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.