Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
Bruised Babes:
Violence and Feminism Examined in the Roller Derby Subculture
Eliza Harper
Portland State University
1
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
2
Abstract
Though Roller Derby is a sport that thrives on excessive use of violence. The
purpose of this research is to examine the Roller Derby culture in depth and fully
understand the violent and aggressive attitudes and ideologies that are perpetuated
through this subculture. This research aims at uncovering the true effect this subculture
has on its participants and how society as a whole sees their behavior. Extensive analysis
on contemporary feminist literature as well as ethnographic research can explain whether
this subculture is an appropriate outlet for women to take out their aggression of
systematic sexism or act as theater for women to play outside their assigned gender roles.
The research attempts to show how identifying with this subculture might make
participants have skewed ideas of what feminism is and how violence is justified under
the idea of female autonomy. Through my ethnographic research of this subculture, this
paper intends to show how this subculture perpetuates violence that has the potential to
hurt the very feminist ideologies that they promote.
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
3
Roller Derby is seen as an appropriate sport for the average woman to get her
aggression out, but the violence associated with the sport perpetuates the idea that
violence is OK, even in women. A subculture affiliated with violence and feminism can
be harmful to the very ideologies that the subculture subscribes to. It also encourages
violent dominance expressed through the patriarchy and our society as a whole, which is
a main theme in most feminist theories. Roller Derby has the consequence of socializing
women to believe that violence is a form of women empowerment or even a jester
towards gender equality. However, the violence in Roller Derby only perpetuates
aggressive behavior and does nothing for the ever-evolving feminist movement except
undermines it.
Though Roller Derby is seen as a source of entertainment, or as a tool to cope
with society’s oppressive forces, it is still a sport that thrives on excessive use of
violence. Examining the Roller Derby culture in depth should lead one to understand the
violent and aggressive attitudes and ideologies that are perpetuated through this
subculture. This research aims to uncover the true effect this subculture has on its
participants and how society as a whole sees their behavior. Is Roller Derby an
appropriate outlet for women to take out their aggression of systematic sexism? Or is it a
theater for women to play outside their assigned gender roles? Does the violence
associated with Roller Derby perpetuate dominating ideals associated with the patriarchy
and male dominance or is it a satire of violence expressed in sports in general? Answers
can be found through analyzing aggressive behavior and feminist identities in the Roller
Derby culture, as well as uncovering the true attitudes Roller Derby participants have
about the violence that is expressed through their sport. By researching content analysis
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
4
and ethnographic studies of this subculture, one can see that this subculture perpetuates
violence that can hurt the very feminist ideologies that they promote.
When stepping into the roller rink that the local Portland Roller Derby team
practice and compete in, one can see the images of violence before the game even starts.
Lining every wall of the arena are photos of past games from over 10 years, each image
bloodier than the next. These were photos of women essentially beating each other up,
pulling hair, and even an action shot of a woman skating over another woman’s hand.
One might feel uncomfortable around such grotesque images of violence, yet this is a
skating rank families go to and the community supports. When violence in video games,
movies, and the media are argued to be the root of violent behavior in others, one would
think that violence in sports, like roller derby, would be to blame as well. However,
violent sports are rarely ever to blame for violent behavior, and with a sport like roller
derby, violence is not thoroughly analyzed because it is backed up by feminist ideologies.
But the images of beat-up women on a bloody track do not echo the morals of feminism,
only the idea that violence is entertaining.
To truly understand the violence expressed in the average roller derby game, one
can look at the rules behind the sport. Rules are set by the Women's Flat Track Derby
Association (WFTDA) and are used by members of both domestic and international
leagues. The “bout” (how the subculture refers to the games) consists of two 30-minute
periods with about 10 “jams” (how the subculture refers to the matches) in each 30minute period. In order for a team to score a point, a “jammer” of a team needs to outskate the jammer of the other team and skate more laps around the rink. The team with
the most laps wins. However, the responsibilities of the Blockers of the team are to
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
5
prevent the Jammer from passing them and making another lap. This is where most of the
violence comes in: Blockers do whatever it takes to prevent the Jammer from passing
them. “Whatever it takes” includes shoving, kicking, grabbing, hair pulling, and ramming
the jammer against the wall or railing. All of this while on wheels, which adds another
element of violence considering that getting pushed while skating is a lot more dangerous
than getting shoved while just walking down the street. In order to win the game you
need to be as violent and aggressive as possible, yet this is a game that’s attended by
families and even children.
It is almost humorous when you look at the hypocrisy of the game. Roller Derby
and its subculture promote a campaign of “a sport for women by women,” yet the whole
game is women physically keeping other women from getting ahead. When reading
feminist literature and theory, it’s all about men physically and psychologically keeping
women from being successful. Women are supposed to be the gender that shows love,
compassion, and empathy as true virtues of character, yet roller derby perpetuates the
idea that in order to feel powerful you must exert your power physically. Feminists have
fought to end violence as an exertion of power, yet roller derby makes its members feel
that it is ok all in the name of the sport. In order to understand how roller derby evolved
to an all-female violent sport that it is today, one must look at the history behind it.
The History of Roller Derby
Roller Derby started out as a co-ed sport; in most teams men out numbered
women. But in 2013 almost every Roller Derby league is all female. Within 80 years an
endurance competition started by a man and originally dominated by men morphed into
an all female high-contact sport. Roller derby today is the result of a relatively new sport
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
6
that changed to cater to women over time. Never in history has a sport gone through such
a paradigm shift as Roller Derby has. Some say the contemporary status of roller derby
gives women a foothold to claim as their own. Others claim it was made for women and
women just naturally play it better than men. However, Roller Derby didn’t start to carter
to women until the year 2000. The real reason Roller Derby was picked up as a sport for
women was because it originally stemmed from one of the first skating contests that
allowed women as participants.
In 1933, in his hometown of Chicago, Leo Seltzer came up with the idea to hold
endurance competitions on skates. Random people would sign up in teams and compete
by skating around a track 57,000 times (roughly the length across the United States).
Because of the Depression, Seltzer was able to capitalize on gamblers and athletes who
felt they had no other way of earning money. The Competition allowed Seltzer to create
an arena where audience members can place bets while avoid paying any athletes, except
the team that wins. Eventually the contests started to become more and more popular
with both men and women signing up to win the prize money. What made Seltzer’s
competitions so unique is that he allowed women to compete, and even place bets, when
no other arenas at that time were. Seltzer didn’t know it at the time, but his decision to
allow women in his arena was the first step towards making Roller Derby a nation wide
sport.
As Roller Derby grew in popularity, Seltzer eventually took his teams on tour.
The Skating teams went to every major city in the US, promoting the endurance test and
even influencing other cities to open their own arenas. In 1938, sports writer Damon
Runyon approached Seltzer and proposed some ideas that would make the competitions
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
7
more entertaining. These ideas mainly involved violence, specifically elbowing and
slamming opponents into an iron rail in order to gain leverage (Rasmussen, 1999). Seltzer
hated the idea; he created the contest to highlight athleticism and endurance not cheap
showy tricks like pushing and shoving. But when the new rules were introduced allowing
for physical contact, the crowd went wild. They loved every minute of it and the rumor of
Roller Derby spread like wild fire. By 1940 everyone was talking about this new sport
where everyone is shoving and punching each other on wheels just to earn some extra
money. Seltzer never looked back after the audience had a feeding frenzy on the contest’
new violent edge. Eventually, rules were added to give points to teams that knocked over
players. The introduction to the point system changed the whole dynamics of Seltzer’s
endurance competitions to a team-on-team battle royale.
The Dawn of World War II caused many of the male skaters to leave the skating
leagues to enlist. This ended up being the first wave of female-dominate Roller Derby
teams, creating a new market audience: housewives. Through out the 40’s and 50’s
housewives were the most frequent audience members; Seltzer even started selling tickets
at grocery stores and fabric shops to make it more convenient. As Catherine Mabe (2008)
wrote in her book on Roller Derby history and culture “Most Women simply didn’t relate
to football or baseball players of their time, and the other options for entertainment, such
as movies, didn’t provide an adequate release during such trying times. But the ladies of
the era could somehow envision themselves racing across the smooth track, bent low at
the knees, propelling themselves forward with force of will”.
50 years later, in 2000, women-only derby teams started to form. Daniel Eduardo
“Devil Dan” Policarpo was the man who started the all-girl campaign for Roller Derby. It
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
8
really started out as a gimmick, a way for him earn some extra money promoting
something new and progressive. It wasn’t meant to be athletic and competitive, but
entertaining and attractive. As Devil Dan said himself in a interview with New York
Times, he “envisioned low lighting, quick flashes of red, blue and green, glow sticks,
drummers, a cramped track, violence and microphones everywhere” (Brick, 2008). He
explained how he wanted women “with tattoos, Bettie Page haircuts and guts.”
Unfortunately, Devil Dan’s vision of contemporary Roller Derby also included weapons
and oddly dressed clowns, which the female team captains did not find appealing. Only a
year after the advent of his all girl derby teams, Devil Dan was kicked out of the leagues
and hasn’t participated since. The women of contemporary Roller Derby took Devil
Dan’s concept of women empowerment and ran with it, or shall I say skated off with it.
These Leagues have evolved to where they are today.
There are many points to take away from looking at its history that are very
important in terms of understanding the image that Roller Derby culture projects. Roller
derby is now a female-dominated sport (verses women’s leagues in other sports) because
it stemmed from one of the first contests that allowed women to participate. Although the
campaign to create an all-female roller derby league was started by a man, all women
teams eventually took control of the sport entirely. The combat-style tactics of roller
derby were incorporated to make the game more entertaining to viewers, not more
challenging to the players. Considering the History of Roller Derby and their
incorporation of physical aggression into the game, one can see that not only did violence
pervert a game meant to measure endurance, but it also fed into and perpetuated the idea
that violence is entertaining. This is problematic because aggression shown in
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
9
entertainment has the ability to desensitize violence in both the viewer and the
participant. In this case, Roller Derby can desensitize violence, anger, and aggression in
both the audience member cheering them on, and the women participating in the sport. Is
this what women empowerment truly looks like? Roller Derby is problematic because it
gives the impression that violence is one of the only ways a woman can feel powerful and
express that power.
Athletes of Violent Sports Verses Nonviolent Sports
The violent level of roller derby has the potential to affect the behavior of its
players outside the arena. There are many cases that show a correlation between violent
sports and violent athletes, with aggressive team-oriented sports being the number one
producer of domestic abuse perpetrators. At the same time, there is also a correlation
between non-contact sports and expressed aggression of those athletes: the less violent
the sport, the less violent the athlete. It could be said that the more physical combat a
sport incorporates the more the athlete feels that physical aggression is appropriate
outside the sport’s arena. Roller Derby is almost entirely a combat sport, suggesting that
the physical nature of the sport has the potential to influence behavior of athletes outside
the arena as well, regardless of the athletes’ gender
College and Major league football players LaMichael James, Pete Carroll, Leroy
Hill, Cedric Wilson, and James Harrison were all accused and tried of domestic abuse.
Football players, hokey players, and boxers outnumber every other athlete when it comes
to domestic abuse case. According to Mary McDonald’s (1999) research on male sports
figures and violence against women, critical analysis shows that most media outlets
report domestic abuse as a result of individual pathology, with sports not considered a
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
10
main factor in expressed aggression (pg.10). McDonald claims that this is the real reason
behind violent athletes; lack of accountability to the sport perpetuates the idea that it’s not
the sport that is too violent it’s the player. McDonald goes on to theorize that mainstream
media outlets are paid off by national sports associations in order to keep sports in a
positive light.
As important as it is to consider the media in understanding root causes of athlete
violence, research suggests that blaming dispositional attributions of the athlete for the
reason behind domestic abuse is inaccurate and unverified. The first signs of this are seen
in the high number of domestic abuse cases in violent sports athletes. It is completely
unreasonable to see the data that correlates violent athletes with violent sports and blame
it on violent people playing the sport, not the sport itself. In Collin’s book Violence: a
Micro-sociological Theory (2011), he claims, “player violence is most frequent in
offensive/defensive combats organized as teams rather than individuals…this fits the
general pattern that violence depends upon group support” (pg.287). His research
supports the theory that individual attributions of one’s character cannot be fully blamed
for expressed aggression in athletes when it is the group mentality of the sport that is
truly the root cause. Collins goes on to explain that the most violent sports are those
played with competing teams. He theorizes that socialization of violence is fueled in the
locker room and through validation found in the team. Within a team, you are supported
for being violent against the other team, verses the inner dialog of one player would make
an athlete of a single-player sport less likely to act violently since that socialization is not
present. This is important when considering the rules behind roller derby: the sport is not
only a team-on-team competition, but it is a sport that expresses violence that is
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
11
supported by the other member of one’s own team. According to Collins’ research, roller
derby has all the factors that would produce a violent athlete. However, Collins’ research
only covers the violence expressed in men and also mentions that gender dynamics of
men are at the foundation of expressed aggression as well. It should be noted that Collins’
aim was not to claim that all athletes of these violent sports become violent. But of those
who are violent, the participation of these kinds of sports is one of the main contributing
factors.
Lack of domestic abuse cases in non-violent athletes is evidence that speaks for
itself. Individual non-combat sports including tennis, golf, and volleyball have a pattern
of producing less violent athletes. For example, Boris Becker, Bernard Boileau, Roscoe
Tanner, and Bill Tilden are the only professional tennis players in the Professional Tennis
Association convicted of a crime. None of their crimes were violent and included charges
such as tax evasion, theft, fraud, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. We can
also look at the behavior of the world’s most famous golfer Tiger Woods; though seen in
a negative light because of his “sex addiction”, he has yet to show signs of violent
behavior. Patterns of nonviolence can be seen in marathon bikers as well; Tammy
Thomas and Missy Giove were convicted of obstruction of justice and conspiring to
possess and distribute more than 100 kg of marijuana respectively. A more famous
example is Lance Armstrong and his admittance to performance enhancing drugs, though
he was never tried for his drug use. These examples show non-violent crimes perpetrated
by non-violent athletes.
It should be noted that there are exceptions to this correlation between violent
sports resulting in violent athletes, especially when relating it into the sphere of female
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
12
athletes. There are a high number of cases where Baseball athletes have been convicted
of domestic abuse or violent assault. Baseball does not have the level of player-on-player
aggressive combat as other sports yet still produces a high level of violent athletes. There
are other variables that go into the domestic abuse that are more socioeconomic in origin.
In the case of baseball athletes, use of performance enhancing drugs can cause athletes to
exhibit violent behavior. When it comes to behavior patterns of female athletes, there just
has not been enough research. Any research that mentions expressed violence and women
is solely centered on women as victims of domestic abuse. As much research and
correlational findings that have been made in contemporary social research with sports
and violence, almost none of it can be applicable to roller derby because it is a sport
entirely played by women.
The socialization and dynamics of an all female team is drastically different than
an all male team. What really needs to be understood is if roller derby, or any violent
sport, has the power to produce violent female athletes. One would say the evidence is in
the sport itself: the rules of roller derby completely involve beating up the members of
the other team. However, studies have shown that women who play sports have shown
less violence than their male counterparts typically do even in the same sport. According
to Joncheray and Tlili (2010) and their research on female rugby players, violence “does
not express itself in a satisfying way in the women's sport, as if women authorized less
tension than found in men’s sport” (pg.4). Through surveys and one-on-one interviews,
Joncheray and Tlili were able to show that female rugby players show more risk-taking
behavior than violent behavior when engaging in high contact sports. This research aims
to prove that women don’t express nearly as much violence as men do because there is no
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
13
masculinity based tension found in all-women sports, only behavior that is deemed “risktaking” because female rugby players go into a game knowing they will be hurt, not
trying to be violent and overly competitive. This analysis of risk-taking behavior verses
violent behavior can be applied to roller derby, seen in the conscious choice to participate
in a sport where they known they will be physically hurt. In their ethnographic research
and observations, Joncheray and Tlili explain that injuries are treated differently in
female sports verses male sports: In all-male sports, injuries are badges of honor and are
not treated seriously unless in extreme cases (i.e. the suck it up attitude of most male
athletes) while in all-female sports all injuries are taken seriously, are not encouraged,
and treated with great concern by other members of the team. This observation suggests
that women do not perpetuate violence because injuries as a result of violent physical
contact are treated with the upmost concern, not as a bragging right.
Feminism and Roller Derby
When examining violence expressed by women, many contemporary feminist
theories believe that violence is another way of women attempting to put themselves on
the same social strata as men by behaving like men. In Kimmel’s book Guyland, he goes
into detail how dominate socialization of men in almost every aspect of our social world
have led women to either dress and behave to attract men or dress and behave to be more
like men or equal to men (Kimmel, 2008, pg. 48). With that in mind, one can see the over
abundance of violence in roller derby as women “acting like men” in an attempt to be
equal to men. Disregarding Kimmel’s notions of women in a man’s world, many argue
that roller derby is an outlet for women to change what it means to be a woman, not just
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
14
trying to be more like men. Peluso (2012) and her research have shown that leisure
activities such as roller derby help women deconstruct and redefine what femininity is.
Peluso argues that roller derby gives women the power to shape what it truly means to be
a woman, not just challenging what society has deemed “feminine” or “woman-like”.
Instead of roller derby being an outlet for women to act like men, is it an arena for
women to act like true, unfiltered, real women. Because of the fact that the sport is
organized and participated strictly by women, there are no lingering feelings of
hegemonic masculinity constructing their image of how a woman should act and behave.
It is very important for the feminist community to analyze and rethink the gender
roles of men and women, but violence should not be justified through means of
intellectual discourse of contemporary gender theory. Since the advent of feminism,
violence was seen as a tool used to oppress women. Yet here we see women playing a
sport where violent physical contact is the only way to win the game. As progressive as
roller derby appears to be for the social equality that women fight for, it only serves as a
drawback against the feminist community because of the violence it perpetuates.
To further understand feminism and the feminist ideologies the Roller Derby
subculture subscribes to, the differences between various feminist movements must be
outlined. Just like there are different sects of religions, there is also many forms of
feminism. Roller Derby falls under a category of feminist thought that justifies and even
encourages aggression expressed through women. However, there are forms of feminism
that have been based on theory developed years ago that have always promoted
nonviolence. One would think more contemporary feminism would be peaceful and
nonviolent, yet it has only become more violent over the years. Views of violence
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
15
through liberal feminism, radical feminism, and riot grrrl feminism are analyzed to
explain how and why roller derby has the potential to cripple the ever-evolving feminist
movement.
Liberal Feminism
Liberal feminism is seen as the original form of feminism, stemming from the
founding of such organizations as the National Organization for Women and the National
Women’s Political Caucus in the 1960’s. Through out history, women have been seen as
inferior to men in almost every aspect of life and have thus been oppressed as a result of
this belief. . Liberal feminists were at the forefront of anti-violence activism in order
protest rape, sexual assault, and domestic abuse, as well as bring attention to these issues.
Before feminism become more mainstream in the 1960’s civil rights era, this realization
of sexism was called “the problem with no name”. Eventually, feminist theorists
appropriated the word “patriarchy” to encompass the unjust male dominated social
system that oppresses women on a societal and global level. This term is still used today
to label both micro and macro forms of sexism and gender oriented violence.
Essentially, liberal feminism is the belief that all citizens of all genders are created
equal, and that any value attached in either gender is socially constructed. As Tong
(2008) outlines in her book Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction,
liberal feminism aims at achieving gender equality by promoting equal value and
complete autonomy to all genders (pg.11). Feminist theorist have deconstructed and
analyzed the factors that go into the patriarchy and what perpetuates it, with violence
being the central element behind male dominance. Liberal feminist theory emphasizes
that men’s violence against women is one of the main tools used to oppress women and
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
16
continue the power dynamics of the patriarchy. As a result, no forms of violence are ever
encouraged in liberal feminism as it is seen as promoting the very act that has oppressed
women for all of recorded history. This is where liberal feminism goes against the grain
with roller derby; roller derby uses physical contact and violent aggression in order to not
just exert power but to subdue it in the other players.
According to feminist theory, the roller derby subculture takes the very same
oppressive forces that have demeaned and marginalized women and made it into a sport.
Some might argue that controlling and deconstructing tools of oppression are ways of
finding personal empowerment. Even though there are those who put roller derby on the
same spectrum of “sport” as female mud wrestling, some claim that having a sport
completely dominated by women (no matter how violent it is) is what’s needed for allfemale sports to be taken seriously in the first place. In her research, Beaver (2012)
argues that the DIY ethic of roller derby created a sport only women can control, creating
a collective bond with everyone participating in the sport. Beaver points out that instead
of disenfranchising women, roller derby gives all power to women, which allows them to
not only take the sport seriously but have others take them seriously as well. Instead of
singling out women-only sports as strictly feminine (synchronized swimming being one
of them), roller derby attempts to put rough edges in a sport only played by women, defeminizing it. Its through this type of discourse that violence expressed in roller derby is
played off to be women taking back the power that was originally taken from them
through the patriarchy. While liberal feminism completely supports the idea of womenonly sports to be taken seriously, violence should not be used in order to make that
happen.
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
17
Other sports with all women leagues have the potential to give women the
opportunity to feel empowered, without having to incorporate violence into the game.
From tennis, to soccer, to the WNBA, women can use sports in order to gain equality
without the excessive use of violence seen in Roller Derby. The problem with Roller
Derby is not the sport itself; it’s the justification of the violence in it. Feminist theorists
have come to the conclusion that all social constructions of value can be traced back to
socialization (Tong, 2008). This means that we pick up cues on what norms, values, and
behaviors are appropriate from interacting with other people, whether it is your friends,
family, or classmates. This is important when considering the violent behavior expressed
in roller derby players: if women exhibit violent and aggressive behavior, it has the
consequence of further socializing both men and women into believing that violence is
ok. Many other societal factors have lead Americans to be desensitized, and even
entertained, by violence but men have overwhelming been the perpetuators of this
violence. If a sport affiliated with all women players is played in a violent setting, it can
fuel the flames of violence and abuse those feminist activists and theorists have worked
so hard to prevent.
Radical Feminism
One of the main ideas behind Radical Feminism is the notion that not only do
women need to have equality with men (which is a central idea of liberal feminism) but
they also seek complete liberation for all women from male violence. With Radical
feminism comes the idea that gender roles of both men and women should be valued and
seen in the same positive light. While liberal feminism seeks to gain equality and equal
treatment no matter the gender, radical feminists seek to deconstruct how we value
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
18
feminine and masculine roles that are expected of us to be of equal value. Instead of the
male breadwinner seen as more important than the stay-at-home mom, radical feminists
aim to have every one see both roles as equally valuable. Radical feminist theory claims
that female gender roles have been devalued not only by the belief that women are the
inferior sex but also by the belief that who ever has the most power has the most valuable
position. The number one way to exert power and keep that power is through violence,
which as a result has lead to a polarization of men and women power dynamics in almost
every society found on Earth.
For an example of how stigmatized violence is to Radical feminism, one can look
at their views of pornography. Radical feminists believe that all forms of pornography
encourage male violence and domination over men and thus feel that it should be banned
in order to gain equality for women. If this is how radical feminists view pornography,
one can imagine the objection of violence in a sport. In radical feminism, one of the main
goals is to free women from the oppressive power and violence exerted by men, so when
violence is expressed by women towards other women, it is seen as taking two steps back
away from the goal.
Riot Grrrl Feminism
Though mainstream forms of feminism oppose any and all forms of violence, Riot
Grrrl feminism has violent origins and connotations. Riot Grrrl is the feminist ideology
that mirrors the Roller Derby subculture the most, so it is important to understand how
Riot Grrrl feminism views violence. Riot Grrrl feminism has its origins in Punk culture
(which has pre-existing violent connotations already) and evolved as a feminist culture
where women have a forum to express themselves and be heard. This expression was
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
19
seen through the creation of various Riot Grrrl zines through out the 1990’s as well as a
rise in girl led punk groups like Bikini Kill and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The term
“Riot Grrrl” was first coined by Jen Smith, a musician and active feminist. She reacted to
the violence after experiencing a neighborhood riot in Washington DC where she
exclaimed, “This summer's going to be a girl riot”(Anderson, 2003, pg. 308). Instead of
opposing the violence expressed in riots, she encouraged it and tacked feminism onto it.
As mentioned before, both roller derby and punk culture subscribe to Riot Grrrl
feminism and their ideologies. Examining women in the punk culture should further
explain how women in the roller derby culture view violence. In Leblanc’s (1999) book
Pretty in Punk, she explains how the masculinization of punk through out the late 70’s
and 80’s led to female punks to go through the same transformation. Both male and
female punks were faced with a culture of hyper masculinity when violence was seen as
opposing mainstream culture and creating an environment of deviance (which they
sought). This why you see female as well as male punks in mosh pits and engaging in
violent aggressive discourse, examples of this are seen through recorded sayings such as
“I bet a steel-capped boot could shut you up” and “I’ll slap on my lipstick and kick your
ass” (Leblanc, 1999, pg.103). Roller Derby expresses this same ethic, except it never
went through a transition of masculinity such as Punk. In fact, Roller Derby went through
a transition of Femininity as it evolved to become completely dominated by women. This
had the consequence of making the violence expressed in Roller Derby a strictly female
behavior, not the result of masculinization.
Roller Derby’s history of violence can be justified through Riot Grrrl ideology
attached to the Punk subculture. Both this and the rules that govern the game create the
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
20
illusion that violence is another expression that women can and will project because they
have the autonomy to do so. While all forms of feminism value and strive for autonomy,
the expression of violence as an excuse to express autonomy is counteractive to the
feminist movement as a whole. Yes, women should feel they have the freedom to express
themselves however they want, but violent behavior is not an appropriate form of
expression not matter what gender you are or how disenfranchised you have been.
Methods:
The primary data site was The Hangar at the Oaks Amusement Park, roughly 6
miles south of Portland’s city center. The Hangar is a roller rink located inside the
amusement park and is where practices and events are held. For bigger events and season
openers/closers, the Memorial Coliseum is used. The Memorial Coliseum, however, is
not considered a data site for my research because there were no bouts played there
during my observation and thus no observations were made in that location. Secondary
data sites were various bars in South East Portland and Milwaukee. Some, not all, players
would meet after games at these bars, but it should be noted that less than half of the
players I observed attended a bar after a game.
My Relationship with the setting was in the perspective of the Martian. I already
had no knowledge of the subculture prior to the start of my ethnographic research, so
playing this role proved to be not only easy but also beneficial. My Martian perspective
of the subculture allowed the derby players to feel they needed to explain in length
different aspects of their subculture/game. This provided me with useful information
without having to guide the conversation too much or ask too many questions.
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
21
I am a 23-year-old white woman. The members of the Roller Derby subculture
vary between 23-42 year old white women. This an estimate based on the team I was
observing not every woman in the league as a whole. My own personal ascriptive
features allowed the members of the team to be comfortable with me both as a woman
and a white person from a middle class background. It should be noted that I come from a
lower socioeconomic background than most of the members and thus made it difficult to
understand or justify the amount of money spent to keep up the hobby of Roller Derby
(i.e. when a member would pay $300 for a pair of skates, an amount I spend in a month).
The settings are fairly safe as long as I keep my distance away from the rink
railing. The bouts are held in public places run by professionals and in following all state
safety regulations (i.e. fire escapes, persons capacities, etc.). There is a seating area for
audience members that sit right next to the railing of the rink. No persons under 18 are
allowed to sit there as it is extremely close to where players often ram each other against
the rail. Sitting there has the possibility of causing injury; I personally never sat there
though.
My contact is the girlfriend of a male acquaintance of mine. She picked up roller
derby in January 2012 as a result of a bad break up and “awesome skates that were
collecting dust,” as she would put it. Both her and the members of the team I was
observing will remain anonymous as my research may use data on their personal life and
conversations they had with me to undermine a subculture they not only participate in but
also admire.
In my ethnographic research I am a known observer to my subjects (the roller
derby players). Data is logged either by on-field note taking or guided conversation with
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
22
key points logged down at a later time. When observing practices and audience members
during a bout (game), note taking is used in real time. In guided conversations I save my
note taking for a later time to keep the conversation casual, letting the subject feel relaxed
when speaking to me. This was used especially during conversations in the bar where
intoxication would have the derby girls call me out whenever I brought my notebook out.
Snowball sampling was used with the sample made up of the a specific team I
was observing. Just like the subjects, the team too will remain anonymous for the sack of
this research. There were 19 members (all women) in the team I observed, but not all of
them were present at one time at the various practices and meets. At most, I observed
roughly 15 of them at one time during a practice or at a game.
Findings
Snowball sampling was used as it encompasses the number of players observed in
the Roller Derby team I focused my research on. In my study n=44, 19 players total per
team (two separate teams observed, with a focus on one), 2 coaches, and 4 umpires that
were present in 2 separate bouts/games.
For my research I chose to focus on meanings, encounters, organizations, and
lifestyles as my thinking units. Meanings can be found in the uniform and gear used in
the bouts and practices: it’s important to not only get the proper protection (which shows
concern on behalf of the other players for safety) but also the right protective gear from
the right store. The Derby players claim there are certain protective gear made for roller
derby and specifically for women, so its strongly suggested you get that specific kind of
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
23
gear. Encounters of those outside the Roller Derby culture can be seen the most when
boyfriends (sometimes girlfriends), husbands/partners, family, and friends come to see
the Derby bouts. The Roller Derby culture has a strong relationship with public
institutions through donating and fundraising for various organizations. This includes the
Sunshine division (an organization that provides emergency food and clothing relief to
Portland families and individuals in need), the Special Olympics, Big Brothers Big
Sisters, The Boys and Girls Club, and more. Through the donations they offer to these
organizations, the Roller Derby subculture has a strong relationship with the community
of Portland rather than seen as a deviant subculture. More research needs to be done on
the lifestyles of these women, but one observation I made that stood out was that many of
the women in the Derby team came from affluent backgrounds and had a disposable
income that would suggest they are of upper middle class or higher. I make this claim
based on the fact that the players pay for expensive gear and equipment out of pocket and
come from rich or suburban neighborhoods like Lake Oswego and the West Hills.
The DIY ethics of the Roller Derby culture has lead some researchers to believe
that the control women have in the sport creates a strong bond between all the members
of the culture, not just the members of the same team. In Beaver’s (2012) ethnographic
study on Roller Derby girls, she pointed out that “doing it themselves ensures
that skaters maintain control over their athletic activity, their organizations, and the sport
as a whole” (pg.5). This mirrors the Riot Grrrl feminist subculture that is also popular
here in Portland and draws many similar ideas, especially in terms of DIY mentality and
creating a voice for women in a male dominate society (seen in the organization of an allfemale sport run completely by women). With this in mind, its safe to assume that Roller
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
24
Derby culture falls under the spectrum of Riot Grrrl femininity. However, it should be
noted that there are those who participate in Roller Derby that don’t subscribe to the Riot
Grrrl culture. In fact, as outlined in Beaver’s research, there are even members of the
subculture that don’t identify as feminist at all and participate as a hobby, for fun, or as a
professional athlete. To put in perspective where Roller Derby falls in the umbrella
culture of feminism and sports culture, refer to the following diagram:
Analysis
There were hardly any situational factors that were deemed illegal or dangerous.
The only form of illegal activity that I have observed was underage drinking (only one
instance, and that member kept it hidden from the other players of the team). The
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
25
behavior would have been expressed if I had not been there; in fact, I believe my
presence lessened the amount of illegal activity (in this case underage drinking).
Misrepresentation is the sole reason why I choose to keep both the players and
their teams anonymous. My motives are to deconstruct the ideologies behind the violent
behavior expressed in a game of roller derby; a motive I believe the players would not
appreciate. In order to appear genuine (so they feel comfortable speaking to me) I told my
subjects my research highlights positive ideologies of feminism found in the Roller
Derby Culture. Some levels of the Hawthorne effect may have happened as a result. For
example, there were more conversations about feminism than I believe would happen if I
were not present.
Confidentiality is used in order to disrespect the members’ participation in the
culture. All subjects and environments have been safe and took place in a public arena.
Anonymity is used for all the subjects and their teams as well as certain meeting places
and secondary data sites.
Certain Consequences may occur as a result of the publication of this research.
The Roller Derby culture donates a lot of money and entertainment resources for local
charities. Highlighting the hypocrisy of their violent subculture may have charities
withdraw their endorsement or affiliations. This research is a critique of the violent nature
of the roller derby subculture, which its members might not appreciate hearing or reading
about.
The Proto-theory I originally had for my ethnographic research was to reveal not
only how but also WHY the members of this subculture justify the excessive use of
violence in their sport. I hoped to gain a better understanding of how the members of this
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
26
subculture express violence outside the arena, how others view their violence, and how
the members themselves view the violence they perpetuate and experience themselves.
For those who identify as feminist, I wanted to reveal how their expression of violence
and aggression align with their own feminist ideologies. For those who didn’t identify as
feminist, I want to understand what factors of the Roller Derby culture appealed to them
that made them want to join.
Upon extensive observation and conversation with the members of this
subculture, I found that many of the women had askewed perspectives of what feminism
is and what it meant to them what a feminist was. As Sally (name changed) remarked
with my conversation with her:
“I joined Roller Derby because every since I was a little girl I was good at kicking ass
(laughter). I wasn’t good at anything else! Swear to god! I though maybe I was a tomboy
but I still liked wearing dresses, remember those butterfly clips that were popular in the
90s? Yeah, I wore like 10 of them in my hair at once. Super girly. But I liked being rough
and playing with the boys. I wish I had something like Roller Derby as a child, because it
wasn’t until I was 20 and I joined that I realized that I still a woman, even if I like beating
people up, or getting beat up myself (laughter, points to her bruises and scrapes on her
arms). “
Sally’s conversation brought up a problem with feminism in roller derby: that
autonomy means expressing even the most extreme spectrums of emotion, which
includes violence. As mentioned before in the literature review, this is problematic
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
27
because violence is the very expression of power that feminist theorists have worked so
hard to eliminate. Views of what autonomy truly is along with experiments in gender
identity construction have lead to a justification of violence in the members of the Roller
Derby subculture. Another member, Vanessa (name changed) mentioned something that
was meant to be empowering but struck a cord when I heard it: “At least my bruises are
from the games, and not from an abusive husband”. This single statement accurately
sums up the ideology behind most of the members of this subculture have: that the
violence in their life is controlled and not a result of abuse but of autonomy.
A new theory I developed while observing this subculture is that roller derby is a
product of the commodification of feminism. Also, Roller Derby teams, especially the
one I am observing, is made up entirely of white women ranging form 23-42 from upper
middle class or higher backgrounds. I believe roller derby not only is a commodification
of feminism, it also perpetuates the lack of intersectionality in feminism, seen in the lack
of minorities and those of lower socioeconomic status. Whitlock (2013) mentions in her
research on Roller Derby teams in Florida that “the modern flat track roller derby
employs third wave feminist rhetoric to produce and commodify the roller derby player
identity” (pg. 8). She goes on to explain that feminist ideologies and commitment to the
community through charities has morphed the Roller Derby subculture into a commodity
of feminism itself, justified through the fact that they are “giving back to the community”
but completely ignore the lack of intersectionality in their subculture. Through my own
research, I have begun to see the same connections that Whitlock made. This is especially
seen in the personal finance that goes into keeping up with the subculture. While on a
team, a member needs to buy and replace all gear herself out of pocket. The store that
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
28
specializes in Roller Derby gear, a store located in North Portland, sell specialized gear a
skates with price tags like $72 for knee pads, $300 for new skates, and $50 gloves.
Limitations of Research
Internal validity can honestly be hard to argue because of the small sample size,
the limited amount of time that was allotted for the research, and observations of the
Hawthorne affect mentioned before. The period of time I observed the teams did not give
way for subject maturation; there were no visbable cues of the subjects changing through
out the time I observed them, only observations on the topics they chose to talk about
while in my presence (again, results of the Hawthorne affect). I believe the subjects were
honest with me when expressing their opinions but were not honest in the environment
and the way they expressed those opinions. Feminism was a hot topic in many
conversations with the team members even though there were members that admitted to
never reading any feminist literature. Focused conversation on feminism also steered
away the topic of violence, which was key to my proto-theory and figuring out the
justification of it. However, the combination of my misrepresentation (that I was
researching feminism) and the already desensitized perspective these women had of
violence (through the normalization of it through practices) created a somewhat vague
image of how and why the violent level of the game is never questioned in by the
members.
There is a level of external validity that can be applied as a result of this research
when analyzing the various demographics of the city of Portland but not the United States
as a whole. Both Roller Derby and Riot Grrrl feminism is popular and has some roots in
the city of Portland, which is why I feel my observations of this subculture mirror the
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
29
attitudes and values of most women who live in this city. However, it should be
mentioned that the members of this subculture in Portland are all white and fairly
affluent. This compromises the external validity of my research because I have observed
the behaviors, norms, and values of a virtually all white rich community, verses the
thinking units I would observe of a Derby team from a poor neighborhood in Chicago. As
a result, I feel that my research cannot be applied too every Roller Derby player in every
league in the United States, but it does created a comprehensive image of the average
Portland “feminist”.
This study could be expanded in further research of Roller Derby teams from
more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse cities. The lack of intersectionality in
Portland’s Roller Derby culture makes it hard to compare their ideologies to those from
different cities and racial/class background. Also, my observations were limited to the
team members themselves and not the friends or family members. Further research
should be done on the opinions and observations of the players close family and friends
in order to understand how those close to the derby player feel about the violent that is
expressed by them as well as how they feel about watching their loved ones be at the
receiving end of the violence as well. One member mentioned her 4-year-old daughter
but she was never present in any of her bouts. Further research should uncover the
reasoning behind such instances like that as I was not able to.
Conclusion
Empowerment for women means complete and utter autonomy from men in all
aspects of socialization. Systematic sexism in our society and power dynamics fueled by
violence expressed towards women have kept women from achieving the equality they
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
30
work so hard to achieve. When violence is the sole entertainment factor of a game
completely dominated by women, it undermines the feminist ethics that strive to create a
safe society for women. Roller Derby may not intentionally promote violence by women
or towards women, but it certainly does not send out the message that violence is
inappropriate. As important it is for women to have a forum to comfortably express who
they are and what it is to be a woman, introducing violence into that forum discredits the
very values that feminism stands on. It is impossible to promote gender equality through
expressed violence, and maybe the Roller Derby subculture should take note. If the sport
continues to play in arenas nation wide, its members should consider how their violence
negatively reconstructs what it means to be a feminist.
Sources Cited
Rasmussen, C. (1999, February 21). The Man Who Got Roller Derby Rolling Along. Los
Angeles Times, Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1999/feb/21/local/me10190
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
31
Mabe, C. (2008). Roller Derby: The History of and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport
on Wheels. Seattle: Speck Press
Brick, M. (2008, December 17). The Dude of Roller Derby and His Vision. New York
Times, Retrieved from
http:/nytimes.com/2008/12/18/sports/othersports/18devildan.html?_r=3&pagewan
ted=all&
McDonald, M. G. (1999). Unnecessary roughness: Gender and racial politics in domestic
violence media events. Sociology of Sport Journal, 16, 111-133.
Collins, R. (2009). Violence: A micro-sociological theory. Princeton University Press.
Joncheray, H., & Tlili, H. (2010). Female first division rugby: a dangerous
activity?. Staps: Revue Internationale des Sciences du Sport et de l'Éducation
Physique, 31(90 2010/4), 37-47.
Kimmel, M. S. (2008). Guyland: The perilous world where boys become men. Harper.
Peluso, N. M. (2010). High Heels and Fast Wheels: Alternative Femininities in NeoBurlesque and Flat-Track Roller Derby. Doctoral Dissertations
Bruised Babes: Violence & Feminism in Roller Derby
32
Putnam Tong, R. (1998). Feminist thought: A more comprehensive introduction.
Westview press
Beaver, T. D. (2012). “By the skaters, for the skaters” : the DIY ethos of the roller derby
revival. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 36(1), 25-49. Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0193723511433862
Andersen, M., & Jenkins, M. (2003). Dance of days: two decades of punk in the nation's
capital. Akashic Books.
Whitlock, M. C. (2013) Selling the third wave: The commodification and consumption of
the flat track roller girl. Masters Abstracts International, Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1322726060?accountid=13265.
(1322726060; 201317612).