There is no possible way I could maintain a blog about female inspiration without talking about the Riot Grrrl movement. Nearly two-decades ago in Olympia, Washington a group of lady musicians decided to start a revolution through the power of girlhood and a re-imagining of feminism for the modern generation. This feminist punk underground movement was given a name- Riot Grrrl- the components of being a riot grrrl incorporated altruism and holding high standards of artistic and political purity. It included sexual freedom and a discourse opening up for issues such as rape, racism, capitalism and patriarchy. It included not only a new genre of girl punk music but the dawning of a sub-culture of zines, art, DIY ethic and political activism.
Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Sleater-Kinney were a few of many of the riot grrrl bands that emerged from the Northwest.
lyrics to Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill:
When she talks I hear the revolutionIn her hips there's revolutionWhere she walks the revolution's comingIn her kiss I taste the revolutionAlthough the movement has dissolved since the mid-90's, the message of riot grrrl thrives in the punk/DIY movement in many bay area communities as well as the foundation for the third-wave feminist movement. You can find an undertone of Riot Grrrl in local bands such as Blasfemme, and T.I.T.S, as well as local spaces where women work together to start workshops, make art, create zines, etc like the Rock Paper Scissors Collective in Oakland. Riot Grrrls made a significant impact on female empowerment through music and activism which has inspired many to follow in their path.
One of my favorite stories is about how many of the Riot Grrrl bands experienced sexism by audience members yelling derogatory slurs at them. How they dealt with this? They removed the weight of these words by performing with them written on their skin. Did this type of response inspire actions today such as "Slut Walk"? Slut Walk works to communicate sexual violence against women and victim blaming through protest and sexual expression (wearing clothes that are considered to be "slutty" in an attempt to re articulate it's meaning). There seems to be some parallels here; the cultural impact and spirit of the Riot Grrrl movement is found in many political, musical and artistic scenes twenty years later.
This movement paved a path for the late 90's "girl power" of the Spice Girls and other big pop stars, in fact "girl power" was even a term taken from a Riot Grrrl zine. Although an overall positive change for women in popular culture, in my opinion the Spice Girls were a marketable, profitable and repackaged form of feminism and girl power that fell victim to the capitalist patriarchy that the Riot Grrrl movement was trying to transform.
As a child I was a fanatic of the Spice Girls and other pop stars like Britney Spears, and as I approached my mid-late teens I became infatuated with punk bands like Bikini Kill. Spice Girls put an emphasis on the importance of friendships and fun but were puppets of the corporate market(put on MTV, made into barbie dolls, etc).Riot Grrrls put an emphasis on political activism and artistic creativity but were not well known because of their anti-corporate ideals. Both types of girl power influenced me and gave me a strong sense of independence and ambition but I choose to discuss Riot Grrrl's relevance to female empowerment because of their continued obscurity. I am forever grateful for their underground cultural presence and influence on me and my fellow lady friends and on the communities I have lived in.
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