Tiny but Mighty: How Ruth Bader Ginsberg became a pop-culture icon

Tiny but Mighty: How Ruth Bader Ginsberg became a pop-culture icon

Olivia Hunt/ A&C Assistant Editor 

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the second woman to serve in the nation’s highest court, inspired generations of women with her legal success and prowess. Her kindness, humility, and sense of humor garnered her support across the aisle, and facilitated her ascent to a pop-cultural phenomenon. RBG’s outspokenness and determination to fight for the rights of society’s most vulnerable afforded her a popular nickname — “the Notorious RBG.”

RBG was asked about this endearment in a 2016 PBS News interview.

“Well, it’s exactly right…The Notorious BIG and I had something in common,” she said. “We were both born and bred in Brooklyn, New York.”

Similar to the Notorious BIG, Ginsberg’s images are often adorned with a large crown. As these memes grew in popularity, so did Kate McKinnon’s impression of Ginsberg on “Saturday Night Live.” She depicted RBG as a fiery, tiny woman with a big attitude. In one segment, Colin Jost asks ‘RBG’ if she is planning to ever retire, to which she responds,“The bench is now my porch. I’m gonna sit on it all day.” ‘RBG’ then proceeds to shoot opponents’ arguments down with clever one-liners, or, as she (McKinnon) calls them, “Gins-burns.”

Other common phrases in celebration of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s career (that cover T-shirts, posters, tote bags, and many more) include “You can’t spell Truth without Ruth” and “I dissent.” RBG was certainly no stranger to fashion and style, either. Whenever she was on the side of a majority opinion, she wore a gold lace collar (officially known as a jabot). Likewise, she opted for a silver bib necklace whenever she found herself on the dissenting side. Both styles were powerfully feminine, and became an iconic symbol of female empowerment over the span of her 27-year tenure on the Supreme Court. In fact, RBG’s collars and necklaces became so popular among her fans that some felt compelled to create their own merchandise. Crochet collars, netted-collar necklaces, and lace face masks (monogrammed with “RBG”) are currently all the rage on direct-selling websites like Etsy and eBay.

RBG also once revealed in a Wall Street Journal interview that she wore scrunchies everyday (sporting a professional ponytail with an added flair). But an even bolder and well-known fashion statement was her pair of black fishnet gloves. The decision was both stylish and functional, as RBG had permanent bruises on her hands from past rounds of chemotherapy, according to NPR. It is also safe to say that RBG’s iconic style will likely inspire a plethora of DIY Halloween costumes this year.

Several films are also based on Ginsberg’s incredible life, such as the 2018 biopic “On the Basis of Sex,” which focuses on specific legal battles she fought as a young attorney and new mother. It provides an incredible look at the countless obstacles Ginsberg faced in the legal field while fighting for equal rights. Last weekend, “On the Basis of Sex” was re-released in 1,000 theaters in an effort to honor her legacy and raise money for the ACLU; it is also now available on Netflix.

Another film about Ginsberg’s life, released the same year, is “RBG” — an Oscar-nominated documentary that spans her entire career and ascension to becoming a major judicial, as well as cultural, icon. Currently, “RBG” is available on Hulu and Amazon Prime.

It is an honor to have lived during RBG’s ‘reign’ on the Supreme Court, and the legacy she has left behind will never be forgotten.