Dirty Girls
Directed by Michael Lucid
1996
Length: 18 min
Keywords: Feminism; riot grrl; teenagers; USA; youth movement
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2017/08/16/dirty-girls/
A growing movement of “Dirty Girls” in 1996 is explored through a senior student’s film trying to find understanding of why a growing group of eighth grade girls would give up hygienic practice. Through asking the girls themselves it quickly becomes apparent that no one has given showering up and instead a growing feminist movement is underway.
The “Dirty Girls”, as they are called, stand their ground as their peers try to make sense of their behaviour. Asking the question of why are they dirty? But when the dirty girls clarify hygiene practices are in use it begs the question of why are they seen as dirty? Self-identifying with the riot grrl movement, these teen girls boldly claim they dress how they want no matter if other people do not like it. With some girls refusing makeup and others wearing it in messy uncontrollable ways, wearing clothes that are considered to be “trashy” and not doing their hair. The question must be asked, what part of not participating in the conventional dress expectations for women is unhygienic?
These teenage girls do not only rebel in their manner of dress, but through their art as well where they expressed their rage in a magazine for anyone to see. A vulnerable act as an offering to other people to be understood. For this they are met with confusion, rejection and fellow students laughing at their expense. The other girls bringing forth criticisms of this feminism being outdated (“dinosaur feminism”) or unnecessary (“none of us have perfect lives”) and some say that they don’t think the dirty girls can speak for them (“I find it personally offensive that they are fighting for women because I’m a woman. . . and they’re not”).
Teenagers and rebellion walk hand in hand with each other, but female rage especially from young girls is often misunderstood by adults, boys and even other teenage girls. But this anger the dirty girls had has not been felt by them only. This film was shot in 1996 and now 25 years later watching this, it’s possible for teenaged girls today to see like-minded girls from the past all going through a similar circumstance. The pressure to dress a certain way, behave a certain way and living with the threat of sexual violence. The test of time has proven that the “dirty girls”’ rage was not theirs alone but inherited by the new generation today who are bringing the riot grrl scene back, this movement also being demonstrated in the renewed interest in this film. Not much has changed in the past 25 years.
It is hard to watch the other students’ reactions to the dirty girls. Seeing the dirty girls anger being invalidated with a dismissive attitude because people don’t understand it or don’t think they should feel that way. There is something to be said about how teen girls dress differently is to rebel is being met with push back in the form of teasing. If dressing differently didn’t matter, there would be no reaction because no one would care or have a reason to. The criticism itself justifies the movement, because the bullying the girls receive for refusing to conform to the expectations of women is an example of how the status quo is enforce.
The existence of the film “Dirty Girls” itself asks who takes teenage rebellion seriously, and the answer is other teenagers. Director Michael Lucid was in his senior year of high school when he filmed this footage. Through his position as a student he offers an insider perspective through his work as he is part of the student body. This perspective takes teenagers and their outlooks and actions completely seriously without a dismissing adult approach. The narrative arc of the film takes the form of going back and forth between the dirty girls and general school population, slowly revealing the different point of views, saving the final shock in the form of a personal disclosure for the end. “Dirty Girls” brought a well-rounded view of the many differing opinions of the student population that provides the context of which the “Dirty Girls”’ found themselves in.
“Dirty Girls” is a film that sought answers from rebellious teenage girls, giving them a voice to dismantle the assumptions being made about them, exploring the issues that makes teenage girls rebel to this day.
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