Riot Grrrl Movement Research Paper

The 1990’s was a time of free spirits and the “DIY” mentality in the Seattle area and many feminist female bands used this to their advantage by taking the stage. This, in turn, created the Riot Grrrl Movement which brought attention to women’s issues spanning from Olympia to Washington D.C. The movement consisted of many female centric bands, such as Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Sleater-Kinney, who were often confused with girl grunge groups, including Hole. Through their music these women attempted to accomplish what males had been doing for years; expressing their true feelings without shame and establishing, and they succeeded by creating a movement. The Riot Grrrl Movement was officially recognized by its name in 1993 when it was published

They added a new sound to the songs of the movement, “[fusing] radical feminism with challenging, fiery punk” within their music (Sleater-Kinney Biography). Within songs such as “#1 Must Have” they sarcastically mention a stereotype of women and they sing “…now my inspiration rests in-between my beauty magazines and credit card bills”, bringing forth the idea that all women do is shop and read magazines and that they can only draw inspiration solely from them (Brownstein). Carrie Brownstein, the lead singer, later sings “watch me make up my mind instead of my face”, which I believe is very powerful in the fact that it is most likely directed toward men who may be under the impression that women cannot have a choice or that they are indecisive (Brownstein). The entirety of their song “Male Model” is about breaking the stereotype that males dominate the industry and that females cannot compare or write from their perspective. Brownstein asks, “Does he write my songs for me? Should I try to play just like him?”. She also blatantly tells male musicians, the assumed subject of the song, “you don’t own the situation, honey, you don’t own the stage, we’re here to join the conversation, and we’re here to raise the stakes”, driving further the goal of the Riot Grrrl Movement, which

Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, and Sleater-Kinney enforced their femininity and used the power of music and live performance to make a point and change the opinions of many who believed in a male dominated industry. Through their songs, the bands have inspired and brought attention to women’s issues which were otherwise swept under the rug and ignored, just because they are women. By creating music that empowered girls and instilled the power they had because of the volume of followers who believed in the movement, these women brought equality to the grunge scene. Instead of brute force, they used their creativity to prove to their audience who they were and what change they wanted. Overall, the Riot Grrrl Movement was extremely effective in changing the way female musicians are treated, and through the movement many great songs were created, which will leave an eternal mark on the music