Spice Girl Warrior Princess Xena Represents The Essence Of ‘Girl Power’

The metallic disc hurtles soundlessly before striking the iron bars of the dungeon.

Inside the dank room, the man jumps with fright. Soon, however, his fears disappear. It’s no menace. He’s being saved by the Warrior Princess Xena.

Move beyond the campy, cartoonish characterizations on “Xena, Warrior Princess” and see the kind of “Girl Power” the Spice Girls espouse.

Although the Spice Girls make my head hurt with their insipid songs, I think Girl Power is cool - no matter how old the “girl.”

While battling against evil, Xena’s wearing a chest plate and a skirt cut high enough to allow her to kick the )%&! out of the bad guys.

Xena is wry, logical, athletic and aggressive. She’s also sexy and desirable. A rare combo for heroines, and a welcome change.

Watching her fight sequences reminds me of the times I was admonished for being “unladylike” as a kid. My brother, Sam, and I loved to play-fight. He would throw punches and make the sound effects.

The two of us would play stunt boy-stunt girl. He’d throw a punch or kick, and I’d flinch, dodge, duck just in time, sending my shoulder-length hair flipping dramatically away from my face.

When Sam and I played, the stakes were high. We were protecting the planet. We were defending the queen from the evil gargoyles. We were killing time on stormy winter afternoons in a small town where there was little to do but imagine.

So I envisioned I was tough enough, strong enough to battle bullies, like the horrid Nellie who terrorized poor Laura Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie.” Or the girl who came to Loftis Elementary School when we were in fifth grade and proclaimed herself the Chief Butt Kicker of Sherri Winston.

When I played with my brother, I could fight without censure. I could feel the beauty of movement and syncopation - it was, after all, a skill to allow him to get close enough to my face to appear as though I’d been hit, without actually getting hit.

It was a celebration of being physical and feeling strong.

And as happens for many girls, it was insidiously taken from me. With subtle suggestions that such behavior was for tomboys and that a lady would never throw herself into a physically aggressive confrontation.

And not-so-subtle insinuations that women were to be protected, but should refrain from protecting themselves.

What hog dooey! But I fell for it. Indeed, I had already begun falling for it when that girl was tormenting me in fifth grade.

Just let her try it now. I dare her. I know better than to wait to be saved. I know better than to subvert my power in order to preserve a ladylike ideal. For I am a true Warrior Princess. I am Xena.

In this episode, Xena is saving the life of another warrior princess, the diva-docious Cleopatra.

Filled with hilarious dialogue and campy scenarios, the story moves through the expected range: evil plot plus traitorous villain plus damsel in distress equals big rescue.

But this time, the distressed damsel has a lethal asp to go with her tempting smile. And the rescuer, after a hard day of head-butting and lancing lechers, probably enjoys a good bubble bath and some aromatherapy.

It’s not so hard to believe in the spirit of Xena. After all, history tells of many women warriors:

The Trung Sisters ruled Vietnam until A.D. 42. Boadicea (25-62) and Joan of Arc (1412-1431) used physical aggression to destroy enemies.

OK, so maybe I shouldn’t get too carried away. Xena is make-believe. But she reminds us that strong, sure women can succeed.

Perhaps the cosmetics companies will one day offer a line of products strong enough for the woman “who loves to play hard and kicks butt regularly.”

Did someone say, “Warrior Red?”