Riot Grrrl: Living and Dying by the Punk Ethos

Abstract

The punk rock feminist movement Riot Grrrl was a short lived movement that marked the beginning of third wave feminism. The founding members of the movement were influenced by both the first and second waves of feminism that came before them, and the ideals of the punk community that they were a part of. The main reason for the demise of the movement is debated amongst researchers. While some would argue that feminist values led to its collapse, the punk values of Do It Yourself (DIY), and anti- consumerist practices helped give rise to the movement, but left it without the necessary resources to handle the attention of the mainstream media. This was the primary cause of the end of the Riot Grrrl movement.