The Objectication Of Women In Horror Films=^..^=

Even though I absolutely adore horror.............!!! There are some issues I have with the genre.
I remember when I was younger it was almost always the blonde female who got it first, next and last. Now, it seems that the only one left standing at the end of most of these movies are the blonde women and the brunette gets it first, next and last! LOL! By the way, I'm not a blonde. Now, I think we're about ready for a balance. Either the blonde AND the brunette BOTH get it first, next and last or BOTH the blonde AND the brunette are left standing in the end. That would be nice to see.
Another big issue with me.................For sooooooooooo many years the female (whether blonde or brunette) never seemed to be wearing a bra and they would have her running with clear definitions of her nipples through her T-shirt. As a woman and an extremely strong proponent of Womens' Rights I got so SICK of seeing that. I was starting to get the impression that I was watching porn movies passing themselves off as horror movies where men and boys could respectfully jack themselves off while watching them!! NOW I'm beginning to see that women are beginning to wear bras AND to prevent the nipples from being so conspicuous they wear padded bras. The padding is so thick that they look like they're wearing miniature breastplates over each breast. It does look kind of funny, but, at the same time I'm so happy that women are not as objectified as they used to be in these movies. Although, I am still getting sick of the infamous, 'Shower Scene'. It seems, that still, a horror movie isn't a horror movie without the gratuitis shower scene to please the pickles of men and boys.
Thanks for reading my editorial.........and remember..........Happy Haunting Everyone!
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija (my furangel)

Two things.

Sex sells.

Movies are made to generate income.

Sorry it bugs ya.

(Typical man)
Cuhail

Apart from stating the blind obvious....

I see it as a way to 'keep women on a short leash', and portray them as nothing more than fodder. When you and I (and anyone with knowledge) know the exact opposite is true.

Women are the life givers, creators, god must be a feminine conciousness. Men on the other hand... war, violence, power etc...

Once the women of this world awaken en masse, times will be awesome, abit challenging to the neanderthal male, who will finally be out of his comfort zone.

Great observation on your part, and as long as women like you know what's going on, I have to ask, what are you doing about it?



Z

Hey, I thought that was some pretty good acting!
When I’m scared my *bunny noses* poop up too!

And what’s all this complaining about girls - way back then - not wearing bras?
Didn’t all real women burn their bras back then?

You Go Girls!

lol




This one is hysterical!

[edit on 19-9-2008 by silo13]

reply to post by Catwoman1010


Catwoman -
In reply to the message you left me on my profile.
Hun, you need to read my post a wee bit closer.
See where it says *When I'm cold my *bunny noses* pop up too?
Hun, I'm a female not a male.
(Though I suppose in all fairness a very sensitive male might post such a thing).
But yes, I was teasing you (in my original reply here).
Just teasing.
I was also jesting about the *bra burning*.
I know it was symbolic, etc etc.
Anyway.
I'm reply to you in this *public* way - to apologize.
I didn't take your post seriously, at all.
It just seemed so ridiculous to me that you'd harp on about woman's base portrayal in horror films when, well, it's such a insignificant issue compared to other atrocities being visited on the *fair sex*.
That was my mistake.
What I viewed as a *nothing* obviously wasn't trivial issue to you, especially if you found it necessary to post me a *comment* privately.
So, I apologize.

Now on a lighter note - watch *Candy Man*.
Scared me right into a twist, and, I didn't see any woman in that flick getting dissed at all...In fact she rocked!

Take care, and I’ll try not to let it this happen again. *Try* being the key word in the sentence.





...laura...lauuuuuuurrraaaa...


[edit on 20-9-2008 by silo13]

[edit on 20-9-2008 by silo13]

reply to post by Catwoman1010


First, I must ask: What is the "general conspiracy" in relation to your post? Are you implying that horror movies were merely just subconscious attacks on the bra industry?

Second: You know what I'm sick of? Women being portrayed as something they're not.

Most women would not hang around and be brave in the face of a serial killer or monster. Most women wouldn't bother trying to attack what ever was after them. They'd run off screaming, the same thing you are objecting to being portrayed in horror films.

As long as we're talking about this new trend of women being portrayed as something they're not all in an effort to please the feminists, these commercials where the male is a moron and the female calmly must show him the error of his ways and be the wise one of the two is sickeningly corny.

I'm not claiming women are idiots. What I'm claiming is you'd never see a situation like that. It is a pathetic attempt at pleasing everyone who would sue them for something as stupid as that, and it needs to kindly go away.

Beyond all of this, I don't understand your post. I don't have the patience to understand it either. Stop finding anything and everything to complain about and get offended about.

As a horror fan, I'll be the first to admit there is sexism in the genre as much as any other. But I do think that many, if not most, horror movies - often being rather over the top to the point of absurdity - are actually parodying the very paradigms they are portraying. Maybe I am giving too much credit to the writers, but I think many are actively making fun of the sexism that permeates the rest of society. All types of speculative fiction - from horror to scifi to fantasy - tend to, by intention or otherwise, both reflect and critique the society in which they were produced.

On that note, I'm off to watch Rocky Horror at the local theater ...

yes i agree.

im not a fan of uneeded violence in the media as it clearly has a psychological impact upon the viewer.one need only look at the trends of pornography to realise this,peoples sexual practices are now developed by what they see being done in porno.the same applies to other things, the way we talk,the way we dress,the way we think.

i mean just look at how much is spent on media managment by political parties to shape the beliefs of the audiance,its obvious what you see impacts your mind.

thus why im not a fan of violent horror ,its become a charade of each filmaker seeing how grotesque and violent he can make his production.

when the object of violence is a sexualised female ,undoubtibly some are going to relate violence with sexual connotations.
im tired of hearing of women being violently attacked by men for sexual pleasure,most of them tend to be beautiful.

i think its about time we,humans got to grips with the media we are creating ,media that has only negative ramifications.

why do we need so see people being butchered in horrendous ways!?,i can understand horrors whos intention is to scare the viewer,but what im seeing now is beyond that,its glorification of violence equal to the extremist jihadi videos we often see that promote violence.

reply to post by watchZEITGEISTnow


Are you kidding?

I hate thoughts such as these, thoughts that demonize men, and make woman out to be pure of all sin the center of everything in the universe.

BS woman are as much to blame for men, woman are just as evil as men and woman cannot get give life without having had mens help first.

Woman are not the end all be all of exsistance. they are just as much a part of the universe as we (men) are no better, no worse. To think they are somehow better because they give birth, is ridiculous.

And in response to the thread, So what if we took woman out of horror films? then woman would be offended they arent apart of horror films. Sex does sell so unless you can change human nature, then calm down and enjoy the movie for what it is not for what it should be.


[edit on 20-9-2008 by caballero]

Enjoy a movie depicting women overcome by a much stronger males, with malicious intent to not only kill, but torture, rape, ridicule their victim?

I don't think I can "enjoy" that? You can? Obviously I appreciate women more than you, and do see them as life givers, and mothers, and sisters, and lovers... not a "thing" to be conditioned to mentioned above.

But then again you're the one with the fictional avatar, a hollywood violent fiend no less. So are you like him? Do you like him? Or will you say, this is in respect for Heath who died?

One thing about movies you are talking about. They are CRAP. Period. But then again if you are teen boy high on sugar and neglecting your own responsibilities by promoting the "OH IT'S ONLY A MOVIE" That can never happen in real life.... I put it to you not only does it HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE, and these movies not only help desensitize your thoughts on real life, and quite often (these days especially) similar crimes. Some crimes even copied by these tasteless movies. Enter your Saw/Hostel/name your torture serial killer movie here.

I loved horror in the 80's, where a movie director had people on edge by implied violence rather than showing gruesome deaths.

You can "hate" what I think, again a different style of "thinking" than I have. I don't hate what you think, I feel sorry you don't see a much bigger picture.

Z

Wow! I'm totally amazed at the majority of responses I'm getting.
Three things are coming through.

1). The implication that because I'm a feminist means I'm a ranting, raving bitch.

Nowhere was I ranting and raving, nor am I a bitch. I even finished my little 'editorial' on a light note. I was simply making an observation. At no time was I angry.

2). The fact that I am a feminist obviously means that I would like to castrate all men and that to believe women have rights is silly because in the end women don't really matter anyway.

3). I'm picking up on so much bitterness, especailly from men. I find it so incredible. Another words, it's alright and acceptable to resent and hate women?

Only a few people responded in the same spirit in which my original message was given and I appreciate that. Thanks for your responses. As for the rest of you I feel very sorry for you. Most of you seem to be very bitter and angry and your hatred of women is really coming through.
In a way I'm very glad I started this thread. Now I know where a lot of you stand as far as women are concerned.
Have a great day and an even better one tomorrow!

Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija

Having raised 3 daughters (and taught them to defend themselves), I would frequently point out to them the objectification of women in posters, movies, commercials, etc.

Whether we are objectified as "objects of beauty and veneration" or "sex objects" or "objects of amusement", we are still being objectified and seen as "not quite human". Only men can be "real" human beings as noted in the statement that "sex sells". To whom is it sold, I wonder? Seeing frightened bra-less women jiggling their boobs while running for their lives doesn't do a thing for me. Only hetero men (or lesbians) would be "sold" by that presentation.

Women as victim movies have been a great source of education for my daughters. We would occasionally watch some of the tamer ones in which the woman runs away in her high heels and inevitably falls or trips and then just lays there and cries or screams. I'd ask my daughters what the victim (almost always a female) should have done in that situation. Take off the high heels and use them as spiked weapons, run in stealth mode in stocking feet. If you fall, control your breathing and for pete's sake don't cry and scream. Save your ki shouts for breaking their kneecaps.

And since I feel a flame coming on...let me also say that portraying men as idiots or wimps is equally annoying. Portraying blacks only as gangstaz is also pretty insulting. How about if we all just turn the TV off? I did years ago. Haven't missed it at all.

Originally posted by Catwoman1010
Even though I absolutely adore horror.............!!! There are some issues I have with the genre.
I remember when I was younger it was almost always the blonde female who got it first, next and last. Now, it seems that the only one left standing at the end of most of these movies are the blonde women and the brunette gets it first, next and last! LOL! By the way, I'm not a blonde. Now, I think we're about ready for a balance. Either the blonde AND the brunette BOTH get it first, next and last or BOTH the blonde AND the brunette are left standing in the end. That would be nice to see.

What does the colour of the actress's hair have to do with anything at all? You want to impose a specific order in which female actors are killed based on whether or not they're blonde or brunette? What about red and black, Ms. Equality?

Another big issue with me.................For sooooooooooo many years the female (whether blonde or brunette) never seemed to be wearing a bra and they would have her running with clear definitions of her nipples through her T-shirt. As a woman and an extremely strong proponent of Womens' Rights I got so SICK of seeing that.

Women's rights? What right are we talking about here? The right to obscured nipples? Somewhat of a poor attempt to escalate the seriousness of your position to that of a human rights violation, please.

Horror films are adult in nature by definition, I can think of a number with male nudity and I'm sure many more show the outline of the man's penis while running too; flailing in the wind even.

I was starting to get the impression that I was watching porn movies passing themselves off as horror movies where men and boys could respectfully jack themselves off while watching them!!

For someone so concerned with sexual content portraying women you sure have quite the preoccupation with the masturbatory habits of men and boys. The horror genre has always had sexual undertones since it's very conception with films like Dracula.

NOW I'm beginning to see that women are beginning to wear bras AND to prevent the nipples from being so conspicuous they wear padded bras. The padding is so thick that they look like they're wearing miniature breastplates over each breast. It does look kind of funny, but, at the same time I'm so happy that women are not as objectified as they used to be in these movies.

So your premise concerning female objectification on film is adequate nipple coverage?

Although, I am still getting sick of the infamous, 'Shower Scene'. It seems, that still, a horror movie isn't a horror movie without the gratuitis shower scene to please the pickles of men and boys.

Again with this interesting preoccupation of yours. I can only imagine your reaction if a man were to comment on such a thing, directed at women.

To sum up your position; the hair colour of female actors in horror films is of utmost importance when considering the order in which they are to die. The female nipple should be barred from cinema entirely and if a woman is to be killed, it must never be while she's bathing.

Most of you seem to be very bitter and angry and your hatred of women is really coming through.

You confuse the intended target, which is you as an individual; not women as a sex and you try to use that statement to vilify those who disagree with your position as sexists.

This thread = Fail

3). I'm picking up on so much bitterness, especailly from men. I find it so incredible. Another words, it's alright and acceptable to resent and hate women?

It is statements like this that keep you from being taken seriously. "Another words", nobody in this thread is expressing hate toward women, but rather expressing shock that you think of men as such brutal and unthinking creatures, and exasperation that you keep coming back to these tired feminist tropes.


the =^.^= isn't helping either, btw.