Grunge: An Attempt to Reform Sexist Views

In "The Body in Alternative Hard Rock," Mimi Schippers discusses the forward movement within the subculture of Alternative Hard Rock--grunge--against the old-fashioned sexist views of American society. Schippers addresses such outdated ideals as the view of women as sexual objects for males to possess, the belief that males are the dominant sex, and the expectation of women to be subservient and submissive. She examines the gender relations within grunge and how they differ from these ideals, going into detail about how women switch themselves from the objects into subjects, go from powerless to overpowering, and not only establish equality, but also become authoritative. Schippers states that, to do this, women of grunge use their sexual appeal to manipulate men and use their clothing to blur the supposed natural distinction between sexes. However, while Schippers argues in favor of this attempt to gender maneuver--using the body to alter gender order--she cautions that this reliance on body adornment is unlikely to bring about serious change, as it is ironically the basis of the current gender norms. Schippers uses comparisons that establish the need for reform of sexist views in America; anecdotes that emphasize the power of women in grunge; imagery and allusions that illustrate gender maneuvering; examples that support effective gender maneuvering; and explicit criticisms of grunge, to argue that the grunge subculture attempts to meet the need for reform of sexist views in America, but that it is ultimately deficient in making significant change. She uses these rhetorical devices to argue that grunge cannot accomplish the goal of total reform of sexist views not only because of its emphasis on body adornment, but also because it ignores active political movements, class, and race.

Schippers first, using a metaphor, establishes the necessity for reform of the sexist views in America so that she can then illustrate how grunge is working towards this reform. She addresses the silhouette image of a naked woman leaning backwards, which is "a nameless, faceless, sexually alluring body" that "symbolizes not only feminine sexuality objectified, but also masculine sexual subjectivity" (Schippers 85). She then says that, "the image works as a badge of manhood" (Schippers 85). This metaphor functions on multiple levels. First, as she states, men use the image to boast their masculinity, wearing it around as a "badge." Second, the idea of men wearing this "badge" is again related back to body adornment. Not only is the woman in the silhouette image naked, but she is also placed, by Schippers' metaphor, as a "badge" on the body of a male. The body is a primary reason why the current gender norms exist; it is the basis of the current subject-object order. This metaphor implies that women are being sexually objectified--by the silhouette image--and men are making themselves the subjects--by wearing the "badge." Women, represented by a "nameless, faceless" body, are portrayed as a generic object, lacking individuality--and identity. Because they lack identity, they become objects that, in turn, men can own. But as Schippers emphasizes, it is not just a woman's body; it is her "naked" and "sexually alluring" body. Thus, women are not just objectified; instead, they are sexually objectified. On the other side, men, wearing women as a "badge," have a sense of ownership over women. The metaphor that Schippers uses, calling the figure a "badge of manhood," adds the connotation of power to this idea of ownership. A badge is not just an article of clothing that anybody wears; it is a symbol of authority. Therefore by wearing the "badge," men place themselves in a position of power--the subjects--and make women their property--the objects. Schippers uses the metaphor to convey this sexism and sexual objectification of women present in society today, which establishes the need for reform. However, she also establishes her view of the female body as a factor behind sexism and sexual objectification--in order to work against them, Schippers suggests the body should first be de-emphasized.

Once Schippers establishes this need for reform and criticizes body adornment as a primary method to do so, she then introduces the subculture of grunge, presenting both its positive and negative aspects. She uses an anecdote about a woman in grunge to assert the female power in this subculture but also to expose some of its deficiencies. She tells the story of an interview with Jennifer Finch of the band L7 after a concert, during which an admirer continues to talk to Finch even after she tells him that she is busy. Finch replies: "Read my fucking lips. What part of this do you not understand? I said I am doing an interview," to which the man laughs "nervously" and retreats. Finch, who is only wearing a bra at the time, then remarks to Schippers "with sarcastic laughter in her voice" that "maybe [she's] sending the wrong message by having [her] tits hanging out like this" (Schippers 84). Schippers uses this anecdote in part to support grunge as a progressive subculture. She shows that when a woman of grunge interacts with a man, she is neither subservient nor submissive. Rather, she is strong and authoritative, and says such things to him as, "Read my fucking lips" and "What part of this do you not understand?" By including these quotes, Schippers shows that the women of grunge do not just settle into their contemporary gender roles and are not willing to be objects for men to possess. It can be inferred by Finch's "sarcastic laughter" that she purposely displays her body openly with her "tits hanging out," perhaps to create the exact situation that occurred. She uses her body as a weapon against men to give them a false sense of authority, and then strips this "badge" away from them--an example of effective gender maneuvering. However, Schippers also includes Finch's quote to present a deficiency in grunge. She states that Finch knowingly presents herself with "her tits hanging out" to create a sense of irony. It is ironic because Finch and all the other women of grunge are trying to fight against the sexual objectification of women, but here, Finch is sexually objectifying herself. She is, to some degree, allowing herself to become that "nameless, faceless" figure that men can own. While she was able to take authority over the one man that approached her, there were other men with whom she never interacted. To those men, she was merely the typical sexual object that women are expected to be, and that women of grunge are trying to fight against. Thus, Schippers anecdote first supports the efforts of grunge to fight

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