The Punk Singer
- Lucy Waldorf
- Nov 10, 2021
- 2 min read
Sini Anderson’s 2013 documentary, The Punk Singer, details the life of Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill and Le Tigre singer, as well as the origins of the Riot Grrrl movement. The movement originated in the late 1980s with an overwhelming feeling on college campuses that feminism was dead. To counteract this narrative, third wave feminism was born.
The movement highlighted issues of the time, specifically the lack of inclusivity in the Washington music scene (where bands like Bikini Kill started out). In grunge, there was not a lot of space for women, especially in regards to physical space. Women did not want to get bruised and battered in mosh pits or fist fights therefore they felt discouraged from participating in the scene.
At Bikini Kill shows the phrase, “girls to the front” became well known. This kept female attendees of the shows safe as well as the band. (In the early days, Bikini Kill was too poor to afford security but simultaneously received numerous threats.) Riot Grrrl created space for feminism in punk. Interestingly enough, Nirvana also came out of the feminist art punk scene though is rarely accredited. (Hanna and Kurt Kobain were friends and stars in the infamous story of the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” origins.) The notion of space also came out in Hanna's later work, “Julie Ruin,” which created a homemade ambiance meant to recreate the sanctity of a girl’s bedroom, a place where creativity thrives. Riot Grrrl aimed to “reclaim girlhood” from the perverted grip of the patriarchy.
Overall, the movement talked about what was not being discussed in the mainstream, through a raw and youthful lense. In interviews, Hanna opens up about asking for help and support as an independent woman, which tends to be unnecessarily difficult. The doc also offers profound perspectives from Hanna’s bandmates and other icons of the era such as Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Joan Jett of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.
Additionally, the film exposes the tumultuous relationship between Riot Grrrl and the outside media, which resulted in a variety of press blackouts (parallel to the notion that “the revolution will not be televised”). Riot Grrrl also successfully juxtaposed punk with politics. “What is feminism? The universal recognition of all forms of oppression.” The struggle was more universal than realized, therefore inclusivity and outreach was integral.
The movement was not really about the music, but rather music was used as a way to amplify Riot Grrrl ideas. “Politically radical voice you could dance to,” Riot Grrrl music was meant to be accessible rather than marketable.
Riot grrrl ideas showed up in a vast array of mediums, most famously, fanzines which showcased “Riot Grrrl manifestos.” In this form and in the music itself, the Riot Grrrl movement still lives on today. Riot Grrrl’s impact on the feminist and punk movements as a whole is irreplicable and will not be erased.
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