Line #16 Main/RiotGrrrl


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/riotgrrl.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:330:The first issue of the ''Riot Grrrl'' zine.]]
3
4	->''"We're not anti-boy, we're pro-girl."''
5	-->-- '''Molly Neuman'''
6
7	Riot Grrrl = PunkRock + UsefulNotes/{{Feminism}} (not the [[StrawFeminist straw kind]], mind you).
8
9	Riot Grrrl was an underground musical movement popular in TheNineties that combined speedy HardcorePunk with lyrics addressing feminist issues - female empowerment, sexuality, domestic abuse, rape, and other important matters.
10
11	The movement coalesced around the UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} and Olympia metropolitan areas in Washington, largely due to its extensive DIY infrastructure (and The Evergreen State College in Olympia), with its roots in the unorganised collective outrage drawn by the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Hill Anita Hill judiciary hearings]] in 1991. Its name comes apocryphally from a letter Bratmobile member Jen Smith wrote to Allison Wolfe, stating ''We need to start a girl riot''. The phrase itself was the name of a magazine started by Wolfe, Molly Neuman, and Bikini Kill members Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail.
12
13	Riot grrrl bands largely drew their inspiration from female-fronted punk and alternative musicians of the past, such as Music/TheRunaways, The Raincoats, X-Ray Spex, The Slits, Music/XUSBand, Music/PattiSmith, Music/ThePlasmatics, Lydia Lunch, Music/{{Crass}}, and [[Music/SonicYouth Kim Gordon]]. Their music, much like the {{grunge}} that was becoming popular around the same time, was based around ThreeChordsAndTheTruth, eschewing complex musicianship in favour of raw production, aggressive sounds, and lyrics dealing largely with politics, society, and feminism. The movement relied heavily on promotional means pioneered by punk rock bands in the past, such as publishing various magazines, photocopied handbills, collage-based booklets, and cassette culture. Said magazines had a definite political bent, featuring commentary and experiences on various important issues such as sexism, mental illness, body image and eating disorders, sexual abuse, racism, rape, discrimination, stalking, domestic violence, incest, and homosexuality.
14
15	While many bands in the genre were all-female, some bands (such as Bikini Kill, one of the genre's pioneers, and Huggy Bear) also had male members.
16
17	The mainstream music world largely misinterpreted the Riot Grrrl movement's political stances and sensibilities, making them out to be StrawFeminist [[DoesNotLikeMen misandrists]] and generally not caring enough to do the research. They also lumped various female-fronted AlternativeRock bands with the movement no matter how tenuous the similarities were, such as Music/{{Hole}}, Music/TheBreeders, The Gits, Elastica, 7 Year Bitch, Music/BabesInToyland, and even '''''Music/NoDoubt'''''. The sheer lack of care or research became so excessive that Bikini Kill entered a media blackout around 1993. Kathleen Hanna encouraged all the bands to do the same, but not many followed through.
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19	The movement splintered by the mid '90s, disillusioned with its misrepresentation in the mainstream music press and feeling that its radical politics had been subverted or co-opted as less challenging "girl power" by various female-fronted pop bands like the Music/SpiceGirls and the Music/DixieChicks.
20	----
21	!!Bands generally associated with Riot Grrrl include:
22	[[index]]
23
24	* Music/BadSkin
25	* Music/BikiniKill ([[TropeMaker one of the first bands]])
26	* Music/{{Bratmobile}} ([[TropeMaker one of the first bands]])
27	* Music/{{Childbirth}}
28	* [[Music/EmilysSassyLime Emily's Sassy Lime]]
29	* Music/{{Excuse 17}} (also {{queercore}}; Carrie Brownstein played here before Music/SleaterKinney)
30	* Music/{{Gossip}} (a later-formed band with a mixed-gender lineup; also {{queercore}})
31	* Music/HeavensToBetsy (Corin Tucker played here before Music/SleaterKinney)
32	* Music/HuggyBear (an English band with a mixed-gender line-up)
33	* Music/JackOffJill
34	* Music/TheLindaLindas (with [[ChildPopstar a tween/teenage lineup]])
35	* Music/{{Lunachicks}}
36	* Music/MamboTaxi (another English band )
37	* Music/MeccaNormal
38	* Music/PussyRiot
39	* Music/SleaterKinney (longest-running Riot Grrrl band - also somewhat {{queercore}})
40	* Music/TeamDresch (also part of the {{queercore}} subculture)
41	* Music/LeTigre (formed by Kathleen Hanna after Bikini Kill disbanded, more [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] than PunkRock)
42	* Music/PetrolGirls
43	* Music/OtobokeBeaver
44	[[/index]]
45
46	A few bands have a disputed or tenuous connection with Riot Grrrl. Music/{{L7}} probably has the strongest claim to association with the movement, due to organising the Rock for Choice benefit concert. Other female punk bands that are political but didn't identify with the movement, no matter how much uninformed music journalists wanted them to, included: 7 Year Bitch, Music/BabesInToyland, Music/JackOffJill, Spitboy, and Adickdid. More recently, the Russian band/collective [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot Pussy Riot]] has been compared to the "classic" Riot Grrrl bands in some media, chiefly due to their outspoken activism against UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin.
47
48	Also, Music/{{Hole}} have absolutely nothing to do with the genre. Music/CourtneyLove hated the scene, accusing it of misandry and claiming the Evergreen State College groups cared more about dogma than encouraging free thinking, and mocked the riot grrrls in the Hole song "Rock Star" (originally named "Olympia"). Yet, some people still tried to claim that Hole was a riot grrrl band. Go figure.
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50	[[foldercontrol]]
51
52	[[folder:Comic Books]]
53	* Crazy Jane was based on Patti Smith and has had numerous nods to the movement given to her by Creator/GrantMorrison during his tenure writing ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol.''
54	* ComicBook/{{Chastity}} from Creator/ChaosComics and Creator/DynamiteEntertainment is a feminist heroine who absolutely punk rock and Goth music. She routinely beats up misogynists and still finds time to hang out in clubs in her black leather outfits with fishnets.
55	* Cecily Bain in ''[[ComicBook/VampireTheMasqueradeVault Vampire: The Masquerade: Winter's Teeth]]'' is a former Riot Grrrl who is irritated that her scene has moved on as they've mostly aged to soccer moms or even become old.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Film]]
59	* Discussed in the 90s teen romcom ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'', where asocial feminist Kat is stated to like "angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion". The film features several Riot Grrl songs and artists, such as Music/LettersToCleo.
60	* ''Film/RiotGirls'' The title's an obvious reference to this, and the titular duo are a punk lesbian couple, standing up for themselves against JerkJock enemies throughout the film.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
64	* ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'' has a faithful updated homage to Crazy Jane with an emphasis on her politics as well as rebellious punk girl attitude. This notably leaves Southern redneck Robotman completely confused as he has no idea what she's talking about half the time.
65	* ''Series/{{Yellowjackets}}'': Natalie's a tough, aggressive punk spirit both in the 1990s and present, but her clothing (leather jacket, rock band t-shirts, fishnet stockings), appearance, and personality are all heavily inspired by this subculture throughout.
66	* ''Series/That90sShow'': Gwen likes listening to riot grrrl, which her half-brother Nate however dislikes, calling it "whiny vagina music". In another episode, she quotes the "Riot Grrrl Manifesto" to Leia, but later admits she only skimmed it, implying that she's more into the aesthetics than the actual movement.
67	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / RiotGrrrl