beckham Reacts To David Beckham Spice Girls Sketch: "He Did Always Want To Be In The Band"
Spice Girls would like their legacy "to live on"
The Spice Girls are still relevant as ever today, and last summer, The Hollywood Reporter shared that plans are in the works to develop an animated movie based on the girl group! According to Paramount Animation President Mireille Soria, all five of the group's members— yes, even Victoria Beckham— are "very involved" in the project.
"We’re constantly discussing different ways in which we can do that," Chisholm told Billboard about keeping the Spice Girls alive. "The legacy is important, and of course, we’d like that to live on." When it comes to continuing the Spice Girls' legacy of female empowerment, Chisholm has been a mentor of sorts to one of today's hottest pop stars— Billie Eilish! She recently talked about their surprising friendship, sharing how proud she is of the young singer.
She's still spicing up her life!
