I’ve been quite into music documentaries lately (not just due to Ryan’s double-header a couple of weeks ago), and I was looking forward to getting to see this one about Bikini Kill leader Kathleen Hanna. My intro to Bikini Kill was actually (shame) Rock Band, which included “Rebel Girl” as one of the playable songs. It quickly became of my favorites, with its combination of catchy music, strident vocals (in my range!), and in your face but humorous lyrics. I listened to some Bikini Kill and other riot grrrl music after that, but not enough to really name songs or know the band members names or anything.
So watching this was really interesting, since I knew a little but not a lot about the band and basically nothing about their background or Kathleen Hanna. It starts in the early days of Bikini Kill where Kathleen Hanna and some college friends basically started the band as a platform for their feminist thoughts. The insight into the punk scene in the early ’90s and how Bikini Kill really worked to make it a safer, more welcoming place for women was fascinating. Though I’m not quite as radical/provocative as Hanna and her friends, not getting crushed in a mosh pit by drunk out-of-control guys seems like a net win.
