1. 26 April 2010 · 09:54 PM ·

    Literature Review

    Laura Delarato
    Understanding Media Studies
    Literature Review
    Prof. Wilder/ T.A. Sanja Trpkovic
    Due: 19 April 2010

                      Riot Grrrl movement, Jamie Babbit and her lead characters

    Bikini Kill, Heavens to Betsy, and Sleater-Kinney were some of the all-girl bands that started in Olympia, Washington from 1990 to 1991 and are most notable for the beginning stages of Riot Grrrl feminism. The movement itself consisted of punk-rock women reclaiming the word ‘girl’ and using it as a political stance with a more assertive meaning (Rosenberg, 809). However, the portrayal of Riot Grrrl characters in film created after the movement are not parallel to the definition. The main issue in the characters is that they do not act on their own inherent feelings and let others do it for them, whereas Riot Grrrls are not submissive, passive, or willing to let someone else do their job.

    Before Riot Grrrls there was first and second wave feminism. First wave feminism happened during the end of the ninetheenth and into the twentith century, and it fought against inequality and fought for the women’s sufferage movement. Second wave feminism happened during the 1960s and 1970s and it focused on reproductive rights, gender, sexuality, and the way women were viewed. In the early nineties, third wave feminism hit and spawned many branches embracing conflicts and arguments proclaiming that there isn’t one way to view feminism, and that it should “…accommodate diversity and change,” (Tong, 289). One of the feminist outlets it created was the Riot Grrrl movement dedicated to punk-rock, women who played in bands, and a do-it-yourself motto (Rosenberg, 809).

    The idea behind Riot Grrrl was to undo the idea of a traditional woman by breaking conventions while participating in punk-rock. The movement was led by the all-female punk bands of the time, and from there chapters starting opening up. “Girls held conventions where Riot Grrrls met and exchanged zines, bands performed, and workshops were held on topics such as eating disorders, rape, abuse, self-mutilation, racism, self-defense, and zine production,” (Rosenberg, 810).

    This movement has created such documentaries as Don’t Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl Documentary, which captures band interviews with Allison Wolfe, Corin Tucker, and Kathleen Hanna speaking about the realization of what the movement meant to them as the originators (Don’t Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl). Outside of the documented reality behind the revolution, there have been a few fictional movies to take third wave feminism and reclaim it through film. The most highlighted director among the feminist community of the last twenty years has been Jamie Babbit, who has embraced Riot Grrrl ideals in her films and was highly influenced by the movement while starting to work as a director (Resnick). Even though she was part of the movement, her films do not resonate a strong female lead that captures a Riot Grrrl.

    Babbit’s more popular films But I’m a Cheerleader (2000), The Quiet (2006), and Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007) use the actions of the characters to produce third wave feminism in her films, but there isn’t one character that represents the Riot Grrrl movement in any. To compare to an actual film with a Riot Grrrl, Floria Sigismondi’s 2010 biopic film The Runaways portrays Joan Jett as an aggressive woman who carved out a place for herself in rock and roll history by using a do-it-yourself method (Kennedy, 89). The main characters in Babbit’s films do not empathize with this attitude nor do they bare a striking Riot Grrrl presence.

    In each of the three Babbit films in question there is a female lead trying to reclaim their own understanding of feeling free in their own feminism. Megan in But I’m a Cheerleader is trying to accept herself as a lesbian and free her mind from the roles in which men and women are supposed to act upon. Nina in The Quiet is searching for a way to break from her forced-upon incestuous relationship with her father. Anna in Itty Bitty Titty Committee is looking to embrace her political and sexual awakening by running with a group of empowered feminists. Through their performances the audience could say that there is a radicalized awareness that sparks in each character, but there isn’t enough to see similar traits to the woman who started the riot.

    Megan, played by Natasha Lyonne, in But I’m a Cheerleader is written as a small-town, naive, high school cheerleader that is sent away by her parents and friends to a straight camp called True Directions Centre for the Eradication of Homosexual Tendencies. There she comes to terms with her homosexuality, discovers its history, and falls in love with Graham, played by Clea DuVall (But I’m a Cheerleader).

    The film is created with many bright colors and humor so that it brings a satirical view to America’s problem with homosexuality (Smith, 5). Also, it addresses the stereotypical view of today’s lesbian as being considered ‘butch’ or masculine. Megan, in her life at school, is pretty and a cheerleader — making her seem perfect. The audience finally recognizes, along with Megan, that she is not popular or perfect amongst her friends because she is a lesbian. After evidence brought to her attention by her family, friends, and True Directions counselor, played by RuPaul, Megan accepts her sexual orientation and is shipped off to straight camp.

    The reason this film would be considered in the Riot Grrrl genre is because of Megan’s self-identification and how she breaks the traditions of what a woman should be (White, 1), but her character is not a Riot Grrrl. The majority of the film watches Megan preach about the roles of men and women, and how they should be followed. At the family session scene, Megan explains to the group that the reason she is a lesbian is because of a time her mother had to work and her father was unemployed, giving her the wrong idea about the roles of men and women (But I’m a Cheerleader). There isn’t a self-affirming attitude nor is Megan denying her fake excuses for being a lesbian. “The marginalization that these feminists faced only served to make them stronger, louder, more confrontational, and purposefully united,” (Turner, 10). Megan’s marginalization made her quieter during her self-identification, and her coming out is based upon self-loathing rather than being sexual (Smith, 6).

    The only character in But I’m a Cheerleader that possesses the Riot Grrrl persona would be Graham because she is assertive, political, and does not embody the stereotypical look that woman are supposed to look like, meaning she doesn’t look like Megan. If Graham were the lead in the film this would be considered a major step in Riot Grrrl history, but her part is cut short for Megan’s storyline.

    Another Babbit film that falls short from its Riot Grrrl ideals is The Quiet. The film is about a deaf girl Dot, played by Camilla Belle, who just moved in with her aunt, uncle, and cousin after her father is killed. Besides being tormented in school and at home for not being able to hear, she soon discovers her uncle’s inappropriate relationship with his daughter Nina, played by Elisha Cuthbert (The Quiet). The story is seen in the point of view of Dot, but it is Nina who carries the film along making her the lead character.

    In contrast to But I’m a Cheerleader, The Quiet is filmed in very low-lighting and presents an eerie, foreshadowing presence until the credits. Though it is shot beautifully, it is hard to pay attention to that beauty. “There, the beauty ends, because this is a story about very dark disfunctionality of an American family with the kind of secrets that smears the concept of marriage with ugliness,” (Brenner). Once it is revealed that Nina is plotting to kill her father because of his abuse, the story is taken away to unravel Dot’s secrets and her involvement in the murder.

    The story is considered a part of the Riot Grrrl genre is because of it graphic displays of women taking charge of their situation and it speaks about sexual abuse in women, (Rosenberg, 810). In an interview with Babbit she explained that there really wasn’t a visual understanding of the confusing sexual elements of abuse — especially in women, and it was that reason for her to create The Quiet (The Quiet - Interview With Jamie Babbit. Spike.com). Also, one of the main topics that is very prevalent amongst members of the Riot Grrrl movement was sexual abuse awareness and many musical lyrics from stage in feminism time dealt with the subject (Whiteley, 182).

    Though the film is reminiscent of Riot Grrrl qualities, Nina is not. She is the embodiment of a typical American teenage girl who is struggling with abuse but does not go about stopping it herself — leaving that up to her cousin Dot. In the final scene, Nina is being attacked by her father and gives up the fight to his attempt rape. Dot hears the struggle, because she has been faking her deafness throughout the whole film, and strangles her uncle. Nina’s lack of motivation during the struggle takes away from her being a strong, self-affirming woman that Riot Grrrls display themselves as and pride themselves for being. For that, the Nina character cannot be considered a representation of one of them (The Quiet).

    Dot, being the alternative character, can be seen as a Riot Grrrl due to her actions in the film — her sex scene, where she takes a dominant position in the sexual act, and murdering her uncle. Also it helps that she is not a traditional looking woman, giving a juxtaposing view opposite Nina. Since she does not speak in the film, Nina is considered the lead but through her unassertive characteristics she gives up all right to be pronounced a Riot Grrrl.

    As somewhat of a combination of the previous films, Itty Bitty Titty Committee is about a young girl named Anna, played by Melonie Diaz, who works as a receptionist in a plastic surgeon’s office she starts to hang out with a group of radical feminists called C(I)A that change her perception of the way women are viewed, after catching one of them vandalizing the surgeon’s office. Anna starts to find herself attracted to one of the leaders of the group Sadie, played by Nicole Vicius, which sparks a relationship between the two characters (Itty Bitty Titty Committee).

    The film is shot with a little bit of edginess and a little bit of camp. Even though it is funny, it does shed some light on the problem of women’s place in society. The quality of the filmmaking possesses a very grainy look. “Visually, the film is true to its punk-inspired roots. In fact, Babbit has stated that the visual style of the film is heavily influenced by the aesthetic of ’90s riot grrrl videos and artwork. Shot in a personal, almost faux-documentary style with grainy, Super 8 montages depicting concerts and acts of public disturbance,” (Riendeau). Also, the script is full of unapologetic dialogue filled with foul language and sexual undertones spoken solely by female characters.

    The film is a Riot Grrrl film because of the C(I)A’s motivation for protesting. “The actions of the C(I)A feminist group in Itty Bitty Titty Committee were motivated by patriarchal and heterogendered society that treats women unequally,” (Kulhánkova, 63). Also the film touches upon self-identification being that Anna’s character learns more about herself by spending time with the C(I)A (Kulhánkova, 64). The C(I)A group consists of a do-it-yourself attitude along with punk-rock appearances, accompanied by an equivalent soundtrack (Riendeau). Itty Bitty Titty Committee makes it very clear that these women have been educated and are going off of third wave feminism because of their intelligent and combative nature. “As stated, [Riot Grrrl] was a musical and political subculture, born of punk rock and feminism. Riot Grrrls were certainly not the first women in punk, nor were they the first feminists to make political music. But, as a group, they were the first to deliberately and explicitly fuse the two realms with such an aggressive, in-your-face style,” (Jacques, 47). The characters have already been educated on the past waves of feminism, as seen in Anna’s studying on her bed about woman activitists, and that ties into the Riot Grrrl revolution because they bring what they have learn to a more radicalized place.

    Out of the three films, Itty Bitty Titty Committee is the most Riot Grrrl orientated of them all but the character of Anna is not. Though she is an out lesbian throughout the whole film, she still deals with self-esteem issues that the character carries with her in every scene (Riendeau). Even though Anna does transition from a “timid office girl to subversive [to a] pro-femme anarchist,” her dialogue and actions are not as hardcore as the rest of the character (Riendeau). She still keeps up with her sweet persona while the rest of the cast is being debaucherous. However, she does the more radical of transitions out of all the lead characters in the Babbit films. “Anna’s change is the most significant in the course of the story, as she starts questioning her position in society and sees through her ‘endangering’ job and realizes that she has been working ‘for the enemy,’” (Kulhánkova, 54). After changing her job, she still in seen as a regular girl with feminist ideals whereas the rest act on those thoughts. There in lies the difference.

    The Sadie character is the true Riot Grrrl of the film. When the audience first meets Sadie she is spray painting the wall outside of the plastic surgeon’s office where Anna works (Itty Bitty Titty Committee). She carries hers with confidence and quickly gets to the point of why women should not be getting plastic surgery. Though she does have a femme-blonde look, she still gives off a punk-rock attitude (Kulhánkova, 52). Also, being that she is the leader of C(I)A, she is always presenting ideas fueled by cultural, political, and social thoughts and a desire to make the world equal for all (Kulhánkova, 53).

    The Riot Grrrl movement was based on women who took a political stance against the way that they were being represented in society, and by having unconventional appearances and creative attitudes they sparked one branch of feminism founded on punk-rock, alternative outlooks, and assertive political views. Being from the movement, Babbit infused some of the Riot Grrrl beliefs into her films but not into her main character. Because of this, she hasn’t given a clear representation of a Riot Grrrl through their point of view. Instead the character most identifying with the movement are part of the cast’s ensemble, and not given enough screentime to be fully represented. The hole that has been found in the research begins with Riot Grrrl feminism being totally uninhibited and very true to the beliefs of third wave feminism, but the lead characters that are acting as representations of this movement do not abide by the standards.

    Works Cited

    Brenner, Jules. “Director Jamie Babbit’s The Quiet: An Erotic World of Dark Family Secrets.” Associated Content. Associated Content, Inc., 24 Aug. 2006. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    But I’m a Cheerleader. By Jamie Babbit. Dir. Jamie Babbit. 1999. DVD. Don’t Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl. Dir. Kerri Koch. Urban Cowgirl Productions, 2005. DVD.

    Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Dir. Jamie Babbit. Power Up Films, 2007. DVD.

    Jacques, Alison. “… But You Can’t Hide: The Incorporation of Riot Grrrl into Mainstream Culture.” Canadian Women’s Studies 20.4 (2001). Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    Kennedy, Kathleen. “Results of a Misspent Youth: Joan Jett’s Performance of Female Masculinity.” Women’s History Review 11.1 (2002): 89-114. Informaworld.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    Kulhánkova, Hana. “Validity of Butch and Femme Gender Identities.” Masaryk University (2008). Department of English and American Studies. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    The Quiet - Interview With Jamie Babbit. Spike.com. Spike Digital Entertainment Inc., 26 July 2006. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    The Quiet. Dir. Jamie Babbit. Sony Pictures Classics, 2005. DVD. Resnick, Sofia. “Rebel Girl: Jamie Babbit on ‘Itty Bitty Titty Committee’”

    The Austin Chronicle. Austin Chronicle Corp, 16 Mar. 2007. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.

    Riendeau, Danielle. “Review of “Itty Bitty Titty Committee”” AfterEllen.com. AfterEllen.com, 29 May 2007. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.

    Rosenberg, Jessica, and Gitana Garofalo. “Riot Grrrl: Revolutions from within.” Chicago Journals 23.2 (1988). JSTOR. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    Smith, Julian C. “Coming Out in Film.” Bent Screens (2004). Aber.ac.uk. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    Tong, Rosemarie. Feminist Thought: a More Comprehensive Introduction. Boulder, Colo.: Westview, 1998. Print.

    Turner, Cherie. Everything You Need to Know about the Riot Grrrl Movement: the Feminism of a New Generation. New York: Rosen, 2001. Print.

    White, Patricia. “Lesbian Minor Cinema.” Oxford University Press (2008). Screen: Oxford Journals. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

    Whiteley, Sheila. Sexing the Groove: Popular Music and Gender. London: Routledge, 1997. Print.