women in horror, the legend continues

[intertribal]

This is a 2007 video that sockkpuppett (Luminosity) and sisabet made for Vividcon - the theme is the depiction of women in Supernatural, and the song they used is "Violet" by Hole (which should tell you in what direction the video's going).  It's extremely graphic - but of course this was all on the CW - and potentially triggery.  It's called "Women's Work."

As I don't watch Supernatural, I defer to cofax7 for some extra words: "I've been aware for the entire time I've watched the show that there were problems with the presentation of women, but this vid really provides the ammunition for that argument. Because even if the male deaths total the same number (which I don't know), the fact is that they are filmed entirely differently: they are clothed, the camera doesn't linger on them, they're not swimming, in bed, in bedclothes, bathing. Women in peril are sexy, and in a different way than the Winchesters in peril. Dean on his knees is sexy not because he is in peril, but because we know he's going to get up and kick ass in just a moment, because the show has identified him as the Hero. Whereas none of the women have that protection in the text."  More commentary on sisabet's LJ here.

Comments

[intertribal.livejournal.com]

Man, if you are not familiar with Hole, you need to familiarize yourself, ASAP. I recommend "Jennifer's Body" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0sbjPvin0U) and "Reasons to be Beautiful," which I unfortunately can't find a decent youtube video for. Okay, I also really like "Drag" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnF7_nje2mw), which is sort of different. Half the reason I love the video is the use of the song. I'm a Hole feminist, lol.

Oh, I totally agree. If there's no sense of physical danger I very, very often cannot get into a story at all. There is a certain kind of story that's a turn-off - the first person serial killer story that lovingly describes the deaths (I've never read this done well, only creepy and amateur. sometimes in 2nd person, as in, "you try to scream but...").

And what's interesting is that Supernatural has a huge female following. The depiction of violence against women is not a dealbreaker (that would be ridiculous), but when it becomes a theme, I definitely want to see that the creator is aware of what they're doing, and why. I do think that the whole "women's deaths filmed differently versus men's deaths" issue is interesting, and more of a problem. One of the things that one of the vid's creators said was something akin to "Daddy just falls down dead but Mommy burns on the ceiling."

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Daddy just falls down dead but Mommy burns on the ceiling."

LOL. "So like a woman! No restraint! Always making a scene!" :-P

I've never actually seen Supernatural. And YES, I hate first-person serial killer stories.

[intertribal.livejournal.com]

An exception to the terrible first-person serial killer story is "Black River Killer" by Blitzen Trapper (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7zyfArxibk), which is fucking sublime.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

More than wishing to see men depicted the same way that women are, I wish that women would be given a chance at more heroism-oriented deaths rather than victim oriented ones. So, rather than wanting to see the guy carved up on the table as the demon's dessert (typical woman treatment), what I want is more women getting to die shot up with arrows, Boromir style.