'The Girl in Question'
A topic for the discussion of Farscape, Smallville, and Due South. Beware possible invasions of Stargate, Highlander, or pretty much anything else that captures our fancy. Expect Adult Content and discussion of the Big Gay Sex.
David, I regret to inform you that neither Neal Stephenson nor Wm. Gibson is a grrl, much less a riotous one. Do you mean by "riot grrl" the Buffy/Xena type, or do you mean like Lori Petty in Tank Girl (which is my meaning, and the only one I can think of), or both?
I think he means Riot Grrl in the K Records/Kill Rock Stars/Plei's annoying ex roomies type.
And Neal did have some Riot Grrlish chicas in Snow Crash.
Um, he had one. Who was incredibly icky. (I have Neal Stephenson hatred.)
I guess riot grrls never really made it to my neck of the woods? Or perhaps they were a primarily music-based phenomenon; I remember the names of bands like 7 Year Bitch, but I'm generally clueless about the music scene. I can't come up with a visual riot grrl image except for Tank Girl.
I do remember the Lesbian Avengers, though! They wore gorilla masks and did funny/obnoxious things.
And Neal did have some Riot Grrlish chicas in Snow Crash.
Also had some pseudo Riot Grrls in Cryptonomicon, and Diamond Age was primarily about a hyper-personalized book to craft a Riot Grrrl.
But again, we all may be using slightly different definitions of Riot Grrrl.
I guess riot grrls never really made it to my neck of the woods? Or perhaps they were a primarily music-based phenomenon; I remember the names of bands like 7 Year Bitch, but I'm generally clueless about the music scene. I can't come up with a visual riot grrl image except for Tank Girl.
Hmm.
What year did you start college?
The grrls sort of faded from view in my neck of the woods (sort of) by '94 (it's slightly more complex than that, but I didn't see a huge swell of new grrls after '93). It was more than music and vegan bakesales.
Cereal:
I think Riot Grrrl is one of those terms that conjures up a slightly different image for everybody.
I definitely see Lori Petty's Tank Girl as a Riot Grrrl, but not Buffy - Buffy wanted to conform or be popular, even though she knew it would never happen. My image of Riot Grrrls is heavy on the not wanting to conform.
(And out of curiousity, Nutty: Why the Neal Stephenson hate?)
What year did you start college?
1993. The Flannel Revolution started in my sophomore year of high school, and Cobain killed himself the fall I started college.
Why the Stephenson hate? Because Y.T. in Snow Crash enjoyed her own rape. That's pretty much why, although I found the simultaneous poking fun at and glorification of spastic social-grace-lacking hackers mostly just irritating and stupid.
I think Riot Grrrl is one of those terms that conjures up a slightly different image for everybody.
Okay, and my image is directly informed by being at the movement's ground zero.
It's weird to me to try and explain Riot Grrls, because I didn't get the media filtered view, I got the "damn it, Sam, ask before you take my crap to your meeting!" view of living with multiple Grrls. Which means my image is also directly informed by my lingering desire to pop 'em in the jaws.
but not Buffy - Buffy wanted to conform or be popular, even though she knew it would never happen.
Yes. As much as in RL I am the anti-Buffy, this is what I loved about her. Not riot grrrly at all. She wasn't a rebel. She just kicked ass. And did her hair.
And neither was Faith. Faith wasn't cool enough to be riot grrly - she listened to metal and wore black jeans. She was just straight up trashy.
Y'know, the reality of the Grrls was actually pretty close to the Blessed Wanna Be girls of S4.