In Defense of RIOT GRRRL
I'm a firm believer in girl power, girl gangs and solidarity with all people.
The reason I started my radio show is because of something Kathleen Hanna said in the early 90s and what she has reiterated recently. The riot grrrl movement is a bigger part of the feminist discussion in where some are reluctant to label themselves as feminist but have the ideals of someone pro-feminist in the idea that they want to be seen as musicians as equally as anyone else and I completely support that. I don't think you have to label yourself or your music as feminist to have your music felt by other people in the vein of something pro-feminist. Music nowadays doesn't have to be be considered 'feminist' to speak about experiences that are marginalized and unrecognized. I want people to listen to big joanie and skinny girl diet in the same way that they would listen to critique bikini kill and girl pool.
The reason I started my show, however, was to bring a platform to people that showcases women in music that is, let's face it, a male dominated scene. Males have dominated festival lineups and radio waves - even today. I want women to see that there are other people experiencing the same things and that music is a powerful platform to speak out about societal issues such as racism, sexism, rape, etc.
Females or female identifying musicians are usually grouped together in a sort of female vocalist group in which women are seen differently because they are females. I think that something more beneficial stems from that sort of grouping in which you can recognize music that does speak to the female population specifically. Women write about the female experience and write for other women, creating a kind of sisterhood. Riot grrrrls in the 90s were talking about having girls move to the front of the crowd because guys were usually dominating the crowds. The movement created a safe space for women in the sense that they wanted to experience punk rock in a personal way. Women have been systematically taught that their professions should remain in the domestic sphere but riot grrrl inspired other women to pick up instruments and start bands and make art. Unfortunately, the discourse of the movement is not considered seriously because at the time they were relatively young and non academic.
My goal is to bring a show that elevates musicians of all backgrounds and ethnicities to be seen equally because women are not taught to speak out. The aggressiveness of the riot grrrl movement was generally composed of white, straight females where musicians of color were not generally accepted. The discourse of the movement is not considered seriously because at the time they were relatively young and non academic. Riot grrrrl is very much a part of the feminist discourse but it should also be criticized for its shortcomings in representation.
The reason I started my radio show is because of something Kathleen Hanna said in the early 90s and what she has reiterated recently. The riot grrrl movement is a bigger part of the feminist discussion in where some are reluctant to label themselves as feminist but have the ideals of someone pro-feminist in the idea that they want to be seen as musicians as equally as anyone else and I completely support that. I don't think you have to label yourself or your music as feminist to have your music felt by other people in the vein of something pro-feminist. Music nowadays doesn't have to be be considered 'feminist' to speak about experiences that are marginalized and unrecognized. I want people to listen to big joanie and skinny girl diet in the same way that they would listen to critique bikini kill and girl pool.
The reason I started my show, however, was to bring a platform to people that showcases women in music that is, let's face it, a male dominated scene. Males have dominated festival lineups and radio waves - even today. I want women to see that there are other people experiencing the same things and that music is a powerful platform to speak out about societal issues such as racism, sexism, rape, etc.
Females or female identifying musicians are usually grouped together in a sort of female vocalist group in which women are seen differently because they are females. I think that something more beneficial stems from that sort of grouping in which you can recognize music that does speak to the female population specifically. Women write about the female experience and write for other women, creating a kind of sisterhood. Riot grrrrls in the 90s were talking about having girls move to the front of the crowd because guys were usually dominating the crowds. The movement created a safe space for women in the sense that they wanted to experience punk rock in a personal way. Women have been systematically taught that their professions should remain in the domestic sphere but riot grrrl inspired other women to pick up instruments and start bands and make art. Unfortunately, the discourse of the movement is not considered seriously because at the time they were relatively young and non academic.
My goal is to bring a show that elevates musicians of all backgrounds and ethnicities to be seen equally because women are not taught to speak out. The aggressiveness of the riot grrrl movement was generally composed of white, straight females where musicians of color were not generally accepted. The discourse of the movement is not considered seriously because at the time they were relatively young and non academic. Riot grrrrl is very much a part of the feminist discourse but it should also be criticized for its shortcomings in representation.
Comments
Post a Comment