Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that the life chances of the spice girls should not have depended on who they married.

45 replies

Copperbeech33 · 25/08/2017 05:08

I wasn't a articular fan, and don't know all that much about them, but they were a fairly successful group, weren't they? Of course its up to them if and when they stop singing, but it seems that everything that has happened to them since has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with their husbands choices and behaviour. I don't think the life path of ex boy band singers depends on their wives.

Maybe somebody can correct me if I am wrong.

Maybe its just media bias, or something

OP posts:
elfinpre · 25/08/2017 05:12

I only know who one of them is married to, no idea about the others.

Is this a thread from 1997?

Cavender · 25/08/2017 05:14

I don't know too much about the others' lives but as far as I know Victoria Beckham has her own career and business which is nothing to do with her husband's choices.

SleepFreeZone · 25/08/2017 05:14

I think you mean that female celebs tend to get defined by their relationships and not their careers. Is that right?

ZaraW · 25/08/2017 05:27

Calender didn't DB bail her fashion business out a year or so back. Some called it her vanity project.

MagentaRocks · 25/08/2017 05:29

I don't get what you mean. Victoria is successful in her own right. Mel B married an abuser but I think most of their money came from her, she presents because she was a spice girl not because of who she married. I know nothing about the others partners and most people probably don't.

So basically this is based on Victoria. I doubt either her or David would have been so successful if they hadn't been together.

Gorgosparta · 25/08/2017 05:33

For years david and Victorias marriage was part of bith of their careers.

Victoria now has her own successful business. One of the Mels (sporty) still sings and is involved with the music business. Emma is married, i think, but neither of them are in the spotlight much.

Gerry married a millionaire and the other is getting divorced. As far as i am aware gerry doesnt do anything anymore.

I am not sure they are defined by their marriages. David and victorias marriage is in the papers alot because they pursued that and knew it would earn them money.

Mel bs is because its a high profile story and she has also pursued that. Its not workes out so well for Mel b at the moment.

I wouldnt say any of them are defined by their marriage. Completely. Their marriages are news storys, because they have pursued that.

Cavender · 25/08/2017 05:48

The Beckham Group as a whole reported $50m profit earlier this year. Her fashion designs have won awards so I'm not entirely sure it's fair to call it a vanity project.

The groups finacial structures are complicated and the transfer of funds was done at the time her brand was expanding so I don't know that I would personally characterise it as "him bailing her out".

Regardless when they got married she was much wealthier and much more famous than he was. It could be argued that he built his brand off the back of her spice girl fame.

Geri Halliwell the only other member of the group that I know much about has only been married to her husband for a few years so I'm not sure how that has "determined her life chances"

She's reportedly worth about $30m. Her new husband is reportedly worth about $6m. She's hardly a trophy wife.

SuperBeagle · 25/08/2017 05:53

I thought the Spice Girls ended because they all hated disagreed with the Ginger one?

Plus, as solo acts, I can only imagine they'd all be dire.

TimeafterTimeafterTime · 25/08/2017 05:57

I don't know how Geri can be worth 30 million

Neutrogena · 25/08/2017 06:08

Everyone's life chances depend to some extent on who you marry.
Marry a kind multimillionaire will be a different experience to marrying a poor, domestic violence fan.

Veterinari · 25/08/2017 06:11

You seem to be judging their 'success' based on how much they occupy the media. It's a pretty flawed representation of their 'life chances'

Cavender · 25/08/2017 06:15

They made a great deal of money from their last tours apparently.

She'll also get royalties from her songs and she's a children's author.

sashh · 25/08/2017 06:25

One of the Mels (sporty) still sings and is involved with the music business

I don't know if this is still true but Mel C (sport) was the most successful British female songwriter.
.
You might be surprised at what she has written.

BitchQueen90 · 25/08/2017 06:28

I think they've all just chosen to go down different career paths. Mel C was the only one who really had any talent musically. Victoria has built up a brand with her family. The others are a bit more low key. Doesn't Emma Bunton do radio presenting now?

Fluffybrain · 25/08/2017 06:40

Emma Bunton is not married. She's been a radio presenter on heart for a long time. Her partner is Jade Jones from the band Damage. He's now a chef. They have kids.
Geri has married F1 guy who is a millionaire but she has more money than him I think. She's been doing some TV stuff recently and is still very annoying.

pictish · 25/08/2017 06:45

Ahhh Mel C - she was always my favourite. It's an underdog thing...she got lumped with the worst costumes and persona (Sporty) and wasn't really anyone's pick...but she had the best voice bar none and such a lovely smile. A real natural beauty and talent...not that you could tell with that dreadful Glasgow facelift ponytail and those shit trackies.

As for their dhs - no idea who they're married to except for lemon-faced clothes twig Victoria.

donajimena · 25/08/2017 06:47

What has Mel C written? I do like her so I am pleased she is still successful

kateandme · 25/08/2017 06:48

vb is huge in America.

maddiemookins16mum · 25/08/2017 07:16

I saw Mel C in Blood Brothers a few years ago, I never thought I'd cry listening to her sing "tell me it's not true", but I did as she was brilliant.

GrumpyOldBag · 25/08/2017 07:35

I married a man who earns more than me.

I also have a successful career in my own right.

My 'life chances' are down mainly to 1. my education (lucky there) and 2. the choices I've made.

What is your point OP?

highinthesky · 25/08/2017 07:46

Agreed, life chances is a poor choice of phrase - but I get that this is thread about where people end up in life.

And yes, the choice of partner and strength of the relationship is very key to that. As are ambitions.

The Beckhams obviously wanted stratospheric success in the public eye (driven by VB I suspect), and they got it. To their credit they also have a lovely family.

Gerry is an ambitious gold digger although I'm sure she loves her DH. Good for her on having DS later in life. She'll always be rich - but her marriage will end in divorce.

Mel B - I have no words. Her life is like a lead character from a Jackie Collins novel. She's so flighty and immature. I feel sorry for her kids.

Emma Bunton seems pleasant and down to earth. Her kids are in grave danger of growing up normal.

Mel C is going to be in showbiz forever, perhaps not in lead roles but on the stage and doing lots of stuff in the background. She will earn her money and be remembered for her talent.

We are bound to see another reunion when they realise they want to top up their bank balances. It won't happen for a while - not whilst Gerry and VB are so comfortable.

Lots of love,
Mystic Meg xxx

noeffingidea · 25/08/2017 08:07

Their life chances don't depend on who they married.
They all earned a big chunk of money and opportunities which aren't open to the vast majority of people. That's what influences their 'life chances'.

Peanutbuttercheese · 25/08/2017 08:11

I don't think it's worth any woman risking her life chances on just marriage.

Pigface1 · 25/08/2017 08:25

I'm not sure the Spice Girls are generally representative of the female population. For a start they were all extremely rich when they were very young. So they were all free to make whatever choices they wanted.

Victoria has created a brand with her husband. I think they both owe each other to some degree for their success. The rest seem to have made different choices.

But more generally I think it's inevitable that your life chances depend on the choices you make, and one of the choices you make is whether to marry and who to marry.

This sounds brutal and I expect I'll get flamed for it but some of the best advice I was ever given - and this is specific to women - was 'be extremely choosy about who you allow to get you pregnant'. If I'd allowed some of the abusive good-for-nothings I dated when I was younger to get me pregnant, I'd most likely be in an extremely difficult position now.

Cantseethewoods · 25/08/2017 09:06

Geri- Cant stand her but I do feel like she's ploughed her own furrow. Cant even remember who Bluebell's father was. Still remember who she is.

Victoria- I feel that she and David are equal partners in brand Beckham. Yes, he's a v talented footballer but there are lots of those. She made the media much more interested in him than they would have been.

Emma- keeping it real and married childhood sweetheart. They're presumably living off her money. She's still got a public facing job.

Mel C - still has career

Mel B - disaster, but she's the one paying the alimony and whatshisname is famous for being married to her, not the other way round.