Matt Johnson
The Riot Grrrl movement allowed many marginalized women to find an outlet for all the frustration and anger held inside them for a long period of time. In Ryan Moore’s article “Young, Gifted, and Slack” he was discussing the Riot Grrrl movement and said “The shouts and shrieks embodied the rage and resistance of young women: the refusal to remain silent and the demand to be heard” (Moore 129). This resonates with the Riot Grrrl movement, showing how women were able to find a vocal and physical outlet for all of the pain and suffering they have to deal with. The fact that women weren’t seen as serious musicians in the time of the Riot Grrrl movement further empowered women performers to be extremely exuberant in expressing their anger towards society as a whole for seeing them as subpar musicians. This empowerment of women being on stage able to express themselves is what Alice Bag experienced as stated in her article “Violence Girl”. In the article Bag said “When the band started playing, I realized that I was losing myself in the performance again. I hadn't noticed the first time we played, but there was an intense anger inside of me that turned even the most trite lyrics into a verbal assault. I felt like a woman possessed, and the ritual of being onstage was my exorcism” (Bag 215). This description of a female artist performing in the midst of the Riot Grrrl movement illustrates how the feeling of freedom and expression can cultivate unique performances that draw from personal pain and transgression. The relatability of the lyrics and societal anguish expressed in the performances by artists in the Riot Grrrl movement is what spurred the movement to catch fire. These women who were tired of being oppressed and looked down upon in the music world and beyond found that music allowed them to express their struggles within a supportive community that shared their experiences.
Shampoo - Don’t call me Babe
Lush - Ladykillers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iedz_x6Hlhw
The songs “Don’t call me Babe” by Shampoo and “Ladykillers” by Lush both embody the theme from the readings of women finding an outlet in music for them to express their daily struggles. In “Don’t call me Babe” the main line is “Don’t Call me, Babe” and is the band’s way of expressing their disgust with men calling females babe and objectifying them. This song connects to the readings from this week because the band is expressing their dissatisfaction through music about the way they are being treated as women, similar to the music of female artists such as Alice Bag part of the Riot Grrrl movement. In Alice Bag's article "Violence Girl" she talked about the anger she would express about the way women were treated in society while performing, which is similar to the expression in the song "Don't call me Babe". The second song I chose, “Lush”, has a line “You think you're such a lady killer, I just bet you're still there, posing in the mirror”. This line and the song as a whole is a critique at men who think they’re the best charmer, but they’re really just fooling themselves. This song connects to the readings from this week because the band’s lyrics are from a female perspective of someone who is fed up with men thinking women must like them because they’re the best. This is similar to how the artists that were a part of the Riot Grrrl movement such as Alice Bag were rebelling against men treating them as their possessions and taking them for granted. The messages in both songs about women being independent and rebelling against society are evidence that the bands are trying to be heard amidst the constant suppresion of female voices. This is similar to the theme in Ryan Moore's article “Young, Gifted, and Slack” about how the Riot Grrrl movement was about giving marginalized women a voice.
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