The Untold Stories of Riot Grrrl Critics and Revolutionists

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Untold Stories of Riot Grrrl Critics and Revolutionists “Wait a Minute, There’s a Sister in There?” The Untold Stories of Riot Grrrl Critics and Revolutionists by Katherine Ross Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Sociology) Acadia University Spring Convocation 2018 © by Katherine Ross, 2017 This thesis by Katherine Ross was defended successfully in an oral examination on 17th November 2017. The examining committee for the thesis was: ________________________ Dr. Anna Redden, Chair ________________________ Dr. Riley Chisholm, External Examiner ________________________ Dr. Sarah Rudrum, Internal Reader ________________________ Dr. Saara Liinamaa, Supervisor _________________________ Dr. Jesse Carlson, Acting Head This thesis is accepted in its present form by the Division of Research and Graduate Studies as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree Master of Arts (Sociology). …………………………………………. ii I, Katherine Ross, grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to reproduce, loan or distribute copies of my thesis in microform, paper or electronic formats on a non-profit basis. I, however, retain the copyright in my thesis. _________________________________ Author _________________________________ Supervisor _________________________________ Date iii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE: THE HISTORY AND RECEPTION OF RIOT GRRRL .............. 1 CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUALIZATION OF RIOT GRRRL ............................ 10 PERSPECTIVES OF RIOT GRRRL ................................................................................ 10 ZINES AS CULTURAL PRODUCTION ......................................................................... 15 YOUNG FEMINIST SUBCULTURAL STUDIES/ GIRL STUDIES ............................. 17 THE ROOTS OF PUNK ................................................................................................... 21 THE JOURNEY THROUGH FEMINISM ....................................................................... 23 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL IMPRESSIONS OF FEMINISM AND CULTURE ........................................................................................................................ 28 FEMINIST THEORY ....................................................................................................... 28 Standpoint Theory ...................................................................................................... 30 CRITICAL RACE THEORY ............................................................................................ 34 Intersectional Theory ................................................................................................. 35 SUBCULTURAL THEORY ............................................................................................. 38 CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY AND METHODS ......................................... 47 NARRARTIVE ANALYSIS............................................................................................. 47 STANDPOINT METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 50 METHODS ........................................................................................................................ 54 PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................. 55 RECRUITMENT ............................................................................................................... 57 ETHICS ............................................................................................................................. 58 INTERPRETATION ......................................................................................................... 58 DATA LIMITATIONS ..................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER FIVE: INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT SYNOPSIS .................................. 64 TANYA PALIT ................................................................................................................. 64 FANNY VON BEAVERHAUSEN .................................................................................. 65 HONEYCHILD COLEMAN ............................................................................................ 67 MICHELLE CRUZ GONZALES ..................................................................................... 68 iv HOLLY SEARLE ............................................................................................................. 69 SARI .................................................................................................................................. 71 VHC .................................................................................................................................. 72 KAMALA PARKS ............................................................................................................ 74 CHAPTER SIX: SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERIES AND INTERPRETATIONS .... 76 EXPERIENCES OF MISOGYNY IN PUNK ................................................................... 76 AMERICAN INFLUENCE OF RIOT GRRRL ................................................................ 81 MISUSE OF THE RIOT GRRRL LABEL ....................................................................... 85 DISTRUST OF RIOT GRRRL ........................................................................................ 88 PUNK POINTS AND POLICING ............................................................................ ……91 SHARED PRINCIPLES .................................................................................................... 96 RACIAL POLITICS IN RIOT GRRRL .......................................................................... 100 INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM ................................................................................... 104 CHAPTER SEVEN: FINAL DELIBERATIONS....................................................... 109 IMAGE REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 113 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 114 v ABSTRACT Feminist academia understands Riot Grrrl as a vital outlet for community support, sisterhood and activism; nonetheless, accounts of racial, class and sexual discrimination by the white, middle class front-runners of the movement have surfaced in the last decade. The hyper-masculine, mainstream US punk subculture struggled with racial and gender diversity, which was the key factor for the creation of Riot Grrrl feminism. In this thesis, I argue that, like its parent culture, Riot Grrrl follows similar hierarchical power structures. I use narrative analysis and standpoint theory to organize the stories of activists through eight semi-structured interviews. Each participant’s relationship to the Riot Grrrl movement is unique and the interviews articulate how they have tailored and rejected dominant ideas and philosophies of Riot Grrrl, and how they highlight concerns relative to them. The study concludes that poor executions of well-intended philosophies can hinder its original purpose. Diversity and inclusion should be vital parts of feminist ideology. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to the wonderful women in my life. Thank you for giving me the courage to keep writing, to ‘stay woke’, and to dismantle the patriarchy. From my roller derby league, to my beautiful wife, to my patient supervisor, to my academic crew: you inspire me. Thank you. I cannot take full credit for this thesis, as I only cultivated some ideas and wrote them down. I must give credit to the feminist scholars that have worked hard to ensure my academic freedom. I must give credit to those activists on the frontline of the rally who scream in the face of authority. And I must give credit to the women in punk who allowed me to share their stories in the hope that future feminisms will not make the same mistakes. vii CHAPTER ONE: THE HISTORY AND RECEPTION OF RIOT GRRRL Women and women-identified individuals have always been in punk, yet the male- dominated space restricted their participation and cultural production. Resistance to the misogyny and sexual exploitation of women in punk spawned Riot Grrrl that highlighted women’s interests and provided a space for the circulation and community of feminist activism. Nevertheless, the token Riot Grrrl musicians and activists limited the representation of women of color, transgender women, and working class women within the original 1990s Riot Grrrl movement. The dominant group consisted of white cis-gender, middle class, educated women who set the hegemonic ideology and ‘Punk Point’ system that maintained the social order. For women of color and LGBTQ individuals, the front- runners countermanded their voices, which contributed to unrepresented individuals’ detachment from the movement. This detachment, however, sparked the conception of another feminist punk subculture, one that highlighted struggles of minority groups. In contemporary times, there are bands and cultural producers who use the Riot Grrrl label to construct community and practice, drawing on components of the feminist ideology used in the original movement such as zines, punk music, and activism. However, innovative Riot Grrrl
Recommended publications
  • Lesbian and Gay Music
    Revista Eletrônica de Musicologia Volume VII – Dezembro de 2002 Lesbian and Gay Music by Philip Brett and Elizabeth Wood the unexpurgated full-length original of the New Grove II article, edited by Carlos Palombini A record, in both historical documentation and biographical reclamation, of the struggles and sensi- bilities of homosexual people of the West that came out in their music, and of the [undoubted but unacknowledged] contribution of homosexual men and women to the music profession. In broader terms, a special perspective from which Western music of all kinds can be heard and critiqued. I. INTRODUCTION TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION 1 II. (HOMO)SEXUALIT Y AND MUSICALIT Y 2 III. MUSIC AND THE LESBIAN AND GAY MOVEMENT 7 IV. MUSICAL THEATRE, JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC 10 V. MUSIC AND THE AIDS/HIV CRISIS 13 VI. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 1990S 14 VII. DIVAS AND DISCOS 16 VIII. ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY 19 IX. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 24 X. EDITOR’S NOTES 24 XI. DISCOGRAPHY 25 XII. BIBLIOGRAPHY 25 I. INTRODUCTION TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION 1 What Grove printed under ‘Gay and Lesbian Music’ was not entirely what we intended, from the title on. Since we were allotted only two 2500 words and wrote almost five times as much, we inevitably expected cuts. These came not as we feared in the more theoretical sections, but in certain other tar- geted areas: names, popular music, and the role of women. Though some living musicians were allowed in, all those thought to be uncomfortable about their sexual orientation’s being known were excised, beginning with Boulez.
    [Show full text]
  • T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F W I S C O N S I N S Y S T
    T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f W i s c o n s i n S y s t e m FFFeministeministeminist CollectionsCollectionsCollections A Quarterly of Women’s Studies Resources W OMEN’ S S TUDIES Volume 23, Number 4, Summer 2002 Published by Phyllis Holman Weisbard L IBRARIAN Women’s Studies Librarian Feminist Collections A Quarterly of Women’s Studies Resources Women’s Studies Librarian University of Wisconsin System 430 Memorial Library 728 State St. Madison, WI 53706 Phone: 608-263-5754 Fax: 608-265-2754 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/ Editors: Phyllis Holman Weisbard, JoAnne Lehman Line drawings, including cover: Miriam Greenwald Graphic design assistance: Dan Joe Staff assistance: Lynne Chase, Teresa Fernandez, Ingrid Markhardt, Katie Roberts, Caroline Vantine Subscriptions: $30 (individuals or nonprofit women’s programs, outside Wisconsin); $55 (institutions, outside Wisconsin); $16 (Wisconsin individuals or nonprofit women’s programs); $22.50 (Wisconsin institutions); $8.25 (UW individuals); $15 (UW organizations). Wisconsin subscriber amounts include state tax, except for UW organization amount. Postage (for foreign subscribers only): surface mail (Canada: $13; all others: $15); air mail (Canada: $25; all others: $55). (Subscriptions cover most publications produced by this office, including Feminist Collections, Feminist Periodicals, and New Books on Women & Feminism.) Numerous bibliographies and other informational files are available on the Women’s Studies Librarian’s World Wide Website,
    [Show full text]
  • Punk: Music, History, Sub/Culture Indicate If Seminar And/Or Writing II Course
    MUSIC HISTORY 13 PAGE 1 of 14 MUSIC HISTORY 13 General Education Course Information Sheet Please submit this sheet for each proposed course Department & Course Number Music History 13 Course Title Punk: Music, History, Sub/Culture Indicate if Seminar and/or Writing II course 1 Check the recommended GE foundation area(s) and subgroups(s) for this course Foundations of the Arts and Humanities • Literary and Cultural Analysis • Philosophic and Linguistic Analysis • Visual and Performance Arts Analysis and Practice x Foundations of Society and Culture • Historical Analysis • Social Analysis x Foundations of Scientific Inquiry • Physical Science With Laboratory or Demonstration Component must be 5 units (or more) • Life Science With Laboratory or Demonstration Component must be 5 units (or more) 2. Briefly describe the rationale for assignment to foundation area(s) and subgroup(s) chosen. This course falls into social analysis and visual and performance arts analysis and practice because it shows how punk, as a subculture, has influenced alternative economic practices, led to political mobilization, and challenged social norms. This course situates the activity of listening to punk music in its broader cultural ideologies, such as the DIY (do-it-yourself) ideal, which includes nontraditional musical pedagogy and composition, cooperatively owned performance venues, and underground distribution and circulation practices. Students learn to analyze punk subculture as an alternative social formation and how punk productions confront and are times co-opted by capitalistic logic and normative economic, political and social arrangements. 3. "List faculty member(s) who will serve as instructor (give academic rank): Jessica Schwartz, Assistant Professor Do you intend to use graduate student instructors (TAs) in this course? Yes x No If yes, please indicate the number of TAs 2 4.
    [Show full text]
  • The Death of Postfeminism : Oprah and the Riot Grrrls Talk Back By
    The death of postfeminism : Oprah and the Riot Grrrls talk back by Cathy Sue Copenhagen A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English Montana State University © Copyright by Cathy Sue Copenhagen (2002) Abstract: This paper addresses the ways feminism operates in two female literary communities: the televised Oprah Winfrey talk show and book club and the Riot Grrrl zine movement. Both communities are analyzed as ideological responses of women and girls to consumerism, media conglomeration, mainstream appropriation of movements, and postmodern "postfeminist" cultural fragmentation. The far-reaching "Oprah" effect on modem publishing is critiqued, as well as the controversies and contradictions of the effect. Oprah is analyzed as a divided text operating in a late capitalist culture with third wave feminist tactics. The Riot Grrrl movement is discussed as the potential beginning of a fourth wave of feminism. The Grrrls redefine feminism and femininity in their music and writings in zines. The two sites are important to study as they are mainly populated by under represented segments of "postfeminist" society: middle aged women and young girls. THE DEATH OF "POSTFEMINISM": OPRAH AND THE RIOT GRRRLS TALK BACK by Cathy Sue Copenhagen A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, MT May 2002 ii , ^ 04 APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Cathy Sue Copenhagen This thesis has been read by each member of a thesis committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English Usage, format, citations, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to the College of Graduate Studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF > Riot Grrrl \\ 3Y8OTSVISUJF
    LWSRQOQGSW3L / Book ~ Riot grrrl Riot grrrl Filesize: 8.18 MB Reviews Unquestionably, this is actually the very best work by any article writer. It usually does not price a lot of. Once you begin to read the book, it is extremely difficult to leave it before concluding. (Augustine Pfannerstill) DISCLAIMER | DMCA GOKP10TMWQNH / Kindle ~ Riot grrrl RIOT GRRRL To download Riot grrrl PDF, make sure you refer to the button under and download the document or gain access to other information which might be related to RIOT GRRRL book. Reference Series Books LLC Jan 2012, 2012. Taschenbuch. Book Condition: Neu. 249x189x10 mm. Neuware - Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 54. Chapters: Kill Rock Stars, Sleater-Kinney, Tobi Vail, Kathleen Hanna, Lucid Nation, Jessicka, Carrie Brownstein, Kids Love Lies, G. B. Jones, Sharon Cheslow, The Shondes, Jack O Jill, Not Bad for a Girl, Phranc, Bratmobile, Fih Column, Caroline Azar, Bikini Kill, Times Square, Jen Smith, Nomy Lamm, Huggy Bear, Karen Finley, Bidisha, Kaia Wilson, Emily's Sassy Lime, Mambo Taxi, The Yo-Yo Gang, Ladyfest, Bangs, Shopliing, Mecca Normal, Voodoo Queens, Sister George, Heavens to Betsy, Donna Dresch, Allison Wolfe, Billy Karren, Kathi Wilcox, Tattle Tale, Sta-Prest, All Women Are Bitches, Excuse 17, Pink Champagne, Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary, Juliana Luecking, Lungleg, Rizzo, Tammy Rae Carland, The Frumpies, Lisa Rose Apramian, List of Riot Grrl bands, 36-C, Girl Germs, Cold Cold Hearts, Frightwig, Yer So Sweet, Direction, Viva Knievel. Excerpt: Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is oen associated with third-wave feminism (it is sometimes seen as its starting point).
    [Show full text]
  • Susan J. Douglas, Enlightened Sexism: the Seductive Message That Feminism's Work Is Done, New York: Times Books, 2010, 368 Pp, $26.00 (Hardcover).1
    International Journal of Communication 5 (2011), Book Review 639–643 1932–8036/2011BKR0639 Susan J. Douglas, Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism's Work is Done, New York: Times Books, 2010, 368 pp, $26.00 (hardcover).1 Reviewed by Umayyah Cable University of Southern California With biting wit, Susan Douglas’ Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism's Work is Done sets out to historicize the ever growing divide between the image and the reality of women in the United States. Refusing to fall for the trope of "post-feminism," Douglas is quick to point out that the current state of women's affairs is not reflective of the supposed successful completion of feminism, but is rather an indication of the insidious development of a cultural practice coined as "enlightened sexism." Defined as "feminist in its outward appearance . but sexist in its intent," enlightened sexism takes shape through carefully crafted representations of women that are "dedicated to the undoing of feminism" (p. 10). Douglas’ refusal of the conceptualization of this phenomenon as "post-feminism" stems from an astute observation that the current miserable state of women's affairs in the United States is not to be blamed on feminism (as the peddlers of enlightened sexism would have you think), but on "good, old-fashioned, grade-A sexism that reinforces good, old-fashioned, grade-A patriarchy" (p. 10). Aside from tracing the genealogy of enlightened sexism, this book emphasizes the sociopolitical consequences that are concealed beneath such a mentality, such as the systematic disenfranchisement of poor women and women of color under the so-called liberatory system of consumer capitalism, all while contradictory representations of women are disseminated as "proof" that the liberation of women has been achieved.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring “Girl Power”: Gender, Literacy and the Textual Practices of Young Women Attending an Elite School
    English Teaching: Practice and Critique September, 2007, Volume 6, Number 2 http://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/2007v6n2art5 pp. 72-88 Exploring “girl power”: Gender, literacy and the textual practices of young women attending an elite school CLAIRE CHARLES Faculty of Education, Monash University ABSTRACT: Popular discourses concerning the relationship between gender and academic literacies have suggested that boys are lacking in particular, school-based literacy competencies compared with girls. Such discourses construct “gender” according to a binary framework and they obscure the way in which literacy and textual practices operate as a site in which gendered identities are constituted and negotiated by young people in multiple sites including schooling, which academic inquiry has often emphasized. In this paper I consider the school-based textual practices of young women attending an elite school, in order to explore how these practices construct “femininities”. Feminist education researchers have shown how young women negotiate discourses of feminine passivity and heterosexuality through their reading and writing practices. Yet discourses of girlhood and femininity have undergone important transformations in times of ‘girl power’ in which young women are increasingly constructed as successful, autonomous and sexually agentic. Thus young women’s reading and writing practices may well operate as a space in which new discourses around girlhood and femininity are constituted. Throughout the paper, I utilize the notion of “performativity”, understood through the work of Judith Butler, to show how textual practices variously inscribe and negotiate discourses of gender. Thus the importance of textual work in inscribing and challenging notions of gender is asserted.
    [Show full text]
  • January/February 2014 Vol
    The Gainesville Iguana January/February 2014 Vol. 28, Issue 1/2 CMC SpringBoard fundraiser March 21 by Joe Courter The date for the Civic Media Center’s annual SpringBoard fundraiser is Friday evening, March 21. There will be a new location this year after last year’s venture at Prairie Creek Lodge, and that is in the heart of Down- town Gainesville at the Wooly, 20 N. Main St., a new event venue in what is the old Woolworth building next to and run by The Top restaurant. There will be food from various area restaurants, a si- lent auction and raffle items, and awards. The speaker this year is an old friend of McDonald’s workers and allies strike on July 31, 2013 in Chicago. Photo by Steve Rhodes. the CMC, David Barsamian, the founder and main man with Alternative Radio, who said he is “honored to follow in No- 2013 in review: Aiming higher, am’s footsteps.” labor tries new angles and alliances That is fitting because Alternative Ra- by Jenny Brown ment that jobs that once paid the bills, dio has made a special effort to archive from bank teller to university instructor, Noam Chomsky talks since its founding This article originally appeared in the now require food stamps and Medicaid to in 1989. David’s radio show was a staple January 2014 issue of LaborNotes. You supplement the wages of those who work See SPRINGBOARD, p. 2 can read the online version, complete with informative links and resources, at www. every day. labornotes.org/2013/12/2013-review- California Walmart worker Anthony INSIDE ..
    [Show full text]
  • “Punk Rock Is My Religion”
    “Punk Rock Is My Religion” An Exploration of Straight Edge punk as a Surrogate of Religion. Francis Elizabeth Stewart 1622049 Submitted in fulfilment of the doctoral dissertation requirements of the School of Language, Culture and Religion at the University of Stirling. 2011 Supervisors: Dr Andrew Hass Dr Alison Jasper 1 Acknowledgements A debt of acknowledgement is owned to a number of individuals and companies within both of the two fields of study – academia and the hardcore punk and Straight Edge scenes. Supervisory acknowledgement: Dr Andrew Hass, Dr Alison Jasper. In addition staff and others who read chapters, pieces of work and papers, and commented, discussed or made suggestions: Dr Timothy Fitzgerald, Dr Michael Marten, Dr Ward Blanton and Dr Janet Wordley. Financial acknowledgement: Dr William Marshall and the SLCR, The Panacea Society, AHRC, BSA and SOCREL. J & C Wordley, I & K Stewart, J & E Stewart. Research acknowledgement: Emily Buningham @ ‘England’s Dreaming’ archive, Liverpool John Moore University. Philip Leach @ Media archive for central England. AHRC funded ‘Using Moving Archives in Academic Research’ course 2008 – 2009. The 924 Gilman Street Project in Berkeley CA. Interview acknowledgement: Lauren Stewart, Chloe Erdmann, Nathan Cohen, Shane Becker, Philip Johnston, Alan Stewart, N8xxx, and xEricx for all your help in finding willing participants and arranging interviews. A huge acknowledgement of gratitude to all who took part in interviews, giving of their time, ideas and self so willingly, it will not be forgotten. Acknowledgement and thanks are also given to Judy and Loanne for their welcome in a new country, providing me with a home and showing me around the Bay Area.
    [Show full text]
  • Cashing in on “Girl Power”: the Commodification of Postfeminist Ideals in Advertising
    CASHING IN ON “GIRL POWER”: THE COMMODIFICATION OF POSTFEMINIST IDEALS IN ADVERTISING _______________________________________ A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts _____________________________________________________ by MARY JANE ROGERS Dr. Cristina Mislán, Thesis Supervisor DECEMBER 2017 © Copyright by Mary Jane Allison Rogers 2017 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled CASHING IN ON “GIRL POWER”: THE COMMODIFICATION OF POSTFEMINIST IDEALS IN ADVERTISING presented by Mary Jane Rogers, a candidate for the degree of master of arts, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Cristina Mislán Professor Cynthia Frisby Professor Amanda Hinnant Professor Mary Jo Neitz CASHING IN ON “GIRL POWER” ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My utmost gratitude goes to my advisor, Dr. Cristina Mislán, for supporting me throughout this process. She honed my interest in critically studying gender issues in the media, and her guidance, honesty and encouragement are the reasons I was able to develop the conclusions presented in this paper. I would also like to thank Dr. Amanda Hinnant, Dr. Cynthia Frisby, and Dr. Mary Jo Neitz for their immensely helpful suggestions before and during the research process of this study. Their enthusiasm and guidance was incredibly meaningful, especially during the developmental stages of my research. Additionally, I would like to thank my friends and family for their ongoing support. Special mention needs to be made of Mallory, my cheerleader and motivator from the first day of graduate school, and my Dad and Mom, who have been there since the beginning.
    [Show full text]
  • Contradictionary Lies: a Play Not About Kurt Cobain Katie
    CONTRADICTIONARY LIES: A PLAY NOT ABOUT KURT COBAIN KATIE WALLACE Bachelor of Arts in English/Dramatic Arts Cleveland State University May 2012 Master of Arts in English Cleveland State University May 2015 submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING at the NORTHEAST OHIO MFA and CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY May 2018 We hereby approve this thesis For KATIE WALLACE Candidate for the MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING degree For the department of English, the Northeast Ohio MFA Program And CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY’S College of Graduate Studies by ________________________________________________________________ Thesis Chairperson, Imad Rahman ____________________________________________________ Department and date _________________________________________________________________ Eric Wasserman _____________________________________________________ Department and date ________________________________________________________________ Michael Geither ____________________________________________________ Department and date Student’s date of defense April 19, 2018 CONTRADICTIONARY LIES: A PLAY NOT ABOUT KURT COBAIN KATIE WALLACE ABSTRACT Contradictionary Lies: A Play Not About Kurt Cobain is a one-act play that follows failed rocker Jimbo as he deals with aging, his divorce, and disappointment. As he and his estranged wife Kelly divvy up their belongings and ultimately their memories, Jimbo is visited by his guardian angel, the ghost of dead rock star Kurt Cobain. Part dark comedy,
    [Show full text]
  • The Problematic Westernization of Pussy Riot
    Macalester College DigitalCommons@Macalester College Gateway Prize for Excellent Writing Academic Programs and Advising 2020 The Riot Continues: The Problematic Westernization of Pussy Riot Adam Clark Macalester College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/studentawards Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Clark, Adam, "The Riot Continues: The Problematic Westernization of Pussy Riot" (2020). Gateway Prize for Excellent Writing. 16. https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/studentawards/16 This Gateway Prize for Excellent Writing is brought to you for free and open access by the Academic Programs and Advising at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gateway Prize for Excellent Writing by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Adam Clark Victoria Malawey, Gender & Music The Riot Continues: The Problematic Westernization of Pussy Riot “We’re gonna take over the punk scene for feminists” -Kathleen Hanna Although they share feminist ideals, the Russian art collective Pussy Riot distinguishes themselves from the U.S.-based Riot Grrrl Movement, as exemplified by the band Bikini Kill, because of their location-specific protest work in Moscow. Understanding how Pussy Riot is both similar to and different from Riot Grrrl is important for contextualizing the way we think about diverse, transnational feminisms so that we may develop more inclusive and nuanced ways in conceptualizing these feminisms in the future. While Pussy Riot shares similar ideals championed by Bikini Kill in the Riot Grrrl movement, they have temporal and location-specific activisms and each group has their own ways of protesting injustices against women and achieving their unique goals.
    [Show full text]