Thursday, April 16, 2015

Punk Rock Feminist Documentary on Netflix: "The Punk Singer"

Hello class! So, his post isn't about "Fun Home" but I just watched a documentary that is beyond relevant the themes that we have discussed in class and the class assigned literature, especially the evolution of feminism and gender roles in history. It is called "The Punk Singer" and it is available to stream on Netflix. It is about Kathleen Hanna, a punk rocker and feminist activist and it explores her life with emphasis on the evolution of feminism, particularly third wave feminism. It taught me a lot I didn't know about the overlap between rock and feminism. Below is the preview:




Normally I don't watch documentaries but "The Punk Singer" completely changed my mind about them. Normally I wouldn't have picked this movie, but this class has been leading me to explore more feminist works of art that I regularly would not be drawn too. I honestly wasn't into any of this stuff until I took this class, but now my mind is like a hamster running on a wheel, the wheel keeps spinning even after we leave class. Anyway, Kathleen Hanna questions gender roles and patriarchy in the same way that Jeanette Winterson and Alison Bechdel do. She seems more fired up than Alison though, more like Jeanette? Her ideas and thoughts are definitely different. I enjoyed it. Anyway, if anyone chooses to watch the documentary (steaming on Netflix)  feel free to comment your thoughts! Enjoy.

4 comments:

  1. I love Kathleen Hanna! She's wonderful and cool in person, too. Once when I was teaching Women and Literature, I had her autograph a poster for my class.

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  2. If I have time I'll make you a playlist. You should check out the work of this old band: The Au Pairs. They were a post punk British band with very interesting gender politics.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHVSxdxZXB4

    and here they are live:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gfCvjDkqzc

    Lesley Woods still performs occasionally, but she now works as a Human Rights lawyer: http://www.lesleylonghurstwoods.co.uk/

    (sorry I can't post live links in the comments, but you can cut and paste them)

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  3. and if you don't already know Sleater-Kinney, well that's your homework...

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  4. And...I have to say...you know your namesake, right?

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