Punk & Gender: A Case Study with Tožibabe

Kristen Henderson

Punk is a genre of music that is often associated with more traditionally ‘masculine’ elements - abrasive behavior, men yelling into microphones and stomping Doc Martens on the ground, confident rebellion, a strong and dominating presence...  the list goes on. While there is some truth to these associations, the understandings of punk scenes en masse are simplified at best. Despite the dominance of aggressiveness and physical prowess (hallmark qualities of a masculine scene), women were heavily involved in shaping and creating punk spaces across the globe, especially in the former Yugoslavia.

Punk was especially appealing to women because it allowed them to express dissonance and self determination in a society that was still dominated by patriarchy and sexism. Much like the former Soviet Union, Yugoslavia prided itself on its liberation of women and the gender equalities of socialism. Statistically, the statement is true - literacy rates among women went up while Tito was in power, and the gender division of labor decreased. On a deeper, social level, women were still marginalized. The existence of traditionalist narratives of motherhood and the biological duties of women, alongside the infamous ‘double shift’ (8 hrs of labor and then 8+ of work at home) shatter the myth of equality.

It is difficult to pinpoint why this narrative was so dominant and how it continued to persist well into the late 70’s and 80’s, the ‘prime’ of Yugoslav punk music. Following the Second World War, the national and cultural identity became steeped in anti-fascism, the ‘victory of the partisans’, and militantly spreading the glory of Yugoslav state socialism. There was not a place in society for the individual to be celebrated - it was all about the collective. And if there ever was an individual, you can bet they would be a man. Marginalization of women occurred at multiple levels of society, and punk provided an opportunity to self-identify and express individuality outside of that denigration.

Female punk bands in Yugoslavia present an anti-patriarchal, unifying message, even without necessarily articulating it explicitly. Due to the nature of the relationship between the Yugoslav state and the music industry, censorship was often a concern. It is worth briefly noting that groups that presented the most antagonistic message towards dominant traditions often faced the most censorship or artistic policing. There are number of female groups in Yugoslavia that serve as valuable examples of opposition to traditional, patriarchal misogyny. One example is Tožibabe, the first all-female Slovene punk group to write their own music and lyrics. In an interview with iCrates, former band member Mojca speaks of the anti-establishment message behind Tožibabe: “Of course it [had a political stand]. We had a lot of problems with the police at the time, due to the fact that we were socially dangerous. Thinking differently to the rest of the population wasn’t welcome”. Mojca’s use of the phrase ‘socially dangerous’ is of particular value when discussing the intersection of punk music and gender relations.

Tožibabe and other female-fronted bands were regarded as ‘socially dangerous’ because they styled themselves in opposition to what was normalized by the state. In the same interview, Mojca refers to the regime in Yugoslavia as ‘repressive’, also stating that her band was often the target of police surveillance. One of the reasons there is so little video footage of Tožibabe, she says, is because the band was very careful about being recorded for safety purposes. By presenting themselves as not explicitly feminine and using the same sort of aggressive, dominant behavior and confidence as male punk groups, bands like Tožibabe faced even more repression and negative stereotyping from the government. They looked and acted like male punk groups, and it is not too far a stretch to say that the state felt threatened by this. Mojca and the other members of Tožibabe took an enormous risk by expressing themselves so openly - this level of bravery and dedication is admirable, and is further reason to honor their legacy.

Bibliography

• Batinić, Jelena. "After the War Was Over: Legacy." Women and Yugoslav Partisans. N.p.: Cambridge U Press, n.d. 213-33. Print.

• iCrates. "Punk And Politics ." Tozi Babe. N.p., Dec. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2017. <http://tozibabe-hc-punk.blogspot.com/2015/12/punk-and-politics.html>.