Image: Feral78
From the chunky knit jumpers to the precariously perched baseball caps, you might have noticed the 1990s is back in fashion. Generation No-one Understands Me (AKA Generation X) has been updated to Generation No-one Understands Me Outside My Tumblr Feed.
Oh yes, early 90s grunge is back to stomp all over any dreams of the 21st century fashion being space agey, in tatty DM boots. Teenagers are mining through the strata of eyeliner and matte lipstick to find some gems from this time – oh hey, you ever heard of this great old band The Smashing Pumpkins?
Oh yes, early 90s grunge is back to stomp all over any dreams of the 21st century fashion being space agey, in tatty DM boots. Teenagers are mining through the strata of eyeliner and matte lipstick to find some gems from this time – oh hey, you ever heard of this great old band The Smashing Pumpkins?
One of the glorious discoveries from the '90s young women have struck upon is Riot Grrrl. Which is fortunate because it's 20 (or so) years since Bikini Kill was formed by Kathleen Hanna, Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox and Billy Karren, the band are marking this by re-issuing their original material. This nostalgia-fest started on the 20th of November with the re-release of the 1992 Bikini Kill EP.
In the spirit of Riot Grrrl's refusal to sit back and accept things the way they are, Bikini Kill are no longer on the Kill Rock Stars label. Kathleen Hanna told AV Club that “Kill Rock Stars already had everything. They had been our label since we started... we had really good friendships with the guy who started the label. But as the years progressed...we just didn’t know anybody at the label anymore. They don’t put ads anywhere if they know you’re not going to be playing any time soon. So we just decided that it was time to make the move and start our own record label.”
In the spirit of Riot Grrrl's refusal to sit back and accept things the way they are, Bikini Kill are no longer on the Kill Rock Stars label. Kathleen Hanna told AV Club that “Kill Rock Stars already had everything. They had been our label since we started... we had really good friendships with the guy who started the label. But as the years progressed...we just didn’t know anybody at the label anymore. They don’t put ads anywhere if they know you’re not going to be playing any time soon. So we just decided that it was time to make the move and start our own record label.”
| Hanna notes the '90s revival has caused an influx of e-mails from teenagers just discovering Bikini Kill and cursing their bad luck of being conceived around the same time Riot Grrrl was just getting started. When these teens tell Hanna they want to kick start a Riot Grrrl revival in their home towns the advice she gives them is: “Don’t revive it, make something better.” | “Don’t revive it, make something better.” |
Gone are the days of creeping into the college/office photocopy room to produce stapled 'zines to get the word out. Any grrrl with concerns she's the only one to ever feel the way she does can simply google her interests and happen upon 1000s like her.
I think it's interesting that after over a decade of allowing first the Spice Girls, X Factor and then Rhianna to represent Girlhood, today's teenage girls are realising the plain fact: we was robbed! They are listening to iTunes playlists and saying Eff. That. Noise. (Girls, watch your language!)
If you don't find the idea of girls being portrayed as vacuous humans interested only in diamonds, reality TV and politely laughing at rape jokes vomitous then you must be Simon Cowell. Are you Simon Cowell? Hi! Girls are telling us these manufactured bands and solo artists will not suffice, they're not enough. You know what Tumblr and Pinterest prove? People love a good project – not slick end products - and Riot Grrrl was a project on a giant and ramshackle proportion.
It is exciting to see the Riot Grrrl precedent taking root in projects such as Pussy Riot (never forget at the root of all of this is the desire for freedom), Slut Walk and blogs. I believe these people who are too young to have been a Riot Grrrl are taking Hanna's advice, taking it and making it better. Particularly as it gains momentum alongside (or rather, against) the Lad revival, shouting down the bile it expels and excuses as 'banter'. All the while young women, inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement, are calling out the inequalities in feminism and recognising the necessity of allies and intersectionality. Maybe 2013 will be the year that all we have to decide upon is a new name for this movement. Not Riot Womaaarrrghn please.
Squeamish Kate
Related Posts
Revolution Grrrl Style Now!
The Grrrl Revolution is not over
The Riot Don't Diet Plan
Riot Grrrl's Not Dead It's just Pickling
I think it's interesting that after over a decade of allowing first the Spice Girls, X Factor and then Rhianna to represent Girlhood, today's teenage girls are realising the plain fact: we was robbed! They are listening to iTunes playlists and saying Eff. That. Noise. (Girls, watch your language!)
If you don't find the idea of girls being portrayed as vacuous humans interested only in diamonds, reality TV and politely laughing at rape jokes vomitous then you must be Simon Cowell. Are you Simon Cowell? Hi! Girls are telling us these manufactured bands and solo artists will not suffice, they're not enough. You know what Tumblr and Pinterest prove? People love a good project – not slick end products - and Riot Grrrl was a project on a giant and ramshackle proportion.
It is exciting to see the Riot Grrrl precedent taking root in projects such as Pussy Riot (never forget at the root of all of this is the desire for freedom), Slut Walk and blogs. I believe these people who are too young to have been a Riot Grrrl are taking Hanna's advice, taking it and making it better. Particularly as it gains momentum alongside (or rather, against) the Lad revival, shouting down the bile it expels and excuses as 'banter'. All the while young women, inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement, are calling out the inequalities in feminism and recognising the necessity of allies and intersectionality. Maybe 2013 will be the year that all we have to decide upon is a new name for this movement. Not Riot Womaaarrrghn please.
Squeamish Kate
Related Posts
Revolution Grrrl Style Now!
The Grrrl Revolution is not over
The Riot Don't Diet Plan
Riot Grrrl's Not Dead It's just Pickling
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