Influence on society
Donna Gaines says in her book ‘Teenage Wasteland’: ‘When kids in America learned anything about right and wrong in the brutal 1980s, they learned it from their bands. If they were able to express themselves openly and honestly at any time, it was in their scenes. Of course there were people who exploited themes as trends, but those bands didn’t last. They were dismissed as poseurs, teenybopper bands.’
‘In the Great Crossover there was above all a cultural exchange. You had bands like Metallica hanging out with the Misfits, and after a while everyone started writing songs about the real things that threatened kids: drug pushers, Army recruiters, spiritual isolation, nuclear holocaust, child sexual abuse, mental hospitals.’ says Gaines.
Grunge was born as a response for those kids, teenagers and young adults that were struggling. When people listened to it they felt free, understood and not judged. Grunge represented the outcasts, the rejects and the teenagers who were in pain, external or internal. Songs talked about depression, feeling sad and alone; but they also talked about going through it and getting over it.
Grunge basically said: It's okay to be different, it's okay to feel sad, alone and angry at the same time; it's okay to be yourself.
Grunge also joined the political thinking that punk had settled among teenagers, but in a more social way. Songs against sexism and racism were written, and grunge artists found themselves talking about equality, freedom and acceptance. Grunge artists were often people who defended human rights really deeply.
But one of the most important phenomena that happened was called 'Riot Grrrl'. It was born out of a fusion of punk and grunge music with feminist politics, and Riot Grrrl bands discussed issues like rape, domestic abuse or women empowerment. Not only girls were involved in this movement; Kurt Cobain declared himself a passionate feminist. Courtney Love or Joan Jett would be great example.
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