So why are we so hung up on JEM? Mainly because it has everything a great rock'n'roll show should have; all-girl groups, punky fashions, new wave colors, 30-second rock videos, & some of the greatest pop songs ever written. Although the show has been off the air for some time now, JEM's greatest impact is yet to be felt. The influence of JEM on the music of the 21st century is inevitable.






SHE'S GOT THE POWER

Before JEM, young girls did not have role models to encourage them to do the allegedly "boyish" thing of playing a guitar. Josie and the Pussycats and the Teen Angels are in no way comparable to JEM. The music and feminism was hardly developed in them. The songs were filler, not focus.

JEM is about girls doing everything in a band. They write the songs. They play all the instruments. They lead all the bands. They let their male toadies, who they use and abuse, lift the equipment. Unlike Barbie and the Rockers and unlike every real-life band, they are almost completely self-sufficient. The Misfits didn't have to ask Prince to write their hit songs! In fact, when the boys are allowed to participate, there's always trouble! Riot from The Stingers reminds us of all the complications of a male-led band. Rio reminds us not to let love relationships get in the way of your career. Eric Raymond symbolizes the sleazy side of music management ( is there any other side? ).


GIMME! GIMME! GIMME!

What is it that encouraged thousands of boys at some point to beg for instruments and to spend so much time learning to play? In boy's terms, it's the same things that JEM promises - Glamour and Glitter, Fashion and Fame. Jem is excitement. Jem is adventure. The boy equivalent was " be in a band and look cool, travel, get rich and get laid." Just as these thousands of guys with guitars fueled the thousands of punk, hardcore and independent bands of the 80's and 90's, The JEM girls who grew up and got guitars will fill up the clubs of the 21st century with their own style of outrageous JEM-ROCK.


ONLY THE BEGINNING

Bands like Elastica and the newer bands with girl guitarists might encourage some girls to try and start bands, as might the quest for originality, but now, thanks to JEM, millions of girls have been brought up to believe that a woman's place is in front of her amplifier.

If some day you're standing in a club watching yet another band doing yet another cover of "The Queen of Rock'n'Roll", you'll know why.




Click below to hear the world's first all-JEM cover band!

PINK FILTH PLAY JEM




We are avid JEM collectors. Here are some of our truly outrageous treasures:

JEM COLLECTION



So you think you know JEM, huh? The only way to be sure is to take the

JEM SUPER-QUIZ




All new feature !

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JEM




Some of our other favorite bands can be found at

BUBBLEGUM WORLD!




DISCLAIMER: Jem, Hasbro, Pizzazz, Rio, other Jem character names and many other names used in the series and on products are registered trademarks of Hasbro. For technical reasons we are unable to note this throughout. All of these are protected under the laws of the United States as is our right to comment upon politically and culturally significant phenomenon. If Hasbro, or anyone connected with the show does not want us to reproduce images from the show, we will gladly remove them from this site.