Rebel Girl and the Wrecking Ball – The Cruel Optimism of Empowerment and the Revival of Feminism in Contemporary Popular Music

Authors

  • Lars Richter University of Alberta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/md23293

Abstract

In this article, I explore ways in which contemporary two female artists convey their individual feminist agenda through their artistic expression. The juxtaposition of two allegedly ideologically opposed cultural products—Miley Cyrus’ video for her song “Wrecking Ball” and a simultaneously released video by former Riot Grrrl activist Kathleen Hanna—will allow me to explore the mechanics of Lauren Berlant’s cruel optimism with respect to claims of empowerment in art. In addition, a revisit of the media scandal surrounding Cyrus’ videos opens pathways into the delineation of a continuum within feminist art that will result in a plea for the re-appropriation of punk feminist DIY practices for the present of the 2010s.

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Published

2015-06-10

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1,2 (2015): CONNECTIONS

Section

Articles

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Multilingual Discourses ISSN 1929-1515