"Not Just Boy's Fun"1
: Women2 in the Contemporary North American Punk Music Scene
Introduction
The philosophy of punk is an attack on the status
quo, authority, learned behavior, prejudice and the rules of
patriarchy, masculinity, and sexism. The punk ideology and
practice are in constant strife with the societal structure in
which they exist. In theory, the philosophy embraces everyone who
is sincerely willing to enter its community. The philosophy
embraces everyone from all backgrounds, races, sexes, and ideas.
It strives to bring people together who want to make the world a
better place to live in. From the beginning, women have played an
important role in the community in North America, especially in
music. The punk scene is a subculture that exists within society
that is tightly structured and strongly controlled. Therefore, it
is not free from the patriarchal, oppressive, stereotypical
values and practices of the society it exists in. This poses a
problem for both men and women. Research done on women in the
punk scene tends to focus on the negative aspects of their
participation. This is obvious because the punk scene is not free
from outside forces. Rather than focus on those negative aspects
of women, this paper will look at the positive dimensions that
stem from women's involvement in the punk scene. This paper will
also address the issue of popular culture and its effects on the
non-mainstream punk scene. It is easy for the punk scene to talk
about their idealistic society, but it is inhibited by popular
culture which can distort its goals of eliminating sexism and
gender discrimination.
There are a lot of positive activities and messages emerging from
the non-mainstream North American punk scene today.3 The non-mainstream
punk scene today is growing. The punk community is established by
going to punk shows, organizing punks for activism, exchanging
ideas through punk zines and flyers, and meeting other people
through these activities. The community is manifested through
networking with people as a result from these activities. Punk is
a community that allows a place for women. The issue of gender
roles and the construction of them in regards to femininity often
comes up. Feminist associations and ideology are evident within
the punk community. Women are participating in many ways, both on
the stage and behind the scenes. Their participation includes
playing in bands, creating positive music videos, producing punk
zines, handling promotions, and attending punk shows. Women have
moved from just being the subjects of a pop-punk song to actually
creating the song. There are men in the scene who raise their
voice in support of women. This is an important step
toward positive change because the scene is a traditionally male
dominated one. The acceptance, recognition, and the extent of
their involvement in the punk music scene are issues that need to
be analyzed in depth. This paper will determine whether the
philosophy behind punk, in regards to gender, is just an
abstraction or a reality.
A Short History of Punk
The existence of punk music in North America is
more than 20 years old. The exact year of its beginnings is
debatable. Regardless, the year 1977 produced a strong punk scene
that still exists today. British punk bands, notably the Sex
Pistols and the Clash, helped fuel the emerging scene. North
American punk bands, especially the Ramones, became extremely
popular. The mosh pit became a key element to a punk show. The
pit turned into a release of male aggression that sometimes
resulted in violence. It traditionally remained this way. Women
mainly sang in early punk bands. The X Ray Spex, the Rezillos,
Siouxsie and the Banshees included woman singers. The Raincoats
and the Slits consisted of all females. Although, women mainly
played in British punk bands, they still played a role in the
punk scene that coexisted with the North American scene. These
women paved the way for women's involvement in punk.4 Their
presence sent the message that women could be punks and would be
punks regardless of the scene's hostility toward them.
North American punk continued to grow and exist throughout the
1980s. Bands like the Dead Kennedys and the Descendents kept the
punk scene alive. The 1990s saw a huge explosion in punk rock
with the popularization of Green Day, the Offspring, and Rancid.
Punk entered the mainstream which resulted in popular culture and
traditional societal values entering the punk scene. People,
mostly young adolescents, only knew about punk from MTV and
mainstream media. This continues to cause problems, such as
violence, misconceptions of punk, and set backs to practicing the
punk philosophy. The Riot Grrrl movement in punk in the early
1990s spawned a growth in women's involvement in punk. More women
began to play in bands and all female bands started to form.
Throughout its history, subgenres of punk continue to emerge.
People place many different labels on the styles of punk rock.
There is pop-punk, fast melodic punk, hardcore5 , emo (short for
emotional), Riot Grrrl, street punk, '77 style punk, ska/punk and
other styles of punk rock. These subgenres and labels become very
complicated at times.
The Philosophy Behind Punk
The philosophy of punk grew out of the growing music scene of the
late 1970s and early 1980s. In general, punk is about anti-authority,
nonconformity, positive change, not playing by the rules, a do-it-yourself
(DIY) attitude, and eliminating prejudice. In The Language of
Youth Cultures: Social Identity in Action, Sue Widdicombe and
Robin Wooffitt state that "punk . . . [is] said to be a form
of social and political resistance to dominant cultural hegemony"
(186). By playing positive music, organizing and educating
people, and providing a subculture that is discordant with
popular culture, punk is a resistance to the dominant culture.
Racism, sexism, class war, and homophobia have always been
addressed and shunned. In theory, everyone, regardless of race,
sex, or gender, can be part of the community. Many who feel
alienated enter the punk community because of this reason. Punks
strive to make the world a better place whether it is through
positive social/political change or by just having fun. Since
punk embraces this ideology, it is not surprising that many of
the values of North American society are criticized and attacked.
Craig O'Hara's The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise is
an excellent introduction to the philosophy of punk. He mentions
three important statements of what punk is. He claims that "punk
is a youth trend," it "is a gut rebellion and change,"
and it "is a formidable voice of opposition" (41). His
section on gender issues is an important one. O'Hara recognizes
the fact "that sexism exists within the punk community, but
it is on a smaller level than the mainstream, and more
importantly, it is discouraged and condemned by many active
participants" (102). Even though the scene consists of
mainly white middle class males, punks strive to apply their
alternative ideology to the outside world. The irony of the
movement is that this male majority is "reject[ing] their
own privileged places in society" (O'Hara 40).
The philosophy of punk tells women "that punk culture will
embrace their desire for escape and help them survive" (Pfeffer,
1997 61). It is because of this that women find a place in punk
rock. Obviously, women are not completely free from the
patriarchal society in which punk exists, but they can find
niches within the community where they can feel comfortable.
Feminist thought is part of the philosophy and practiced by many
in the punk community. The presence of feminism helps break down
gender boundaries and distinctions. Punk's rejection of
mainstream fashion allows for some flexibility in women's dress.
Women can be seen with dyed hair, unique haircuts and outfits,
tattoos, spikes, piercings, etc. Also, as Mavis Bayton points out
in her article "Feminist Musical Practice: Problems and
Contradictions," the rejection of mainstream fashion for
punk feminists is "a savage irony in their exaggerated
embrace of the conventional trappings of femininity" (183).
Michael Brake, author of Comparative Youth Culture states,
"by its bold assertiveness, punk feminine style permits punk
women 'space' in street negotiations of sexism" (177). There
is a certain amount of freedom to how women choose to dress.
According to Rachel Pfeffer, author of Surviving on the
Streets: Girls Living on Their Own, "punk culture and
its discourse provides theoretical options to sleep with boys or
girls, allowing for freedom of sexual expression." She goes
on to say that all the punk girls in her study "experienc[ed]
more gender and sexual freedom on their own than at the home"
(62). The punk philosophy and ideology allow women to be active
participants in the punk community and its movement. According to
Craig O'Hara, "punk's philosophy of egalitarian principles .
. . relates to human beings. The ideas are based on rejections of
. . . sexism" (120). It should not be surprising then that
both women and men are doing very positive things within the
North American scene today.
Women's Participation and Perspective
Although women are a minority in the punk scene, their presence
is obvious and should not be ignored. The impact of their
participation is far reaching. Their consciousness, performance,
and activity help raise critical questions and thought. There are
many different perspectives offered by women. Most research done
by outsiders of the punk scene tends to be negative. Outsiders
may not experience or feel what participants in the scene do.
Lauraine Leblanc's book Pretty in Punk: Girl's Gender
Resistance in a Boy's Subculture targets the negative sides
of the punk scene and seems pessimistic. Regardless of the
negative aspects of the scene, women do recognize and experience
a lot of positive aspects. It says something that women are
active in the scene and identify with punk music. Not only do
women play in bands as singers and/or musicians, but they also
produce punk zines, positively appear in music videos, handle
promotions for punk bands and labels, and attend shows. The next
subsections will look at each of these aspects in depth along
with the perspectives of women on these aspects.
Riot Grrrl
Before the next sections are introduced, it is important to talk
about the Riot Grrrl movement that started in the early 1990s.
The early 1990s saw a time of women's liberation activity and the
publication of bestsellers such as Naomi Wolf's The Beauty
Myth and Susan Faludi's Backlash (O'Brien, 1995 158)
helped bring women's issues to the forefront. The Riot Grrrl
movement is important to introduce because of its impact on women
in the punk scene. It opened doors for many women and put the
spotlight on a number of women's issues. In Catherine Orr's
article, "Charting the Currents of the Third Wave," she
says, "The tone of most Riot Grrrl rhetoric is angry, the
content is highly personal, and the emphasis is on creating safe
and supportive spaces for grrrls to express themselves" (38).
As Neil Nehring points out in Popular Music, Gender, and
Postmodernism, "the compatibility of academic feminism
and punk rock, in efforts to fuel a resurgence of anger at
injustice, is evident in the Riot Grrrl groups" (109).
According to Simon Reynolds and Joy Press, "Riot Grrrl
brings an extra feminist element to this demystification of music-making
in that it rejects 'boy' notions of excellence and expertise"
(328). The mainstream media ran many stories on the growing
movement. Although most of the coverage was negative, it brought
the movement into the spotlight.
The pioneering bands of this movement include Bikini Kill,
Spitboy, Huggy Bear, and Bratmobile. Huggy Bear made a special
impact because it featured both female and male members. For Riot
Grrrls, "women playing rock was a form of direct action,
Riot Grrrl the agent of revolution" (O'Brien, 1995 158).
Lucy O'Brien, in her book She Bop, makes a good point when
she states, "though Riot Grrrl seemed to be predominantly
white and middle class, it still spoke to girls isolated in angry
resistance" (160). In her book, she mentions how Huggy Bear
"would struggle to separate audiences, drawing girls into
the usually hallowed male-bonding sanctuary of the 'mosh pit' at
the front of the stage, in order to create a degree of female
solidarity" (163). Bikini Kill is also known for encouraging
women to come up front and participate in their live show.
Actions like this forced men to experience what it feels like to
be in the back and overshadowed at a show. Riot Grrrl helped
reshape the punk ideology for many punks and helped women gain
more access to a male dominated punk scene.
Punk Women in Bands6
There are many women in punk bands today. The attitudes, styles,
and approach of these women vary greatly. A lot of the variation
is due to the subgenres of punk rock music. Most of these women
are lead singers in the bands they play in. Some of the more
recognized bands with female singers include Tilt, Discount, the
Muffs (Kim Shattuck also plays guitar), and the Goops. Jersey,
Aerobitch, Killswitch, and Hotbox are other bands with female
singers.
Although most women are singers, women can be found playing
instruments in punk bands. Female bass players include Heather
from the Teen Idols who also does some singing, Araby of Jejune
who also sings, Kim Coletta of the popular D.C. band Jawbox and
Kris of the Strike. Indecision, the Groovie Ghoulies, Sarge, Yum
Yum Tree, and Pink Collar Jobs all have female guitar players in
them. Rachel Rosen of Indecision is one of the extremely small
number of women in New York hardcore bands. Lynette Knackstedt
played guitar and sang in Skankin' Pickle, a ska/punk band who
broke up in the late 1990s. Less Than Jake, another popular ska/punk
band, included a female saxophone player named Jessica who left
the band a couple of years ago.
All female bands are rare, but there are a number of them. Most
of these all female bands emerged from the Riot Grrrl movement.
The two best known all female bands of contemporary punk rock are
Bikini Kill and Spitboy. These two bands reached a wide fan base
and helped create a new arena for women in the punk scene.
Spitboy raised very important gender issues on their split LP
record with Los Crudos, a political punk band. Their songs "What
Are Little Girls Made of?" and "Emaciation"
consists of amazing lyrics about the treatment of women. In
"What Are Little Girls Made of?" Adrienne Droogas
sings, "I am pink-I am weak/I am red-I am a whore/Swaddled
in red like a target/I am your sacrifice." In "Emaciation,"
a song about the pressure of women to conform to the
stereotypical image of what a woman should look like, Droogas
sings, "Taught to live up to the starvation ideal/Deny what
is natural/In the desire for the unreal/As I starve myself to
death/To feed your image." In the liner notes, Droogas
explains the lyrics to her songs. She says, "I don't hate
men; far from it, but I do hate that people are still ignorant to
(and continue to perpetuate) ghastly traditions and stereotypes
that wreak [sic] with misogyny" (Los Crudos). This is
important to recognize because many try to discredit Riot Grrrls
as man haters or feminazis, which, as a whole, is false.
Women who play in punk bands all hold opinions about the scene
and what is going on in it. Katy who is in Co-Ed states that
"more guys have come up to me and showed their support for
my efforts, not my looks" (Katy 20). Alison, the singer for
Discount, says she "feels so lucky to be in [Discount] where
I have an outlet to do this night after night, with good friends"
(Alison 51). She claims that everyone "treat[ed] each other
equally" on their tour with Hot Water Music. Rachel from
Indecision says that "at [Indecision] shows I'll see a lot
of girls up front when we play which is cool" (Rosen 93).
Women who play in bands are able to witness the scene from the
stage and numerous places in the country. It is positive to see
that women are playing, seeing positive results, and getting
praised for their work.
Women in Punk Videos
Although professional punk videos are rare, there are examples of
women who are portrayed positively in music videos. Bootleg
videos of live shows are very common in punk rock. Obviously in
live videos, women who play in bands are filmed exactly the way
they perform on stage. What is important is the way they are
depicted in videos that are directed by professionals and
commissioned by their music label. Since MTV is not a common
outlet for punk bands, these videos appear on numerous
compilations done by labels such as Fat Wreck Chords and Hopeless
Records. Tilt's video for their song "Libel," which
appeared on the Fat Wreck Chords' (their label) video "Peepshow,"
is a good example of a positive depiction of their singer Cinder
Block. Cinder Block is seen in the video smashing a pinball
machine with a sledge hammer. She appears to be strong and
stating that she is refusing to be an object. She is also shown
singing at a live show. Again, she looks strong and presented in
way that she is not the object of some male fantasy. She is not a
sex object on stage for men to gawk at. After seeing Tilt play
live, I know that Cinder Block is not performing for males to
desire her. The Goops did a video for "Booze Cabana"
which appears on Hopeless Records' video "Cinema Beer
Goggles." Vocalist Eleanor Whitledge is magnified to look
extremely tall. She towers above the houses as she walks down the
street. The song is about an alcoholic father. Eleanor stands up
to her father in the video and eventually steps on the house
where her father is drinking and yelling. The Lunachicks, an all
female band, did a video for their song "Don't Want You."
The video appears on "Cinema Beer Nuts" by Hopeless
Records. This video is a satire. The women are playing on a talk
show dressed in exaggerated girlish clothes. Their makeup is
caked on and they are wearing dresses. Ironically, while they
take on this persona, they still have dyed and messy hair,
tattoos, and are wearing studded jewelry. The song is about a
woman who decides she does not want a man she once pursued. The
video is a mockery of society. These videos positively portray
women and attack the stereotypes associated with them.
Punk Zines by Women
A punk zine, short for fanzine, is a way for punks to read about
their scene and find out what is going on in it. Zines are
usually small, photocopied, and hard to find because they are
mostly done by younger punks out of their homes. Examples of
common and popular punk zines are "maximumrockandroll"
and "Punk Planet." Two older popular women oriented
zines are "Jigsaw" and "Girl Gems" (White 397).
According to Craig O'Hara, "while many fanzines have dealt
with feminism alongside other topics of music and politics, some
are now emerging with women's issues as the sole reason for
publishing" (106). In discussing feminist or women made
zines, Lucy O'Brien claims they are "an alternative to the
busy, chattering collusion of women's magazines, pinpointing
oppression through irony" (161). Kathleen Hannah, singer for
Bikini Kill, used to do her own zine entitled "April Fool's
Day." Rocket-Fuel, a web-based zine and a zine with a
circulation of about 4000, is run by editor Courtney Miller.
Zines not only expose more kids to the punk scene, they are used
as educational tools to introduce and reinforce important issues
affecting the scene such as sexism, racism, sexually transmitted
diseases, and classism.
Promotional Work Done by Women
Punk women are doing a lot of promotional work for bands and
labels outside of producing zines. They help run punk labels,
book shows for bands, and do radio and press promotions.
Ebullition Records and Kill Rock Stars are two labels that women
are involved in running. They both, especially Kill Rock Stars,
helped out a lot of Riot Grrrl bands by putting out music by
Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear, Bratmobile, and Spitboy. Women also help
run Fat Wreck Chords. This Summer, Kill Rock Stars is hosting
"Ladyfest 2000" which is a women-run event and a chance
for women to perform and educate ("Kill"). Amy Fiddler,
a 20-year-old from South Florida, runs her own label called
Fiddler Records. She also handles a lot of promotional work. Amy
is featured in a documentary on the punk/hardcore video entitled
"Release" by Brant Sersen. Booking shows for bands is
important because it helps keep the punk scene alive. My friend
Marie Murphy does booking for both small local and national bands
in Raleigh, North Carolina. She does it on her own and because
she, in her own words, is "trying to support the cause."
Radio and press promotions help the band gain exposure. It is
important that other punks are taking care of this work because
they know about the scene and can relate to the bands. Jessica
Hopper runs a publicity company named Hyper PR. She handles
promotions for bands like Alkaline Trio, the Promise Ring, Braid
and Jets to Brazil. She also creates a zine called "Hit it
or Quit it." Through her work she tries "to encourage
other women to be involved in the business end of things. Not
just go to shows and buy records" (Hopper 45). Julie does
radio promotions for Asian Man Records out of California. Blue
Ghost Publicity is run by Maria. She mainly handles press
promotions for bands and labels like Hot Water Music, Boy Sets
Fire and Polyvinyl Records. She thinks that "If I was a guy
I know for a fact that [the bands and labels] would treat me
exactly the same" (Maria 74). She is very optimistic about
the punk/hardcore scene. She thinks the scene is making progress.
She says, "I sometimes go to random hardcore shows in
nowhere New Jersey and the girls outnumber the boys" (Maria
75). She would urge young women to "take your punk rock 101
lessons and apply them to the community outside" (76).
There are a number of websites created by women to promote other
women's projects. Riot Grrrl Midwest is a resource for women to
use to post events, ideas, and network with other punks. The site
is run by Janet who set up the site "as a means of uniting
those people who do have bands/zines/distros/etc. and those
people who want to find ways to get involved" ("Riot").
Indiegrrl, a website founded by Holly Figueroa, is "a forum
for women in the independent music industry to network, exchange
ideas, mentor, teach and share the skills they have learned to
help each other succeed the music industry. There are no genre
limitations, and we welcome women of all cultural and racial [backgrounds],
as well as women of all shapes and sizes" ("Indiegrrl").
Although this site is not strictly for punks, it is still helpful
and educating. It is promising to see women working in the punk
scene and having a voice in what is going on. These women help
the punk scene tremendously. Their activity and voice are needed
in the "business" end of punk rock.
Women Punks and Their Opinion of Punk
Rock
If you attend a punk show, you will see that women are not absent
from the scene. They may not be the majority group, but they are
still visible. In an interview with my friend Marie, she told me
that she "feels comfortable [in the pit] because I know what
to expect and I don't mind getting roughed up a bit." Marie
is 19 and got into punk rock at the age of 16. She does feel
positive about the scene. She said, "I think that the
culture as a whole [sends out] a good message." She thinks
the "punk culture embraces all no matter what sex you are or
any other difference you may have." Tiffany Earp, another
friend of mine who lives in Philadelphia, realizes that the
community is not perfect. She told me, "At least when I
state my opinion or raise my voice I feel respected within the
scene whereas outside the community, I might be ridiculed or not
taken seriously (Earp)." Lucy O'Brien considers herself to
be a punk. In her article "The Woman Punk Made Me," she
talks about her experience with the punk scene of the past. When
talking about today's punk scene she says, punk "still has
an impact on the way women operate, not just in music, but [in]
culture generally" (O'Brien 1999 198). Candace, a woman
interviewed in Leblanc's Pretty in Punk, states, "If
I'd never become a punk, I'd be really scared, confused, and
probably in a mental health sanitarium" (78). In the book Dragon
Ladies, a compilation of articles and interviews by Asian
women, Leslie Mah is interviewed. Leslie is the lead guitarist
for a feminist punk band called Tribe 8. When talking about what
attracted her to punk she said, "with punk rock it was more
about androgyny, and you didn't have to fulfill this feminine
image. And that really attracted me to punk" (Shah 217). She
makes a good point about how the growing punk scene benefits
women. She says, "I'm jealous of people nowadays because,
well, when I was a girl in the punk scene, you didn't have Riot
Grrrl, and we didn't have queercore, and we didn't have e-mail.
And I always felt so isolated, and now people have access" (227).
It is obvious that women hold punk near their hearts and have
positive statements to make about it.
What Men Are Doing to Fight Against
Sexism and for the Betterment of Women in Both the Punk Scene and
Society
The issue of combating sexism and the oppression of women is not
just a woman's issue. Men also need to be educated on these
important issues. It is promising to know that there are men
within the punk scene who are speaking out against patriarchy,
sexism, and violence against women. They are even criticizing
their role in society. Bands such as Propagandhi, I Spy, Good
Riddance, Los Crudos, 7 Seconds, and Fifteen speak out against
unjust treatment of women and machismo.
Lyrics to songs can be powerful and educating. Propagandhi wrote
a very powerful song called "Refusing to be a Man"
which appears on "Less Talk, More Rock." This song
deals with the socialization of gender roles and the rejection of
them. The song expresses the notion that these roles are taught
by saying, "But don't tell me this is natural. This is
nurturing." The singer, Chris, states that he "fought
against their further attempts to convince a kid that birthright
can bestow the power to yield the subordination of women."
In the last line of the song Chris states, "And I refuse to
be a 'man'" (Propagandhi). "Refusing to be a Man:
Concepts Under Construction" is an excellent essay analyzing
the lyrics to this song. It is available at http://www.fatwreck.com/pgh/refuse.htm.
In the album liner notes, they included a section dedicated to
feminism and women's rights. A logo on their record states that
they are "pro-feminist." Propagandhi, by being on Fat
Wreck Chords, is reaching a lot of male punks and is opening up
gender issues for discussion.
I Spy, who did a split 10" record with Propagandhi, wrote a
number of songs addressing sexism and gender issues. A song
called "Just Between Friends," which appeared on the
split with Propagandhi, is written from the point of view of a
"man" who justifies his sexual abuse of women and brags
about this with his friends. The last lines of the song are sung
from a different point of view. The lyrics are as follows, "When
someone thinks like this and the attitude is spread, our dream is
dead" (I Spy). The lyrics in the liner notes are followed by
an explanation of the lyrics and the struggle of breaking down
what we are taught. On their discography CD "Perversity is
Spreading . . . It's About Time!!!," a song called "More
Than a Joke" states "it's about time to stop this tide
of violence of against women." The message is that we need
communication to grow and embrace each other. Another song on the
album "Tell 'Em Big Baby Sent Ya" attacks machismo and
acting tough in order to intimidate. The song deals with male
violence and the need to end it. I Spy, like Propagandhi,
pioneered to educate other males in punk and raise questions to
help rethink what we are taught.
There are many other songs that deal with masculinity and sexism.
Good Riddance wrote a song for their album "A Comprehensive
Guide to Moderne Rebellion" called "A Credit to His
Gender." Cinder Block from Tilt does guest vocals on the
song. This song attacks masculinity and the objectification of
women. On their fourth album, "Operation Phoenix," a
song called "Eighteen Seconds" deals with the same
issue. In an interview with Russ Rankin, who sings and writes
most of the lyrics, he said, "Unless we include everyone,
nothing is going to change." He touched on the issue of
popular culture and society being a treat to the punk scene. He
said, "Basically, what bothers me is when the attitudes . .
. of society at large that initially drove me to punk start
seeping into punk. I thought I was safe and now [the attitudes]
are starting me in the face from people in bands or on the dance
floor." On a more positive note, he thinks "the growing
amount of women in the punk/hardcore scene on every level"
is awesome. Recently at one of their shows, Russ asked the men to
leave the dance floor and let the women come up front (Rankin).
The song "In My Opinion" by Los Crudos, which is on the
split LP with Spitboy, viciously attacks machismo and treating
women like objects. The message is that these men "never
deserve respect" and "are worthless" (Los Crudos).
The song is sung in Spanish, but it is translated in the liner
notes. This is important because the message can reach a wider
audience.
These men strive to make the punk scene more open and comfortable
for women. Their message is widespread. They are sincerely acting
out the philosophy of punk in regards to gender. This is
important because they are attacking their own privileged
position in society. I can attest that this music and this
message allowed me to look at my own role in society. It
challenged me to look at what it means to be a man. It educated
me to look critically at what I have been taught. Punk is an
excellent outlet for these ideas. Hopefully, more men will take
on this mission to change the way women are treated and the
violence against them.
Conclusion
The philosophy of punk allows for the inclusion of women and
their acceptance in the scene. The philosophy, unfortunately,
gets tainted by the society in which we live. Since some punk
music entered the mainstream recently, the crowd who comes to
shows is different. The crowd is younger and unaware of what punk
means. They go to a big show to see one band and think the mosh
pit a place for violence. These people bring what they learn from
the mainstream media and the values that they have taught all
their lives. The punk scene is always in constant strife with
learned behavior, commercialism, and capitalism. Popular ideas
and practices always seep into the punk community which inhibit
its progress.
There are many examples of positive activity in the punk scene
that embraces women which I mentioned earlier. Both men and women
fight against sexism and oppression. Nevertheless, sometimes it
seems like they are a minority which is frustrating. Women are
still a minority in the punk scene. Their voices are heard, but
they are not loud enough. This goes the same for men who speak
out about gender issues. Weighing out the positives and
negatives, it seems that the philosophy of punk, in regards to
gender, is neither an abstraction nor a reality. It falls
somewhere in the middle. There are many people who care what punk
means, but there are also people who do not know what the
philosophy is or do not care about the message of punk.
Progression toward the reality is possible, but until enough
punks come together and fight for equality, we will always be in
the middle. It is promising to know that people continue to fight
and struggle against outside forces. People need to continue to
educate newcomers who enter the punk scene. I remain optimistic
about where the punk scene is heading because I know that there
are people who care. The punk community is an excellent place to
educate and inform. Maybe one day we will see an equal amount of
participation from both men and women within the punk scene and
in society. Hopefully, through the punk community, we can begin
to view each other as people rather than separate each other
through gender divisions.
Endnotes
1 This is the title of a 7 Seconds' song with appeared on "The Crew" album in 1984. The song attacks the rejection of women in the punk scene and criticizes the macho attitudes of men who treat women as objects and show pieces.
2 Throughout the paper I will be talking about women in the punk scene. The women represented here are mostly white middle class women, so a number of voices are being left out. The scene is primarily made up of white middle class people.
3 I am not trying to glorify the scene into something that is not in this paper. I want to make it clear that this paper is coming from a white middle class male's perspective who has been involved in the punk scene for about five years.
4 The Riot Grrl movement will be discussed later in this essay.
5 Calling hardcore a subgenre of punk is debatable, but I view the two as hard to sperate, especially with the punk/hardcore bands of today such as Good Riddance, H2O, Vision, etc. The hardcore scene is huge, but I do not see it as a seperate genre of music. I would rather view it all as one large punk scene.
6 Some of the information and quotes in the following sections appeared in issue #7 (Winter/Spring 2000) of the Law of Intertia zine. This is a special issue called "Women in Punk." It is an excellent issue dealing with women's participation in punk.
7 As a funny side note, the interview in Law of Intertia revealed that Hopper once appeared in a Riot Grrrl section of Seventeen magazine.
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