The "final girl" is a horror film (particularly slasher film) trope that specifically refers to the last woman or girl alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story. The final girl has been observed in dozens of films, including Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Hellraiser, Alien, and Scream. The term was coined by Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Clover suggests that in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.
According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, narcotic usage, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the "investigating consciousness" of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence, curiosity, and vigilance.
During the final girl’s confrontation with the killer, Clover argues, she becomes masculinized through "phallic appropriation" by taking up a weapon, such as a knife or chainsaw, against the killer. Conversely, Clover points out that the villain of slasher films is often a male whose masculinity, and sexuality more generally, are in crisis. Examples would include Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Clover points to this gender fluidity as demonstrating the impact of feminism in popular culture. The phenomenon of the male audience having to identify with a young female character in an ostensibly male-oriented genre, usually associated with sadistic voyeurism, raises interesting questions about the nature of slasher films and their relationship with feminism. Clover argues that for a film to be successful, although the Final Girl is masculinized, it is necessary for this surviving character to be female, because she must experience abject terror, and many viewers would reject a film that showed abject terror on the part of a male. The terror has a purpose, in that the female is 'purged' if she survives, of undesirable characteristics, such as relentless pursuit of pleasure in her own right. An interesting feature of the genre is the 'punishment' of beauty and sexual availability.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Tuesday 2 November 2010
#8 - Media Conference
1. Perfecting your Production work
Research
Look at examples
codes and conventions
Media Magazine
Target audiences
Institutions
Planning
Plan for what can go wrong
Record all planning
Show process of planning
Blogging Evidence
Storyboard
Script
Ideas/ Feedback
At every stage take feedback to improve
Logistics
People, place, props, costume
Rehearse and prepare
Share contact details
2. Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class”. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare.
Also another thing he talked about was that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the more academic subjects.
3.Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor
Julian McDougall argues that Media 2.0 is a more interactive form of emedia where people express themselves thorugh social netowrking sites, download songs from..thus leading to the end of traditional methods of doing things the longer the way.
Research
Look at examples
codes and conventions
Media Magazine
Target audiences
Institutions
Planning
Plan for what can go wrong
Record all planning
Show process of planning
Blogging Evidence
Storyboard
Script
Ideas/ Feedback
At every stage take feedback to improve
Logistics
People, place, props, costume
Rehearse and prepare
Share contact details
2. Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?
Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class”. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare.
Also another thing he talked about was that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the more academic subjects.
3.Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor
Julian McDougall argues that Media 2.0 is a more interactive form of emedia where people express themselves thorugh social netowrking sites, download songs from..thus leading to the end of traditional methods of doing things the longer the way.
Monday 1 November 2010
#7 - Alternative Representations in Hip Hop
Ciara - Like a Boy
Within the area of Hip Hop the representation constructed of females and their sexuality is mostly controlled by males, but recently there can be a sighting of a strong movement by strong female Hip Hop artists to reclaim and transform this representation therefore removing the female stereotype and creating a strong, independent woman.
In this essay I will be discussing the alternative representation Ciara portrays in her music video “Like a Boy”. The name of this song instantly allows the audience to understand the song is a play on gender roles and could include some switch in male and female positions.
At the beginning of the music video we hear Ciara starting the song with "Ladies, I think it’s time to switch the roles" this emphasises the song title and begins to convey her message across. We then see a close up shot of Ciara’s hands and arms which have tattoos all over them and wears very big, manly rings. Also in the second shot we have Ciara sitting in a throne like chair which could connote her strenght and power. Her slouch and posture definatly contrasts with a way a woman is supposed to sit which makes her look quite like a man.
Her clothing is the complete opposite to what a woman normally wears as we see Ciara wearing baggy jeans, a vest top and a hat. Her accessories consist of chunky chains and rings to bring out the masculinity she is trying to convey. This begins to highlight Ciara's masculine approach and alters the stereotypical gender roles women usually have in hip hop videos.
We also see Ciara circling a man who is at a lower level than her. This could imply she has a greater power than him and is at a higher rank than him, acknowleding women are the greater sex in this video. The close ups of her talking in his ear and her angry facial expressions also suggest this and show that the man is weak and helpless. Ciara also spells her name in a bold sort of manner "C.I.A.R.A". This emphasises her status.
There is a shot of Ciara holding the crotch area, this plays around with gender roles as men are usually seen to do this to show their power. Ciara's clothing is very man-ish even when shes wearing a suit, she looks exactly like a man and dances like one. Her stick used could be seen as a phalic symbol to highlight the manhood of this video. Ciara's dance moves are also quite masculine.
Within the area of Hip Hop the representation constructed of females and their sexuality is mostly controlled by males, but recently there can be a sighting of a strong movement by strong female Hip Hop artists to reclaim and transform this representation therefore removing the female stereotype and creating a strong, independent woman.
In this essay I will be discussing the alternative representation Ciara portrays in her music video “Like a Boy”. The name of this song instantly allows the audience to understand the song is a play on gender roles and could include some switch in male and female positions.
At the beginning of the music video we hear Ciara starting the song with "Ladies, I think it’s time to switch the roles" this emphasises the song title and begins to convey her message across. We then see a close up shot of Ciara’s hands and arms which have tattoos all over them and wears very big, manly rings. Also in the second shot we have Ciara sitting in a throne like chair which could connote her strenght and power. Her slouch and posture definatly contrasts with a way a woman is supposed to sit which makes her look quite like a man.
Her clothing is the complete opposite to what a woman normally wears as we see Ciara wearing baggy jeans, a vest top and a hat. Her accessories consist of chunky chains and rings to bring out the masculinity she is trying to convey. This begins to highlight Ciara's masculine approach and alters the stereotypical gender roles women usually have in hip hop videos.
We also see Ciara circling a man who is at a lower level than her. This could imply she has a greater power than him and is at a higher rank than him, acknowleding women are the greater sex in this video. The close ups of her talking in his ear and her angry facial expressions also suggest this and show that the man is weak and helpless. Ciara also spells her name in a bold sort of manner "C.I.A.R.A". This emphasises her status.
There is a shot of Ciara holding the crotch area, this plays around with gender roles as men are usually seen to do this to show their power. Ciara's clothing is very man-ish even when shes wearing a suit, she looks exactly like a man and dances like one. Her stick used could be seen as a phalic symbol to highlight the manhood of this video. Ciara's dance moves are also quite masculine.
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