The association between punk subculture and feminism can be traced back to Kathleen Hanna’s legacy in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area during the early nineties. Through underground, homemade magazines – or “zines,” rather – and her involvement in the bands Le Tigre and Bikini Kill, Ms. Hanna created a following, officially through the riot grrrl manifesto published in 1991, which became known historically as the “Riot Grrrl” movement.
This feminist spirit is reviving twenty years later in underground rock, punk, and heavy metal scenes. Last month, the lead of Candy Hearts, Mariel Loveland, discussed in an Alternative Press editorial a series of things that rationally irritate women at rock concerts and incorporated conclusions of a survey that asked readers if they’ve ever experienced sexism at a show. Major points wrap around sexuality and gender that single out women, as opposed to male fans:
- Inappropriate Touching At Shows
- “You’re a fangirl.”
- “You only like this band because the lead singer is cute.”
- “You wore ____; that means you’re a ______.”
- Feminine fatales need to “toughen up.”
- If it’s ‘unattractive,’ you shouldn’t do it.
- “Girls can’t ________.”
- Assumptions of Sexual Assault
- Peculiarizing
Clearly, there are is a lot going on within a dynamic at a show cross-culturally, between different genders. The piece was initially inspired by a post on the singer’s Tumblr blog about how she is perceived as a woman, rather than just an artist, online. Loveland’s story received so much attention that she wrote a reaction piece (to everyone else’s reaction) last Wednesday, also in Alternative Press: “The only way to combat sexism is to continue to talk about it.” That is a precise phrase that fully encompasses the riot girrl movement.
An interesting take of the revival can be also seen through performance. The Taffety Punk Theatre Company in Washington DC will be performing Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus with an all-girl cast, according to the Washington Post. Fortunately, tickets are only fifteen dollars.
By Danielle Corcione, Guest Contributor
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