Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.7> Article
Research Article

A Study on the Correlation Between Third-wave Feminism and the Riot Grrrl Movement in the 1990s in the United States by Analyzing Bikini Kill and Bratmobile

Xiaoyu WuShenzhen Vanke Meisha Academy* Zhun ZhaoShanghai Starriver Bilingual School Jinxi ZhaoQingdao No.2 Middle School of Shandong Province Tian XieCogdel Cranleigh School Changsha Zihang Jason HuangBASIS International School Shenzhen

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to dive into the 1990s and try to understand the interrelation between third-wave feminism and the musical and political movement, Riot Grrrl, through careful analysis of two representative bands of the movement. With the understanding established, the paper would then try to analyze the reasons why the movement was ephemeral. Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, two specific bands symbolic of the Riot Grrrl movement would be investigated to appreciate the values of the movement with an analysis of their songs’ lyrics and live performances. Another close look at the mainstream media as well as male rock stars and listeners would be taken with the hope of gaining specific insights into the reasons and steps for the rapid decline of the movement. The result of the study shows a complex relationship between the Riot Grrrl movement and third-wave feminism that happened around the same period, in which neither one was fully dependent on the other and both promoted the improvement of the other. The ephemeral existence of the Riot Grrrl movement was also a direct cause of the young activists, weary of misinterpreted publicity, choosing their results not by their own will, but due to pressure from public media. In the intercorrelation of third-wave feminism and the Riot Grrrl movement, both movements affected each other in a way that feminism provided the foundation for which Riot Grrrl movement and Riot Grrrl reversely provided strength and intensity third-wave feminism with its distinct features of directness as well as auditory and visual violence. Despite similarities between the two, the Riot Grrrl movement eventually diverges away from third-wave feminism, withering away from history due to criticism that resulted in Riot Grrrl’s rejection of the mainstream criticism and misrepresentation of their images while leaving remnants of their rebellious spirit and distinct music that people today still are affected by.

Keywords: Riot Grrrl; third-wave of feminism; Rock n’ Roll; punk music; the 1990s
Published: October 31, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/7/20230811
Volume: CHR Vol.7
pp. 105-113
Download PDF

References

  1. Wright, L. (2016). Do-it-yourself girl power: An examination of the Riot Grrrl subculture. James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal, 3(1), 52-56. Retrieved from www.jmurj.edu/vol3/iss1/6/
  2. Hanna, K. (1991). Riot Grrrl manifesto. Bikini Kill Zine 2.
  3. Jessica R. & Gitana G. (1998). Riot Grrrl: Revolutions from within. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/495289
  4. Mimi T. N. (2012) Riot Grrrl, Race, and Revival. Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0740770X.2012.721082
  5. Perry, L. (2015). I Can Sell My Body If I Wanna: Riot Grrrl Body Writing and Performing Shameless Feminist Resistance. Lateral, 4. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48671777
  6. O’Keefe, T. (2014). my body is my manifesto! SlutWalk, FEMEN and femmenist protest. Feminist Review, 107, 1–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24571886
  7. Walker, Rebecca (1995). To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 978-0-385-47262-3.
  8. Comstock, M. (2001). Grrrl Zine Networks: Re-Composing Spaces of Authority, Gender, and Culture. JAC, 21(2), 383–409. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20866409
  9. Kathleen Hanna, “On Language”, March 6, 2014, New York University, New York, NY. Lecture.
  10. Beyond Bikini Kill: A History of Riot Grrl, f., & D' Angelica, C. (2022). Beyond Bikini Kill. Retrieved 18 September 2022, from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12878256-beyond-bikini-kill
  11. Smith, H. (2013, June 21). Happy birthday, Corin Tucker. Jezebel. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from https://jezebel.com/happy-birthday-corin-tucker-5081261 Smith, H. (2013, June 21). Happy birthday, Corin Tucker. Jezebel. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from https://jezebel.com/happy-birthday-corin-tucker-5081261
  12. Buckingham, D. (2019, June 10). Riot Grrrl meets the media: Recuperation and resistance. Riot Grrrl meets the media: recuperation and resistance. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from https://davidbuckingham.net/growing-up-modern/real-girl-power-representing-riot-grrrl/riot-grrrl-meets-the-media-recuperation-and-resistance/
  13. Schilt, K. (2003). “A Little Too Ironic”: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians. Popular Music and Society, 26(1), 5–16. doi:10.1080/0300776032000076351
  14. An Open Letter from Black Women to the Slutwalk. (2016). Gender & Society, 30(1), 9–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243215611868