The first season of the Peacock original series Girls5eva only had eight episodes, but that was enough to get fans hooked, as the show has already been renewed for a season 2. Fans of all ages have enjoyed the hilarious musical comedy, which was produced, in part, by Tina Fey. In particular, the gem of a series might have a particular appeal to those who grew up in the '90s or are simply familiar with girl groups that resemble the ladies of Girls5eva (or boy bands from the era, for that matter).
While Fey herself doesn't actually star in the show, she did have a hilarious cameo in one episode (yes, that was her as Dolly Parton), as did many other well-known actors, such as John Slattery, Jimmy Fallon, and Vanessa Williams. Additionally, clever fans will also noticed that the show features a number of hilarious easter eggs, too.
Larry Was A Parodied Version Of Lou Pearlman
Lou Pearlman has become a disgraced member of the music industry, but back in the '90s, he was responsible for signing some of the biggest boy bands, including Backstreet Boys and N'Sync. It was later revealed that he took advantage of them in many ways, including financially. He was eventually convicted on numerous charges, including running an elaborate Ponzi scheme.
This mirrors Girls5eva's eccentric former manager Larry, who seemed to have cut corners to make them famous, had them sign glaringly unfair contracts because they were young and didn't know any better, and controlled their every move, despite not really having experience in the business at the time.
Ashley And Wickie Mirror Nicole Scherzinger
Ashley, the band member who passed away, mentions in flashbacks in one episode that she was a member of six other girl groups before she joined Girls5eva. While this could reference a number of real-life singers, the career trajectory was likely mostly inspired by Nicole Scherzinger.
Ashley notes, for example, that one of the groups she was in before was called Daddy's Crush, which is similar to the reality show-formed girl group Eden's Crush that Scherzinger was a part of. Scherzinger later went on to join the Pussycat Dolls and, like Wickie from the show, eventually took the path of becoming a judge on a reality singing competition. Another hint: the girls mention that in the '90s, Larry would threaten Wickie – who many consider to be the best character on Girls5eva - by saying he would replace her with Scherzinger.
The Number In The Group Name
The '90s was rife with girl groups and boy bands with numbers in their names, used in playful ways. Think 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men (though they started in the '80s), 5ive, All-4-One, and Blink-182, for example.
The number in Girls5eva is a fun part of the group name and it suggests the bubble gum nature of their music. But it also pays homage to popular band nomenclature from that decade.
DWASG Vs. NSYNC
Another name that pays tribute to a real-life band could be D*WASG, which was supposed to describe the group's "secret weapon" and the feeling they got when they were "in the zone" and performing together. However, the acronym - which is devised by combining the first letter of each of their name - doesn't actually translate to anything that makes sense.
The name is likely influenced by the band name NSYNC, which was oddly apparently created by using the last letter in each of the members' first names (Justin, Chris, Joey, Lansten – Lance Bass' real first name – and JC). It was also presented in the same all-caps style and with the asterisk that sometimes appears stylistically in *NSYNC.
Summer And Kevin Vs. Britney And Justin
While coupling up is common among actors, there are also times when musicians get together. On Girls5eva, Summer and Kevin are known as "SummerandKevin." They are one entity and considered to be pop music's "Royal Couple." While the nature of the relationship is much different, they are clearly inspired by Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, the latter of whom was recently the subject of the Hulu documentary Framing Britney Spears.
Back in the day, she was the biggest female pop star and he was the breakout star of boy band NSYNC. So, when they started dating, it was like a melding of the two sides of pop universe to create "pop royalty," and fans didn't want to see it end. While Justin and Britney broke up eventually, on Girls5eva, Summer and Kevin get married and Summer is desperate to stick with him, even after it's clear that their marriage is a sham to keep up appearances.
Gloria Being In The Closet
In all of the flashbacks, Gloria is clearly uncomfortable with the expectations that the girls hang out with and date the guys from boy bands. She was still in the closet and hiding her true sexuality. Because of her position in the girl group as the object of desire for young men (made clear through the bands suggestive and questionably song lyrics), she felt pressured not to be her true self.
This mirrors any other boy band or girl group member who felt the need to (or chose to) hide their sexuality for the sake of their careers. One such person is NSYNC member Lance Bass, who is now openly gay. Back then, as a member of a boy band that made girls swoon, Bass did not feel comfortable or ready to come out, saying in interviews that he was scared to admit the truth. Today, times have changed and being an openly gay boy bander or girl grouper is not something that members try to hide. There are even, for the first time, openly gay characters in the Marvel universe.
Outfits And Songs
Along with featuring plenty of outfits that are throwbacks to ones from real '90s girl groups - like the military-style outfits in one music video that are similar to the camo outfits Destiny's Child wore in their video for the song "Survivor" - there are also songs in Girls5Eva that pay homage to real tunes.
The Girls5eva hit "Zoom Zoom Boom Boom (Carma)" for example, is an obvious nod to the female power anthem "Before He Cheats" by American Idol alum (and one of the reality competition series' best-ever winners) Carrie Underwood, as confirmed by show creators Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond.
Video Cuts
It isn't just the songs and the outfits that are inspired by real-life girl groups: it's also the choreography and style of the videos. The overly bright settings in many of the videos, for example, are similar to NSYNC videos for songs like "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me."
Meanwhile, the method of cutting to a close-up of each girl individually in the video is a style that was used by Dream in their video "He Loves U Not." Dream, it should be mentioned, reunited years after disbanding, just like Girls5eva.
Furthermore, when Dawn shows a "one" and then a "two" with her fingers in the opening sequence while singing "4-ever's 2 short," it mirrors what the Spice Girls did in their video "2 Become 1."
The Excelsior Vs. Sporty Spice's Move
In flashbacks, Gloria employs her signature move, which she calls "the excelsior." It involves her kicking her leg furiously into the air. It's reminiscent of Sporty Spice's signature move from the Spice Girls.
The '90s was an amazing decade for fun, lively, exciting, and unique music videos, accounting for some of the best music videos of all time. Sporty Spice was seen doing this move in many of the girl group's videos in the '90s. Like with Gloria, it became one of her signature moves.
Alf Musik Vs. Max Martin
If there was a hit song for a girl group or boy band in the '90s, chances are that Max Martin might have been behind it. He had the reputation of being a huge hitmaker back at that time, having written mega-hit songs like "…Baby One More Time," "I Want It That Way," and "I Want You Back."
Like Alf Musik, Max is a foreigner (from Sweden) and speaks with an accent. It's clear Alf is a parodied version of Martin, complete with the long hair and the reputation for creating songs with unconventional, and sometimes weird, lyrics that are catchy, fun, and always top the charts.