The Significance of Chronology in Commodity Feminism: Audience Interpretations of Girl Power Music
2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 37; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/03007766.2012.726033
ISSN1740-1712
Autores Tópico(s)Music History and Culture
ResumoAbstractThis essay reports on the perspectives of young feminist-identified women who have listened to the music of the riot grrrls and/or the Spice Girls. In previous analyses, scholars have found the Spice Girls’ commercialization of the riot grrrls’ feminist message a problematic instance of commodity feminism. This essay offers an alternative viewpoint: Commercialized girl power may actually lead some listeners back to the source, indicating that a consideration of the chronology of encounter is necessary in assessing the merits and problems of commodity feminist texts. Notes[1] Title IX is a portion of the Education Amendment of 1972, which states, in part, that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” One result was increased participation by women in school sports.[2] The internet has similarly delivered zines produced by riot grrrls to audiences much broader than their creators envisioned. Tobi Vail, who is best known for her work as Bikini Kill's drummer, recently reminded readers of her blog that in the early 1990s, riot grrrls like herself believed their zines were ephemeral. The internet was not yet mainstream; as late as 1994 and 1995, Time and Newsweek argued that the internet would never be popular (CitationKelly). Thus, zines felt like private conversations between friends, and zine writers could not envision that their words would circulate in perpetuity. For example, CitationVail printed only thirty-five copies of issue five of her Jigsaw zine. “Even though that fanzine seems like it may have been written for a lot of people to read,” she explained in her blog, “I tried to keep it a secret” (Vail).Additional informationNotes on contributorsRebecca C. HainsRebecca C. Hains is an associate professor of communications at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts, where she also is a member of the Center for Childhood and Youth Studies. The author of Growing Up with Girl Power: Girlhood on Screen and in Everyday Life (Peter Lang Press, 2012), she has also published essays in several anthologies and peer-reviewed journals, including Popular Communication and Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. She holds a PhD in mass media and communication and a graduate certificate in women's studies from Temple University. Please direct correspondence to rhains@salemstate.edu.
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