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The backlash against the predominantly male hardcore punk scenes of the 1980s bore the angry feminist musical movement appropriately titled “Riot Grrrl”. Armed with powerfully expressive lyrics and a do-it-yourself mentality, Riot Grrrl broke through the barriers of music and gender to spread feminist ideals and claim women a place in rock music. Although controversial due to its lack of agenda and speculative immaturity, the Riot Grrrl movement ultimately positively impacted Third-Wave Feminism in the 1990s with its revolutionary takes on gender in the music industry, erratic musical style, and abilities to offer girls the empowerment to speak their minds and develop their own identities. The goals of the Riot Grrrls, although methodically vague, were ultimately to make feminism cool and approachable by young girls who were not exposed to the feminism of their mothers’ era, and teach these girls that they were powerful, never alone in their experiences, and had a voice to be heard.

The Riot Grrrl phenomenon was born in Olympia, Washington, in February of 1991 when Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail formed Bikini Kill on their college campus<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]-->. They were upset by the exclusion of females in the predominately white male-dominated hardcore punk-rock world of the 1970 and 1980s<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]-->. They sought to create an environment for young women and girls to flourish in their own self-worth and explore the new era of feminism blooming in the early 1990s. Bikini Kill paved the way for many other young women looking to spread positive reinforcement to girls, and bands such as Bratmobile, L7, Huggie Bear, Jack-Off Jill, and dozens more formed during Riot Grrrl’s short but substantial life.

The explosion of Riot Grrrl came with its weight in criticism, spawning a painful backlash against the misunderstood movement. Riot Grrrl was seen as a threat to femininity; “traditional” girls’ organizations such as the Girl Scouts and Future Homemakers of America felt attacked by the encouragement of radical thinking in young girls<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[3]<!--[endif]-->. The media began to misconstrue the ideals of the movement, presenting Riot Grrrls as immature, insincere in their political image, man-hating separatists, and claiming that they were imitative of the male punk bands that had come before them<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[4]<!--[endif]-->. Articles in popular music and pop culture magazines demonized Riot Grrrls, calling those who associated with the movement “she-devils” and as something “out of Rush Limbaugh’s worst nightmare”<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[5]<!--[endif]--> <!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[6]<!--[endif]-->. Even though the mass public saw Riot Grrrl as a small event and an insincere joke, those who were caught up in the sociopolitical phenomenon experienced the impact that Riot Grrrl left on women and girls in the music industry and society today.

Riot Grrrl advanced the prospects of Third-Wave Feminism by having successfully developed a place in rock music for women to thrive and express themselves and their feminist messages. The movement broke ground by fearlessly emerging into the primarily white male music industry. Women’s participation in rock music had usually consisted of bolstering male performance; a woman found herself following the role of the groupie, the girlfriend, or the back-up singer<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[7]<!--[endif]-->. Female punk bands often found themselves sinking into obscurity while their male counterparts found popularity and support<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[8]<!--[endif]-->. Misogyny in punk culture and politics fueled Riot Grrrl’s tirade of “angry feminism”<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[9]<!--[endif]-->. Hardcore punk was a mostly male phenomenon, but women like Kathleen Hanna refused to accept such a paradigm<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[10]<!--[endif]-->. Riot Grrrl stormed in and changed the sociopolitical landscape of punk rock by introducing the “Girl Factor”<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[11]<!--[endif]-->. Where the female voice had been treated like an instrument to males in the rock world, it was now becoming a vehicle for a message of sociopolitical change. The Riot Grrrls were angry and ready to make their voices heard and their message of equality know, further aiding the agenda of Third-Wave Feminism.

            Riot Grrrl succeeded in positively influencing the boom of Third-Wave Feminism through its blend of feminism and rock music. Powerfully expressive lyrics, accompanied only optionally by any real musical talent, made Riot Grrrl a feminist vehicle for sociopolitical change. Angry, sexually graphic lyrics were paired with catchy pop tunes that made Riot Grrrl not only popular with the underground music scene of the Pacific Northwest, but an outlet for girls and young women looking to express their feminist ideals and anger towards sexual and gender oppression<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[12]<!--[endif]-->. Riot Grrrl’s influential lyrics and do-it-yourself sound style encouraged self-expression, and nurtured the budding political consciousness of the movement’s young and rebellious audience.

            Not only did the Riot Grrrl movement make progress through physical manifestation of the music, Third-Wave Feminism benefited from the honesty and fearlessness of the feminist ideals expressed directly by the artists. Lyrics were used as a tool to prompt feminist viewpoints and push for sociopolitical change<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[13]<!--[endif]-->. The fearless discussion of taboo subjects, such as rape, incest, and eating disorders forged personal connections between the musical audience and the musicians<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[14]<!--[endif]-->. These connections led girls to other girls who shared similar personal experiences and further progressed the rebellious feminist movement of the early 1990s. Songs such as “Feels Blind” by Bikini Kill measure the extent to which society incorrectly teaches girls and women hate themselves<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[15]<!--[endif]-->. Songs like this were proof of the physical musical manifestation of feminist ideals and assessments of the negative image promoted and reinforced by the media and popular culture.

            Riot Grrrl pushed feminism into the limelight by offering girls an outlet to express themselves and supporting the development of a sociopolitical identity in those who were raised by the media’s interpretation of women, and their mothers’ stale, marginalizing ideas of feminism from the 1970s. Riot Grrrl promoted the new, fresh take on feminism in the 1990s by addressing the ways girls interacted with themselves and other girls like them. Riot Grrrl pressed taboo subjects to be conversed openly. Lyrics expressed issues of rape, incest, bullying, and eating disorders<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[16]<!--[endif]-->. The movement promoted an anti-competition, anti-jealousy, pro-loyalty, and pro-support lifestyle within the Grrrl community<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[17]<!--[endif]-->. The movement spread recognition of how capitalism creates an unhealthy competitive relationship between girls and the media, where money is more important than self-worth and well-being<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[18]<!--[endif]-->. Riot Grrrls began to create zines – small, homemade fan magazines, usually passed out for a small price or even free – to promote shows and discuss feminist topics. Zines became a non-corporate medium for the discussion of taboo subjects, and they offered girls yet another way of forming connections with other girls who shared their experiences<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[19]<!--[endif]-->. The do-it-yourself nature of zines promoted interactions between the girls contributing to the writing and producing of the work and the girls receiving the zines, therefore advancing the support and “girl power” aspect of Third-Wave Feminism.

            While the media effortlessly conformed the minds of young girls and women to the standards of beauty fabricated by middle-aged white men, Riot Grrrl championed the idea of encouraging girls to question the social constructs they were subjected to and to learn how to define themselves individually. Riot Grrrl’s rebellion against beauty standards led girls to accept themselves for who they were and realize the individual, natural beauty they possessed<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[20]<!--[endif]-->. Riot Grrrls sought to create a system in which girls were self-defined and dictated their own social standards and constructs<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[21]<!--[endif]-->. Young women were encouraged to define their own success, which inspired an impulse in girls to speak for themselves and mature their own distinctiveness.

            The politically charged lyrics of Riot Grrrl music motivated girls to develop a political identity of their own and to explore their own political and civil voices. The term Riot Grrrl was defiant of the general public’s view of feminism already; where “woman” had been equated with an empowered feminist adult, “girls”, defined by their immaturity, had been depoliticized<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[22]<!--[endif]-->. Riot Grrrl chose to reclaim the term “girl” to their advantage. Riot Grrrl music allowed girls the experience of realizing how their own personal problems fit into larger political structures, such as the right to birth control and abortions<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[23]<!--[endif]-->. These Grrrls sang with the intention to draw attention to the constraints laced on women’s sexuality and to publicize issues such as sexual abuse and rape, which were largely ignored by the media<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[24]<!--[endif]-->. One of the major goals of Third-Wave Feminism was to achieve equal rights for all women of all kinds, and the representation of women in the media was a direct contradiction to the movement’s ideals. The Riot Grrrl revolution spearheaded the reclamation of beauty for women, and was able to do so by captivating a young audience of new feminists.

            The ability to make feminism cool and accessible to young girls made Riot Grrrl the powerful revolution that it strove to be. The once-dynamic Women’s Liberation movement that had blossomed in the 1950s and 1960s had become stale by the 1980s<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[25]<!--[endif]-->. The Second-Wave Feminism of the Women’s Lib movement had identified with white, middle-aged women<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[26]<!--[endif]-->. Third-Wave instead launched itself from earlier critiques of Second-Wave feminists’ claims of sisterhood and unity, which had marginalized and alienated women who did not share their organizers’ white race, middle class, and heterosexuality<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[27]<!--[endif]-->. As a result, Third-Wave feminists prioritized the differences between the women of their revolution<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[28]<!--[endif]-->. Riot Grrrls chose instead to foster an affirmative mode of public female self-expression that did not exclude, repress, or delegitimize girls’ personal experiences<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[29]<!--[endif]-->.

The punk ethics of Riot Grrrl’s account made such a feisty style of feminism possible<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[30]<!--[endif]-->. They were able to release their frustrations and anger while making music that expressed their identities and styles<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[31]<!--[endif]--> <!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[32]<!--[endif]-->. “Grrrl Love” was supported by the infamous Riot Grrrl Manifesto, promoting power through support, and setting guidelines for how women should treat each other and expect to be treated<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[33]<!--[endif]-->. “Grrrl Hate” was out – Riot Grrrls made the rules for themselves, encouraged love over jealousy, and shunned distrust and loathing of other girls because of the media’s teachings. Just as the media taught girls to hate themselves, it also showed girls to hate those who were better than them. Riot Grrrl expressed a desire for all girls to appreciate themselves and respect each other for being smart, unique, beautiful individuals, fostering the ideals of acceptance and tolerance promoted by Third-Wave Feminism.

            Although the feisty Riot Grrrl movement came to an end in the mid-1990s, its impact is still visible today through changes in how women present themselves in rock music, as well as girls’ abilities to make their voices heard and create their own sociopolitical identity. Although misrepresented by the media and misunderstood by the general public, Riot Grrrl maintained its status as the punk rock feminism that spurred interest to young activists and musicians across the nation. Riot Grrrl’s challenge to the paradigm of gender in the music industry, employment of powerfully expressive lyrics and feminist values through ear-shattering music, and messages of self-esteem and self-empowerment proved that the movement was not merely an insincere, childish joke. The noisy rebellion ultimately aided the aggressive agenda of Third-Wave Feminism through hard work and determination, and ultimately paved an explosive path for women and girls in today’s society.

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--> Piero Scaruffi, A History of Rock Music 1951-2008 (Omniware, 2009) 2

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 1

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[3]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 20

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[4]<!--[endif]--> Emily Zaslow, Feminism, Inc.: Coming of Age in Girl Power Media Culture (New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2009) 30

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[5]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 20

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[6]<!--[endif]--> Kim France, “Grrrls at War,” Rolling Stone, July 1993.

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[7]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 1

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[8]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 2

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[9]<!--[endif]--> Anna Feigenbaum, “Different Wavelengths: Studies of the Contemporary Women’s Movement,” 2 in JSTOR, ww.jstor.org/stable/20443967 (accessed March 11, 2012)

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[10]<!--[endif]--> Piero Scaruffi, A History of Rock Music 1951-2008 (Omniware, 2009) 1

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[11]<!--[endif]--> Piero Scaruffi, A History of Rock Music 1951-2008 (Omniware, 2009) 2

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[12]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 1

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[13]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 3

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[14]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 3

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[15]<!--[endif]--> Bikini Kill, Feels Blind, The C.D. Version of The First Two Records (Kill Rock Stars), CD.

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[16]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 3

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[17]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 33

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[18]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 29

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[19]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 2

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[20]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 34

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[21]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 28

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[22]<!--[endif]--> Marion Leonard, Gender in the Music Industry: Rock, Discourse, and Girl Power (Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate, 2007) 117

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[23]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 3

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[24]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 4

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[25]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 11

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[26]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001) 12

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[27]<!--[endif]--> Gretchen Arnold, “Different Wavelengths: Studies of the Contemporary Women’s Movement,” 542 in JSTOR, ww.jstor.org/stable/20443967 (accessed March 11, 2012)

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[28]<!--[endif]--> Gretchen Arnold, “Different Wavelengths: Studies of the Contemporary Women’s Movement,” 543 in JSTOR, ww.jstor.org/stable/20443967 (accessed March 11, 2012)

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[29]<!--[endif]--> Kristen Schilt, “‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” Popular Music and Society 26, no. 1: 10

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[30]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001)  12

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[31]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001)  13

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[32]<!--[endif]--> Piero Scaruffi, A History of Rock Music 1951-2008 (Omniware, 2009) 1

<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[33]<!--[endif]--> Chérie Turner, Everything You Need to Know About the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation (New York: Rosen, 2001)  32