Riot Grrrl (a brief history of a bunch of bitches)

As the media stated it in the early 1990s Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the band Bikini Kill, spray painted on a wall in Olympia Washington one day this statement: "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit." Kurt Cobain, a friend of Hanna's was drawn to the revolutionary quality of Hanna's phrase and used Smells Like Teen Spirit as the title of what became his band's (Nirvana) greatest hit. Kurt Cobain later said that the song is an attempt at writing the ultimate pop song by copying the songwriting style of The Pixies. Kathleen Hanna later said that she was not trying to say something revolutionary about Cobain, rather, that he actually smelled like Teen Spirit, the brand of deodorant that his then girlfriend (Tobi Vail) wore. When Kurt Cobain was asked about this, he stated that he was unaware of that Teen Spirit was a deodorant but went on to say that it didn't matter. The phrase and this meaningless little story about it became the explicit motto for a generation (at least for a moment).

Regardless, myth takes the place of history as Roland Barthes would say. Kathleen Hanna is one of the many founding members of the Riot Grrrl movement, but is given most of the credit for its inception and drive. The Riot Grrrl scene is credited with a lot; third wave feminist revival, resistance to violent-male-dominated punk rock shows, inspiration for girls to start bands, and embracing the words slut and bitch! Riot Grrrl began in a small town (primarily populated by white middle class, which has been a legitimate criticism for the movement's exclusion, whether it be purposeful or coincidental) in Washington State called Olympia. A group of girls, many of whom attended the progressive liberal arts college Evergreen, began getting together women to talk about gender, music, art, and whatever else came up. They began setting up shows together of female bands and creating zines (low budget, uncensored d.i.y little magazines). Tobi Vail was making a zine called "Riot Grrrl" and this became the referential name for what was taking place. The 'catch phrases' became "Revolution, grrrl style, now!" and "Grrrl Power!" Slowly, people in other states and finally countries began catching on and some of the girls moved to Washington D.C to spread the riot.

Once the media got a hold of the spreading scene, the subversive intentions of its participants were manipulated, altered and exploited. The radical activism of the women was not a representation of femininity that could sell. The riot grrrl message was marginalized by magazines from Newsweek to Rolling Stone to Seventeen. Kathleen Hanna was the most outspoken (and perhaps considered one of the prettier) riot grrrls so much of the media attention was placed on her band Bikini Kill. Interviewers sought out controversial statements and often misquoted the women or did not put their words in an appropriate context. The women's efforts were usually marginalized as a group of girls parading in their underwear trying to be fierce, calling their attempts "cute" or criticizing them for not being political enough in their intentions.


Around the same time, the phrase "Girl Power" was reappropriated for the "band" The Spice Girls. What was once a subversive message was reduced to a phrase that praised and gave 'power' to women for dressing in provocative clothing and representing different male fantasies. Many Riot Grrrls distanced themselves from the scene at this time, and many refused to discuss the issue for years because of the frustration and pain caused by the experience.

If you are interested in checking out some Riot Grrrl bands, books movies here is a list of some to start you off:

Heavens to Betsy
Bratmobile
Sleater-Kinney
Bikini Kill
Huggy Bear
The Slits
Babes in Toyland
Team Dresch

Sarah Dyer's Action Girl comics

Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl (movie)
movie trailer: