STOP Right Now, Thank You Very Much

“Stop right now, thank you very much, I need somebody with a human touch…” This song was the beginning of my obsession. After hearing “Stop” on the radio, I went out and bought the cassette tape. The Spice Girls were the first band I bought a tape of, ever. Previously, the only music I was exposed to was oldies on my mom’s car radio. What caused me to go off and listen to the radio myself at the beginning of the second grade, I have no idea. I do remember that I made the transition from cassettes to CDs when my brother decided to pull the tape strip out of the cassette for fun. This one-year-old boy game meant that the Spice Girls were not only my first tape, but my first CD. I didn’t realize that I’d be obsessed for the next two years.
    Though I was obsessed with the Spice Girls, there are just a few prime examples of this.
One example occurred after the movie Spice World came out. Of course I went to see it, loved it, and couldn’t wait to get the soundtrack, but what I really couldn’t wait for was the VHS to be released. While I was at day camp at St. Francis, my friend Hanna told me the movie was coming out that day. As soon as I got home that afternoon, I called my dad and told him to get it for me. He did! I tore the plastic off the box and took out the tape. I discovered a movie poster in there too. I unwrapped the poster and hung it above my bed where it would stay for the next two years.
    Another example occurred at the end of second grade. My friend Matt and I were the only ones who loved the Spice Girls. We would tell each other about songs on the radio, scenes from the movie, and passages in their book. At the end of the year, each of the second graders was given a large copy of Charlotte’s Web. We used the books as yearbooks and had people sign the inside covers. It was no surprise to me that Matt wrote “The Spice Girls Rock”
    The final examples took place in third grade. The summer before, I had discussed with my friend Jessie about going to see the Spice Girls in concert. I didn’t care if we had to sit out on the grass as long as I was there. I still loved the band and was excited when some girls in my third grade class and I decided to dress up as the Spice Girls. Despite my Scary hair, I wanted to be, and was, Ginger. I wore a tankini-top and jeans. Though the weather was nice during the day, it was FREEZING that night. My mom, doing her motherly duties, made me wear a sweater. I protested, reminding her that I was Ginger and that I wanted to brave the cold. I ended up wearing a light sweater.
    What caused the end of this phase is still a mystery to me. It seems most likely that their declining popularity, lack of play on the radio, and their inner-turbulence frustrated me. Some of them wanted to go work on their own while others were getting pregnant. It may also have been the eeriness of Scary, Sporty, Ginger, Baby, and Posh staring down on me everyday. I officially ended my obsession by tearing down the poster and ripping it to shreds.