Archive for the ‘Woman to Woman’ Category
The Formulaic Fortitude of the Final Girl
**This article can also be found published in the March 2012 Special Issue of HorrorHound Magazine**
The Final Girl is to the slasher film what an old lady’s diary is to the romance film; she is the vehicle through which the story unfolds, bringing you the unique thrill that defines the experience of the genre.
Rising to fame in the 1970’s, the ‘Final Girl’ is a commonly used and very successful formula for a female character. Through her quick wit, intelligence, willingness to put up a fight, and the ability to maintain a sense of level-headedness while pursued by some form of blood-thirsty killer(s), the FG outlasts the entire cast to defeat her pursuer – at least until the sequel.
As a horror fan, you’ve undoubtedly found yourself rooting for a FG, whether it be Jamie Lee Curtis or Danielle Harris in Halloween, Camille Keaton or Sarah Butler from I Spit on Your Grave, the women of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or the many, many others that have helped keep horror interesting over the years.
One o' the greats, Final Girl Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween 1
Many argue that the very existence of this bold character type is a reflection of the American society’s desire for a cathartic reaction to punishment of the women in these films who are not the star/Final Girl. Co-starring female characters found in films who star a Final Girl typically have the opposite personality characteristics. They are portrayed with any of the following traits: sexual (or overtly so), unintelligent, impulsive, bratty, spoiled, or otherwise flawed through unlikeable mannerisms.
One can hardly deny the ease in which (overly parodied) scenes with necking young couples whose heavy petting is interrupted by a brutal slaying can be found.
Of course, punishment of the previously mentioned character types means that the Final Girl characteristics would instead be rewarded for being the sexually withholding, quick witted, smart, conservatively dressed girl that’s kind enough to run back for you after the inevitable tumble you’ll take as the killer advances.
As far as character development goes, nearly every writer and/or director drops some type of formulaic character into his or her script to help advance the story while giving the audience something familiar, whether intentionally or not. Those insisting the FG is nothing more than an insult to females are missing at least one big aspect: what she brings to the slasher story.
As in any other genre of film (with the exception of thrillers), the central character(s) must evolve, there must be a recognizable movement from one state to a new, more interesting state of being.
The pre-transformation FG is not unlike any young girl cast in a coming-of-age drama. She is at a pivotal age – taking her first few wobbly steps toward autonomy. The difference? Instead of her life-changing event being a girl-on-girl kiss with a bff, the divorce of her parents, the first time she’s caught stealing or any number of other stereotypical tropes you can imagine launching a drama film, she’s forced to find the strength to preserve her very existence – often against a much larger, stronger, and sometimes paranormal attacker!
In keeping with ideas about rewards and punishments, perhaps the FG’s prevalence against her attacker represents a general desire to see women destroy violence against them on their own? Either way, there is very little that can measure up to a leap this big in terms of character growth.
If instead of the FG the director were to choose the promiscuous and cocky diva-chick stereotype of the cast in this same scenario, would there be as many audience members rooting for her? There’s no reason she couldn’t win in the end. However, the fact is, seeing an uncertain girl who sleeps in a ruffled flannel nightgown, counts 100 hair brush strokes before school each morning and to whom ‘Dirty Sanchez’ has no meaning go head-to-head with a criminally insane murder is much more intriguing to most people than seeing someone with any type of intensity already infused in their personality (sexual or otherwise) graduate to a hero. Intensity infers experience, and the fun of the Final Girl is knowing that she has none.
So, in a FG we have an innocent girl who has been pushed to the outer limits of her potential. By this point in the film, we already trust her to give us the good vs. evil battle we all love to watch unfold. When the dust settles, half the cast is in the ground and the entire small town of *fill in the blank* are terrified to leave their homes, who better to rise as the hero than the character that has been given the most hero-like qualities?
And sure, FG’s benefit from an increasingly three-dimensional personality when compared to slashers from the 70’s… but too much time spent on character development takes space that can be used to infuse all the awesomely gruesome killing that gets the crowd in the seats in the first place.
So, do those who find no good in the FG simply not understand the appeal of horror films in the first place? It is arguable that the personality types of those killed in horror films doesn’t matter much, because crowds come to see something extreme that can’t be seen everyday – the horror – which by the way doesn’t mean they won’t flinch, jump, cringe or even close their eyes. Horror fans enjoy being made to flinch, or proving they don’t need to.
Because I’m truly thirsting for thought-provoking conversation on this topic, I must ask: what’s YOUR take on this?
For more ideas on the social impact of the horror genre’s Final Girl, check out the book that is responsible for a lot of the ideas that led me here, Men, Women and Chainsaws. Also, there is a seriously fantastic podcast out there called Stuff Mom Never Told You, (part of the friendly neighborhood info folk at How Stuff Works) which covers the Final Girl as part of the Halloween Slasher Spectacular! episode.
For more instant gratification on the idea, here’s Actress Caroline Williams (Star of Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, Stepfather II) in a video interview – (if you can tune out the infuriatingly repeating sample of what I’m certain is Trent Reznor screaming in the background for no apparent reason). I must make this disclaimer, however; although I was largely there to listen since Ms. Williams was part of the aforementioned cinematic movement, I’m mostly with her until she trashes women’s studies folk, a group with whom I proudly identify both as a rabid consumer of philosophical writing and a proponent of equal rights.
Besides, feminists and women who appreciate Women’s Studies aren’t all the single-minded image of joyless flannel-flaunting, work boot-cladded male-haters that Married With Children seemed to impress upon an entire generation.
~TANGENT SEQUENCE COMPLETE~
There are also many other great articles, bits of data, and conversations about the Final Girl out there, but not nearly enough so do feel free to give me a shout! As I mentioned, this article will appear in HorrorHound Magazine March 2012 Special Issue, so if you raise good questions, witty retorts, or present me with a fun argument, you may just find your ramblings in HH Magazine, HH Online – or better yet – FinalGirl – HorrorHound’s BRAND-SPANKIN NEW sister company that is scheduled for launch in March 2012 with this article and the awesome teaser trailer during the Film Festival at HorrorHound Weekend, Columbus. Join the fun!
Book, “The History of Fanny Thoughtless” Uninspires Procrastinators Past and Present
For my British friends – no, this book was not about a careless vagina – the actual underdog protagonist of the story is a little girl named Fanny.
Sorry, had to get that out of the way.
Fanny Thoughtless was written in 1855. Once considered the most popular pastimes for children, trading one’s boringly water-dwelling body for a land-dwelling, but still human-based life form (aka mermaid), deep adventures into forests sans chaperone, the consuming of edible witch homes and TONS of similarly harmless, fun-filled activities all took a dive in the 1800’s.
This sudden plunge into fear-based fun restriction was widely attributed to children’s books of the era, i.e. Grimms Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen and other similar works, dubbed “the buzzkill” by affected children.
Today, these stories have had their “scary parts” dismembered & re-imagined so thoroughly by ad-friendly factions that the originally creepy content is actually known by very few…. begging the question: Is it better to have your children paralyzed by fear, or merrily ignorant of the many horrors that lie around every turn?
Anyhow, seeing that the devices of terror had been thoroughly covered, the authors of Fanny, Milner and Sowerby made a marketing decision to explore the territory of annoying habits (those displayed by children, of course). Apparently, once people figured out how to stop dying in their 30’s, they realized that they needed to use all that health to self-sacrifice for god, because (arguably?) the very first emergence of the word procrastinate in the English language (with the exception of the root word, which I’m sure you can look up on your own).
Among other thoughtless (oh, that’s so like Fanny, amIright?) actions, Fanny puts off informing anyone (including her mother) of a widow’s pending eviction, causing the poor woman and her children to be booted out of their home.
Basically the point of this backstory is to beg the question: Is this book the foundation of where we extracted the term, “Get off your lazy Fanny and get (fill in the blank) done”? That is literally all I want to know.
This is a fun slang-origin question – and if this origin is true, it makes so much sense why we only hear this particular definition of “Fanny” delivered in a whisper as nursing-home hallway slang (get it? only old folk use it. ZING!!)
Of course, it is sort of entertaining to imagine the authors’ reactions if they were able to peek into the shameful heights that the “Lazy and Proud” movement has reached in our present day….
Used & New, Now Available in Flea Markets Everywhere!
Thoughts/Insights/Arguments welcomed 🙂
Hey, that government money could'a been in my disability check instead! No faaaair!
Haislip Gyps Hordes of Nerd Girls – Unknowingly (?)
I have been chewing on a general complaint for quite some time, and it has just recently turned specific now that I have a semi-famous person to attach to aforementioned complaint thanks to the always entertaining Nerdist Podcast …
I sorta like Alison Haislip – and all of the things that she pretends to enjoy for attention claims to stand for.
However, I’m sick’a hearing her and other women who just happen to enjoy nerdy things speak on themselves like they’re the only ones out there! I suppose it’s likely that there are less women of this persuasion who also happen to be actors, and I also realize that she feels the need to self-promote on the air, but come on! We aren’t an endangered species, and when I say “We” I’m speaking of HOT nerd girls, not just nerd girls in general (although that is subjective, you know what I mean – I think…) ->
Whatever, keep letting that nerd flag fly, but PLEASE all you hot gamer chicks out there in TV land, can you please just stop with the,
“Yea, I mean how many other girls are out there like ME? hehe <humblebrag chuckle>”
and the, “that’s why I’M just the BADDEST, most AWESEOME chick”,
and the grossly self-masterbatory, “I can only find guys like me… no girls ever want to be around me and I guess I’m just too competitive and into things they don’t understand” brand of comments….
…and maybe instead say, “well sure, but just because I’m female doesn’t mean I bead jewelry, bleach my asshole and brush my hair all day long” or, “there are actually tons of us out there, don’t be afraid to find us!”
That’s right, I’m the only one who understands you, nerd boy.
This is an attempt to raise awareness for other nerd girls out there to spread the word of our existence, not a slam on anyone. It is hard enough already to get nerdy guys to feel comfortable talking to us. Pop culture teaches the poor guys that hot girls will invariably share no common interest with them, we don’t need more *nerdy guy < hot woman * muck out there perpetuated by women who intentionally hang out with only guys and are just DYING to believe they’re somehow special and unique. It’s gross.
BTW Haislip, I lost some respect for you when you shot off the fact that of the TMNT clan, you liked Michealangelo the best?! Only the booger-eaters and specials dug him and his lame catchphrases. #RaphstheMan
And lastly, for someone who’s only seen 2 episodes of Dr. Who, you are certainly gung-ho to masquerade as a seasoned fan via treating your introduction to Matt Smith and Karen Gillan as the greatest event of your young life….ahem…
#itsDALEKnotDARLEK
Sexual Assault, Victim Blaming, and a Call to Action
I was happy to be a guest blogger for fellow feminist friend Linda K. – Check it out here
(her site is perdier than mine):
Princesses – Now with Useful Powers!
I just have to stop and celebrate the fact that the princesses in the more recent kids’ movies have exhibited an enhanced capacity to do real, relatable, INTELLIGENT things. As a child of the 80’s, my favorite princesses were Ariel, Belle and Jasmine, and although they were a bit scrappier, more educated, and much less useless than Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella – they were still mainly just there to be disarmed by whatever guy they were fussing over so that they can dissolve all that resisting into a marriage that is fated to last “Happily Ever After”. (By the way, everyone forgets that Ariel was a young teenager in the movie – which is creepyon the prince’s behalf since he was so eager to whisk her out of her father’s household).
So jailbait, you can't talk, you won't eat, and you're charmed by everything I say? P.E.R.F.E.C.T.
Now that I have my own little girl, I struggle over the choices in television and film I make for her. Her favorite, Tangled, is great because despite a few plot holes (like any children’s film):
- Rapunzel saves her man’s life more often than he saves hers.
- They don’t fall in love immediately and get married, they experience a ton of crazy crap together and THEN realize they care deeply for one another. Years later they are married, like normal people.
- The characters are flawed (although still gorgeous).
- Rapunzel doesn’t feign helplessness, EVER.
- Rapunzel doesn’t blush like a retard every 5 seconds.
Indiana Gives Cursive Handwriting the Finger
Read a bit about our nation’s decline HERE.
Honestly, it sounds like something The Onion would have created to satirize both our failing public school system and our fixation with keeping kids in front of screens for as many hours as possible…
Do we REALLY want our kids to learn to type 3 pages in one sitting instead of potentially gaining such an artful and personalized skill?
but it’s true. Handwriting is out – and it’s about time too, we need to start conditioning our youth as early as possible so they can be groomed to place in the prestigious Speed Texting Championships! Now we can train for cash prizes without bothering to get off our asses at all, much less see, touch, or smell another live human body!!
I’m interested to know what others think of this. I see this as a terrible oversight, and a pathetic attempt for Indiana to prove to the world that they ARE current, in-the-know folk who’re up on all that tech-o-logical whoozimawhat, and NOT the hay-chewing, sheep fucking rednecks we all think they are. Why do you think their license plate says “Crossroads of America?” Its just a place we use to get somewhere more important.
My point is this: throughout their educational path, engineers don’t use probably 90% of the intense math classes they have to take, but the extensive background makes them
1. Stronger problem solvers that can provide detail that they may need to dip into in the case that their software fails them.
2. A larger capacity and tolerance for this shit that only the engineer-iest of engineers can house in their skulls.
This decision is tossing this understanding of a well-rounded education out the window completely. Sure, we do all use computers now, but there is a ton of foundational learning that we acquire by practicing language via handwriting that will go out the window. How will teachers get grammar across to kids when they think Microsoft Word is the magic pill? Its already bad enough to where everyone that doesn’t have a good handle on “proper” grammar has their own broken style of grammar, lush with the same old mistakes again and again.
Am I the only one who’s worried about what comes next?
Silly Females and our “Feminine” Fantasies
Sometimes I listen to Adam Corolla’s podcast. He’s one of those entertainers that I sometimes really like, but sometimes want to hurt over his overtly sexist comments (and I still haven’t figured out whether that aspect of him is just a post-man show act or his true feelings) … but there is almost always a good topic being tossed around on his show, so I let myself enjoy it.
Women and men are both ridiculous, so don’t get me wrong – I DO enjoy trash talking on gender stereotypes. Certain things make me laugh, however… and just prove to me that men still know NOTHING about neither women, nor themselves.
I’m referring to what Corolla cited as common knowledge in reference to the differences between male and female sex-fantasies. Of course, most of us accept his point that when it comes to sexuality, men are visually-oriented.
Hmmm... I wonder what he's packin?
He goes on to say that women ALWAYS have a “faceless, anonymous man” modeling as the subject of their self-induced orgasm.
Really.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news guys, but plenty of women are pretty damn good at calling up a vivid fantasy of (whomever), and really just don’t want to deflate your ego by telling you the truth… that dude you thought we were looking at the other day at the beach? WE WERE. Not only that, but when we’re not picturing him so that we can cum WITH YOU, we are alone, re-envisioning every strand on his head, every ripple in his muscle, and maybe even every detail of what we imagine his dick looks like (on particularly horny days).
It is far more preferable to continue secretly, safely and comfortably picturing a veiny hypothetical dick than dealing with your veiny forehead as you go off about how you’re going to beat someone’s ass over a dumb fantasy confession from us – or if you are the whiny type, we now have to listen to you moan while assaulting us with questions like, “well what does he have that I don’t have?”, and “This is what I get for working hard all day and paying the bills, you thinking about someone else, you ungrateful bitch!!”
No thanks.
We are ALL – men AND women – wired to be attracted to a multitude of other people. Neither you, nor really even us can manage or control our sexual thoughts…. so can we just start focusing on how we manage the actual physical act? We women don’t usually get as upset (there are exceptions) when we know you look at other women, porn, etc… because we accept that you are weak in this area and many times, through allowing you to freely indulge visual fantasy you are less likely to get all resentful and act on something worse.
Now I do admit that we seem more able to ignore being physically unattracted to someone in a relationship- and I also attribute that to our magnificent ability to fully flush out a dirty fantasy while ignoring what’s right in front of us. How do you think all those hot women fuck Donald Trump?!
So, yeah… anyway the moral of the story is – WE DO LIKE WHAT WE SEE…. So get your asses to the gym so we can be happier while screwing you.
Oh Joy! 