The Spice Girls.  Most of the time when those words are uttered by 
someone here in the states, eyes begin to roll skywards and people 
snicker.  I would honestly have to say that the group has enjoyed its
heyday here, and that they will probably never regain the level of success
they had when they released their first cd, Spice.  What can I say; 
Americans are easily amused and then, just as easily, they become bored
and fickle.  This article is not meant to berate the Spice Girls and say
how overrated and/or overexposed they are/have been. Instead, it is one
lowly person's (who happens to spend WAY too much time studying pop
culture) opinions on the past, present, and future of one of the most
dynamic pop groups to ever come screaming out of our radios and tv sets. 
Here now, are those opinions....

 First of all, I must say that Geri's exit from the band was not a 
bad thing.  "Wait, you say; she was the leader and the "spokeperson" for
girl-power!  Geri never should have left!"  Whatever.  It was painfully
obvious from the beginning that Geri had next to no singing or dancing
talent.  Her true talent was sweet-talking the press and being the
"cheeky" one of the group.  She made their interviews lively and
interesting, but as soon as they were in a live performance situation she
bombed.  Geri has intelligence and a way with publicity that a lot of pop
stars don't.  She should have stuck strictly with the UN Ambassador gig
and left the recording of solo albums to Mel G and Mel C.  It took balls
to record and release an album on her own, but digital audio effects and a
whiz producer can only sweeten someone's voice so much.

 Secondly, kudos to Mel G and Victoria for doing the whole "mommy" 
thing.  At first, it did not seem like a bright idea to take time off to
have a baby when they were at the height of their poplularity,  but it has
actually paid off.  It gave the public a much needed breath of Spice
Girl-free air (In the US anyways...) and gave the girls the time to
properly start a family and have time to themselves.  It also showed that
Victoria does indeed have a sweet side, and that Mel G isn't loud and
scary all of the time.  So congrats to them.	

 Emma.  I actually feel a tad bit sorry for Emma.  She keeps being 
portrayed by her record company as "The cute one, who always has a 
lollipop sticking out of her mouth and a teddy bear in her arms."  
She's what, 22 or 23?  Enough with the cuteness already.  She could 
use a little bit of badass in her public image; maybe Melanie C could
share some with her.  speaking of Melanie C...	

 Yes, that's right, the best one of the group continues to outshine 
the others and surprise the hell out of everyone.  Who ever thought 
she would show up onstage with a group of old rock guys singing Sex 
Pistols' songs?!  Ya gotta love it.  	

 First of all, it was an extremely smart move on her part 
to do her first outside-of-the-group duet with someone who is 
popular, but not too popular.  Bryan Adams, being the dull but 
dependable rock star that he is, was the perfect match.  It would 
have been nice to actually HEAR Melanie on "When You're Gone", but 
otherwise it was a good song.  I suggest next time she ask to listen to
the master recording BEFORE it is sent to the factory to burn the
cd's...but back to the smart thing:  she was smart because you don't want
to duet with whoever is burning brightest at the moment, like N'Synch
(yuck), because they are guaranteed to not be around in a year or two, and
then you look like an idiot for associating with them.  Bryan Adams, on
the other hand, has been around for years, and consistently sells records.

 Smart one, Mel.  Plus, it's always good to start small and then gradually
build bigger. Maybe her next duet will be with Madonna...	

 Secondly, she is obviously still the most driven one in the group.  She
was the first to get to work on her solo album, and was smart enough to
make public appearances while here in the states making it. Making that
appearance onstage at the Viper Room was one of the smartest things she
has ever done.  It showed the public that she's not only serious about
this whole "I want a more rock image" thing, but that she also has the
respect of some older, credible rock and roll guys to back her up.  I'm
still trying to get over the coolness of that whole incident.	

 Thirdly, Melanie is still not afraid of changing.  She's been slowly
morphing herself into different looks throughout her career (I just wish
she'd get rid of that god-awful gold tooth!), and she continues to be bold
enough to try new things.  The blond look is good, and wearing outfits
that consist of things other than trackies and running pants is a good
idea; it shows she's growing up (note to Emma: follow Mel's lead).  	

 Fourthly, Melanie's got some serious balls to try and put out a more
rock-oriented album after singing all of those pop songs.  It's hard to
say how it will do, but I don't think it would be at all strange to say
that her solo cd will outsell the other girls' releases (Mel G and Emma). 
I also think that the public will actually take her efforts seriously;
after all, it's no secret that many of the fans, as well as the critics,
have been saying all along that she has the best voice and most obvious
talent out of the four girls.  This will be an interesting cd to watch
for, not just for Spice Girl fans, but for everyone else as well.	


 So good luck to the Spice Girls, and may they continue to produce 
more mind-numbing, but outstanding, pop songs.