Girls Rock! Video Response

I really enjoyed this week's movie, Girls Rock!  I thought that this article really relates to a lot of what we have read and discussed so far this semester, particularly the MacNeil article. In the article, MacNeil discusses how leadership experiences must be authentic and relevant to the youth's lives in order for it to be an effective means of leadership development. I believe that this is exactly what we see in Girls Rock!, as the girls are able to practice leadership within groups of their peers. They write their own songs about whatever they want to write about, which makes the experience both authentic and relevant to their lives. They are also able to choose their own genres and instruments, which also creates the authenticity aspect of the leadership experience.

I really enjoyed how the movie focused on both young girls and older girls, as it illustrated the presence of a broad spectrum of girlhood experiences. Each and every girl had different experiences, struggles and strengths, which the movie did a great job of representing. If this movie challenges anything that we have learned or discussed thus far, I would say that it is the “girl power” and “Ophelia” binary. The movie shows that girls can embody “girl power” or the “at-risk/Ophelia” traits, or can range anywhere in between or outside of such constructs of girlhood. Every girl in the film demonstrated that the “girl” experience is a subjective and personal one, and that “girl” is a fluid identity which can change daily based on experiences and various situations.

Rather than attempting to “fix” any “at-risk” girls, or exploiting or tokenizing “successful/powerful” girls, the rock camp simply focuses on providing a space for girls to explore themselves and what they want to get out of leadership/rock camp. Even if the girls never play another instrument again, they learn how to communicate effectively with one another, how to set a goal and reach it, and how to have fun and be confident with themselves. This movie shows us that girls leadership can be fun for everyone, and can be effective in even the most creative and “alternative” ways (such as rock and roll).


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