Critical Review #4

Kristen Schilt's chapter about the Riot Grrrl scene outlines the emergence and subsequent controversies of the punk feminist movement. While originally united by the single message of feminism and accessibility in punk music, the Riot Grrrl scene later felt tension rise among those who wanted to address the issues of race and class in the scene, as well as those who wanted to merge the political message of Riot Grrrl with the music with which it was associated. Riot Grrrl associated bands tended to communicate via zines. This was one way that they both disseminated literature within the scene and kept the mainstream from interfering and causing bands to "sell out" (another of the controversies that plagued the scene). Although the movement publicly enjoyed popularity between 1992 and 1995, Schilt succinctly concludes by stating that "the dissolution of the scene was not a sign of death but rather evidence that women were continuing to find new ways to express their thoughts, emotions, and experiences" (127).

Why the preoccupation with keeping punk music "small"? Why is it that signing with a major label is seen as "selling out"?