Ra Ra Riot Grrrl!

The Punk Singer - The Kathleen Hanna Documentary

2011-10-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to make this a quick post before I post my next review. I'm really excited for The Punk Singer, by Sini Anderson, to come out. But I also wanted to share the fact that the film is still open for funding, even after having met its goal. It's great to support things we believe in. If you could, check out KickStarter where you can donate 5$ and up toward funding the film. The more you donate, the cooler goodies you get. Plus, the stuff you get will be signed by Kathleen Hanna. If you donate 50$ and up you'll get your names on the film credits. How awesome!

I know a lot of us don't have that kind of cash hanging around, but 5$ isn't too much. It's for a good cause and it means you go down in history as being a backer of a film chronicling Kathleen Hanna! That's a very special title. That's all for me...tons of schoolwork yet to do, but I'll be back with a review by week's end.
Byes!

Finally moved to Boston!

2011-10-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
It's been a while, but it's been a wild ride since June for me. I found a new job in the Boston area, so I I went through a whole process of cleaning out the AZ family home. That took quite a while! But once that was done, I made the road trip cross-country and made it those 2,700 odd miles to Boston. I still need to make friends here...anyone in the area wanna hang out sometime? Either way, I'm getting back into the groove and will be posting reviews and other randomness soon enough. This will also be my last semester in school. Woot!

Lots going on. How are you? Hope all is well. If you've been following the Occupy ___ movement...please send me what you've been doing. I'd like to follow what my fellow riot grrrls and feminists have been doing.

Peace everyone.

Kaia Wilson and Kathleen Hanna Revivals

2011-06-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

It's not necessarily anything new that both Kathleen Hanna and Kaia Wilson are having their own revivals, but it's something I thought I would share for anyone not in the know. Kaia Wilson, formerly of Team Dresch, The Butchies, Adickdid, has been performing a few gigs in promotion of her album that came out in 2008, titled Finally a Dyke Album for the Whole Family.

Kaia Wilson

Her album has good songs on it and that nice acoustic-y feel. I feel relaxed for the most part when listening to the album and definitely recommend it for any of her fans. She just performed at Yellow Feather Coffee in Denver, but I couldn't find any other gigs coming up. I'm hoping those will be listed soon cause it would totally rock to go to her show. Either way, I'd like to share an excellent interview that she did for Westword Blog yesterday.

In other news, Kathleen Hanna has now had an interview with Spinner and with CNN in the last couple of days.

Kathleen Hanna

I love reading interviews with her. But I do think that Riot Grrrl can happen in this decade; the internet just brings a whole different coloring to it. We have also go to get more women of color in on the movement. I'm proud to be of Mexican heritage and to be a Riot Grrrl. Yes, it's a grave contrast to the culture, but I don't want to fit into that mold. And with that, I do think that the Riot Grrrl movement of this decade is different but the spirit is there! We have blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and all kinds of social media at our disposal that can connect us all together in a more cohesive manner (if we wish). I also think her critiques of female artists like Katy Perry and Kesha are right on.
What I find sad are the comments on the articles that K is a man-hater, misogynistic, a misandrist, bitter, etc. Do you find her to be any of those things? For that matter, I don't find myself to be any of those things, even though I'm in line with the same values. I quite enjoy a good bit of estrogen and testosterone in my life and for everyone to be treated equally--unless they like popped collars--that is just inexcusable! :P Check out the articles! I'm so excited to see "Who Took the Bomp," the documentary of Le Tigre on tour. It just came out and should be a good watch. So much good stuff is coming out.
Anyone wanna throw some more good suggestions out for everyone?

That's about it for me because I'm strapped for time but would like to keep active on here! However, I'll leave you with this video from J.D. Samson's, of Le Tigre and now Men, new video "Off Our Backs." It's definitely danceable and just plain awesome. Take a watch!

Peace.

The Kathleen Hanna Project

2011-06-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

I've been in squealing, girly mode ever since hearing about the Fales Library and Special Collection Riot Grrrl Exhibit, but that's just between us. Now, Sini Anderson has been in the process of producing The Kathleen Hanna Project, in case you didn't know that--but you probably did! Hopefully, you're not saying "Who the heck is Kathleen Hanna?" If that's the case, Google her name or check Amazon for some great books. She's one of the reasons my blog is here today.

I just wanted to spread the word that a call for video submissions has been issued on the site and that's where we come in. It's supposed be about what Kathleen Hanna means to you, but you can also make a video about why you don't like Kathleen Hanna. I can't imagine why one would want to do that but am sure it happens. I'd actually love to hear one of those videos. I'll be working on my video ASAP because the deadline is July 1.

Wouldn't it be awesome to be featured in the documentary? Although I really just want to spread the word of Kathleen Hanna and think you all should too. Maybe another fundraising event for the documentary will be in order? I'd like to see some more Coco Moore! I've only seen pics, but I hear her rendition of Rebel Girl with her band She Murders was awesome! If anyone has a link to that performance, please send it my way! Ms. Hanna forever influenced my musical taste and was key in my pursuit of women's studies as a major and so much more. So, get your tapes in and let's help this project be successful.

Peace.

Rihanna's New Video - Yay or Nay?

2011-06-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, Rihanna causes quite a stir every time she releases a video, but do people make too much of a big deal out of it? Many times the feminist community is split amongst itself over questions of sexuality and depictions of women doing violent acts. Let's just push that aside and look at the issue at hand. The Parents Television Council is up in arms over Rihanna's latest "Man Down" single because of the video, and this is just shortly after "S&M" stirred up controversy because of the portrayal of what many would term 'sexual deviance,' rather than 'normal sexuality.'

What's wrong with "Man Down"? Well, it starts with Rihanna shooting a guy in the head. We later find out that he sexually assaulted her outside after Rihanna leaves the club where the two of them danced. Many think it went too far because she is condoning that sexual assault/domestic violence survivors use violence as a means of attaining justice.

Well, it's really just a fictitious story, and the message can be taken the wrong way, but I will play devil's advocate and say that I like the message in some ways. 1) It's not saying that THIS IS what survivors should do; it's just what she did in the video. 2)Shock value - 'nuff said! Think Eminem's "Kim" 3)It just shows that both men and women are capable of incredibly violent acts toward each other. 4)The truth is that women are often looked at more harshly for doing such an act. 5)Rihanna took her power back in the most animalistic way possible, instead of just taking it.

Let's not make so many moralistic judgments on the woman for this video. In the end, any of us could be put in that situation and one never knows what will happen. I would even venture to say that people see this portrayal in an even worse light because this was done by a woman of color. No one can deny that race plays a role in the way violent crimes (any crimes) are treated!

I say Yay to this video! And just for an aside, I mostly always like her hair. Please feel free to comment about what you think, but no flaming!

Peace.

Phoenix Comicon Amazingness!

2011-05-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend at Comicon because I knew I would have a lot of geeky things to do there, but little did I know that I would meet two celebrities! The first night, I was walking with Ando (my camera man), Anais (awesome friend), and Tim (Anais's boyfriend and my new friend) because we really wanted some coffee. Who would have known that most coffee joints (even Starbucks) would close at 4pm on a Friday when there's a convention. Though I should be thankful! We passed by Bruce Boxleitner (Tron himself!) twice and we kept looking at him and thinking he looked familiar, but it was actually Anais who realized it was Bruce Boxleitner. I must say that he was very friendly, down to earth, and he let us take a lovely picture with him.

I think it's a lovely photo. Anyway, there really was a lot to do. There was amateur voice acting, but I didn't get called. Then, we checked out the Hentai/Yaoi showing out of pure curiosity. However, the guy was rude and interrupted the scene right when the two guys were about to do something? I'll never know now! There was a big game room that was normally packed, making it really hard to be able to play any games at all, but I did get to play some Dance Dance Revolution for about 10 minutes.

Perhaps my favorite thing on the first night was the zombie walk, which we just missed, but we still got to catch some of the zombies. Their makeup was really well done. Here's one picture where we got some of the 'undead' to pose for us. They look good!

There was a lot to do Friday, but Saturday was the day that everyone decided to come and participate. The very first event we caught on Saturday was Max Brooks's talk on his books World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide. He was a great speaker and I just had to go buy WWZ and get an autograph. Yeah, we stood in line for about an hour but it was so worth it! I also got a pic with him and got to shake his hand. This was heaven, since I love riot grrrl and feminism and whatnot, but I also really love zombies! I think the pic came out nice.

Then, Stan Lee spoke, but I didn't get a really good picture of him. He's also an incredible public speaker. From there, we caught musical performances by Mega Ran and Mini Bosses. Both performances were really awesome! Mega Ran raps about what he sees and gave props to game sidekicks like Luigi. Mini Bosses really performed some mind-blowing rock. Their versions of Nintendo songs totally pwn.

There were also lots of panels on women in anime, female voice actors, representation of women, etc. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to most of these events but would love to hear from someone who did! I did make it to hear the roller derby grrrls speak about joining the league and what it's like to be in roller derby. It was a good panel because I've been considering joining a league. Unfortunately, my town is small and doesn't have a league and I would have to drive an hour away. Maybe when I live in a bigger city!

There was so much to do, but the convention center was so huge and we all had to do lots of walking. It was all worth it. The cosplayers also make it so much better because some of the costumes were right on and steam punk is really neat. Even if I'm not in Arizona next year, I will make every effort to go back and visit just for Comicon. I'll post some more photos for your viewing enjoyment.

Props to anyone who remembers Quail Man from Doug!

Awesome zombie!

Overall, Phoenix Comicon made the grade and I am just hoping that it'll get even better next year! Check out www.phoenixcomicon.com for more about the event and maybe you'll go next year. The pass was 35 dollars for the full event this year! Fellow riot grrrls should feel welcome in this environment. I'm hoping there will be just as much, or more events exploring issues women face in the comic, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, etc. businesses.

Pink Flag is Where It's At!

2011-05-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
What an awesome day it is! I'm psyched to go to Comicon tomorrow in Phoenix (not looking forward to the heat though). But I'm also pumped because I've been listening to Pink Flag and must say that I have been missing out! I have found my new addiction for the weekend, aside from the zombies and sci-fi goodness this weekend.

Pink Flag is a self-described "feisty, all-girl, pop-punk trio" from Durham, NC. They do fit into those categories, but I really love the beats and talk about great singing voices! They are reminiscent in some songs of Sleater-Kinney, while also being reminiscent of The Dollyrots and other bands. Don't get me wrong though...the style is all their own. Just give them a listen and you'll see what I mean.

They're poppy and catchy with great riffs and some awesome lyrics! I'll be singing along and I can't wait for the full-length album. However, you can catch their EP titled The King of Scene here.

Feel free to let me know what you think or just to give me a holler, or even a suggestion for some other happening grrrl music.
Thanks!

I'll be back Monday to talk about Comicon and any memorable bands or events. Peace out, cub scoutesses!

Long Time

2011-05-04T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody,
Well, it's been quite turbulent these past two years. I'm almost done with school, so things have been really hectic. I'm not wanting to completely abandon this project again, but I was thinking of expanding this into something big.

Does anyone wanna collaborate? I'm thinking this site could be big, more than a blog. I'd like to really get into promoting female indie artists and have a great community with more people posting on the blog and sharing. It would be great. I just need some responses. If you could e-mail me at rarariotgrrrl@gmail.com and give me some insight, I would really appreciate it!

Thanks and I hope to hear from you. :) I'll be posting again soon.

Kathleen Hanna Finds!

2009-08-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I found some neat Kathleen Hanna stuff on the net that you may have seen before,or not. First, I found this funny blog called lolpunx and it's like the premise of lolcats. They made Kathleen Hanna into a lolpunk! It's just really funny cuz the caption is written in lolspeak and I imagine her speaking like that and then I'm roflmao. You should check out the pic of Kathleen (and the rest of the blog. I think it's very enjoyable.

The other awesome find is a youtube video that is a complete Kathleen Hanna tribute. It's about 6 minutes long, but it was really well-done with the audio and visual. You just have to check this one out if you haven't yet.

That's all for now. I will post again when I have time. Peace out.

Riot Grrrl Children's Costume!

2009-07-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Heylo everyone!

Ugh life's been busy around here, but I did take some time to browse through Amazon for some Riot Grrrl products that I want to buy but don't have the money for. Some day! *shakes fist*

This time I encountered something I had never seen before: a Riot Grrrl Children's Costume. I was like "wtf?" and then "oh damn, that's sweet!" Unfortunately, I do not have a little girl grrrlriotify (?) If I did...she would be wearing this for Halloween! It's just so cute and punky/disheveled/rioty ^__^

To me it is just the kewlest thing because I never thought that I would see an official Riot Grrrl costume of any sort. If any of you have kids (and that you like the costume, mind you) then you should definitely get this. I will post any Halloween pics that are sent to me (and apply to the theme of this blog) especially cute little girl costumes like this. I will update with more, just getting stuff in order. Till then, enjoy this adorkable costume.

Peace!

Women's Studies and Riot Grrrl

2009-06-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

As you know, I am into riot grrrl, but I bet some of you didn't know that I was a Women's Studies major in college. This was parly influenced by my love for Riot Grrrl and all things associated with it, mainly the feminism part and the music (duh!). I'm sure many people have questions about Women's Studies and are probably apprehensive about approaching the subject.

There are MANY misconceptions regarding Women's Studies...it's probably because people are often weary when the word 'woman' is involved. In fact, lots of people make random assumptions or tell you that it's pointless to be a Women's Studies major. However, the program is an awesome one and I would not change my mind if I were given a second chance. I know what you're thinking...

How do I know this is my type of major?

I can give you an idea:

You like...
-feminism
-Riot Grrrl
-learning about women through history, I mean Herstory!
-learning how women have worked to create change
-learning how to be a stronger woman
-unlearning many biased things you may have learned about women, men, people of color, etc.
-being open-minded
-being creative
-writing neat papers that need not be so rigidly intellectual (depends on the teacher, but in general lol)
-doing things in class that are out of the 'norm'--think along the lines of watching semi-pornographic movies, looking at erotic exhibitions, going outside and looking at the sky, observing, etc., performing for the class, etc.
-most of all: meeting awesome teachers who really know what they're talking about and want you to learn!
-if you are liberal in general
-men can do it to...there were a few male majors in my program

I don't know what else to say...that was a long list, but I can probably think of more reasons why I like Women's Studies. They were the best teachers I ever had!
Ok that's enough of my ramblings. Feel free to email me at nourishandflourish@gmail.com and I'll answer any questions you may have. :)

I will be posting again within a few days. Be on the lookout!
Peace.

Best Angry Riot Grrrl Song of the Moment

2009-06-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today was like the day from hell and I just need to unwind. This got me thinking of what I consider the best angry riot grrrl song of the moment. For me, it's a close pick but that's why it's of the *moment*. I'm going to go with The Lunachicks -Shut You Out.

It just perfectly describes the way I feel right now. It's just how I feel about the world...I must have really bad karma from stuff I did in my past lives >__<. First, we went to go see the doctor yesterday for my mom's prescription medication and they were like "ohh your appointment is at 10:40am and the nurse practitioner isn't here til 9am." They are more than incompetent cuz I was told to come in around 8 before the appointments and see the nurse practitioner...grrr. Those people were about to deny my mom her meds to prevent her blood pressure from going up. I'm terrified of her missing a dose because that can cause another stroke. So, they took care of it, said they sent the prescription to the pharmacy and blah blah. We went to pick it up today and they were like: "We have no record of any prescriptions for her." I was flaming angry and almost felt a heart attack coming on but I contained myself. Then, we wasted two hours at the ER to get the friggin' prescription filled and then I had to go back to the pharmacy and wait an hour. Boyfriend and I had a fight, mother became sad as well. It was just a terrible day. Now things are more calm but I think this is a good topic! What is your favorite angry riot grrrl song of the moment or of all time? My reasons for picking Shut You Out:

I hate your f*#@ing face<--best part at the moment lol

I hate the way you judge
I see the hateful affliction in your eyes
I hate the way you preach
To all the world with your self-inflected lies

Didin't I didin't I didin't I didin't I didin't I didin't I already say
I'm gonna shut you off

There are just so many angry riot grrrl songs that I could just make a whole list. In fact, if anyone wants a list, I'll make it for them and then you can add as you feel free. I'll post it here if anyone wants. :) I just needed to vent a little. That song and a few others really helped, but so did writing here. Watch for my next post on Riot Grrrl and how it influenced me to become a Women's Studies major. It'll be neat-o. See ya then! Peace.

Oh....before I go, I just need to plug a little more for The Lunachicks because they are so awesome! If you know them. This is the song I'm lovin' at the moment.

Here is another song of theirs that I lurve!

That's all for now. Byes.

Why I Like Riot Grrrl!

2009-06-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I'm Monique, or Moni and this is my first Ra Ra Riot Grrrl post. I just thought I'd explain how Riot Grrrl has influenced me and why I like it so much ^^.

I believe the infatuation started when I saw 13 and saw the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. It was Julia Stiles's character who was into Riot Grrrl music and feminism and there was a part where Heath Ledger mentioned Bikini Kill and The Raincoats. They were officially the first Riot Grrrl bands that I had heard of. My favorite song became Bikini Kill's pretty well-known song, Rebel Girl. I always liked the feminist ideology that runs so deep through the songs of all Riot Grrrl and Riot Grrrl-inspired groups.

It made me feel like I had finally found a positive female role model, when all around me were girls like Britney Spears selling themselves out to sexual exploitation, while singing mass-produced bubble gum pop songs about pretty shallow topics. The songs were meaningless and I felt like an outcast for not "loving" the pop songs that were the hott topic (no pun intended lol). I couldn't ignore the poignance of the songs I had heard by Bikini Kill and The Raincoats. I was thirsty for more. The anger and emotion and ideals of the songs made me feel alive. Suddenly, I had a thirst for more Riot Grrrl and that was how I really got into it. I introduced all of my friends to it and we would rock out in the car while cruising our boring town for hours. Dudes, this is teh awesome!

In college, I really think that Riot Grrrl influenced me to major in Women's Studies. Then, I worked in a Domestic Violence shelter and now I'm back in my hometown in Arizona to help care for my mother, who suffered from a stroke. This music is my comfort music, so I am listening even more now that I'm going through some hard times. I hope that all of you who love Riot Grrrl music have awesome stories about it and if you're not really familiar then I hope you will look it up!

This site will focus on different bands from the movement and some current bands that I really like who I feel fit in really well. If you would like to hear some more music by any of the bands, please don't hesitate to email me and I'll help you out :) I'm also open to feedback! Please let me know what you think and what you'd like to see and please support the Riot Grrrl Online Community, which I also belong to. Peace!

I leave you with the Rebel Girl video.~