A Study on the Correlation Between Third-wave Feminism and the Riot Grrrl Movement in the 1990s in the United States by Analyzing Bikini Kill and Bratmobile

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to dive into the 1990s and try to understand the interrelation between third-wave feminism and the musical and political movement, Riot Grrrl, through careful analysis of two representative bands of the movement. With the understanding established, the paper would then try to analyze the reasons why the movement was ephemeral. Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, two specific bands symbolic of the Riot Grrrl movement would be investigated to appreciate the values of the movement with an analysis of their songs lyrics and live performances. Another close look at the mainstream media as well as male rock stars and listeners would be taken with the hope of gaining specific insights into the reasons and steps for the rapid decline of the movement. The result of the study shows a complex relationship between the Riot Grrrl movement and third-wave feminism that happened around the same period, in which neither one was fully dependent on the other and both promoted the improvement of the other. The ephemeral existence of the Riot Grrrl movement was also a direct cause of the young activists, weary of misinterpreted publicity, choosing their results not by their own will, but due to pressure from public media. In the intercorrelation of third-wave feminism and the Riot Grrrl movement, both movements affected each other in a way that feminism provided the foundation for which Riot Grrrl movement and Riot Grrrl reversely provided strength and intensity third-wave feminism with its distinct features of directness as well as auditory and visual violence. Despite similarities between the two, the Riot Grrrl movement eventually diverges away from third-wave feminism, withering away from history due to criticism that resulted in Riot Grrrls rejection of the mainstream criticism and misrepresentation of their images while leaving remnants of their rebellious spirit and distinct music that people today still are affected by.