Kathleen Hanna

Hello blog. During class this week, we watched a documentary on a very original woman in the music industry named Kathleen Hanna. Kathleen wanted to become a musician and write music because she said no had listened to her all her life. Music was her gateway to releasing everything inside that was not heard. Hanna began performing music she had written in the late 1990’s with a band she was in called “Bikini Kill”. Kathleen also called herself an activist in the sense of wanting to show women that they did not have to look or act a certain way to maintain the upkeep of being in a band. The industry was filled with quirky groups and oddly great solo artists and Kathleen wanted those inspired to not be afraid to put their talent on display as well.  

Kathleen Hanna grew up in Oregon, her mother a nurse and her father, a pipefitter. Every three years, Hanna’s family moved residencies which was especially shocking to me because she wasn’t given much time to get used to one spot before moving to the next. Hanna went to college in Washington State and studied photography. After work that she’d displayed on campus was censored for its radicalness and unacceptance, Hanna decided to present her work elsewhere—in a fashion show. Kathleen used photos she had printed to make collages of pieces of clothing in the show.  

What came next was nothing but a tragedy for Hanna and those involved. A good friend of hers got assaulted which left a mark not only on the victim but Kathleen as well. The story was described like so: a man stood in the doorway to her apartment and grabbed her by the neck, presuming to drag her down the stairs. It was difficult for everyone to get back on their feet after the incident and for such a dear friend of hers to recover.  

Kathleen was the last member to join the band, “Bikini Kill” until Billy came along. Even though so many bands were popular at the time, theirs rose through and maintained popularity for a long time. Just like Hanna did not care about how a band should look and sound, her group members felt the same way. Bikini Kill took on the “valley girl” style in their music because they believed it made them sound rich and quirky. It was a feminist, rock and punk takeover. Kathleen did not hold back when it came to being on stage. She was angry and aggressive, almost like a man would be. “Bikini Kill” was a band that cared strongly for women because they were advised to move up to the front before shows would begin. The concert scene was not a safe place for women. Mosh pits would leave young girls with bruises and broken ribs which is why the band went the extra mile to make sure women stayed safe and enjoyed themselves. Men who were seen being aggressive towards women in the crowd were kicked offstage. Kathleen announced at one of her shows that they [anyone in the audience] could “go away” if they didn’t want to follow her rules.   

Hanna and the lead singer of “Nirvana”, Kirt Cobain, became good friends after him having heard about her in the public eye. Not long after the band’s spot in the business became concrete and a little less stressful, 14 women were killed in Montreal Ontario, Canada. A man was heard yelling, “I want women!” After the incident, a women only group called “Riot grrrl” was created. Invited to meetings held at certain locations, women could express themselves and feel comfortable speaking openly without the presence of men. Soon after the meetings came to be, the 19th Amendment was established which granted women the right to vote. In 1992 however, feminism was believed to be dead according to women on college campuses. 

The meaning behind “Riot grrrl” was based on girl hood and sexuality. A newspaper had written about them in a negative context after the group went public. The paper picked apart their appearances and called them “angry angsters” [those in the band “Bikini Kill”]. Kathleen decided to forget about the reporter’s jobs of twisting stories and making people look bad to continue working on music. 

“You’ve gotta hear this record” were the words of Adam, a member of a band named “The Young and the Useless”. Kathleen and her group reminded Adam of his band in the way “Bikini Kill” presented themselves. Kathleen fell in love with Adam, but their relationship became long-distance when Adam and his band had to leave once their visit ended. Adam was first introduced to Kathleen when he watched her perform at one of her shows.  

Overtime, the struggle for Hanna’s band to pay rent got worse. The band also toured in the same van they had been using as transportation since starting up. “Bikini Kill” broke up in 1997 with plenty of fans saddened to see them go. Kathleen and her band left a mark on the world that no other could have ever successfully simulated.