Five ladies. Five loud personalities. Five people who simply did whatever they wanted to. It seems that the Spice Girls had all the key ingredients to stir controversy. From kissing Prince Charles on the cheek and describing themselves as Margaret Thatcher supporters, to a band member leaving in the middle of a world tour, the Spice Girls have had many close encounters that could have derailed their career.
There have been a few standout things happen in the band's career that would have normally tarnished a famous identities' brand and labelled them persona non grata. But there is one big issue that almost derailed them back in the day that has been a sticking point for fans for over two decades.
Geri Ginger Spice Halliwell. I am truly sorry for bringing her up because I know that a lot of people still take issue with her actions back in the day. Hell, even now she is still doing some pretty questionable things (read: denying Mel B's claims in a very impersonal statement rather than letting it go through to the keeper). Personally, I feel as if Geri should start off the rest of her days on this earth by Tweeting out an apology to all the dreams of Spice Girls fans that she single handedly crushed.
In the middle of their very first tour Geri decides to throw her toys out of the cot and fly home because she was feeling redundant, exhausted and less talented than her other band members. Give me a break. She had everything she could have ever wanted, her dreams came true and she gave them up because she felt redundant. How could you possibly feel redundant in a group that is singing songs that you wrote? I mean if you're going to insult my intelligence Geri, at least put some effort into a better excuse.
If Posh said she felt redundant I would have supported that wholeheartedly. I mean, she used to have to stand up on that stage every night and participate in a lie because no one believed in her ability to sing live. Posh was forced to perform concerts with a microphone that was switched off. If that isn't a dictionary sample sentence for redundant I don't know what is.
Geri's decision threatened to derail the makings of a legacy. Two albums that broke records and she shut up shop. The remaining girls were forced to scramble to rework a show within 24 hours of their next performance, I mean if this isn't High School Musical 3 and the Spring Musical all over again I don't know what is. Then Geri has the audacity to release a statement through her lawyer, I mean seriously? She simply showed no respect for the fandom who spent their hard earned money to see the five Spice Girls in concert but would now only get four. To me that shows a complete and utter disregard for anyone but herself.
From that day on it seemed that any time the words Spice Girls and tour were mentioned in the same breath, chaos would ensue. This is supported by the fact that not one tour that the Spice Girls have embarked on as a five piece band has run its promised course. It seemed that things were going to change on the Return of the Spice Girls tour but dates were cut from that performance as well. I truly won't believe the fact that they are reuniting and performing stadiums again until I see it with my own eyes.
I don't know if there is someone upstairs who is pulling the strings and simply does not want the Spice Girls and their fans to have everlasting happiness, but them touring just feels doomed. And because we really don't know if there is a greater being orchestrating our lives, the easiest person to blame is Ginger Spice herself.
So my friends that is why the biggest scandal to rock the Spice Girls is the very person who coined girl power, penned unforgettable lyrics and persuaded the music industry to release Wannabe as their very first track. When the four girls dared Geri to break protocol and kiss Prince Charles it was written off as a funny incident rather than scandalous. That action was the Spice Girls saying that no matter how big they became, they would always have fun and remain true to who they were.
So, while the kiss was scandalous to some, it made perfect sense to fans of the group. Their support of Margaret Thatcher can also be boiled down to the notion of bolstering other women and women in power, so again what the media were calling a scandal was really a no biggie to fans. However, there is no way to sugarcoat Geri's decision to leave her friends high and dry and flee the scene. For someone who coined the term girl power and used it liberally, it seems that Geri conveniently forgot that the Spices' brand of girl power hinged upon having each other's constant support.
The fact that Geri has the power yet again to pull the pin on a tour - in the wake of her portraying indignation over Mel B's revelation to Piers Morgan - convinces me that I have made the right decision by labelling her departure as the band's biggest scandal. She showed no regard for keeping her word or for her fans and that is why without hesitation I can say that she almost ruined this great force of nature, and for that, I may never forgive her... even though her broken heart at the hands of Mel B could have well and truly been the underlying reason why she walked out all those years ago.
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