Standing in a pub in Pitlochry, Scotland, someone asked me if I was a Spice Girl look-alike. Why? Because I was wearing a cheesy Union Jack shirt. I haven’t worn it since.

This question, however, sparked my interest in the flamboyant five and sent me down the road of sick Spice Girl obsession which explains my very small collection of Spice Girl items.

I have even spent a good hour looking up Spice Girl Web sites and took a test to tell me which Spice I most resemble (Baby Spice, without the pigtails).

But can anyone really explain the spice phenomena?

Often being labeled as the Monkees of the 90s, the Spice Girls are semi-talented images projected from the minds of preadolescent girls and made a reality by Virgin Records for no other reason than to make more money.

It’s a perfect ploy. When the Monkees hit the music scene every 10-year-old girl wanted to live happily-ever-after with Davey. Now what 10-year-old girl doesn’t want to be the spicy combination of Posh, Sporty, Ginger, Baby and Scary?

Even my pre-pubescent self is screaming to be seen as these images. My point — vulnerably is a perfect consumer trait.

But the Spice Girls are more than wannabe pop singers who are trying to break their way into the movie industry. This five-way split-personality does do one important thing — they preach the message of Girl Power, the catch phrase of 1997. Admit it, even you’ve said it.

So what is Girl Power? Is it some sort of neo-feminist message for all women to hate men and to band together as one until men are destroyed — or does it have a more significant meaning? After doing a bit of spicy reading, I think I found the answer.

Girl Power instills self-esteem and independence, emphasizes the importance of education, stresses that speaking your mind is necessary and encourages the motivation to achieve one’s dreams.

Hell, they even promote eating what you want, what you really, really want, (you had to expect it sometime) and giving up diets. A concept that most women, especially young girls, don’t understand.

In a time where so many idolized music figures project images of drinking, drugs and violence, it’s nice to know that there are people willing to go against the delicate norms of peer pressure and tell the “impressionable youth” that it is OK to be your own person — even if these images are created out of opportunity and greed.

So do I want to be a Spice Girl? Well, my ability to sing isn’t up to par (which either doesn’t matter or doesn’t say a lot), I’m not much of an actress (although not camera shy) and I don’t think I’m ready for a rubber personality.

Although I don’t want to be a Spice Girl, I will continue to have at least one ounce of respect for them and continue live by the Girl Power creed. I’ll also freely admit that I actually left personal belongings in England to bring home my Spice Girls poster.

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Heather McClure is a senior in journalism and mass communication and international studies from Harlan.