Riot Dyke: Music, Identity, and Community in Lesbian Film

This thesis examines diegetic pre-composed music in three American lesbian feature films. Music in lesbian film is often selected to create cachet with the target audience. This cachet comes with accompanying “affiliating identifications” (Kassabian 2001) that allow music to be used in the films’ construction of characters’ identities. This thesis focuses specifically on riot grrrl and queercore musics (together “riot dyke” (Halberstam ([2003] 2008)) in three films: The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (Maria Maggenti, 1995), All Over Me (Alex Sichel, 1997), and Itty Bitty Titty Committee (Jamie Babbit, 2007). By examining how diegetic riot dyke music is used to build characters’ identities and contribute to the films’ narratives I argue that in these films riot dyke music is presented as being central to certain queer identities and communities, and that this music creates opportunities for characters’ personal growth and affirms characters’ identities in adverse environments.