Riot Grrrl: The Aftermath

By the mid-1990s, the riot grrrl movement had fizzled. Many riot grrrl artists stated that their ideology and music had been skewed by the media in favor of girl groups such as the Spice Girls whose proclamation of "girl power" drastically differed from riot grrrl's. Once Bratmobile and Bikini Kill broke up in 1994 and 1997 respectively, the riot grrrl phenomenon disintegrated; however, many of the band members involved in riot grrrl went on to form other bands. For example, Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill) went on to form the electronic post-punk, feminist band Le Tigre. Tobi Vail, also of Bikini Kill, formed Spider and the Webs. And Corin Tucker (of Heavens to Betsy) and Carrie Brownstein (of Excuse 17) started the extremely well-known and critically acclaimed band, Sleater-Kinney. Below is a picture of Sleater-Kinney.

Sleater-Kinney/Credit: Treble Zine

Aside from these bands, many other well-known bands cite them as an influence. Some listen to riot grrrl members' music and live out the ideology preached by those involved in the riot grrrl scene in their own ways, while others heard their music and became inspired to create their own bands. There are numerous fansites and message boards dedicated to the riot grrrl phenomenon and/or riot grrrl's philosophy. A few of the riot grrrl fansites include IE Riot Grrrl and Riot Grrrls United. Aside from these websites, Tavi Gevinson was also inspired by the riot grrrl culture when she founded Rookie.

Rookie is an online magazine aimed at teenage girls that discusses topics such as pop culture, fashion, social issues, and, of course, feminism. Rookie is often compared to Sassy, which as discussed in a previous entry, was one of the inspirations for the riot grrrl movement. Founder of Rookie Tavi Gevinson even discussed her love and inspiration for the riot grrrl movement, specifically Kathleen Hanna, in the documentary about Kathleen Hannah, The Punk Singer. In describing feminism, Tavi Gevinson states "feminism to me means fighting. It's a very nuanced, complex thing, but at the very core of it I'm a feminist because I don't think being a girl limits me in any way." Below is a picture of Tavi Gevinson posing with an archive of Rookie's posts from its first year entitled Rookie: Yearbook One.

Rookie Creator Tavi Gevinson with Rookie: Yearbook One/Credit: Westervin

Aside from these individuals, many current bands were also inspired by the riot grrrl scene. Beth Ditto from the indie-rock band, The Gossip, is perhaps one of the most well-known. Beth Ditto is the lead singer of the band, The Gossip, and is a major media figure known for her candid support for LGBTQ and feminist issues. In reference to the riot grrrl scene, Ditto stated in the foreword to Riot Grrrl: Revolution Girl Style Now: "Until I found riot grrrl, or riot grrrl found me, I was just another Gloria Steinem NOW feminist trying to take a stand in shop class. Now I am a musician, a writer, a whole person." Below is a picture of Beth Ditto performing with her band, The Gossip. 

Beth Ditto of The Gossip/Credit: After Ellen

Another way riot grrrl has lived on is through archives. The collection entitled "The Fales Riot Grrrl Collection" has been stored in New York University's Fales Library and Special Collections beginning in the fall of 2010. According to the Riot Grrrl's Fales Library and Special Collection website, the main purpose of the collection is "to collect unique materials that provide documentation of the creative process of individuals and the chronology of the movement overall." Numerous former riot grrrl participants have donated to the collection including Kathleen Hanna, while several other key riot grrrl members such as Molly Neuman, Allison Wolfe and Carrie Brownstein are expected to donate materials in the near future. Although these archives cannot mimic the riot grrrl experience, they do provide viewers with insight and knowledge into the riot grrrl phenomenon. 

Riot Grrrl Music and Lyrics

Although zines played a major role in shaping riot grrrl, Riot grrrl wouldn't be the riot grrrl we know and love if it weren't for their music. Aside from zines, the riot grrrl scene defined itself through its music. One of the reasons riot grrrl started was to break away from the predominantly male-dominated punk-rock scene. In fact, many of the band members associated with riot grrrl used their concerts to pay homage to women concertgoers. Pioneer riot grrrl band, Bikini Kill, is a prime example of a riot grrrl band incorporating and celebrating women during their shows.

During their shows, Bikini Kill band members invited women to the front and often handed out song lyrics so women, as well as other concertgoers, could sing along, feel safe, and feel incorporated during their performances. In addition to handing out song lyrics, they also invited audience members to come onstage and share personal stories like rape and sexism. They also instructed men who participated in moshing to fall to the back of the pit in order to allow women to move towards the front of the stage.

Although the riot grrrl movement emphasized female empowerment, men also played a large role in the riot grrrl movement. For example, Calvin Johnson and Slim Moon founded record labels K Records and Kill Rock Stars, which where known for featuring many riot grrrl bands. The band Nirvana was also a large supporter of riot grrrl bands, having played alongside a few of them during shows. Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana also dated Bikini Kill members Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail for a period of time and continued to play shows with them even after both couples broke up. Cobain even once stated: "The future of rock belongs to women." Below is an image of a Nirvana concert flyer featuring Bikini Kill.

Credit: Pinterest

Riot grrrl was important because, more than anything, it gave women a voice. In complying with the punk movement, any woman could learn how to play guitar, write lyrics, and let their voices be heard. When riot grrrl members started performing at concerts, not only did they create a safe place for women to go and enjoy music, but they also created a place where women could discuss their important, everyday issues. Through this medium, riot grrrl participants often discussed heavier subject matter such as rape, female empowerment, female sexuality, and domestic abuse in their songs. An example of one of these songs would be "Don't Need You" by Bikini Kill.

"Don't Need You" was released on Bikini Kill's 1994 album "The C.D. Version of the First Two Records." The album was released on the Slim Moon's label Kill Rock Stars, and the song is about rejecting the notion of a woman needing a man in order to be happy. The opening lyrics proudly proclaim: "Don't need you to say we're cute/ Don't need you to say we're alright/ Don't need your atti-f*ckin-tude boy/ Don't need your kiss goodnight," Bikini Kill. These lyrics reject heteronormative roles and state that these women are strong and can function just perfectly on their own. They don't need someone to define who they are; they are perfectly capable of doing that on their own terms.

However, the most important section of the song is the song's final verse, which states "Does it scare you that we don't/ Need you?/ Does it scare you boy that we don't / Need you?/ We don't need you, we don't need you/ Us punk rock whores We don't need you," Bikini Kill. This verse is essential because it openly states why people (often men) rejected the riot grrrl movement. They didn't like/ were afraid of women not needing them. In critics' minds, although maybe not consciously, women were viewed as the lesser, and when women became more active in the punk-rock scene during the 1990's, men, particularly, were hesitant at accepting them. The riot grrrl movement was started as a way to fight against that notion. In essence, this song amplifies what the riot grrrl movement was stood for. Below is a video to the song "Don't Need You."