My New Blog, Where To Find Me, And How To Contact Me

If you read this blog or if you liked this blog, when it was alive, then I think you’ll like my new blog.
Check out my new blog: Forwrrrd
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!

Here are some websites I can be found on:
Riot Grrrl Online Website (RGO) link #1 or RGO link #2 or RGO link #3
Riot Grrrl Online News/Updates Page
Riot Grrrl Online Forum
Riot Grrrl Online Social Network
Free @riotgrrrl.co.uk Email Address
Riot Grrrl Chat
Riot Grrrl Online Updates and Other Riot Grrrl/Feminism Stuff
Riot Grrrl Online LiveJournal Community
Riot Grrrl Online Last.fm Group
Riot Grrrl Online on Myspace
Riot Grrrl Online Group on Myspace
Riot Grrrl Online Mailing List
Riot Grrrl Online on MyBlogLog

Here are some social networks I can be found on:
Care2
Delicious
DeviantArt
Digg
Last.fm
LiveJournal
Myspace
TakingItGlobal
Technorati
Twitter
Wikipedia
Windows Live Spaces

You can also email me, but just remove the NOSPAM part of the email address.

Feel free to email me: links, riot grrrl chapters, information, articles, submissions, contributions, etc. for the Riot Grrrl Online website or for the Forwrrrd Blog. Thanks!

The Nineties: Riot Grrrl

This article was taken from Associated Content.

The Riot Grrrl community first surfaced in Washington D.C. in 1991. Its cause was to maintain a female positive environment in the punk scene when misogyny ran rampant. Kathleen Hanna, the poster child for riot grrrl and front woman of numerous bands, did not know what she was creating when she came up with the motto “Revolution Girl-Style Now!”

Firstly, Riot Grrrl is misspelled on purpose. It includes the passive-by-society “girl” and combines it with a growl of aggressiveness. It embraces the motivation and rulebook that the riot grrrl’s live by-we can be feminine but we can still fight and scream for our rights that society has never given us.

A lot of musicians, fans and reporters have said that while riot grrrl got its fame in the nineties it was around a lot longer than that. Janis Joplin, Yoko Ono, and Grace Slick are among hundreds of famous female rock stars in the sixties. The eighties also had a huge resurgence of female singers which probably made it a pathway for the nineties riot grrrl.

The third wave of feminism really took off in the nineties thanks to riot grrrl. Women started expressing by spoken word, playing in a band, and making zines (homemade magazines). Charters were set-up across the world and the internet helped make feminists organized and friendly (compared to present day feminism which has lost its organization despite the internet).

Once organization was done they started having Ladyfests, zine fairs, and carnivals against racism, sexism and fascist beauty standards. They also funded workshops for and about zine production, rape, racism, self-defense, and eating disorders (which dramatically increased in the nineties among young female adults). Riot grrrl’s were very community orientated and they had a positive message to send to the young women of society-even though some did not take it to well. Parents thought that the riot grrrls were far too radical to be telling their daughters to become equal but they never considered that maybe being radical is what it takes in a patriarchal society.

Feminism Friday: A Guide To Being A Feminist

This article was taken from Associated Content.

Forget the stereotypes, being a feminist isn’t about having short hair, or refusing to wear dresses. It’s not about trash-talking, bashing or otherwise hating men. Feminism isn’t based on any kinds of strict, crazy principles like refusing to use a razor blade or protesting pornography. Anyone can deem herself a feminist without giving up her love of makeup, her super long locks or throwing out her favorite pair of stilettos.

Love Yourself. First things first, a feminist believes that all people, male or female, should be treated equally. This includes you, you savvy college miss! It’s easy to believe that women as a whole need fair treatment, but that starts with each of you individually. So take a look in the mirror. Embrace your womanly curves, your precious derr’iere, your overabundance of freckles, your pale skin—whatever! Forget about making fitting into that brand new pair of skinny jeans your top priority. Learn to love yourself, regardless of your flaws, because it’s those little things that make you unique as a woman.

Love Your Sisters. Women are all in the fight for equality together, from your too-smart-for-her-own-good English professor to that girl you love to hate in your Sociology class. It’s easy to let nasty words (think “slut”, “whore”, etc.) slip into your daily conversations when speaking about other women. If women talk about their own gender this way, what progress is really being made? Make an effort to stop gabbing and tearing down other women with unnecessary gossip.

From Riot Grrrl to Alt-Mom

This article was taken from LA Times.

From Riot Grrrl to alt-mom
By Erika Schickel
February 12, 2007 in print edition E-14

SHE was there for the postfeminist revolution, marching down Fifth Avenue topless with “slut” painted on her belly. She was hanging out in clubs, interviewing Kristin Hersh and Patti Smith, rocking with the Riot Grrrls, staring down yuppies in the East Village, publishing a ‘zine, getting hitched in a gorilla mask. Her alt credentials are flawless. “Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids, & Rock ‘n’ Roll” is Evelyn McDonnell’s account of a life lived on the cultural and then maternal cutting edge.

McDonnell started out a Midwestern pop-music addict (crushing on the cartoon version of Michael Jackson in the 1970s, while her older brother swooned over Speed Racer’s limpid eyes.) She knew who she was from the get-go – “Some people are born musicians. I was born a listener” – and began her rock ‘n’ roll apprenticeship at an early age, following bands and deejaying in clubs.

“Punk rock saved my bored, zit-faced teenage life

McDonnell spent her 20s and 30s in the mosh pit of alt-pop culture, meeting her icons and helping to forge a new kind of feminism for her generation.

“It was the early ’90s, when direct activism, identity politics, hip-hop, and grunge were driving forces of the dawn of the Clinton era. We were a new breed of woman whom pundits, including some in our own ranks, struggled to name: postfeminists, womanists, Riot Grrrls, pro-sex feminists, do-me feminists (a name obviously thought up by a men’s magazine), third-wave feminists, lipstick lesbians, bitches with attitudes.”

For someone who grew up in New York and is McDonnell’s virtual contemporary, “Mamarama” is frequently a fun trip down memory lane. She captures the excitement of the East Village and the post-punk music scene in loving detail. But her rebellion, as reported here, grows to be somewhat formulaic. We know what’s coming next, and her story gets bogged down in its chronology as she tells it beat by beat, from beginning to end.

“Mamarama” sometimes reads like an incredibly long Village Voice profile. McDonnell is not without agenda and presents the facts of her life with hefty editorializing. While that often leads to insight, her prose can sometimes be as rhythmic and predictable as a fist pump – one wishes she would unclench that fist and massage the material a little more. Inject some humor and poetry, mix up the chronology, make her life story more of a mix tape than an LP.

After 179 pages of “rama,” we finally get to the “mama,” with the birth of her son, Cole. By this time, McDonnell is living in Miami (where she is currently an award-winning culture critic for the Miami Herald) with her husband and his two teenage daughters. Her son’s birth shifts her out of reminiscence and into the more immediate (and interesting) present-tense concerns of the book – reconciling a liberal, liberated lifestyle with the more conventional and traditional responsibilities and routines of parenthood.

Riot Grrrl Returns, With A Slightly Softer Roar

This article was taken from the New York Times.

POP VIEW;Riot Grrrl Returns, With a Slightly Softer Roar
By EVELYN MCDONNELL
Published: June 2, 1996

AT THE HEART OF FEMINISM lies the belief in self-determination: women should define their own identities. One recent expression of that tenet can be found on “Call the Doctor,” the new album by Sleater-Kinney, a band of three college-age women from the Pacific Northwest. “It’s fine/ When it’s all mine/ It’s on my wall it’s in my head/ Memorize it till I’m dead,” Corin Tucker, a guitarist and vocalist, sings with an air of calm assurance on the song “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.”

That calm is quickly disrupted. “It’s yours/ Now I’m so bored,” Ms. Tucker sings, then breaks into a series of spine-tapping “yeah, yo” ‘s — part hiccup, part howl — that punctuate the chorus: “I wanna be your Joey Ramone/ Pictures of me on your bedroom door/ Invite you back after the show/ I’m the queen of rock-and-roll.”

Judging from the rapt attention paid by teen-age girls at Sleater-Kinney’s recent New York shows, Ms. Tucker and her bandmates are already becoming their generation’s Ramones. Providing more female role models was one of the objectives of the feminist rock movement called Riot Grrrl, according to manifestoes from the fanzines that circulated in punk circles in the early 90′s. When the mainstream press discovered those fanzines about a year later, Riot Grrrl (a term coined by young punks in Washington and Olympia, Wash.) became big news for media outlets from The L.A. Weekly to “Nightline.” Unprepared for the attention, and disturbed that their effort to define themselves was being undermined, Riot Grrrls called for a news media ban.

Wendy O. Williams-Rock’s First Riot Grrrl

This story was taken from here.

Wendy O. Williams-Rock’s First Riot Grrrl
Mar 4, 2004

The Plasmatics championed rock ‘n roll chaos, gore and violence after Kiss and Alice Cooper but before Gwar and Marilyn Manson . However, they added another element to the fray. Their frontwoman, Wendy O. Williams, was a part-time porn actress with an outrageous Mohawk who wore nothing more than shaving cream or electrical tape onstage ,crashed cars, smashed TV sets and whatever stage prop was slated for demolition that evening.

The brainchild of porn producer Rod Swenson, the band consisted of sledgehammer wielding vocalist Wendy O Williams (WOW for short), guitarists Richie Stotts and Wes Beech and bassist Jean Beauvoir. The group initially played chaotic live gigs at notorious New York punk haunts like CBGBs in the late ’70s. It wasn’t long before the Plasmatics recorded their first album “New Hope For The Wretched.” In 1980 Hard to believe the quasi-metal noise of “Butcher Baby” and “Tight Black Pants” was produced by Jimmy Miller, who previously helmed albums by the Stones and Traffic. A more successful effort “Beyond The Valley of 1984″ was released the next year. Featuring “Sex Junkie” and “A Pig Is A Pig”, “1984″ is definitely a very heavy metal album, and the band’s best release. Even the futuristic Mad Max in the desert cover photograph and the accompanying video (Wendy crashing a car through a wall of TV sets) are shock-rock classics.
The band played live shows at small hole in the wall clubs where they could get away with their XXX antics. Although audiences were appreciative (one Plasmatics fans seems thrilled to have an antenna from a smashed TV set rip his hand, according to a message board posting), police in the Midwest weren’t impressed. At a show in Milwaukee, police arrested Wendy on “public indecency” charges and severely beat her and manager Swenson. 1982′s “Coup D’Etat” signaled the Plasmatics last gasp as a media-fueled metal-punk spectacle. Plasmatics material continues to be released and re-released to this day. Proving that the group had a sensitive side, the Plasmatics website released an album of the band’s collected “love” songs in 2002 “Love Songs For The Apocalypse” contained titles such as “Fuck That Booty,” “Jailbait,” and “I Love Sex.” Perfect background music for an evening at Mistress Wendy’s House of Domination. Williams released two solo albums-the Gene Simmons produced “WOW” released in 1984 and 1986′s “Kommander of Kaos.” She also recorded “No Class” and “Stand By Your Man” with Motorhead’s Lemmy. As the 1980s ended, so did Williams’ career as a punk/metal priestess and she appeared in a few films and television shows. She also promoted her interest in macrobiotic and vegetarian food, teaching a class in macrobiotic cooking at NYC’s Learning Annex in the early ’90s.

Ex-L7 Riot Grrrl Donita Sparks Mellows Slightly With Stellar Moments

This article was taken from Orange County Weekly.

Ex-L7 Riot Grrrl Donita Sparks Mellows Slightly With Stellar Moments
By KATE CARRAWAY
Thursday, May 22, 2008 – 3:05 pm

Blonde Ambition
Ex-riot grrrl Donita Sparks once threw used tampons. Now, she blogs for Firedoglake

Singer/songwriter/feminist (and contributor to the liberal political blog Firedoglake) Donita Sparks is best known for co-founding and fronting L7, the Los Angeles band responsible for the crucial evolution of semi-mainstream music in favor of messy, weird and provocative (or “normal,” depending on where you’re standing) women. The group, which formed in 1985, even had a powerful impact on boys, including one male friend of mine who relates that “My 13-year-old awakening to feminism was directly linked to seeing L7 twice [in 1994]. They were extremely formative in my sulky, shit-heel teen tastes.”

This, really, is the L7-gifted inheritance to adults who followed them as kids in the ’90s: They provided solid proof that having purple hair and being mouthy and acting like a jagoff (the oft-repeated story of Sparks throwing a used tampon into an unruly audience makes “Suck my left one” seem almost preppy) was just as available to girls as it was to guys. Which, of course, has a fucking profusion of import for teenagers, male and female alike. L7’s music, a heavier and harder grunge take on riot-grrrl attitude, never really slayed on record, but that wasn’t the point. “Shitlist” and “Pretend We’re Dead” made fans cream whatever was under their cutoffs and thermals. L7 informally disbanded around 2000, and since then, there haven’t been any female bands ensconced in the industry nearly as intimidating or challenging to the collective consciousness. Bleak.

my love letter to riot grrrl ♥

hi all!  i’m a new contributor to the blog and here is my first contribution.

my name is andrea.
i’m 27 years old and i was born a feminist.

i say i was born a feminist because i really don’t remember there being a time in my life when i wasn’t aware that there was societal constraints on concept of femininity.  i eschewed barbie dolls in favour of my father’s record player.  this changed when the jem doll was introduced.  she was bigger than barbie and she had her own rock band…  she is still a hero of mine.
in my pre-teen years i read teen magazine and found out that my thighs should never touch, that i should play dumb in order to attract boys, and that only those girls liked sexual contact.  then i discovered sassy and my entire life changed.  christina kelly became my hero.  i began my worship of chloë sevigny because unlike kate moss, chloë made her own clothes.  the kurt & courtney cover story made me long for my own feminist boyfriend.

i was 13 when i first became aware of riot grrrrl.  i can’t think of any other way to describe the feeling it gave me, other than to say it felt like home.  i lived in the middle of nowhere so i wasn’t involved in a chapter and i wouldn’t get my hands on any of the zines for years…  but i still got it.

as i got older i began to read feminist literature and i felt alienated from the second wave thinking.  i think what bothered me most was the all or nothing sort of thinking – all women are your sisters and all men are evil.  it seemed completely ludicrous to me.  
i barely had any female friends growing up because i began puberty when i was ten years old and it completely alienated me.  i was the punching bag of who we would now call “the mean girls”.  so i hung out with guys.  through these friendships with guys brought the inequality between the sexes to light for me.  i saw my male friends be championed for their sportsmanship, their academic prowess,  their “toughness”.  where as my writing and my academic achievements were patted on the head and then ignored.  in fact my academic achievements were often downplayed by my teachers who occasionally accused me of “grade grubbing” because i tried my hardest and expected reward for it.

riot grrrl won my heart because of what it said to me.
it said fuck those who hold you down regardless of their gender.
it said some girls are bitches and you don’t have to love them, but try to understand where their bitchiness stems from.
it said that if you have ideas you should scream them out until people hear you.
it said that if you believed in something, you should fight to the death for it.
it said that if you are a smart girl you could take over the world.
when kathleen screamed in the song liar “eat meat, hate blacks, beat your fuckin’ wife – it’s all connected” it woke me up.  i began to understand that oppression of one is oppression of all.
riot grrrl also gave me a feeling of personal power.  it assured me that i had the power to challenge oppression.  this knowledge changed my life.

i now study sociology and i plan on using my knowledge to level the playing field for everyone everywhere.  i carry the spirit of the early riot grrrls in my heart.  i now strive to be the next naomi klien (who is very riot grrrl even if she doesn’t want to claim the label).

i’m proud to call myself a riot grrrl.
i’m proud to be a feminist.

Feminism Friday: I’m Sorry No I’m Not

This article was taken from my Riot Grrrl Online website.

I’m Sorry….No I’m Not

I’m sorry I don’t believe it.
I’m sorry that I care.
no i’m not.
I’m not sorry that i still believe we are capable of creating something. that i don’t think punk is just a big joke and that we should be little and make fun of ourselves for still believing that everything we do makes a difference
i don’t care that it’s no longer punk to have fun anymore. that it’s no longer punk to criticize the society we live in.
so
what if i keep talking about abolishing wage-slavery while i keep working. it fucking beats the hell out of writing songs or zines about how we are all hypocrites and all our actions are worthless.
we are all hypocritical superwimps (?). we are never (?)
SO IF YOU’RE BEING ALL PUNK AS FUCK AND TALKING SHIT ABOUT PEOPLE AT LEAST TRY TO DO SOMETHING THAN I’M (NOT) SORRY BUT I GUESS THAT MEANS I’M NOT PUNK ANYMORE AND IF THAT’S WHAT PUNK IS I’M FUCKIN GLAD I’M NOT AS PUNK AS YOU
[Kathleen]
I am a fucking idiot. I still think we can change the world.

Bikini Kill + Riot Grrrl

This articles comes from my Riot Grrrl Online website.

Bikini Kill + Riot Grrrl

one huge misconception for instance that has been repeated over and over again in magazines we have never spoken to and also by those who believe these sources without checking things out themselves is that bikini kill is the definitive ‘riot girl band’ . . . We are not in any way “leaders of” or authorities on the ‘Riot Girl’ movement. In fact, as individuals, we have each had different experiences with, feelings on, opinions of and varying degrees of involvement with ‘Riot Girl’ and tho we totally respect those who still feel that the label is important and meaningful to them, we have never used that term to describe ourselves AS A BAND. As, individuals we respect and utilize and subscribe to a variety of different aesthetics, strategies and beliefs, both political and punk-wise, some of which are probably considered ‘riot girl’ . . .
You can get back issues of Bikini Kill fanzines (issues #1 and #2) from riot girl press for $2 each. They are a girl run girl fanzine distribution network, write to them and send them $1 for their catalog which contains brief descriptions of stuff available thru them as well as info on how to get involved in what they’re doing. Please note that these fanzines are way outdated–both were made in 1991 and also that although both have contributions by other band members most of the stuff in them was written by our singer, kathleen, this is not to say they aren’t informative but rather to make an effort to posit them more exactly with regards to the factors of history and subjectivity . . . r.g.p. pob 73308/washington, d.c. 20009

Boy

This is another article from my Riot Grrrl Online website.

Boy

i will never be a rockstar.
i will never be rich.
i can’t take back my tenth birthday or the love i felt for you. there are no words for the hands that’re running all up with a liars veins, voice, words moist, so moist i believed. i believed that my best friends wouldn’t lie to me.
i will never be what the world wants me to be or have sex right. i will never open my door cuz in the eyes of the law it means i just spread open my legs and closed my eyes and said “c’mon in.” and i will never explain this to anyone i like cuz it’ll get used against me. the fact that i am not dead makes me an open target for murder. i swallowed your pride, i swallowed your heart, i swallowed your cum, guess that’s all part of it. there’s no justice and i’m really mad that people keep acting like there is. i don’t want to be a girl eaten up by your world, how can i watch girls eaten up by your world? how come i get hit and no one sees it? how come, bloodied, i am explaining to the man who hit me what he has done? why am i taking care of him, why oh why do i still love him…?
if you took away this lipstick would i still have a mouth underneath? is it true i’m only crying because i’m afraid to go to sleep? i will never be rich, not cuz rich doesn’t matter, but because i am crazy because i am full of hate… crazy means you don’t give a damn what anyone thinks.
when i was little my parents sent me to charm school and ballet. i don’t remember what recital it was fat-stomached and eight years old i was getting photographed in a bikini and a crown. now i’m crazy, fulfilling the american dream and being hated for it, they are just jealous. i don’t care.
i am in protest against the whole world. my body says it, slung into my clothes. i won’t stop talking, i’m a girl you have no control over. there is not a gag big enough to handle this mouth. i’m gonna tell everyone what you did to me. and sometimes i’ll tell it dramatic and sometimes i’ll blurt it out. and the hand you laid on my bare ass will be invisible as it spills right out of me. i will still bear the brunt of it, your smell. they will tell me i am inappropriate with their eyes. i’m not writing to please you, i’m not giving you a clean little hole to stick your dick in, a nice smooth arrangement.
pick me up, open me, put me down.
so sorry, i’m no hemingway, i’m writing for survival, my kind is being killed off, in fact i’m not even sure i exist. these words on this page mean something, if only that i was here and my fingers made this mess. i don’t know luxury, what it is to be carefree. that was your fantasy, remember?

Tobi Vail’s Words On Bikini Kill

The following articles comes from my Riot Grrrl Online website.

Tobi Vail’s Words On Bikini Kill

BIKINI KILL IS A BAND MADE UP OF FOUR INDIVIDUALS, Kathi, Tobi, Billy, and Kathleen…
We have been written about a lot by big magazines who have never talked to us or seen our shows. They write about us authoritively, as if they understand us better than we understand our own ideas, tactics and significance. They largely miss the point of everything about us because they have no idea what our context is/has been. Their idea of punk rock is not based on anything they have ever experienced directly or even sought an understanding of by talking to those who have, yet they continue to write about it as if their stereotypical suraface level view of it is all there is. A lot of times we have been asked why we don’t do interviews very often if we are so concerned with being misrepresented. To us this seems obvious… it is mostly based on our experiences. As a rule we don’t do interviews with mainstream newspapers or magazines. In the few cases where we did do them we feel like we were totally fucked over by the way our words were framed to back up ideas that weren’t our own. Quotes were taken out of context, we were made to look like we were dissing other women in bands when that wasn’t our intention and in the worst case scenerious our confidence was totally violated by having stuff we told the individual writers NOT to focus on exploitatively (abuse histories, where we work/have worked, etc.) turned into the main focus of the article. We have constantly told writers to leave out personal information about us (our last names, who we go out with/used to date) out of articles and they always are sure to include it if we tell them not to. We always try to include perspectives of different band members but often times the writer only puts in quotes by Kathleen, our singer. When she has done interviews by herself as an indivudual it is often seen as an interview with the whole band even tho she continually says she is only speaking as an individual member of Bikini Kill whose opinions do not necessarily refelct those of the whole band. When we have granted these sources interviews it made us look like everything they said about us was done with our co-operation. The times when we have asked to see articles or edit them before they come out it has never really worked out. One time in particular we were told by N.M.E. in the U.K. that we could write our own articles and they would not in anyway comment on it or edit it. When the articles came out Kathi’s was not included, but was rather taken out of context and cited to back up their ideas about us in the introduction they wrote to my article (something that to our understanding they weren’t going to do). They laid it out in a way that included catty remarks bigger than our own words and put in a bunch of dumb pictures that we didn’t send them. This was the last time we ever tried to co-operate with a big magazine but they have continued to write stuff about us. This is really frustrating but what is even more frustrating is when people who should know better, other punks for instance, believe these takes on who we are as being based on reality rather than on conjecture and in most cases on ill intentions of the writer/magazine. (when you refuse to grant interviews people get really insulted and make a point of going out of their way to use their influences to elaborately dis you–usually this is to the point of spreading deliberate lies or saying really naive sexist things in an effort to provoke a response from you) I want to make it cleat that we do not give a shit what people think of us, that is not what we object to in all of this, it is not about us being pissed off because of a bad review… it is about feeling like no matter what we say or do there continues to be this media created idea of ‘Bikini Kill/Riot Girl’ that has little or nothing to do with our own ideas and efforts… we want to be an underground band, we don’t want to be featured in Newsweek magazine… maybe this sounds like a weak complaint to some of you who have worked really hard to get people to hear about your band, projects, record label, ideas, etc. and would appreciate any kind of publicity… we recognize that different strategies are totally valid for different situations… we are not trying to set any kind of ‘correct’ standard, we are just trying to present our views on what our experiences with the media has been in order to start to comment on how it has affected us as a band… we stopped doing interviews altogther for while mainly because we felt that we didn’t need any mroe publicity but also because these experiences led us to not feeling like talking about our ideas atall… sometimes not even to each other, but fuck that you know and right now we are making Nu fanzine(s) about this whole weird machine media spectaclization process we have been going thru and so you should look forward to that …
IN THE MEANTIME WE ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT US AND THINK ABOUT HOW YOU GOT THAT INFORMATION, CUZ IN MOST CASES IT PROBABLY ISN’T TOO ACCURATE…
SEND US PICTURES, VIDEO TAPES, AUDIO TAPES OF OUR SHOWS, INTERVIEWS, RADIO SHOWS AND COPIES OF OR XEROXES OF MAGAZINE ARTICLES CUZ WE WANNA DOCUMENT THE SOUND OF THE SPECTACLE AND OFTEN TIMES DON’T GET SENT COPIES OF STUFF.
Oh yeah and please address all correspondence to Bikini Kill c/o kill rock stars (120 N.E. State Ave. #418/Olympia, WA 98501).
One huge misconception for instance that has been repeated over and over again in magazines we have never spoken to and also by those who beleive these sources without checking things out themselves is that Bikini Kill is the definitive ‘riot girl band’… We are not in any way “leaders of” or authorities on the ‘Riot Girl’ movement. In fact, as individuals, we have each had different experiences with, feelings on, opinions of and varying degrees of involvement with ‘Riot Girl’ and tho we totally respect those who still feel that the label is important and maningful to them, we have never used that term to describe ourselves AS A BAND. As, individuals we respect and utilize and subscribe to a variety of different aesthetics, strategies and beliefs, both political and punk-wise, some of which are probably considered ‘riot girl’ . . .
You can get back issues of Bikini Kill fanzines (issues #1 and #2) from riot girl press for $2 each. They are a girl run girl fanzine distribution network, write to them and send them $1 for their catalog which contains brief descriptions of stuff available thru them as well as info on how to get involved in what they’re doing. Please note that these fanzines are way outdated–both were made in 1991 and also that although both have contributions by other band members most of the stuff in them was written by our singer, Kathleen, this is not to say they aren’t informative but rather to make an effort to posit them more exactly with regards to the factors of history and subjectivity . . . R.G.P. P.O. Box 73308/Washington, D.C.20009

Jigsaw Youth

Jigsaw Youth
Written by Kathleen from Jigsaw Fanzine #4 Spring 1991 Olympia, Washington.
Taken from my Riot Grrrl Online website, of course.

We live in a world that tells us we must choose an identity, a career, a relationship, and commit… to these situations… as if we don’t live in a world of constant flux… which we do. Don’t freak out just cuz the jigsaw is laying on the floor and it’s not all the way phone and has been laying there for 4 whole hours now, resist the freak out. You will get to it… it’s all part of the process.
To force some forever identity on other people is stupid. Point out inconsistincies in their behavior, explain how they are not ‘truly what they say’ because you saw them ‘do this’ one time… why? Because it is easier to deal with cardboard cut outs than real people, cuz a lot of us pretend like we’re the center of the universe sometimes and everyone is just background extras in the movie we imagine we star in. WELL WHILE WE ARE ALL ARGUING ABOUT WHOSE GONNA GET TO OPEN FOR THE MELVINS, WHOSE GONNA WEAR WHAT TO THE PARTY, WHO IS LAME/TAME BECAUSE THEY PERPETUATE THIS THING WE HATE, WHO IS NOT REALLY A PUNK ROCKER CUZ “I remember when he/she used to listen to Duran Duran”, THE REVOLUTION IS GOING DOWN…no it’s not happening without us, it is just plain not happening at all… it is going down under the gurgling sounds of our own voices, reproducing the voices of our parents in a slightly altered way, the TV people… trying to dictate to each other what is and what isn’t cool or evolutionary or true resistence, what is or isn’t true in other peoples lives we sit around making all these boxes and labels, nothing to put in them, we are wasting valuable time. FUCK THAT SHIT, LET’S START TALKING FOR REAL.
To be a stripper who is also a feminist, to be an abused child holding a microphone screaming all those things that were promised, in one way or another, “I won’t tell.” these are contradictions I have lived. They exist, these contradictions cuz I exist. Every fucking ‘feminist’ is not the same, ever fucking girl is not the same, okay??? Because I live in a world that hates women and I am one… who is struggling desparately not to hate myself and my best girlfriends, my whole life is constantly felt by me as a contradiction. In order for me to exist I must belive that two contradictory things can exist in the same space. This is not a choice I make, it just is.
JIGSAW, a puzzle made up of all different weird shaped pieces. It seems like it will never come together, it makes no sense, but it can and it does and it will. Jigsaw, pieces like where you grew up and in what kind of fucked up culture and do you have a penis or not and did your parents have money and did you get teased for wearing the same coat four winters in a row and are you Thai-american or Black or Mulatto? And what do all these things mean when you are trying to resist, do something, have a good time??? I see the Jigsaw, fuzzy in my head as everything else, sometimes clear. The fact that he grew up in a working class family has everything to do with he is gonna express sexism, what kind of music he is gonna like, how I am gonna treat him. Jigsaw girl, she got fucked by her father, 8 years, people say she’s flakey and inconsistent, lays in her bed eating donuts, resisting going outside where the silence will engulf her, rather sit there wating than always being eaten up… her experience has everything to do with how the pieces are fitting together (or not) for her, judge her from your place without wondering what’s going on in that there Jigsaw mind of hers, and you have pushed her further away from clicking, her hand wants so bad to feel, one edge against another, together, one piece next to another, locking into place… you have to be able to see the puzzle before you start putting it together.
Resistance is everywhere, it always has been and always will be. Just because someone is not resisting in the same way you are (being a vegan, an ‘out’ lesbian, a political organizer) does not mean they are not resisting. Being told you are a worthless piece of shit and not believing it is a form of resistence. One girl calling another girl to warn her about a guy who date raped her is another. And while she may look like a big haired makeup girl who goes out with jocks, she is a soldier along with every other girl, and even though she may not be fighting in the same loud way that some of us can (and do) it is the fact that she is resisting that connects us, puts a piece together.
Jigsaw Youth, I don’t know what this means anymore than anyone… only what it means to me. Standing proud and saying “I don’t know who I am, I wanna know more, I am not afraid to say things matter to me.”
Assuming that people are either “part of the problem or part of the solution” disincludes a lot of people, who, at this moment, do not feel (and therefore ARE NOT) safe enough emotionally, physically, and/or financially to resist in the same ways you might be. By judging people according to your standards of resistence or whatever… it makes it harder for people to recognize what they’re doing as being important and political, etc…. it makes it harder for them to get into safe enough situations where they can reisit in more outward, community oriented ways if they want to.

Jigsaw Youth, the island of lost and broken toys, feminists who wear lipstick, people who envision ‘the land of do as you please’, whose lives are not simple and they are sick of trying to make themselves cohesive enough to fit into a box. Jigsaw Youth, listening, strategizing, tolerating, screaming, confronting, fearless, girl soldiers, boy lovers, boofy haired teen girls scraping out the eyes on a photo of Rick Astley, Jigsaw Youth, the misunderstood seeking to understand other people’s reality. Making mistakes… making mistakes… making mistakes… making mistakes… feeling something. Knowing you will never see the puzzle put all together but trying anyways cuz each fucking piece really matters and being with friends matters. Jigsaw Youth… inventing and reinventing what these words
mean.

Color Activity Book Intro

This was taken from my Riot Grrrl Online website. It is a zine article written by Kathleen Hanna in the early 90′s.

Color Activity Book Intro

Bikini Kill is a band and this is our little thing to give out at shows, etc… AND THEN THERE’S THE REVOLUTION.
Bikini Kill is more than just a band or a zine or an idea, it’s a part of the revolution. The revolution is about going to the playground with your best girlfriends. You are hanging upside down on the bars and all the blood is rushing to your head. it’s a euphoric feeling. the boys can see our underwear and we don’t care.
I’m so sure that lots of girls are also in revolution and we want to find them. Sure our revolution has a lot to do with making ourselves important enough to start a revolution, but we also don’t care about this… Because what makes us feel good without hurting others IS good. This society isn’t my society cuz this society hates women and I don’t. This society doesn’t want us girls to feel happy or powerful in any way.
My girlfriends help me stop crying and start looking towards whats important (revolution) my girlfriends know the revolution (sex) my girlfriends aren’t owned by me BUT have cringing and choking on boy cum in common (revolution) MY GIRLFRIENDS WANT REVOLUTION GIRL STYLE NOW.
Being sexy and powerful female is one of the most subversive projects of all. (We are the priestesses of a new kind of power oh yeah.)
We know we are not like this due to any weird gene formation or luck or trick. We are how we are from working together with our eyes open and having experience and getting help from out Moms and friends. We vow to struggle against the “j” word (jealousy) the killer of GIRL LOVE. We are not special, anyone can do it. ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE FACE OF INSECURITY is a slogan of the revolution.

44 Writings I Need For This Blog

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.

*This is also posted on the “Ideas” page.

The Story Behind The Riot Grrrl Online Website And How I Got Into Riot Grrrl

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.

What Is Feminism? Article

This article was taken from here.

What is feminism?
Learn what feminism is really about, from its origins in women’s sufferage to its maturation over the last century.

There have been three major “waves” of feminism thus far, the first rising as recently as the 19th century. Feminism is an awareness that dawned openly as a response to the Abolition Movement in the mid-nineteenth century and it has matured over the last century. Currently, there are many different expressions of feminism, but the core value of feminism remains. To be feminist is to actively recognize the need for, and work to create equality for women. By definition, there is no dependence upon female superiority, man-hating, or other negative approaches toward equality. Feminism is simply a movement intending to enlighten people with a goal of improving the quality of life for women and their society. However, many people possess images of feminism that fit into the previously mentioned destructive patterns. The confusion about feminism is a result of many factors.

Women have been oppressed for as long as history. This oppression is a very similar tragedy to the oppression that occurs daily towards all kinds of minority groups, but women are not a minority group. There are actually more women on Earth than there are men. Women are not defined by skin color, by spoken language, or by class. Since women are not a minority group, their unequal treatment has gone unnoticed by many. Once talk of feminism is uttered people easily may interpret it as just another reason to complain, due to their blindness to the inequality. It is difficult to publicize an issue and expect change when that issue does not appear to exist.

Another factor that interferes with the appropriate publicity for a controversial cause is the press. In the mid-twentieth century, when mass communication boomed with the invention of the television, the media designed the public’s image of feminism. The way that people learned about this movement was through the filter of journalism. Unfortunately the media’s motives are not solely based on clear, unbiased reports of news. The influences of ratings, public interest, and the government’s economical goals caused the portrayal of feminism on television to focus on scenes that were not the feminist norm. Images of mean, angry and violent women flashed before television viewers and they attracted attention. The general public witnessed feminism as a negative force while watching the evening news.

A concluding point, which is very powerful, is that women are not always actively oppressed, and for the most part women are part of a lot of the actual oppression. The unequal treatment of women in society originates not in men, but from underneath the obvious surface, where social structure dwells. It is difficult to determine exactly where female oppression began; so many people interpret feminism as a movement that blames men. This interpretation of feminism is incorrect, yet popular.

It is important to know that feminism is about equality, not anger. To involve oneself in the feminist movement is to search for a higher quality of life for all people. The misconceptions that commonly arise out of the lack of understanding of feminism can be and must be easily cleared away in order for the truth about feminism to surface.

Riot Grrrl On Retroland.com

This article below was taken from: Retroland.com.

After generations of taking a back seat in a male-dominated society, a whole new women’s movement was shaping up in the early 90’s. Dubbed riot grrrls (note the growl), this phenomenon started as an underground movement fueled by the punk scene of the 80’s. Before long, girls were proving that they could be just as aggressive as men, without losing their feminine edge.

Tired of having to live up to the impossibly thin and slick images of women from magazines and television, girls wanted to show that they could just be themselves and not lose any of their self-esteem. The word was spread through the music of bands like Bikini Kill and magazines like Girl Germs with their credo of “Revolution Girl Style Now!” Indie music labels and ‘zines sprouted, and t-shirts appeared with slogans like “Girl Power” and “Girls Rule.” Punk bands like Sonic Youth (Kim Gordon) and X (Exene Cervenka) showed that women could rock just as hard as men.

Indie magazines, called ‘zines, spread the riot grrrl manifesto in publications like Valerie Solanas’ (who became famous by trying to kill Andy Warhol) SCUM manifesto (Society for Cutting Up Men) and later in modern ‘zines like Satan Wears a Bra. These magazines spoke out against sexual abuse, patriarchal oppression, and promoted the new feminism.

Riot grrrls developed a new standard of female beauty. Frustrated with the unhealthy body images girls were getting from the media, they started support networks to encourage healthy eating and loving the body you were born with. Girls didn’t have to be submissive – aggression could be redefined as a feminine quality. Fashion choices reflected that philosophy. They combined combat boots with fishnet stockings and baby doll dresses, tattoos with ribbons and lace. They bared their midriffs with cropped shirts and wrote the words “slut” and “whore” on their stomachs. Subtlety wasn’t their style.

The band Hole’s lead singer, Courtney Love, brought this style to the mainstream. The wife of grunge superstar, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Love sported the “kinder-whore” look, with smeared red lipstick and ripped up little girl dresses. The message was also a part of the Spice Girls, whose girl power image was framed in a more traditional sexy style. But both images reinforced the idea that girls could be who they wanted to be and still be sexy.

Of course, the media flocked to this new feminine idea, and bands such as L7 and Babes in Toyland, who had worked for years in obscurity, now hit the media spotlight. Lilith Fair, developed by singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, gave girl rock a traveling venue for musicians such as Fiona Apple and Jewel, while indie darlings Ani DiFranco and PJ Harvey spread the message on their own labels.

Drugs were never a part of the riot grrrl movement; the idea was to promote a healthy image, both inside and out, much the same way as punk’s “Straightedge.” They changed the rules of femininity and broadened the concept of what sexy could be. They weren’t afraid to speak their mind and spread the word. While the tag “riot grrrl” has generally fallen out of the lexicon, the idea that women could be who and what they wanted, without sacrificing any of their feminine qualities, is an idea that continues to be a powerful factor in a new generation of women.

Feminism Friday: What Is Riot Grrrl? By wiseGEEK

The following article was taken from: wisegeek.com

The riot grrrl movement is an alternative subculture that was extremely popular in the 1990s, but still remains active in some areas of the United States today. Riot grrrls, sometimes referred to as riot grrls or riot girls, are often considered to be part of third wave feminism. However, many people believe the riot grrrl emphasis on a universal female identity is more closely aligned with the philosophy of second wave feminist activities.

Indie-punk music that addressed issues of sexuality, rape, domestic abuse, and female empowerment was a primary key component of the riot grrrl movement. Many of the original riot grrrls were teenagers and college students who felt left out of the existing music scene. By joining together, they created an independent female-centric subculture.

In addition to attending concerts and music festivals, active members of the riot grrrl movement were heavily involved in feminist political causes and social activism. Riot grrls also published a number of underground fanzines providing details about their favorite bands and leftist political views, as well as an opportunity for aspiring writers and artists to showcase their creative talents.

The origin of the term “riot grrrl” is still unclear. However, the Riot Grrrl fanzine started by Allison Wolfe, Molly Neuman, Kathleen Hanna, and Tobi Vail may have been responsible for popularizing the usage of the term to describe this female-centric movement. Vail also used the term “angry grrrls” extensively in her fanzine Jigsaw .

Although one might assume all members of the riot grrrl movement were female, it is interesting to note that there were plenty of men involved in riot grrrl activities as well. Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear, two of the most popular riot grrrl bands, both had male musicians as active performers. There were also a number of men who could be seen attending riot grrrl events with their girlfriends, sisters, or female friends. Although riot grrrls were often mistakenly characterized as “anti-boy” in the mainstream media, most considered themselves to simply be “pro-girl.”

In popular culture, references to the riot grrrl movement have appeared in movies such as All Over Me and Tank Girl, as well as the book Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing . The legacy of riot grrrls can be seen in the continued popularity of Ladyfest and other female-centric music festivals that combine music with a feminist philosophy. In addition, there are a number of websites still active today that offer forums and message boards for visitors who identify with the subculture of the original riot grrrls.

Article: Why Did I Choose Riot Grrrl?

I got this article from here: http://web.archive.org/web/20021007014112/www.angelfire.com/ia/rgbrampton/angrg.html It’s from archive.org

why did I choose riot grrrl? by: Angela Kay

Because I am tired of keeping quiet.
Because I will not conform.
Because I don’t want to be alone.
Because I need and deserve support.
Because I need to relate to someone!
Because I need and deserve healthy relationships with other girls. (read: non- jealous, open, sincere relationships).
Because I need support from other girls like me
Because I need to learn from girls who are radically different from me.
Because I will not keep quiet.
Because I am tired of dealing with sexism, our patriarchal society, and misogyny by myself.
Because I need recognition for my talents, the lack of recognition is suffocating them. It’s killing me.
Because I need an outlet for my creativity.
Because I need encouragement sometimes.
Because I want to encourage others.
Because I need to be criticized sometimes too.
Because I’m tired of being ostracized for being opinionated and unapologetic.
Because I want to make noise, and yell and shout and fuck things up.
Because I want to save others from a sexist, and misogynistic media.
Because I want to make a difference.
Because I want little girls to grow up loving their body, not hating it.
Because I do not want to see more girls die at their own hands because they are depressed and alone. I want to help them. I want to be there.
Because I’m tired of censoring myself.
Because I need my issues addressed.
Because Sometimes…I need a hug and its hard to admit that to a world who’s just waiting for you to fall down and fail.
Because I’m tired of fighting by myself. I need back-up.
Because I need love.
Because I believe in something.
Because I deserve this.
Because I need help.
Because I want to riot.
Because I want to change things.
Because I will yell and shout and scream and cuss and fuck shit up.

Because I love riot grrrl.

MY COMMENTS ON THIS: I have to totally agree with Angela. These are some pretty awesome reasons she chose riot grrrl, I think I need to think of my own list of reasons. In the future, I shall do this.