If you read this blog or if you liked this blog, when it was alive, then I think you’ll like my new blog.
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Forwrrrd is an activism, DIY, equal rights, feminism, human rights, riot grrrl, and women’s rights blog. If anybody wants to contribute something to the blog, email me: grrrlsvomitcandy@hotmail.com with the subject “blog” or “contribute”. Contributions must be activism, diy, equal rights, feminism, human rights, riot grrrl, and/or women’s rights focused. Any and all contributions will be appreciated and credited. Thanks!
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This is an essay I was asked to write for a WS class last semester.
Throughout my entire life, my gender has played a huge role. It has determined what kind of things I should be interested in, what expectations are placed upon me and what point of view I have on certain issues. It has affected me for the better and for the worse. In this essay, I will focus on the worse; negative aspects and experiences that I have endured simply because of my reproductive ability.
There are numerous challenges and contradictions of being a woman in American society. One of the most prominent contradictions I see has to do with body image. Because of influences from the media, women are taught that being thin is an ideal body type. This may be difficult enough to deal with for women that are naturally curvy but it is complicated because of the culture we live in as well; American society also stresses over-indulgence and “the bigger the better” mentalities, including in the realm of food. It seems as if women are tempted to indulge in the smorgasbords but if so, they will be ostracized for not keeping up with society’s ideal body image. Women must also deal with other societal expectations for physical appearance such as having long hair and wearing makeup. Both are seen as “feminine” attributes and may cause women to believe they are more masculine or less beautiful if they do not yield to these expectations.
Education is another area in which I see complications for women. From a very young age, American children are taught that education is the solitary most important tool needed for success in life. The reasoning behind this being that the more intelligent one is, the more career opportunities one may have. This seems to be ineffectual for women. Importance on our education is severely undermined because of the ideal female job; housewife. Being able to find a rich husband seems to be a much more necessary skill for women. Because of this, women are not taken seriously in high-end jobs and receive much less pay for equal work overall; about 78 cents to the male’s dollar. It seems as if no amount of education could convince men that women are on an equal intelligence and capability level as them in careers. I see this as somewhat of a double-edged sword; whereas it may be more acceptable for women to be somewhat less intelligent, it’s also somewhat expected. If a woman has no desire to further her education after high school, she is automatically thought to choose home keeper as her eventual day job.
Women’s sexual freedom has also been subject to several contradictions. Perpetuated by the media’s representation of the ideal woman as well as what the typical man desires, women are seen as quintessential if they are somewhat promiscuous. This also includes their choice of dress, such as low-cut shirts or short skirts. This also can go the other way if a man finds a woman ugly or is generally displeased with her; she may then be known as a slut or a whore for the way she looks. Women struggle with having to fit within the stigma men have for their outer appearance or run the risk of being referred to as undesirable terms. This is also affected by the ideal that women should save themselves for marriage, something men do not have thrust upon them. It is almost as if men are expected to be unbridled but if women exhibit the same tendencies than they are easy and cheap.
These ideals that women struggle with on a daily basis are somewhat contributed to our upbringing and socialization. Girls are raised with the principals such as being quiet, physically presentable, soft, dainty and passive. If we deviate from any of these, we may be seen as bitchy, annoying, ugly, abrasive or manly, all of which are very negative for women. Young boys are inoculated with a very different set of morals; being strong, independent, assertive, aggressive or brave are all ideals that they are taught to strive for. If a woman would exert any of these characteristics, she would most likely be seen as any of the aforementioned unfavorable adjectives.
Political involvement also has somewhat of an influence in women’s lives. Affirmative Action is seen as necessary in order to put women on the same level playing field as men. This is a very bittersweet because women should not have to be backed up by a piece of legislation in order to achieve equal status to their male counterparts. Another huge aspect of political legislation in regard to women is the touchy debate over abortion legality and rights. Politicians have found it to be their own business in the issue of control over women’s reproductive abilities. This is contradictory along with education because in many cases teens altogether are not taught satisfactory safe sex practices which lead to women’s desires for abortion in the first place. It’s like teaching a child to steal and then later imprisoning and punishing them for being a criminal; how can we expect anything different from uneducated young women?
In some cases I believe women’s emotions can be extremely contradictory and difficult to deal with. Specifically, their fear. In our heterosexual-preferring society, women are taught that men are our natural other halves yet at the same time very dangerous predators. The thought of a daughter walking home alone in the dark, or alone anywhere, could make a mother cringe with worry and concern. Women are somewhat expected to always need protection and never be alone in public situations or else we would be subject to devious sexual predators, which is perpetuated by both genders, not just other women. This reinstates the belief that women are primarily seen as sexual objects by men and their reproductive organs hold their only redeeming value. Because of this, women are generally distrusting and insecure about men in general.
As an American woman, I find many issues of importance in our society. I am concerned with the current state of equality between the sexes in all aspects of life and in all cultures of the world. I think our society needs to be taught more understanding and tolerance of outsiders’ opinions and experiences. I dislike our current ideals of self-centeredness and “every man for himself”; there needs to be more collaboration and collective effort among both genders to be able to get past these obstacles. I believe we need dire improvements in the areas of education, global compliance and interconnectedness, health care, general safety and freedom, whether they be for more funding, expanding the bracket of those who are eligible or overall increase.
I also am very concerned about how women are valued in society. In my own personal experience, I have struggled with being unsure if male attention and desired friendship is contingent on my personality or solely on my physical appearance. Women should not be seen as having worth just because of their looks, but because of their overall character and personalities. I have also experienced negative reactions from men because of my appearance and style of dress, who question why I do not partake in “more feminine” outerwear.
Because of several negative experiences women in my family have had with men, I am more independent and strong-willed than most. My family is definitely matriarchal because of both my grandmother’s and mother’s dealing with divorce, abuse and neglect with their past spouses. Through their experiences and unfortunate situations I have learned to be self-sufficient. I have personally felt fear of males because of domestic abuse my mother, sister and I went through when I was a child.
As for connectedness with women of other cultures, I definitely feel like I am able to relate to them. As a Social Justice major, I am extremely interested in women of other cultures and the struggles they endure. I feel like women of all different countries go through the same central issues in relation to oppression by outside forces.
I’ve been plagued by the thought of marriage lately. It seems at every possibility someone in my family brings up the prospect of me entering into nuptial confines and then reproducing and wondering out loud when such a time will come. I’ve said it for years and I say it now: I am not getting married nor having children.
Mostly I’ve been dwelling on the subject because a young woman very close to me has decided that she would like to marry a man that she has met while visiting another country. They have known each other but a scant half a year and are supposedly in love with one another. She has only dated a couple of guys over the past few years and neither were serious. Now she plans to marry a man almost a decade her senior, live with him in a foreign country, leave everyone she knows behind, bear children and become a housewife as soon as possible. I know that it is blatantly obvious that I am a devoted feminist but I wholeheartedly commend women who decide to let their primary concerns rest within their own households and children. It is a very difficult decision to make and I applaud women that make it. I’ve met women who have told me that having and raising children has been a lifelong desire and they could not be happier having the ability to do so. They’ve obtained their dream jobs, so who am I to judge their work?
I am, however, at odds with such a young woman leaving all she knows behind for someone she barely knows. Going through numerous bad relationships, I have learned that when its good, its good and when its bad, its fucking horrible. I would never claim to be worldlier in love than another, but I do know that statistically the younger women and men marry the more likely they are to divorce. I’m concerned for her well-being and it would break my heart to see her unhappy and in some kind of situation that she would not easily be able to get out of. I understand that she has always wanted to get married and have children and that her dream job is indeed mother and home keeper. I just wonder if she could possibly slow down the process!
I don’t understand why people want to rush into things at top speed. If you are in love with someone and honestly want to spend the rest of your life with that person, then why make such slapdash decisions? What is so appealing about marriage, honestly? Why can’t a couple live together under an understood bond that should not be broken? Why do people feel that the only way to express their utmost love for someone is a state-sanctioned relationship? I have a few ideas.
Why people get married:
1. Pressures from family and friends.
2. Societal expectations and the fear of being ostracized.
3. Proving their love for one another.
4. Tax benefits.
1. I think I’m affected by this one the most. My family has a history of ugly, torn marriages and ruptured living situations, but somehow the issue of getting married has still been pushed upon me. After 20 years of such subjugation, I have finally found that the only minuscule desire I ever had to get married was because I was imbibed and socialized to believe that marriage is the only way to have a legitimate adult relationship with a partner. If you’re raised to believe something to such a degree, it can be very difficult to shy away from such a thing. Especially if it is endorsed by society at large, which bleeds into the next reason. Also, one may feel more pressured to couple up with another if all of their close friends are doing so. I have not had the joy of feeling like all of my friends are getting married off so that I should as well, but I know many people have felt very uncomfortable by being surrounded with (seemingly) perfect, content couples.
2. Many people believe (because of morals, values, religious beliefs, etc.) that living and/or procreating with someone out of wedlock is fundamentally unacceptable, and by entering into marriage, their action is somehow justified and their consciences are cleared of any wrongdoings. They may be concerned that others may see them in a bad light because of the ‘unofficial’ status of their partnership. Let’s not forget the massive wedding industry, which rakes in $70 billion annually from happy couples wishing to get hitched in an elaborate, flashy array of table linens, fresh flowers and horrendously colored bridesmaid dresses. There is no doubt about it; the idea of a wedding is almost exclusively catered to women. A wedding day represents one in which a woman can feel pampered, like the star of the show, and have everything her way. Wedding planners are hired to ease this process as well as serve as confirmatory opinion that the service will indeed be spectacular. All the magazines, movies, and television shows are targeted towards making a personal statement of love into a commercial process to be made money off of. As a related story, it has been noted that recognizing gay marriages would also add an additional $16.8 billion to the industry.
3. We all know the stereotype of women fawning over the idea of being swept off of her feet by a prince charming and being married to him. We are also aware of the stereotype of the eternal male bachelor, dreading the idea of marriage and hating it even more after continuing to do so. Does this mean that women pressure men into getting married? Do men feel obligated to marry their female counterparts? Maybe. At a point, a couple may feel like they have no where else to go but take it to the next level and enter into the binds of marriage. Shit or get off the pot, you know? I am still iffy about this reason and see it as being a front for one of the other 3 stated reasons.
4. I mean, really. It sounds like a humorous joke but I’m sure some people go for it. I know a couple who has actually refrained from marriage because they receive a higher amount of welfare for their 3 children. They have other reasons but this is a major benefit for them. I think it could go the other way, then. In the film ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry’ the back story is that Kevin James and Adam Sandler pretend to be in a domestic partnership in order for James’ pension to be switched over to his children since his wife has passed a few years prior. This may be an uncommon situation but in a time of a ravaged economic status in the US, people may go to great lengths to stay afloat.
Personally, I feel no pressure from any of the aforementioned reasons to get married. If I find someone that I would like to spend the rest of my life with, I will do so without having to pay the state for a piece of paper noting our status. I dislike marriage because it is withheld from same-sex couples and even if I did want to marry, I would not do so unless this supposed civil right applies to all persons regardless of orientation. I dislike marriage because it goes along with the belief that humans are naturally monogamous and all persons have soul mates. I dislike marriage because I have had difficult enough breakups and never want to know what a crushing divorce would be like. I dislike marriage because it brings with it the ideal that people will be less likely to cheat on their spouses. I dislike marriage because I would henceforth be expected to have kids after becoming wed and I refuse to voluntarily enter into a whole nother slew of societal and familial pressures.
Marriage isn’t for me. I want to have my own career and travel the entire globe. If someone would love me to the point that they would want to spend copious amounts of time with me, then they will come with me. Don’t even get me started on kids, either. If I would have them, I’d pull an Angelina Jolie and adopt. 4,000 children die per hour just from starvation. Why would I choose to bring a separate life into this world instead of saving one already existing?
“Marriage is a wonderful institution… but who wants to live in an institution?”
- Groucho Marx
For the more than 200,000 women serving on active duty in the U.S. military, sexual assault and harassment are issues not to be ignored – and now that the armed forces are taking steps to correct the problem, some wonder if it is doing enough.
In the fiscal year ’07, ending Oct. 1, military members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan reported 131 cases of rape and assault. The Department of Defense recorded 2,688 cases of sexual assault last year; 60 percent were allegations of rape.
Some women claim the military does not respond adequately to allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Carolyn Schapper, 35, told the Associated Press an Army National Guard soldier repeatedly stormed into her room while she was dressing in Iraq. She began changing in her shower stall to ensure she had privacy. Schapper said she wouldn’t think of reporting the incident, because she believed administrative action would be taken against her instead of the other soldier.
Missing pregnant Marine Maria Lauterbach’s body was found burned in a shallow fire pit located in Cpl.Cesar Armando Lauren’s backyard earlier this year. She had accused Lauren of sexually assaulting her and planned to testify against him before she vanished.
Lauterbach’s mother, Mary, blamed the military for being slow to act, denying her daughter’s request for transfer and not properly dealing with the sexual assault complaint – even after her daughter was punched in the face.
“I believe Maria would be alive today if the Marine system had been different,” she told a panel of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee July 31.
A woman named Ingrid Torres worked with American Red Cross at a U.S. base in Korea. Torres took Ambien before bed, and an Air Force flight director raped her while she slept.
Testifying before the committee, Torres said, “He still comes after me in my dreams.”
“Women serving in the military today are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than be killed by enemy fire in Iraq,” she said.
According to a Government Accountability Office report released July 31, incidents of rape and sexual assault in the military are under-reported by nearly half. Many soldiers fail to report assaults because they worry “that nothing will be done; fear of ostracism, harassment, or ridicule; and concern that peers would gossip.”
Some victims argue that the military chain of command would punish or move them if they complained, rather than discipline the person responsible for the assault.
A Department of Defense 2006 Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members shows 34 percent of all female service member respondents were sexually harassed, and 6.8 percent indicated experiencing unwanted sexual contact including rape, nonconsensual sodomy or indecent assault.
While evidence that war worsens the problem of sexual assault is lacking, women serving in the Army were most likely to be sexually harassed and/or assaulted than any other branch. Low-ranking, enlisted females were more likely than their commissioned or higher-ranking counterparts to be raped. Seventy-five percent of victims reported assaults occurring at a military installation.
A full 50 percent of female respondents experienced incidents of rape or attempted rape, 38 percent reported unwanted sexual touching and 12 percent did not specify. Most women did not report the incidents because they felt uncomfortable, thought they would be labeled a troublemaker, didn’t want anyone to know, did not think anything would be done or feared retaliation.
Under fire for its method of handling sexual harassment and assault cases, the military introduced a Care for Victims of Sexual Assault Task Force. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld charged the task force with investigating sexual assault in the military in 2004. The U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response confidential reporting system was established in 2005 – though reports still show half of female victims do not report the crimes. The military also conducts required classes on sexual assault and harassment.
The Pentagon has teamed up with Men Can Stop Rape, a non-profit organization that seeks “to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women,” to teach soldiers how to recognize signs of sexual assault.
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs added a 16th inpatient ward for military victims of sexual trauma, the Associated Press reported. VA hospitals are also providing keyless locks on its doors so female patients can feel more secure.
According to an article in the Parenting section of The Wall Street Journal, a personal finance journalist commented that
“At the end of the day, I say parents should pay for their kids’ education — but only after saving for their own future. After all, when you stop working one day, there’s no one waiting to hand you a scholarship or grant to retire.”
To me, this comment is in line with Ron Paul’s belief that parents should educate their own children instead of leaving it up to the dastarly public school system. Does he forget the millions of single-parent homes? What about all of the families trying to scrape by that are right on the poverty line? I love how its so easy for a guy with a cushy job to make recommendations with the typical familial structure in mind. I think if this guy was a single mom with 2 kids he’d be singing another tune.
Throughout history, people have created a set of slang words and terminology to be used as aspersions. When we were younger, we used insults such as butthole and dork. As we matured, so did our put-downs: they increased in vulgarity as well as severity. We now throw around general ignominies like jackass, bastard, shithead or asshole. They’re all relatively the same insults as when we were younger but with a little bit more zing to them. But another layer of demeaning language has been added in our maturation that is more focused on the specifics of people, such as race, sexual orientation and gender. Most of us could compile a pretty damn long list of inappropriate nicknames to call anyone that is non-white or queer. As for gender, we all know which sex gets the short end of the fucking stick. There are at least a dozen terms set aside solely for the purpose of putting down a female. Insults for men are few and far between: dick and prick are probably the most male-specific put-downs, which aren’t exactly the most hard-hitting things I can think to call someone. You’re pretty much calling them their genitalia; which leads me to question why the word cunt is used to insult women.
Once upon a time, some jerk off had anonymously called my phone to say that he was discussing with his friend how much of a cunt I was. My first reaction? I was pissed beyond belief, of course! My instinct of rage kicked in as I called the fucker back to question his identity, which he did not reveal, being a scared little shit and all. As I calmed down and thought about the situation, I realized that I was overreacting. The true reason for my anger was that he didn’t voice his opinion to my face, not the exact term he referred to me as. Getting called a cunt? No big deal! Pfft, what a great fuckin insult, pretty much calling me a vulva. Haha. Real demeaning.
If you would have thrown that word at me a few years ago, I would have stopped at nothing to smash your face in. But I’ve rationalized its use since then. After doing some quick research, I found out the word cunt came into circulation in the Middle English period around 1325. Its use as an abusive term towards women didn’t really start until the late 1920′s. I also discovered that cunt is the last genuinely unprintable and unsayable expletive in the mainstream media of America, less acceptable than fuck! Well, what’s the big goddamn deal people? Even in the UK the people most offended by this word are men. They use it for one another to express that they are being obnoxious or malicious. This just goes to show that the worst thing you can call a guy is a girl and the worst thing you can call a girl is a girl. In this case, women are being called their own body part… and taking it as an insult. How ridiculous is that?
I think it’s time females take back the word for themselves. It could be just like guys calling one another dude or man. They have their reserved nicknames and why should women be left out of all the fun? It should no longer be treated as a hugely offensive and abrasive derogatory term towards females. But don’t take it personally if it comes from someone with a Y chromosome. Man calls you a cunt? Say thanks! Tell them you’re proud to be as well as have such a lovely little package of wonder and mystery. Make sure to spread the love to other cunts! See a woman on the street and greet her by saying “Good afternoon, cunt!” Female friend make a big accomplishment? Applaud her by stating “Congratulations, my fellow cunt!” Sure, this might not catch on for a couple of decades or so, but it’s a start. I wholeheartedly believe that becoming desensitized to the word will make people more aware of what it emulates and will take the bite out of it. Women need to embrace such a strong word and use it as a mode of empowerment instead of letting it be turned against us.
Remember grrls, if we can bleed for 6 days and not die, we can withstand anything. Including a menial four letter word.
Luckily, the students at my college are open-minded. When I considered participating in the school’s annual Drag Ball, no one laughed at the thought, no one questioned my orientation. Even though it is more acceptable for a female to dress within the male image, it was not even stigmatized for guys to dress like girls at the event. Upon learning that my fellow students were so tolerant, accepting and lax, I knew I had to join in on the fun.
I spent most of the time prior to the big evening passing out feminine beauty tips like free mini-sausage samples in a grocery store to very hungry men who needed pointers on corresponding tops to bottoms, purses to shoes and eyeliners to mascaras. Since most of my friends are guys I was not surprised in the slightest that I instantaneously became the style expert, being the token chick and all. It was nice to be asked for my genuine opinion as well as trusted with my answers. I enjoyed taking time to help out my friends with something that they had absolutely no prior experience with. Unfortunately for them, I already knew damn well what I was in for.
My partner Chris and I decided to dress as one another in order to add a role-reversal aspect to the experience. While he donned fishnet stockings, a leopard print skirt and bright purple eyeshadow, I played down my female characteristics by wearing oversized Carhardt slacks, a black t-shirt (free boobin’, mind you) and a scrawled-on brown marker beard. I also stuffed my hair under one of his old ratty hats to ensure my pink and black Chelsea wouldn’t give me away. “Unisex” band t-shirts constitute most of my wardrobe so I still felt in my physical element but at the same time I had never dressed so typically masculine before. And I really didn’t like it.
For the guys, wearing feminine getup was fun. It allowed them to participate in good old-fashioned dress up time that they had always been denied. It opened their eyes to what females regularly go through in order to get prepared for going out. They were lavished with compliments all night long and felt the pressure to look better than one another. The contest at the end of the night to determine the ball’s ‘Drag Queen’ was seriously about who made the prettiest girl. My friends were all vying for the title and picked their own favorites for who should walk away with the tiara and flowers. They had a great time and recounted the experience for weeks past.
I cannot say the same for myself. It took me a whole 3 minutes to put on the clothes and another 2 to scribble on my “beard”. There was nothing glorified about the process, no one offering to help me with any aspect of my attire. The title of ‘Drag King’ was given to a girl clad in a plaid shirt, aviator sunglasses, a furry snow hat and a fake moustache. In real life, is that an ideal image? Not exactly. For us girls, it was more about who could look the most ridiculous and get more laughs. In the end, more attention was paid to the guys. I didn’t realize it at the time but it actually really bugged me.
As a female, I am used to constant attention and the immense pressure to look beautiful to some degree. In theory this irks me. I feel that women should not have such rigid and elevated standards to conform to and more emphasis should be placed on inner beauty. Being out of the limelight was a very eye-opening experience for me; I felt downright ugly. I felt pangs of strange jealousy towards my friends because they were obtaining such copious amounts of praise and focus. I felt practically invisible.
In retrospect, I suppose I disliked this experience because it made me deal with the fact that I have come to accept my place as a visual object to be contrasted against American beauty ideals. I never realized it until afterwards but I enjoy the feeling of people paying attention to my physical being. Even though I am very far from the decimated, white, blonde, plastic look that seems to permeate every aspect of the media, I still have to factor this in when preening in the morning and I am okay with that. I love being a woman even with all its ups and downs and I would not change it for anything. It allows me to be especially creative with my style and toughens my skin against the harsh reality that I do not fit a cookie cutter mold (what a drag!). I think the guys realized this fact as well as obtained a higher appreciation of what females go through to become visually appealing. I think they would relive the experience again, but all the time? I’m sure they’d reply: too much work!
As most of you know, The Riot Grrrl Online Website has a forum. Nobody seems to be using this forum much. I have decided to officially keep the forum HERE instead. I took a poll on freeforums.org and most people want me to move the forum back to freeforums, so that is what I’m going to do.
If you want to join the forum, it is free and easy to join the forum. Just go to the website and click “register”, if your not already a member. Please start using the forum, if you haven’t been. If you have already been using the forum, continue to do so. Thanks!
I’m Grrrlriot on Wikipedia. A couple of months ago, I was very active on editing on Wikipedia. As of the past couple of days, I have went back to being active on Wikipedia. Looking for feminists/riot grrrls or others that edit feminist/riot grrrl articles on Wikipedia? Check out these pages on Wikipedia, that I’ve created: Category:Wikipedians interested in feminism, Portal:Feminism, and Portal:Feminism/Feminism Task Force. The Feminism Task Force did have 8 members a couple of months ago, but since I went back on Wikipedia, It has grown to 12 members! I have been adding and editing the Portal and the Task Force, so please check out those pages. For more information on these pages, just check out the pages.
Feel free to add to/edit/help out the Portal:Feminism on Wikipedia. Any suggestions and edits to the pages are welcome!
Help us improve the quality of feminism articles on Wikipedia, Join the Feminism Task Force. Anybody with an interest in feminism, feminists/riot grrrls, feminist supporters, or anyone that likes to edit feminism related articles is welcome to join. If you want more information about the task force, please go to the task force page. If you want to join the task force, just sign your Wikipedia name under “Participants”. Thanks!
This is Part 5 out of Part 5 of “Women In Resistance Through The Means Of Music” thesis written by Jamie Alvis.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
I have found that the women I have studied have at least one thing in common – they
oppose the dominant media representation of femininity and resist the notion that
women should look and behave in specific ways. Other areas of commonality
amongst my examples are issue related to individual identity and a sense of belonging
to a community. These issues seem to be important within the three generations that I
have discussed. The legacy of Patti Smith’s gender resistance seem evident in
contemporary music, with females artists such as Tarrie B which justifies my
argument and her similar mode of resistance. The Spice Girls also made a
contribution, they had a limited effect on changing notions of femininity even though
they were much more mainstream than my other examples in my dissertation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
·LEES, S. Sugar and Spice: Sexuality and Adolescent Girls. 1993. Penguin
Publications: London
·FRITH and HORNE, S and H. Art into Pop. 1989. Routledge: London and New
York
·WHITELEY, S. Women and Popular Music. 2000: Sexuality, Identity and
Subjectivity. Routledge: London
·OCEANSOUL619. 2007. The Punk Years: Typical Girls [online] [Accessed 19th
December 2007].Available from World Wide Web:
·BAULD, M. 2008. Interview with the author on 1st Feburary 2008. Bristol.
[Cassette recording in possession of author]
·NOMOREYOUTUB. 2007. Kylie Minogue: Better the Devil You Know. [online].
[Accessed 14th February 2008]. Available from World Wide Web:
<http://youtube.com/watch?v=spyyKkOK20I>
·DRISCOLL, C. 1999. Girl Culture, Revenge and Global Capitalism: Cybergirls,
Riot Grrls, Spice Girls. Australian Feminist Studies. Vol 14. No. 29.
·DRISCOLL, C. 1999. Girl Culture; or, Why Study the Spice Girls? Australia:
Wakefield Press
·Fay Weldon, Wednesday 5th December 2007, “Girl Power?” Daily Mail
·HALFPENNY, F. 2008. [Personal communication]. 28th February
This is Part 4 out of Part 5 of “Women In Resistance Through The Means Of Music” thesis written by Jamie Alvis.
CHAPTER IV
THE LEGACY
In this final chapter I would like to discuss what remains here in 2008 in terms of
female resistance through the means of music. In this final chapter I would like to
discuss the issue of whether we can find evidence of what I have described as ‘female
resistance’ in the contemporary music scene. I have broadly elaborated in the
previous chapters, two of history’s major movements that were made by women and
for women. The Punk movement being some what of a foundation for women to
begin to resistance in music and certainly how the influential Patti Smith inspired
women to do so. I have also examined the way in which the Riot Grrrls were a much
more overtly political force in terms of a feminism perspective. So essentially this
final chapter will discuss how these two movements have opened up a door for
women in music 2008. I shall discuss the self-professed feminist and lesbian Beth
Ditto of the Indie/Rock group The Gossip, Tarrie B of the heavy metal group My
Ruin, the Spice Girls and finally I shall briefly look at Riot Grrrl and where it is
positioned today. In looking at these figures I shall make note of aesthetics, lyrical
content as well as media intervention. I am limited here by a current absence of
critical work on these groups (although not doubt there is a wealth of ongoing
research waiting to hit the presses) and will be relying on some small scale
ethnographic work, some lyric analysis and the analysis of current journal and
newspaper articles.
THE SPICE GIRLS
I discussed in chapter one that I would include ‘Pop’ music and not predominately
‘Rock’ music as a way of being unbiased, this is why I felt it was important to also
incorporate ‘Pop’ in the final chapter, in this case the Spice Girls. In many ways the Spice Girls are complex. They discuss the notion of ‘Girl Power’ (more so back in
1996 and their rise to fame) and use it as a force. (Note: ‘Girl Power’ was used in the
early 1990s by Riot Grrrl).
Spice Girls (1996) promotion poster
The lyrical content in the song ‘Wannabe’ is quintessential ‘Pop’ as well as
conforming to dominant heteronormative ideals (as established earlier in the
comparison between the songs of Kylie Minogue and Bikini Kill). Note: I am not sure
that this song is as straightforward as that – it is also about an unthreatening version
of sisterhood – i.e. friends are as important as boyfriends etc. The objective of the Spice Girls is complex- they aim and are seen by the public to resist the status quo
and live wild lives. Aesthetically each member of the pop group is made to appear as
sexual – each Spice Girl are also stylized specifically, which gives a potential male
audience a position to negotiate which style is sexual to them. For example Sporty
Spice may attract a person who prefers that ‘athletic’ type. “Are the Spice Girls
marketed as different flavours of sexual opportunity – versions of what a girl would
be like in bed? They certainly could, I would even say surely do, appeal to many
forms of voyeurism and desire” (Driscoll, 1999:212). This argument by Driscoll as
well as my argument becomes problematic in regard to strictly being sexually
‘available’ to the male gaze as they also offer a plurality of feminine types rather than
a singular normative model – including a lesbian group member (Scary Spice).
An example of the spice girls as ‘sexually available’ (2007)
The commercial side of the Spice Girls is also of interest. During December of 2007
the Spice Girls acted on a Tesco commercial, this itself supporting capitalism, the
commercial itself also portrayed the girls in a stereotypical sense of ‘women should
attend to the shopping’. The Spice Girls evidently and heavily rely on the media and
thus commercialisation in order to gain recognition in the world of music. This is
evident in their latest single entitled Headlines:
“Let’s make the headlines, loud and true
I wanna tell the world I’m giving it all to you
Let’s make the headlines, loud and clear
The best things suddenly happen when you are here
And if I lost my way you’d carry me home
Take me all the way to heaven, never leave me alone
And it’s just like everything matters when you are near”
Still image of Posh Spice on the Tesco commercial (2007)
Drawing back from chapter two and Hebdige’s critique on social class, Driscoll
looks at a potential social class audience by comparing both Spice Girls and Bikini
Kill “the Spice Girls direct their slogans and appeals very broadly, certainly with the
intention of including ‘domestic’ or home-oriented teenagers and preteens, while
Bikini Kill has primarily a college/university or adult audience, and market
themselves with specific reference to this delimited rather than general audience”
(Driscoll, 1999: 211). What Driscoll critiques here then is ‘college/university’ being
educated people – which traditionally defines as middle class. Driscoll (1999) also
states that there is a conflict going on between the Spice Girls and Riot Grrrl “While
Riot Grrrl zines and sites decry such pop phenomena as the Spice Girls, some of the
Spice Girl fan material describes the Riot Grrrls as dull and dour, whining, self-pitying and sexless –
which are, interestingly enough, some of the same accusations Riot Grrrls have
levelled at ‘second wave’ feminism.” (Driscoll, 1999:209). This indicates that rather
than women challenging and resisting men in 1991, women are now resisting women.
Driscoll also states that if ‘Girl Power’ is feminist, does this imply that a feminist
minority has now become popular culture than renders it as majority? Fay Weldon, a
British feminist essayist is furious over the come back of the Spice Girls.She openly
accuses them of killing feminism and thus a very bad influence on people. In her two
paged article that was placed in the Daily Mail she states that “a generation of our
young womanhood has taken to binge drinking, Saturday night sluttishness and
‘happy-slappings’, I blame the Spice Girls. There are one or two other factors, I dare
say, such as the cult of consumerism, the decline of religion … morning-after pills
and the rest: but, if we’re going to look for scapegoats, Posh, Ginger, Sporty, Baby
and Scary are, surely obvious candidates.” (Weldon, 2007)
BETH DITTO
During my research findings I found that Beth Ditto of Indie/Rock band The Gossip
would be a crucial figure to discuss in relation to female resistance in contemporary
music. Ditto has the characteristics of Riot Grrrl in terms of subversion as I shall state
below. Ditto herself is a self-professed feminist and also a lesbian, as I mentioned in
the previous chapter, I shall not specifically look at lesbianism but certainly look into
her feminist interest and lyrical content as well as her potential connection with Riot
Grrrl. Respondents to my research have suggested that Ditto belongs within the Riot
Grrrl trajectory stating: “I consider myself a ‘Riot Grrrl’, but I can’t answer all the
questions, but I do believe Beth Ditto is one of the only true ‘Riot Grrrls’ in the music
industry to this date … It is also difficult for a women in the music industry not to fall
into the trap of having a good media image. We’re expected to have perfect bodies,
skin, hair, dress sense, and the papers will rip into you if there’s the slightest thing not
up to scratch. The only person I’ve seen who doesn’t care about that is Beth Ditto.”
(Online interview with member of Riot Grrrl Online, interviewed on 17.01.08).
Dittos performance is consistent with the Riot Grrrl approach; she subverts the
dominant norms of femininity in terms of her appearance and her actions. That of a
Riot Grrrl performance, she subverts what the media portrays as what a ‘woman’
should appear to look and act. There was a recent interview conducted by Microsoft
Network that asked Ditto a series of questions that are relevant to this context. The
author of the interview introduces Ditto in a positive way. “In a world used to seeing
‘perfect’ looking celebrities – where size zero is the ultimate accolade in every
celebrity hungry magazine, Beth’s laid-back attitude to her body is a refreshing
change” (Harvey, 2007)
Further into the questions, the interviewer asks “Have you ever tried to conform or
diet?” Ditto answers with “Still to this day I have to battle with ‘oh should I be on a
diet? It’s not that easy but it’s about confidence. I can’t shut off the entire world. I
feel
how I feel, but it’s not like it used to be. I challenge myself and no matter what I am
right. I’m the one who’s accepting myself and not trying to change myself. It doesn’t
mean people are f***ed up or wrong it means I’m just not going to let it work on me.
Life is too short.” (Harvey, 2007)
Ditto and her perfect ‘size’ resistance
I find the question of “conformity” contradictory, Microsoft itself is a corporation –
capitalism’s godfather, and so isn’t this interview itself “conforming” to a norm? Like
I have stated, at this stage of writing I only find mainstream media articles on this
subject which can be misleading. The interview also suggests that Ditto is borrowing
the ‘Punk’ DIY ethic of self-made clothing. As one of the questions asks “What’s it
like being considered a style icon?” This is responded with “It’s hilarious, I have
stylists who bring in ridiculous things that don’t fit – they just don’t get it. Me and my
friends make things ourselves.” (Harvey, 2007)
Ditto in performance at the Camden Bar Fly in London (May, 2007)
Dittos lyrics to Standing in the Way of Control are controversial and focus on positive
cultural and social change with regard to gay rights in America. As the MSN
interview questions “Can you tell us about the song ‘Standing In The Way Of
Control’?” Ditto replies with “Standing in the Way is about gay marriage and about
sticking together. There are a lot of violations of civil rights in America now…”
(Harvey, 2007)
“Standing in the way of control
You live your life
Survive the only way that you know”
TARRIE B
Although not commercial nor classed as a celebrity in terms of the media, Tarrie B
(front woman) of the American heavy metal band My Ruin is an interesting figure to
discuss in terms of women in resistance through the means of music. The band played
a show in Bristol at the beginning of February in which I asked their UK tour
manager
for a potential interview for the purpose of this dissertation, although I was refused an
interview with Tarrie B – I was advised to send her an email to conduct an online
interview (at this moment of time, she has failed to send me any form of response).
Nevertheless I studied the performance and found it very relevant to my research. The
lyrical content that contains criticism on media representations links very finely with
the work on Bikini Kill who also discussed that media notion of how women should
appear to be. For example the My Ruin song Made to Measure features the bridge
lyrics:
“I’m so fat…I’m fucked up
I’m so skinny…I’m sick
I’m so tired of those magazines
Talkin’ that bullshit
I’m not fat…they’re fucked up
I’m not skinny…they’re sick
I’m just tired of the critics
Talkin’ that bullshit”
It is evident here that there is a lot of anger for women in music here in 2008. The
performance of Tarrie B entails her frequently ‘gobbing’ which is itself an element of
Punk which I discussed in chapter two. The music video that accompanies this song
also encompasses a Patti Smith style, the idea of challenging gender roles. Certain
segments of the music video depicts Tarrie B dressed in a non-feminine way. As the
video progresses she gazes at us making sarcastic gestures that signify ‘Am I perfect
enough to be the front woman of a band?’ The title of the song itself is a critique upon
how adolescents and women are encouraged by the media to maintain a standard of
how they represent what a ‘perfect’ female should look like. Particularly in relation to
‘body size’.
Tarrie B anger is evident in this photo (taken from the Bristol show)
NEO RIOT GRRRLS
During my initial research of the previous chapter I found that the Riot Grrrls
continue to be active here in 2008. The symbolic bands of 1991 such as Bikini Kill
broke up in 1998. However there are a variety of MySpace profiles on the World
Wide Web such as Riot Grrrl UK, whose profile slogan states ‘Your Body is a
Battleground’ this slogan is placed on an image of a female’s face, aesthetically the
woman’s face appears to be resemblance of 1950s. I found Riot Grrrl UK particularly
interesting to look at after reading how the media intervened and disrupted a once
small community and now the result of this has made Riot Grrrl a world-wide
commodity. As a member of MySpace I immediately joined as friends with Riot
Grrrl
UK as a means of research and essentially to obtain ‘one on one’ online interviews to
learn where Riot Grrrls lie at this time and do these people follow the same principles
as in 1991? I posted a message on the profile and introduced myself as a student
researching into the movement’s theoretical side, although I only had two members
that replied to further my knowledge, I began to think that due to such bad publicity
that Riot Grrrl has had imposed on them, perhaps members were reluctant to answer
my questions in conscious fear that I am a potential critic. Although only two people
did respond, their answers were incredibly enlightening as one interviewee discussed
her personal perspective on why Riot Grrrl in the early 1990s was an important
movement. I am including a full online interview with another member of Riot Grrrl
Online as it answers and clarifies what this dissertation has been concerned with.
1)Why would you say the Riot Grrrls of the early 1990s was important?
It was another way for feminists to get their message across, without taking on the
persona of a men-hating masculine looking stereotype that the media has portrayed.
2)Do you think that perhaps, the feminist approach that they presented through
their music may have excluded the masculine?
I think it has.
3)If so Isn’t the concept of ‘feminism’ about equal rights? So why the exclusion?
It is about equal rights for the liberal feminists, but for example radical feminists believed
men were biologically unfavourable, so this could be an explanation for the exclusion of
men.
4) Would you consider the Riot Grrrls as a neo-punk movement to some extent?
It has the same sort of DIY ethic borrowed from the original punk explosion so in some
aspects it is like a new punk revolution for the 90′s.
5) Do Riot Grrrls still exist today with the traditional ethics?
I think that the newer female fronted indie/electro bands are trying to recreate the riot
grrrl movement, but I don’t think that they have the same effect now.
6) Do you believe that the 1991 movement had a long-lasting impact on the
music industry?
I think it did more in America, until the Britpop came along.
7) Would you consider figures such as Beth Ditto to follow similar principles of
Riot Grrrls? After all Ditto is a self-confessed feminist and she preaches that
looks do not matter
I think they do, but as I said in question 5 I don’t think that they are as influential now as
the original riot grrls were.
As this questionnaire states from a personal perspective of someone who considers
herself as a Riot Grrrl, 2008 also provides a host of female fronted bands that resist
but no longer have the same effect as they once did. The women in resistance today
resist the pseudo media representations and how they portray how a woman is
supposed to appear in public. Beth Ditto and Tarrie B continue to do this through their
music and what seems to be clear with the Spice Girls come back is nothing but
conforming whilst endorsing capitalism once again. It is indeed a complex issue of
mainstream versus marginal/elite/subcultural audience within contemporary music.
This is Part 3 out of Part 5 of “Women In Resistance Through The Means Of Music” thesis written by Jamie Alvis.
CHAPTER III
THE RIOT GRRRLS
Now that I have elaborated on the start of women in resistance through the means of
music, I will now discuss the next generation of women in resistance. In this chapter I
will be looking at the Riot Grrrl movement. I shall highlight the symbolic bands and
key figures involved in the initial beginnings of the movement such as Bikini Kill and
Bratmobile and thus discuss why such a female-centric movement was relevant and
where it obtained its influences. I shall be drawing from a range of relevant texts as
these figures have been written about quite widely. Interestingly enough, during my
research into the Riot Grrrls, I established that the ‘Riot Grrrl’ phenomenon actively
continues here in 2008, perhaps in a much more commercial sense than when it began
in 1991, nevertheless I shall briefly discuss this later on and introduce one of its
members who contributed to one of the leading internet siteswhich is used by
women and adolescents who consider themselves as ‘Riot Grrrls’ as well as follow
some of the traditional ethics. I will also elaborate on the work of Hebdige (1979)
who proposed that subcultures are predominately working class. So therefore by
incorporating Hebdige’s ideas, it will provide some exceptional theoretical
background with past debates in the field of arts and thus subcultures. It is essential to
discuss Riot Grrrl in relation to the late 1970’s Punk as it follows similar principles of
women’s feminist rebellion against patriarchal norms through music, as well as
potentially being understood as including tropes from the Avant Garde and
situationist style/approach, essentially a Punk ‘Do-It-Yourself’ aesthetic and ideology
predominately for women in this context. It would also be beneficial to note here that
the ‘Riot Grrrl’ concept was predominately active within the Indie and Punk genres, it
did not quite reach out to the mainstream Pop world back in its initial form and this is
what was intended by the principle ethics of the movement. I shall then look into how
the media intervened with the Riot Grrrl ideology and exploited and thus disrupted
the
movement through bad publicity in which their small and meaningful community
eventually became known as a subculture for feminist man-haters.It would also be
sufficient to note here and thus discuss later on that the Riot Grrrls have been
arguably understood within the framework or values of second wave of feminism as
their practices are underpinned by a similar set of ideas. Driscoll argues that “Riot
Grrrl thus re-articulates the tension between group identity and individualism which
characterises twentieth-century feminism more widely” (Driscoll. 1999:211).
However ‘waves’ will not be a priority field of study in this dissertation. Although I
must emphasise the words of the University of the West of England lecturer Mark
Bould “The problem with defining feminism by waves is that, it tends to assume there
are clear breaks between them, so there’s a lot of second wave feminism still going
on…clearly the dominant forms of feminism or at least the ones that circulate in most
obviously academic circles and popular circles are varieties of third wave feminism”
(Bould, M. 2008). Bould clearly rejects categorisation of feminist waves and certainly
in the context of Riot Grrrl 1991.
BIKINI KILL
Initially discussing how Riot Grrrl was conceptualized and thus categorized it would
be invaluable to give an explanation of what it entailed before the term came along.
The key figures to mention here are Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox and Tobi Vail
who worked together to produce the fanzine entitled Bikini Kill. This documented and
thus provided detailed information on the local bands that were circulating in Oregon,
the same location in which these figures attended University to read photography and
film (Vail had no formal education, but was an experienced musician and feminist
theorist in that she placed ideas and personal theories within the lyrics of Bikini Kill).
The general idea of the fanzine was to publicize their political ideals in a low-tech and
low-cost fashion. Aesthetically the ‘zine’ was constructed to demonstrate its rawness
and Punk-like montage of pictures and cuttings. The consumers of Bikini Kill and
indeed the writers belonged within a small Punk and Indie subculture community but
had no voice being women, in terms of music, so the ‘zine’ essentially acted as
medium in which their vocalization could be heard and thus create a community of
like-minded women. Many ‘zines’ circulated such as My Super Secret in which
messages and stories of rape would be placed, so it wasn’t just predominately Bikini
Kill that adolescents and women read. Hanna, Wilxcox and Vail would eventually
name their influential band Bikini Kill after their ‘zine’.
Example of the ‘zine’ low-tech production
“The most influential Riot Grrrl band is Bikini Kill” (Driscoll, 1999:209). They also
created the slogan “Revolution Girl Style Now” which was also the title of their first
album/demo on cassette tape, which was an evident political message that suggested
that women were frustrated by the male-centric music industry, they simply wanted to
be heard and thus recognised as important people just like men, rather than objectified
and represented as inadequate people which is how the media would destroy them.
Catherine Driscoll briefly summarizes the main objective and aspiration of Riot
Grrrls. “The Riot Grrrls interrogate dominant discourses on femininity – they aim to,
as they put it, ‘smash the mask’. They interrogate patriarchal and feminist gender
roles and both American society and international recording industries” (Driscoll,
1991: 213). A Riot Grrrl manifesto was released to the community and explained
what the movement required to make significance, although I have not included
further information on this as the original manifestos are rare to come by and
certainly in the United Kingdom. “The Riot Girl manifesto (a rushed, two-page
document that’s constantly being revised) declares, “We seek to create revolution in
our own lives everyday by envisioning and creating alternatives to the bullshit
Christian capitalist way of doing things.”. They urge their members to “resist psychic
death” and “cry in public” … “all girls to be in bands”… “girls rule all towns.” …even
encourage women to arm themselves” (McDonnell and Powers, 1995:397).
So as McDonnell and Powers suggest here the Riot Grrrls sought to completely
challenge men in everyway possible. The authors argued that their aim was “to form a
life away from men and invent girl culture” (McDonnell and Powers, 1995:397). The
Bikini Kill audio cassette itself was produced by Calvin Johnson who operated an
independent record label named K Records. The ‘K’ motto is “Exploding the teenage
underground into passionate revolt against the corporate ogre since 1982”. As the
motto suggests the idea of commercialization in music should be fought against.
Johnson produced many demos of bands based in Olympia that offered a political
message and for the bands who wanted positive cultural and social change, artists that
he recorded ranged from Hole, Bratmobile and Pansy Division, the former band here
established the ‘Queercore’ genre, which ultimately entailed a social and cultural
movement that was pro-gay and lesbian.
Bikini Kill in 1991 recording their demo tape
So just by this example and of course Bikini Kill, it is evident that Johnson was a
significant character in the early days of what is now known as ‘Riot Grrrl’
movement an obvious supporter of nonmainstream and politically inflected music.
“The Label has been so influential in anti-corporate independent music and
underground DIY punk culture” (K Records Online). The early 1990’s was a struggle
for women’s vocalization that had potential to change society. Bikini Kill’s ‘Rebel
Girl’ track openly discusses that there is indeed an urge for a revolution and that
women alone are able to establish a social and cultural transformation with no
indication of men taking place in this desire.
“When she talks, the revolutions coming
In her hips, there’s revolution
When she talks, I hear the revolution
In her kiss, I taste the revolution”
Rebel Girl is also known as the anthem of Riot Grrrl. “While Riot Grrrls war over
representing themselves in any way, the track ‘Rebel Girl’ by Bikini Kill is often
discussed as the Riot Grrrl anthem” (Driscoll, 1990: 209). As the lyrics suggest in
verse two of Rebel Girl it is predominately a female-centric desire for revolution. The
final lines of verse two “In her kiss, I taste the revolution”opens up a potential arena
for discussion on lesbianism and Riot Grrrl as there has been work published on this
such as the work of Mary Celeste Kearney and her essay entitled “The Missing Links:
Riot Grrrl – Feminism – lesbian culture” (in Sexing the Groove, Whiteley, 1997).
However in the context of this chapter I shall not be discussing that field. The lyrics
to
Rebel Girl indicate as a critique of heteronormativity sexual relations and sexual
desires that is present in ‘Pop’ music, where lyrics are bounded around the
heterosexuality relationship ideology or of course lust. For example Kylie Minogue’s
1991 single Better the Devil You Know. This heterosexual ideology is evident here in
verse two:
“Woh woh woh
Our love wasn’t perfect I know
I think I know the score
If you say you love me, oh boy
I’ll come if you should call”
The music video that accompanied Minogue’s Better the Devil You Know reinforces
this argument over the heterosexuality ideology as it features Minogue ‘in love’ with
a man. Whereas Bikini Kill’s ‘Rebel Girl’ accompanying music video features no sign
or indication of this, but rather a critique on what ‘Pop’ music entailed around this
time. Rebel Girl is resisting this by applying some kind of female revolution at work,
where each female portrayed is in military-type uniform and have complete control, it
is also of interest as it has colonial content, where the native women are being
dominated by this all-female army.
HEBDIGE AND SUBCULTURE SOCIAL CLASS
Dick Hebdige in his book Subculture: The Meaning of Style discusses specific
subcultures of the post World War Two period and their resistance against the
existing power structures – “the challenge to hegemony which subcultures represent
is not issued directly by them. Rather it is expressed obliquely in style” (Hebdige,
1978: 17). Hebdige imposes this ambiguous idea on every subculture that he surveys,
rather than researching into each subculture in depth, he is announcing this as a
general point that he believes to be relevant to them all. The Riot Grrrls were of
course a ‘subculture’ but they focused more on lyrical content and political activism
rather than strictly ‘style’, although they did have a ‘style’ it was not as radical as
Punk was, it was a basic ‘style’ that worked on desexualising sexual objectivity.
Kathleen Hanna would eventually wear tee-shirts of topless masculine men and
challenge that idea whilst performing (picture available below). The initial Riot Grrrl
meetings would entail women within this subculture looking very basic. “Most are
dressed in Olympia girl style: short-cropped, dyed hair; wadded-up vintage dresses;
bright Woolworth’s lipstick” (McDonnell and Powers, 1995: 398). In terms of what
materialized after the early meetings and into the shows, the fans would wear Riot
Grrrl tee-shirts as indication and identification of what they belonged to and the
ideology they believed in. The claim that Hebdige made here has some relevance to
Punk of 1976, but on the contrary the lyrical content is directly represented by them
as a challenge to hegemony. Hebdige also announced that all subcultures are
predominately working class. This theory has been since proved inaccurate since
Hanna and Wilcox attended University, gaining them a middle-class status, not to
mention the symbolic middle class women in the middle-nineteen-seventies Punk
such as Vivienne Westwood who again had an education and created an avant garde
style/fashion for the London Punk subculture. In relation to Westwood, Hanna and
Wilcox had a neutral idea in using education as a means of change. Below are two
examples of my argument.
Vivienne Westwood (1970s) Kathleen Hanna (1990s)
THE INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND FESTIVAL 1991
The International Underground convention was a six day festival in August 1991.
It was a six day event consisting of bands, who wanted cultural and social change,
essentially using the festival to revolt against corporate music. The opening of the
first night was entitled Girl Rock Revolution.It was predominately a girls night, in
which
the women would have complete freedom without being criticised, this was thus a
great opportunity for women with similar ideas and desires to articulate what they
wanted and how to achieve. The activists Allison Woolfe and Molly Neuman (who
also produced the ‘zine’ Girl Germs and wrote a manifesto for the movement)
played the Girl Rock Revolution with their bandBratmobile whoplayed amongst
many other female performers. This, then, was a space to celebrate women’s
collective experience and a space for women to exchange disempowered feelings. The
desired revolution and thus ‘girl culture’ was limited to have events such as this
where
women took control. “Maybe the girl revolution won’t take shape in the public
world,
the world of men – it won’t happen out on the street, where girls aren’t safe. Maybe it
will begin in a private, enclosed space men never enter, that generic space women
enter and leave, often together” (McDonnell and Powers, 1995: 396). Such an event
as this certainly built confidence in women’s voice and gained recognition of what
they were trying to achieve. This event appears to be as important for the movement
as the Punk festival of 1976 that I discussed in chapter two. The Girl Rock Revolution for some seemed as though the movement was becoming a fact rather than a dream
that these individuals wrote about in their ‘zines’. “Many Riot Girls see that night as a
kind of beginning” (McDonnell and Powers, 1995:398).
MEDIA AND EXPLOITATION
As the Riot Grrrl movement was becoming recognised as a valid entity, the media
intervened and (some say) destroyed the small community that began in Olympia,
Washington. The media misinterpreted the message that the community were trying
to
get across and thus made the movement look less significant and meaningful than it
actually was. “The sense that we all had of something being taken away from us…by
the media or people wanting something from us was really, really terrifying”
(YouTube, Riot Grrrl Retrospective).There was a point that the media exploited the
Riot Grrrls in the sense of using them to make money, not only did the media exploit
but also misinterpreted the message in a very negative way for the public eye to begin
suspicious that this movement was an outrageous and mindless thing. “I think it was
deliberate that we were made to look like we were just ridiculous girls running around
in our underwear. They refused to do serious interviews with us, they misinterpreted
what we had to say, they took our articles and our fanzines and our essays out of
context. We wrote a lot about sexual abuse and sexual assault for teenagers and
women…those were important messages that the media never addressed” (YouTube, Riot Grrrl Retrospective).
My research into the Riot Grrrl Olympia Washington movement has gained much
more evidence into one of my questions – the music industry has behaved in an
apparently sexist manner working to undermine the radical and political intentions of
this movement. Just like women in Punk in the middle to late nineteen-seventies, the
frustration of women led to resistance against the patriarchal ideologies. Indeed what
the Riot Grrrls aimed to achieve and certainly in Bikini Kill was a complete woman’s
revolution that rejected the help of the male to get there. In some respects this was
contradictory as Johnson of ‘K Records’ was evidently male and indeed placed them
on the music circuit. The help of the festival brought the community of Riot Grrrl into
realization that a movement and thus revolution was achievable. The media was a
significant part of the movement’s downfall and how they represented women and
their apparent hatred towards men. By continuously pursuing their representation of
these figures as ‘men-haters’ they failed to provide a platform from which to
publicise their aims. A similarity also that Punk had created power through small
communities and sought for social and cultural change, the media intervened with
their ideas and represented them as invalid and a bad influence to adolescents. A new
generation of Riot Grrrl (or allegedly) remains here in 2008 which I will discuss in
This is Part 2 out of Part 5 of “Women In Resistance Through The Means Of Music” thesis written by Jamie Alvis.
CHAPTER II
PUNK AND WOMEN
“Women had traditionally had the strongest presence and they were certainly
involved in the forming definition of punk.” (Frith and Horne, 1987:129)
As I have stated in the introduction, the main focus of this dissertation will be three
generations of women in resistance by the means of music. I will discuss what is
perhaps thought to be the foundation and thus the starting point of women in music
and how they challenged the norms of femininity and thus resisted patriarchal
ideologies. I shall begin by introducing Patti Smith who was known to inspire women
and the Punk ethics of the mid – late 1970’s. I will then discuss the ‘100 Club’ Punk
festival of 1976 and explain how it developed a further means of female resistance
and how it provided a further stepping stone for women to be acknowledged. I shall
specifically focus on Siouxsie Sioux and Poly Styrene, whom later became symbolic
figures in Punk history and how they sought to challenge the sexist male-dominated
music industry “The music industry was incredibly sexist and very old fashioned
when Punk started”(YouTube, The Punk Years: Typical Girls’). The approach that I
will be drawing on will range from the aesthetics, political, the avant-garde and how
this art-form/avant garde style was incorporated into Punk music as a further means
of resistance for women in Punk. I shall also be drawing attention to ‘pop music’ to
widen the forms of resistance in music, as basing this chapter primarily on ‘Punk’
would be rather narrow, as the connotations of ‘Punk’ has generally been seen as
rebellious, so essentially, by also considering a figure in ‘Pop music’ will enable me
to elaborate on the ways in which resistance existed in both genres. In this chapter I
will look at the works of Sheila Whiteley, Simon Frith, Sue Lees and Howard Horne
amongst other important writers in this field.
PATTI SMITH
Initially it will be essential to discuss the ‘active’ and ‘passive’ audience in relation to
music performance. Lees argues that girls are not passive how ever, she continues to
state that “Girls are not passive victims but are daily constructing complex strategies
for contesting the language and abuse that render them subordinate” (Lees, 1993:
261-262). There is no context or period of history that Lees is referring to so in that
case it would seem to be a generalized statement. However Sheila Whiteley argues
that in the context of 1960s and 1970s rock music “women were the ‘passive squaws
of patriarchal hippy men” (Whiteley, 2000: 98). Whiteley’s argument seems to
provide some significance as she continues to say that women after the 1960’s and
1970’s became ‘warrior and mystic’, which implies the starting point of women and
their resistance by the means of music and this indicates that the Lees quotation that I
have inserted shows some significance and perhaps Lees was referring to the context
of the 1960’s and 1970’s. It would be crucial to introduce Patti Smith as significant in
this starting point which I shall discuss more fully later in this chapter. Simon Frith
and Howard Horne discuss ‘Punk’ in their book “Pop into Art”. They discuss the
theoretical side of ‘Punk’ and how it was established and conceptualized through the
means of art and aesthetics. They place strong emphasis on the role that women had
and how it was profoundly a woman-made subculture and thus how women made
significant contributions to Punk, including, the design of Punk clothing and style (for
example the role of Vivienne Westwood in designing the Punk ‘look’/aesthetic, the
production and circulation of fanzines and women as musicians i.e. Siouxsie Sioux
and Poly Styrene. The influential poet and songwriter Patti Smith is introduced as an
example to identify the reactions that were received from the public, when Punk had
yet to capture the attention of the general public and at a time when female
performers tended to be received and circulated in such a way as to objectify women
and subjected them to an assumed ‘male gaze’. “She was hugely influential on all the
women Punk singers” (YouTube, The Punk Years: Typical Girls’). Patti Smith
challenged the status quo when she dressed herself intypical male clothes for her
album cover art ‘Horses’. At the time of being released in 1975 the generalpatriarchal
ideology condemned and associated women with thus seen women as Frith and Horne
explains “innocent/slut/mother/fool” (Frith and Horne, 1987: 155), which indicates
the angst which influenced women in punk to rebel against. As a comparison, Frith
and Horne introduce David Bowie and Patti Smith, and discuss their similarities in
dress codes i.e. how they both resisted dressing in the conventional sense and how
they both challenged traditions.
“Patti Smith, like David Bowie, had a significant influence on punk and she had a
much more sophisticated understanding of gender codes. Because ‘femininity’ is
made for the male gaze, so it is defined by a look, in the hang of one’s clothes, the use
of make-up, the angle of the camera” (Frith and Horne. 1989: 155)
Judith Butler discusses gender as a performative fashion in the sense that the
definition that divides male and female are acted out in specific ways; evidently
Smith and Bowie subverted this mode of performance and this expectation of sexual
difference. “…the regulatory norms of ‘sex’ work in a performative fashion to
constitute the materiality of bodies and, more specifically, to materialize the body’s
sex, to materialize sexual difference in the service of the consolidation of the
heterosexual imperative” (Butler, 1993: 2). So fundamentally Patti Smith represented
the terms of the resistance – to challenge the dominant ideas of femininity – this
challenge was what other women of the Punk era aspired to do.
ABBA 1975 as heteronormative Smith 1975. A subversion
PUNK FESTIVAL AND
WOMENS LIBERATION…
In her book Sugar and Spice, Sue Lees explains that adolescent girls find it even more
problematic to create an identity when pressured into the ‘norm’ of society. They are
constantly trying to create themselves but at the same time face the complications of
worrying if boys will find them sexually attractive. “Girls are encouraged to work
hard and plan a career, yet developing academic interests carries the risk of rendering
them unfeminine and unattractive to boys” (Lees, 1993: 262) This is why something
such as the Punk festival was significant to women and adolescent girls. The
community of female Punks had something in common, they wanted to be subversive,
the world outside of Punk simply could not accept them, so this community allowed
them to be and say what they wanted. The 1976 Punk festival at the London ‘100
Club’ was symbolic to giving women and adolescents a voice that had previously
been more difficult to find in music as well as domestically.
Siouxsie Sioux at the 100 Club 1976
The festival was arranged by the Sex Pistols manager, Malcolm Mclaren. One figure
to appear on the stage was Siouxsie Sioux. The editor of the feminist fanzine ‘Jolt’ commented on the festival as a significant time for female expression and recognition
though the means of Punk, which essentially offered a platform for women to speak
as it were. The central ethic of ‘Punk’ denies conformity and so this was a medium in
which women were able to be taken seriously.
“…women were singing about their own experiences in a way which I don’t think
they’d done before. I never got one Punk woman in any interviews to say she was a
feminist, because I think they thought the feminist label was too worthy, but the lyrics
they were coming out with were very challenging” (Whiteley,2000: 108)
SOUXSIE SIOUX
Much like Poly Styrene, Siouxsie Sioux sought to challenge the status quo, but
initially in a much more radical sense. She once applied a Nazi swastika to her arm.
This infamous incident was allegedly done for ‘shock value’, a gesture that inevitably
led the media to believe that she was a member of the National Front (in fact Sioux
was anti racism, she was later involved in the ‘rock against racism’ music event,
perhaps an event to articulate her true feelings about the prejudice she was thought to
be supporting.) Punk music and the avant-garde would be imperative to mention here.
The avant-garde is a term that is defined as ‘pushing the boundaries’ of the ‘norm’ or
‘status quo’. The term has been used to describe the work of Punk artists as a ‘work of
art’. What Siouxsie Sioux proposed by her Swastika was to shock people, much like
some forms of the avant garde sought to do “Punk performances were thus informed
by avant-garde arguments about shock value” (Frith & Horne, 1987: 128). A
statement that almost suggests that old traditions such as female repression should
become obsolete. It would also be relevant to note in this instance that most Punk
artists were in fact members of art colleges. “Artists…suddenly found that they could
apply their ideas in a pop club setting and get much more vital reaction than they ever
got in a gallery – even gobbing was a better response to an experimental show than
polite applause” (Frith and Horne, 1987: 128)
Siouxsie Sioux challenging the status quo
SITUATIONIST AND PUNK
Whilst discussing Punk’s connection with the avant garde it would be useful to
discuss the term ‘situationist’. The term itself refers to the 1968 French artistic
student movement. The aim for the situationists was to take an art-form and use it as a
political weapon, in this case ‘Punk’ was an art-form. In many ways Punk is tied with
the principles of ‘situationist’. Punk as an art- form would challenge the conventional
and eventually turn establishments against themselves as a form of subversion and to
demonstrate what people could not see in capitalism i.e. major music industries.
“Their activities were intended to conform to true situationist practice, which aimed
imaginatively to disrupt the everyday life of capitalism in order to expose its
oppressive nature” (Laing, 1985: 126). Malcolm Mclaren (Sex Pistols manager)
would use fragments of the situationist approach, as would most female Punks
because it was in a sense subversive. “Vivienne Westwood also ascribed to
situationist ideals, and everything from album cover sloganeering to the bondage
trousers they wore was intended to provoke a specific social response.” (Wikipedia, Punk ideologies). Mclaren himself took inspiration from Andy Warhol and used the
ideas to form the Sex Pistols, but in the context of this dissertation in this chapter it is
predominately women I am looking at. Nevertheless McLaren’s idea was to be
confrontational and subversive which involved his band the Sex Pistols on the Bill
Grundy show, in which also featured Siouxsie Sioux. This particular interview
demonstrates the Sex Pistols members and indeed Siouxsie Sioux are challenging the
conventional.
POLY STYRENE
Poly Styrene of the X-ray specs is another significant example when discussing the
areas established above which are centrally concerned with Punk music being a
platform for women to give voice to that which was previously restricted. I am
interested in Styrene because of her presence as a woman in a male dominated genre
and cultural milieu, her subversion of feminine norms in terms of her dress and style
and the content of her music and the style of her performance. The lyrics of Oh
Bondage Up Yours begins with “Some people think, little girls should be seen and not
heard, but I say, Oh bondage up-yours!” This it self indicates that women now had the
capacity of articulating what they sought to do before the Punk movement began.
Another example of Styrene’s subversive lyrics can be heard in the Styrene song I am
a Cliché, which discusses the fact that ‘Punk’ had now become manufactured and
capitalized to some degree. This then rendered her with ‘cliché’ characteristics of
what ‘Punk’ was thought to be. Whilst Styrene makes no explicit claim to be a
feminist her performance and her lyrics are consistent with a feminist critique of the
norms of femininity. Poly Styrene’s image also reflected the exact opposite of what
women were expected to look like in the conventional sense of the music industry. i.e.
her denture braces and obscure bin-liner-look dresses she would wear, not to mention
the soldier helmets that she would include in her performances!
Poly Styrene (photo taken around 1976-77)
“Poly was attacked by male critics for having a brace [braces]” (Gaar, 1993: 242).
Her performances were very mundane in the sense of extracting any sign of female
sexual objectivity to a potential male gaze. “By not being thin, white, or
conventionally “feminine,” Styrene’s mere presence in a rock band was enough to
challenge convention, and her songs, which cheerfully attacked the materialism of the
modern world, added to the challenge” (Gaar, 1993:241).
ANNIE LENNOX
As I mentioned in this chapters introduction I shall also be drawing attention to a
resistant female ‘Pop’ artist, so I will discuss Annie Lennox here. Lennox appeared
shortly after Punk and much like the idea of Patti Smith; she challenged the
conventional role of female artists through her visual image. The ‘Sweet Dreams (are
made of this)’ video featured Lennox in a suit with a stance of a man. Also
accompanied by this male appearance was the unconventional and unfeminine hair
style. The general consensus of the public opinion rendered Lennox as ‘gender-bending’. Gaar makes reference to this in applying MTV’s news week story entitled
“Britain Rocks America – Again”. Gaar inserts “with Lennox and Boy George paired
on the cover as the prime gender benders of their generation”. (Gaar, 1993: 327).
Annie Lennox in the Sweet Dreams music video is purely sending out a message of
resistance through aesthetics, a very close analogy of what Patti
Smith did for her album cover ‘Horses’ in 1975.
An evident analogy to what Patti Smith did in 1975
It is evident that sexual objectivity is subverted. The video itself places Annie Lennox
into a position of complete power and control that would have been unthought-of
previously. “As the first major MTV star, Lennox had demonstrated how visual
imagery could be used to challenge traditional images of women in rock” (Gaar,
1993: 329). The 1985 song, ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves’ was thought to be
extremely feminist in lyrical content, so much so that singers such as Tina Turner
refused to sing with Lennox because she did not want to be projected as a political
feminist figure in the Pop world.
The notion of women and resistance in music seems to relate to the ideas and style of
Patti Smith, she certainly appears to be an iconic and inspirational figure for the
women in Punk music of 1976-77 and certainly inspired women to give voice and
most importantly in the context of this dissertation, to reject conformity that was
expected of women during this time. I have referenced several writers who similarly
create a consensus that the Punk era of the late Nineteen-Seventeey’s was an iconic
time as the traditional ethics of Punk were open to literally anything and new
experimental ideas which inevitably proposed that women would not be excluded and
could say something outside of the patriarchal ideologies. The idea of female
resistance in music continued to materialize in the early 1980’s with figures such as
Lennox who challenged the status quo by the means of dress and her apparent
‘feminist’ anthem ‘Girls Are Doin’ it For Themselves’ . This chapter has now set up a
foundation of my next chapter on the Riot Grrrls. As women in music progressively
moves on, a pattern of similarity remains which seem to refer back to the ideas of
Patti Smith. The identifiable key terms of resistance revolve around the notion of
identity, challenging conformity and sexual performativity. The presence of these
women that I have discussed here challenged the orthodoxies of the music industry.
For many years women in music presented sexual objectivity to some extent and thus
established the male audience in terms of objectivity rather than the music, so this
new emergence challenged and fractured what was known as the norm. Before the
closure of this chapter, I might add that the combination and thus application of the
Situationist and Avant Garde was a very important aspect of the late 1970’s punk era.
Through this juxtaposition it enabled artistic and political messages to appear on the
stage.
I am posting up a thesis called, “Women In Resistance Through The Means Of Music”. This will be posted in the next 5 entries of this blog because it is too long to post in one entry. I have been waiting for this thesis for a couple of months now. It was originally intended for my “Grrrlvox” E-zine on blogspot, which no longer exists because I deleted it. Jamie Alvis sent me an email a couple of months ago, saying that he was writing a thesis that he thought I might be interested in reading and maybe using on the “Grrrlvox” E-Zine, instead, I am posting it here. If you like this thesis, Let Jamie know, I think he deserves compliments on this thesis. I hope he got a good grade on this thesis too. Jamie lives in the UK and you can get in touch with him through his facebook profile, which is linked above.
WOMEN IN RESISTANCE THROUGH THE
MEANS OF MUSIC
BY JAMIE ALVIS 2008
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Mum and Dad for their continuous
support over the past five years of my education – you shall have more money now!
I would also like to thank my girlfriend Laura and her family for their support. Also a
huge thanks to my dissertation supervisor Helen Kennedy who has been significant to
this project. Without any belief and encouragement, I would not stand ‘proud’ like I
am today obtaining what I have worked so hard for the past five and a half years…
Thank you all for this – but, there is much more work to be done…
Jamie Alvis
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER II – PUNK AND WOMEN
CHAPTER III – THE RIOT GRRRLS
CHAPTER IV – THE LEGACY
CHAPTER V – CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
In this dissertation I will be researching and analysing a range of female musicians
with a particular focus on studying the ways In which their music and their
performance can be read as a form of ‘resistance’ to patriarchal norms. Drawing on
women in resistance through the means of music. I shall discuss this from the period
of 1975 and how this time was significant for future women to aspire to. I shall
specifically draw on theories of aesthetics, analyses of media, representations,
feminist critical literature, analysis of specific lyrics and will be paying attention to
issues of identity.
I have collected various research to work with, which include online questionnaires,
interviewing a lecturer and many various media such as journals, newspaper articles
and film, not to mention various influential writers relevant to cultural studies such as
Hebdige, Laing and Butler. I have also used images within this dissertation as it
visually explains a little more of arguments that I have raised. What I aim to do in this
dissertation is to provide two important times for women in music, being Punk of
1976 and then looking at Riot Grrrl of 1991 and then finally by looking into where
women stand in 2008 in terms of resistance. Initially I shall briefly draw up on Punks
inspiration. Most importantly this dissertation intersects the potentials of cultural and
social change through music that has been widely discussed in cultural studies.
I am in need of some articles and writings for this blog. I will add to this list as I see fit. The ones listed below are ideas for articles and writings and are some writings/articles I need for the blog. By writing the article (or articles), You will be emailed an invite to join this blog and will be able to post up your writing on the blog. Be sure to let others know that you wrote the article (or articles).
ARTICLES AND WRITINGS NEEDED:
1-History of riot grrrl: how, why, where, when, and who started it. (about the music and the movement)
2-History of feminism: how, why, where, when, and who started it.
3-The 3 waves of feminism.
4-The many different types of feminism such as: anarcha-feminism, individual feminism, radical feminism, and all the others.
5-Write about your favorite feminism/riot grrrl website or write a review of your favorite feminism/riot grrrl website. (can be blogs, websites, forums, etc.)
6-Write your own definition of what feminism means to you.
7-What does riot grrrl mean to you? (Write as much or as little as you want.) Describe riot grrrl in your own words.
8-Write about being a riot grrrl in another country. What’s the riot grrrl scene like where you live? Is there a chapter where you live? Any riot grrrl bands where you live? How did you get into riot grrrl? How long have you been into riot grrrl?
9-Write about how you got into riot grrrl. What, how, when, who, and where made you get into riot grrrl?
10-Write about being a riot boy: how, when, who, what, and where did you get into riot grrrl?
11-Write your own riot boy manifesto. (I already have a version on my website.)
12-Write about being a male feminist: how, when, who, what, and where did you get into riot grrrl?
13-Write some feminism questions that you would like answered or start a feminism FAQ (frequently asked questions) of your own and the answers to them.
14-Write some riot grrrl/boy questions that you would like answered or start a riot grrrl FAQ (frequently asked questions) of your own and the answers to them.
15-Write about women’s issues important to you.
16-Write about feminism and what it means to you.
17-Write how you got into feminism and why.
18-Make a list of reasons on why your a feminist. Try to think of 50 or more reasons, if you can. 10-20 reasons will do too.
19-Make a list of reasons on why your a riot grrrl. Try to think of 50 or more reasons, if you can. 10-20 reasons will do too.
20-Write some DIY tips or share yours. Share your own DIY stuff.
21-Write something about being an activist/ or about activism.
22-Write something about zines or your life as a zinester.
23-Write about your ladyfest or a ladyfest you attended.
24-Write about a riot grrrl chapter or your own riot grrrl chapter.
25-Write about being pro-choice, why your pro-choice, or what it means to you.
26-Write something about how riot grrrl and queercore music are connected.
27-Write something about how riot grrrl and grunge music are connected.
28-Write something about how riot grrrl and punk music are connected.
29-Write something about feminism in other countries. What’s feminism like in your country or other countries?
30-Write something about human rights in your country or another country.
31-Write something about equal rights.
32-Write about why is feminism important today.
33-Write your own definition of what a riot boy is to you. Give your own definition of riot boy.
34-Write your own Zine DIY guide.
35-Write how to start a riot grrrl chapter DIY guide.
36-Write your own list of ways to be an activist.
37-Write a review of a zine or your favorite zine.
38-Write about your experience with the Riot Grrrl Online website.
39-Write about the Riot Grrrl Online website or do a review of the website. If you write about the website, write how you found the website, how you got active in the website and why. I’m sure there are more things you can write about the website, as long as your a reader or fan of the website, your input is appreciated.
40-A review of your riot grrrl or feminist website.
41-Write a news story. Write about an issue or topic important to you or an issue/topic you think would be important to others that is happening in the news.
42-Write your own women’s issue story. If you are a survivor (of anything from rape to cancer, etc.), I’d like to hear your story and what you went through.
43-Write how to start a ladyfest.
44-Write how to start your own record label and/or band.
If your interested in writing one of these articles, Feel free to read the “contribute” page and reply to the “contribute” page or email me. If you comment on the “contribute” page or email me, Please specify which article (or articles) you want to write about by letting me know which number or numbers (# or #’s) your interested in writing. If you have your own ideas for writings or whatever, feel free to email me some of yours.
A Quick Riot Grrrl Online Website Update: I know I do not use this blog for updates on the Riot Grrrl Online website, but the website is finally working after months of not working properly and being offline. I didn’t think it would ever be back to normal. The Riot Grrrl Online website is back up and running…FINALLY! After a few months of being offline/not working properly, The website is finally running properly. Check it out, register, or login to the website, It’s back to normal now.
The article below was written by Greta (Grrrlriot) also known as me.
The Story Behind The Riot Grrrl Online Website And How I Got Into Riot Grrrl
I became interested in riot grrrl and feminism in 1997. It all started when I found out through the internet about feminism and riot grrrl. I also heard a little bit on MTV back then about the movement. (I used to watch MTV, but not anymore.) I also heard about it by doing some research on the band “Hole”. I had already started listening to hole and nirvana, since 1994, through MTV. I done some research on Nirvana as well. I started hearing about Bikini Kill and Kathleen Hanna. I also started hearing about Tobi Vail and her past relationship to Kurt Cobain. I began listening to bikini kill and I liked their sound. The first bikini kill song I heard was “Rebel Girl”. I started going to a bunch of riot grrrl/feminist sites. I wanted to find more riot grrrl bands to listen to. That’s when I found out about Bratmobile and other Kill Rock Stars records musical artists. Most of those riot grrrl/feminist websites are not around anymore, but some of them can be found with Archive.org.
In 2000, I realized a shortage of riot grrrl sites and most of the sites I enjoyed were gone. I guess a lot of people figured when the riot grrrl bands broke up that riot grrrl was gone. I guess some people thought that the riot grrrl movement died. I read and researched more about riot grrrl through Yahoo! Yahoo had a lot of “grrrl” websites in their directory and I researched riot grrrl through Yahoo as well. I don’t believe in labels, but I really believed in the riot grrrl movement. After the riot grrrl websites had died, I realized that I still believed in the philosophy of riot grrrl and feminism. In 2001, I decided I should make a riot grrrl website. I wanted to make a riot grrrl resource and information site, with a little bit about feminism. I wanted a website where I could add lots of pages and have an active website. I didn’t care if anyone liked my website or not, but it was something I wanted to do for myself and for fun. In a way, I wanted to connect other riot grrrls (and riot boys, feminists, and male feminists) to each other by making the website and that’s when I decided to start ‘Riot Grrrl Online’. I hoped that there were still people out there that felt the same way I did about riot grrrl.
The website was made in 2001 at angelfire. My online friend Shawnee (aka Deshawn) from Pennsylvania, USA made the purple layout and helped me out with the website. (I still keep in touch with him.) He knew how to make layouts, but I did not know how to make them. When the website was on angelfire, I had other pages, but I deleted a few of those pages. I had a “female icons” page, a “I made the website as a start to revive riot grrrl. The website can still be viewed on angelfire because I never deleted it from angelfire. The website is located here.
In 2004, I got hosted on girlsvomitcandy.com, by Jilly that lives in the United Kingdom. (UK) The girlsvomitcandy.com site died. (which I knew it was going to) Jilly told me she was getting rid of the domain, but that she’d email me when my site left from there. (which she never did) The website is on archive.org now and can be found here. The website started on angelfire, then moved to girlsvomitcandy.com, and is currently on hot-topic.org.
In 2005, I got hosted on hot-topic.org. I met Nam that lives in the United Kingdom. He seemed to know a lot about websites and computers. He started using siteman CMS for my website. He runs hot-topic.org. I met him through his now defunct Le Tigre forum on hot-topic.org. He noticed that I was in a dilemma from girlsvomitcandy.com and decided to host me. He also wanted to do something for me since I was active on his Le Tigre forum and helped spread the word about his Le Tigre forum. That’s how I wound up here on hot-topic.org, not to be mistaken for the clothing company, Hot Topic. hot-topic.org was named after the Le Tigre song “Hot Topic”. Nam helps me out with my website if it acts up, goes offline, has errors, or if I have an idea for the website. He answers my questions and gives me ideas. Nam is always there for me and for that I really appreciate him. I have him to thank for my website and for hosting me. He’s a great host. Nam is a great person and he is very much appreciated. I admire his kindness and helpfulness. Here is how the site looked when it first moved to hot-topic.org in December 2005. Here is how the site looked in July 2006. Here is how the site looked in October 2006 with the siteman version. As you can see, The main siteman website has been hacked. The siteman version of my website was hacked twice in 2007 and was an annoyance. That’s why I decided not to use siteman anymore. In December 2007, I started using Drupal instead of siteman. Drupal has lots more features than siteman. The Riot Grrrl Online Forum is now part of the website and part of the interactive features on the NEW Riot Grrrl Online website. It is part of the Drupal CMS (content management system).
I found out that alot of people were viewing my Riot Grrrl Online website and that they liked it. I realized that I had fans and people that linked to the website. I got lots of members on the siteman version and now I am still getting more members with Drupal. In 2005, I wanted to do more riot grrrl reviving. I wanted to meet more riot grrrls and people that felt the same way I did. So, I decided to make the Riot Grrrl Online Message Board in November 2005 on proboards as part of the ‘Riot Grrrl Online’ site. In 2007, I decided I wanted more features on the proboards message board. So, I made a new Riot Grrrl Online forum on freeforums.org. In April 2008, The freeforums Riot Grrrl Online forum was hacked, but it is working fine now. The freeforums forum isn’t as active as it was because the website is now using Drupal.
In Februrary 2008, I decided to create a Riot Grrrl Online social network on ning. The website was down at the time, so I decided to create a social network for people that still wanted to participate in the Riot Grrrl Online website and forums. In March 2008, I decided to create a Riot Grrrl Online blog on wordpress. The website was still down and I decided to create a blog specifically about feminism and riot grrrl. The blog doesn’t have updates about the website posted on it, but it does have articles, news, and other stuff on the blog.
This riot boy article is from my Riot Grrrl Online website and it was written by: Shawnee Dangerrr! xo
She Is My Best Friend
he was never my first love, she was and her name was riot grrrl. she entered my life as a 15 year-old boy still lost in his emotions and still learning what it was to live. out of this desire to be “different” from the “different” kids at school grew the love of a “different” way of life among the “different”, a movement called riot grrrl. of course, at the time i was just beginning to experience and appericate this new found way of life, the media had already did their job of mislabeling and fucking up something so meaningful just a few years before. but, i knew if i still had felt what i felt at that time, so did others and i assumed correctly.
after feeding my new addiction daily, the internet, i would spend days on end reading about bands like bikini kill, building my vocabulary with new words such as feminism, and falling in love with such radical women like kathleen hanna. it wasn’t until i was 16 when i first got my hands on a real bikini kill cd, the cd version of the first two records. at first listen, it was very intense, nothing like anything i was listening to at the time. bikini kill’s sound was raw and jagged and their words blunt, very blunt. i began to take in the literature that i was reading online and the words in the cd booklet itself to heart.
at that time in my life i was experiencing, almost on a daily basis, domestic violence (physcially and emotionally), witnessing my mother being degraded in such a manner by someone who they had the god given right (literally) to do so because he was a “man”. battling and coming to terms with my sexuality. straight? bisexual? gay? gay and that face that stared back at me in the mirror. yes, enough to drive anyone crazy in this openly image crazed society called america. instead, i learned to accept myself for who i was, learned that i do have rights as a human being, and somehow keep on livin’.
almost five years have passed since my discovery of riot grrrl and what an impact to this very day that it has shaped me into this black, queer, survior of abuse, pro-choice, feminist, activist, d.i.y., artist, aka ME, that i am today.
This riot boy article comes from my Riot Grrrl Online website and it was written by: Liam.
gay as novelty. i know what it means to me. gay as novelty. when a girl tells you she’s got gay friends and feels less intimidated. that’s just a part of the novel form of gay. when someone tells you they wouldn’t tell you something, but since your fucking queer…..it’s ok. the bullshit that surrounds me cuz i put my dick somewhere else than a vagina. i just don’t get it.
it’s great to be supporitive. but please don’t treat me like i’m special . maybe it’s the silence that keeps us so tight. but that tightness was never pre-defined. queer as radical ? radical what ? radical queer ? maybe since i don’t like the club and the men that sustain themselves on coke, so this makes me a radical ? i don’t think so.
digression.
maybe if queer wasn’t so novel. maybe then you could see the abuse that goes on behind the scenes. all these boys getting the shit beat out of them by their boy friends. rape. and let’s not even get into what straight people have done. homophobia kills. and how is it that these boys are supposed to start talking about this abuse ? i think it comes down to trust.
all i’m trying to say here is maybe if we looked past each others sexuality’s and saw the person inside….we would acheive more than just a few secrets here and there.
riot boy………………….because screaming is better than silence.
The following was written by Greta/grrrlriot. (me) Do not copy without permission.
What Riot Grrrl Means To Me…What Does It Mean To You?
There are no right or wrong definitions of riot grrrl, in fact, everyone has their own definition of what a riot grrrl is. Here goes my definiton of what riot grrrl is and what it means to me.
Riot grrrl doesn’t ‘man-hate’.
Riot grrrl doesn’t discriminate against age, race, sex, or sexual preference.
Riot grrrl is a movement for girls that want to be equal to men and want equal rights for everyone.
Riot grrrl is being a nonconformist and not meeting society’s standards.
Riot grrrl is DIY. (doing it yourself)
Riot grrrl is about making zines, websites, blogs, and being active online.
Riot grrrl is all about not fitting into a mold.
Riot grrrl is all about rebelling against society.
Riot grrrl is about being yourself, being unique, being different, and loving yourself.
Riot grrrl is about your rights as a human being.
Riot grrrls want to be seen and heard.
Riot grrrls want to speak out against various issues in today’s society, including women’s issues.
Riot grrrls want to smash patriarchy.
Riot grrrls want to make a stand and want to make a difference.
Riot grrrls want to be globally aware of issues affecting the world.
Riot grrrls want freedom to be themselves without being judged.
Riot grrrls believe in grrrl love, respect, feminism, and equality.
Riot grrrls believe in women’s rights.
Riot grrrls believe in feminism and human rights.
Riot grrrls believe that women should have rights in ALL countries.
Riot grrrls are activists and want to change the world.
Grrrl love, respect, feminism, and equality are the main aspects of what a riot grrrl is to me. You can be male or female to believe in the movement. Males can be riot grrrls, but sometimes call themselves ‘riot boys’ or ‘riot guys’, even though gender doesn’t matter.
To be a riot grrrl, You don’t have to listen to riot grrrl bands, even though it helps to understand the riot grrrl movement better. You just have to believe in the riot grrrl philosophy.
Riot grrrl doesn’t discriminate. To be a riot grrrl, You have to believe in the riot grrrl manifesto.
I know there are people that say the movement isn’t around anymore, but I think it is coming back. I want a riot grrrl revival. There are people that still believe in riot grrrl today. There are ex-riot grrrls around as well that used to be into the movement, but they no longer consider themselves a riot grrrl anymore or they think the movement died.
Can you be a riot grrrl? Sure, You just have to believe in the philosophy and what its all about. You can even start up your own riot grrrl chapter in your area/town/country/state to get the word out about riot grrrl and to meet other riot grrrls.
DIY, meetings, zines, and music are a big part of the riot grrrl movement.
This post refers to my previous post located here.
If you read that post, you know that you can create your own profile on the website. Did you know that you can create other profiles too, if you want? Feel free to create your own band, zine, riot grrrl chapter, feminist chapter, feminist organization, activist, ladyfest, etc. profiles on there as well. For your information, The profiles are the same as personal profiles. There’s no difference between them. You can also create groups on the website as well.
For more information, go to the social network website below.
