By Samantha Lozano
Trigger Warning: This story discusses sexual assault.
Within my endeavors to find the perfect costume, I fell upon the idea of the album cover, “Living Through This.” This iconic Hole cover centers on a distressed prom queen receiving her award as mascara runs down her face. The raw reaction transcends through the cover, drawing attention to the multi-faceted emotions one can feel. Hole truly encapsulates the rage, feminist, and political sound that swept over the Pacific Northwest. Courtney Love brought to light topics surrounding the patriarchy, domestic abuse, rape, and female empowerment. Hole is a band I thought was known and appreciated by many. When arriving at the party, I assumed the costume would resonate with others but I quickly understood nobody knew who I was. I was in disbelief that a band so influential in the third-wave feminism movement could go unrecognized. How did the riot grrrl movement speak on the music industry's culture and the ideals we developed within society?
The name itself, “grrrl,” originated as a joke after an offhand comment was written in a mimeographed fanzine that got passed around the feminist and punk scene. Initially, these women set up protests along with zines and performances to speak about feminist issues but soon evolved to make cassette tapes, LPs, and CDs. Many couldn’t just be viewed as a riot girl but rather have to identify and perform under the chapters running the movement. Bands such as Hole, Toyland, Bikini Kill, and L7 were all part of this movement, which was one aspect of third-wave feminism.
The third-wave feminist movement originated from the Anita Hill Senate hearings of 1991, which cultivated a new era of dismantling gender exploitation. Rebbecca Walker, the daughter of civil rights lawyer Alice Walker and goddaughter of Gloria Steinem, coined the term “third-wave feminism” and became a symbol. The movement was far more progressive when it came to women owning their sexuality and dismantling power structures. This type of feminism also sought to be more inclusive of Women of Color, which wasn’t always shown in the riot grrrl movement. Some may say the origin of riot grrrl (Olympia, Washington) contributed to the lack of representation, but undoubtedly, the scene was significantly white. Mostly, the lyrics can resonate with the female experience even if they lack universal representation. During this time, in the context of the social climate, this wave impacted women exponentially.
A quick guide to the Hole archive starts off with listening to the famous song “Malibu.” The classic is popular amongst many, even those who are not awfully familiar with the band. Some others that deserve a listen are “Celebrity Skin,” “Pretty on the Inside,” “Live Through This: Heaven Tonight,” “Miss World,” “Doll Parts,” and “Violet.” The song “Violet” encapsulates the feelings surrounding sexual exploitation, resentment, and loneliness in romantic relationships. There is a tumultuousness around sexuality and love, and Courtney Love doesn’t hold back from exploring her raw emotions. If we truly take time to listen to these bands that changed the culture, we can appreciate feminism in a different aspect by respecting the anger behind female voices.