The Punk Singer

       After watching The Punk Singer in class on Tuesday, I was left surprised about the affect that the band Bikini Kill had on so many people. Personally I had not heard of Bikini Kill before class, maybe that's common maybe I'm uncultured I'm not sure, but this was the main reason why I was caught off-guard by their widespread impact across the country.
       One of my favorite parts about the band was how they conveyed the message that they wanted the audience to understand. Instead of going about such a task through mainstream ways, Bikini Kill instead conveyed their message through simple pamphlets and free concerts. I believe this technique was more powerful than mainstream ways but hence less publicized. Despite this, I believe that the publicity spread throughout those who did attend their concerts made up for the publicity lost for not using wider spread outlets to broadcast their message.
       Another major concept displayed by Bikini Kill that I found powerful was the way that they hosted their concerts. Through their unique set-up, they managed to limit violence in mosh pits amongst the crowd, as well as giving women a chance to be involved in the audience, instead of waiting in the back while men acted carelessly throughout the rest of the concert area.
       The third point provided by Bikini Kill that I found powerful was their use of a male band member, despite the bands message was to empower females. While it can be said that this went against their overall goal of empowering women, it is also significant that a man would fill such a role, playing a major part in a band that went against the popular opinions on gender equality. I found this involvement to be very supportive in their message, portraying the fact that even some men were willing to stand up with women for what they believed was right.
       All-in-all, I found this movie quite informative as well as powerful. I learned a lot about the fight for women's equality as well as the American culture back then as well. After seeing the affect that Bikini Kill had on society during their time, I am confident that the role they played was an important part of the women's equality movement and that the group should be remembered as female icons for the sacrifices that they made.