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Why is Kurt Cobain called a Feminist ?


oldnews

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I saw a lot of talk on twitter when it was/would've been his 52nd Birthday that he was a feminist. But........

He wrote a song called 'Rape Me'  (while he might have said it was "Anti-Rape" I doubt it would make comfortable listening for a rape victim.

He was once arrested for domestic assault (no it doesn't make it OK because it was Courtney Love)

He once left a voice message threatening to kill a female journalist

 

So if he was a feminist I guess Axl is too right?

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I wasn't aware he was considered feminist. Maybe some of his views were progressive for his time but a lot of things on Twitter are called feminist when arguably they are really not.

I always thought Rape Me was about journalism and the press. I'm only really a casual Nirvana fan though so happy to be corrected on that.

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I've often wondered why he would be called a feminist too. I didnt know about the DV about but Rape Me always stood out as a rather misguided affair. 

I think the label largely stems from his participation and a pro feminist punk scene. Seattle was ground zero for Riot Grrrl, a feminist punk movement of the late 80s'-early 90's. It is said that Kurt was influenced and inspired by feminist punk bands when he was coming up and thats why women have stood in for Kurt in some of the Nirvana reunions. The Riot Grrl scene had zines, DIY fairs, art shows, fashion shows, and as any political movement lots of meetings covering the full spectrum from logistics and expenses through to anti-oppression trainings and radical speaker events. It seems that Kurt was a full part of this community?

So I suppose that Kurt was a part of and a supporter of the Feminist Cultural Production that was taking place in Seattle is his 'feminist credential.' I think it was Kathleen Hannah (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) who wrote "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit" on a wall, leading to the songs title. And when The Gits lead singer Mia Zapata was assaulted and murdered in 1993, Nirvana was on the bill for a fundraiser for a grassroots self-defence organization which was formed in response.

I think that what a male ally looks like has changed over time. I think that its likely that the young cis gendered feminists he grew up with have changed there own views since then too. So while Kurt clearly doesnt look like a feminist today, and was possibly in some cases just saying the right words with out a lot of introspection, he took part in the more real world culture war part of the movement - including ridiculing Axl for being a misogynist and homophobe.

 

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Like anything in life human beings do things wrong, make mistakes etc etc  I consider myself more or less a fucking feminist, you'll find me making all kinds of sexist remarks on here, I haven't always been nice to girls in my life, that doesn't mean to say that in a rational sober normal state I don't agree with the principles of feminism, I'm just a cunt who does or has done cunty things at times. 

Why is Rape Me related to feminism anyway?  You can rape guys.  Anyway, its an anti-rape song that ultilizes rape imagery to make its point, its not meant to be comfortable listening.  He was arrested for domestic assault, not convicted, ergo he's not committed the crime.  I've been arrested for GBH, weren't convicted.

As for whether Axl is or not you'd have to ask him, I don't think Axls stance on any issue is governed by where he stands in relation to a musician thats been dead for over a quarter of a century.

Also, I'd probably guard against this tendency to look to people in bands for consistency of morals :lol:

Edited by Len Cnut
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30 minutes ago, dontdamnmeuyi2015 said:

Maybe because he was married to Courtney Love?

Since reading Duff's book and how he met Kurt a few days before he killed himself, I felt badly about his life too. I wonder like Duff what would have happened if Kurt and Duff hung out together for a day or two?

Courtney did call out Weinstein years before #Me Too. Really bad ass of her! :headbang:

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2 minutes ago, Oldest Goat said:

That's right, Leonard. An image you portray or is assumed is more or less meaningless and doesn't necessary reflect your inner feelings and values.

@alfierose's good boy being a perfect example(he is the evil mastermind orchestrating patriarchy. Invented it actually.) :lol:

I’m pretty sure Alfies a bird :lol:

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20 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

Didn't know thst but who gives a shit?

 

Blokes been dead for what 25 years or something? His ex bird has bled the estate dry and now cunts wanna call him a feminist like its a bad thing? Let the junkie have his peace.

 

I was a big fan in my teens buy you grow up to a point where you come to terms that he was just a junkie with a shotgun

Nah man, I was a massive fan then and I’m a massive fan now, I think the boy was incredible.

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6 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

Dude did some great tunes but total nut case 

I don’t really care what he was or wasn’t, though I do think he was an alright person overall...its about the tunes end of the day, thats the real relationship we have with such people and the music was fuckin’ stonking.  Fair dues I don’t much listen to it no more but how long can you shag the same three albums?

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On 2/23/2019 at 6:29 AM, oldnews said:

I saw a lot of talk on twitter when it was/would've been his 52nd Birthday that he was a feminist. But........

He wrote a song called 'Rape Me'  (while he might have said it was "Anti-Rape" I doubt it would make comfortable listening for a rape victim.

He was once arrested for domestic assault (no it doesn't make it OK because it was Courtney Love)

He once left a voice message threatening to kill a female journalist

 

So if he was a feminist I guess Axl is too right?

Yeah, they both are/ were.  What was the exchange at the '92 vma's, something like Axl tells Kurt to shut his bitch up then Kurt turns to Courtney and says "shut up bitch". Gotta hand it to Kurt, he got Axl on that one.

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15 hours ago, lame ass security said:

Yeah, they both are/ were.  What was the exchange at the '92 vma's, something like Axl tells Kurt to shut his bitch up then Kurt turns to Courtney and says "shut up bitch". Gotta hand it to Kurt, he got Axl on that one.

Axl was so wounded :lol: He was really into the grunge scene but Kurt wasn't impressed and made fun of him.

I suppose Axl deserved it for all the times he was a dick.

Edited by -W.A.R-
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On 3-3-2019 at 10:38 PM, oldnews said:

Grohl is on good terms with and will work with anyone, Dave Grohl is the James Corden of Rock

He's quite the slut, isn't he? Everytime I watch a rock documentary he pops up as a talking head... I'm not even kidding... sometimes I'm about half an hour in a rock docu and I haven't seen Dave yet and I wonder, and then there he is...

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32 minutes ago, EvanG said:

He's quite the slut, isn't he? Everytime I watch a rock documentary he pops up as a talking head... I'm not even kidding... sometimes I'm about half an hour in a rock docu and I haven't seen Dave yet and I wonder, and then there he is...

Bono is the same...and oddly he almost always says the same thing in each documentary, its always very non specific stuff like 'Well, The Clash wrote the rulebook for us'.

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3 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Bono is the same...and oddly he almost always says the same thing in each documentary, its always very non specific stuff like 'Well, The Clash wrote the rulebook for us'.

I don't mind seeing Bono... I have a weakness for the guy, I'm not exactly sure why, I'm not even a big U2 fan, but I guess it's like rooting for the underdog. Everyone is always bitching about the guy, so that makes me like him. Plus I like Ireland and his accent. I have the opposite with Grohl... everyone seems to love him so he's been getting on my nerves for years now, even though he's a fantastic drummer and how he managed to make the Foo Fighters one of the biggest rock bands of the last ten years after Nirvana is fucking impressive. But that bothers me too... he's no Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder... he is a good songwriter but he doesn't have that touch of genius that some of his contemporaries have, yet he made the Foo Fighters huge by constantly doing the same thing. Bastard.

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32 minutes ago, EvanG said:

I don't mind seeing Bono... I have a weakness for the guy, I'm not exactly sure why, I'm not even a big U2 fan, but I guess it's like rooting for the underdog. Everyone is always bitching about the guy, so that makes me like him. Plus I like Ireland and his accent. I have the opposite with Grohl... everyone seems to love him so he's been getting on my nerves for years now, even though he's a fantastic drummer and how he managed to make the Foo Fighters one of the biggest rock bands of the last ten years after Nirvana is fucking impressive. But that bothers me too... he's no Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder... he is a good songwriter but he doesn't have that touch of genius that some of his contemporaries have, yet he made the Foo Fighters huge by constantly doing the same thing. Bastard.

There's always that one band in every era that are like that, sort of solid everyman music but lacking that touch of genius as you say.  Like Status Quo or something. 

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1 hour ago, EvanG said:

I don't mind seeing Bono... I have a weakness for the guy, I'm not exactly sure why, I'm not even a big U2 fan, but I guess it's like rooting for the underdog. Everyone is always bitching about the guy, so that makes me like him. Plus I like Ireland and his accent. I have the opposite with Grohl... everyone seems to love him so he's been getting on my nerves for years now, even though he's a fantastic drummer and how he managed to make the Foo Fighters one of the biggest rock bands of the last ten years after Nirvana is fucking impressive. But that bothers me too... he's no Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder... he is a good songwriter but he doesn't have that touch of genius that some of his contemporaries have, yet he made the Foo Fighters huge by constantly doing the same thing. Bastard.

awesome post.

Grohl irritates me, one of the most boring men on the planet

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I loved The Foo Fighters first album but their coming to prominence also came at a time where I almost entirely stopped listening to rock n roll in favour of hip hop.  I will always love a band with Pat Smear in it.

Edited by Len Cnut
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