hi all 🌹 I use the phrase ‘the burning times’ in this video, which i wasn’t aware is often used to describe a much more exaggerated version of what actually took place throughout the 14th-17th centuries. There are recorded accusations of witchcraft, trials and few instances of death as punishment - but I didn’t realise that The Burning Times narrative perpetuates the idea that this happened to hundreds of thousands/millions of women. All of this is to say, it wasn’t an accurate way of describing the period - sorry for this misuse.
Gosh you killed this! Indian films also have several monstrous feminine esp cause we’ve also had it in our "avataar" stories. Movie recommendations- stree, bulbul, bhootakalam, andhadhun, makadee..
My very favorite thing is when someone tries to throw female movie villains as a red herring against feminism. Like, "ha! so you admit women CAN be evil too!" "...yes, dude bro, that's the point, women are human too."
Well, ngl, the way how feminists behave, I can't blame them. Feminists would generally have you believe all men are inherently and irredeemably evil while women can do no wrong, or, if they do something wrong, we're supposed to presume it stems from some kind of trauma or victimhood and therefore sympathize with her. (Never mind that men are never allowed to use that excuse.)
@@johnlastname8752as a traditional feminist I do sadly have to say the movement has been co-opted by feminists so radical that they kinda looped back around to being sexist somehow. I’m a feminist but the amount of violent and seething hatred I get from other feminists when they find out my dream is to be a stay at home mom and housewife is unreal. I just want a nice family, and I want to make sure my future kids have support and not to rely on babysitters and such. And I love to cook and that’s so much cheaper than buying processed food, not having a job saves more money than having one sometimes because you don’t need to pay for convenience essentially ever. It’s not so out there, but I feel like it is sometimes with the negative reactions I get to that😞 sorry for the paragraph, I wanted to vent lol
@@miguelthedrawtist Check out statistics on violent crime and get back to me. But seriously. Feminists don’t think women can’t do bad. They want equality. However anyone that denies males do more violent shit are in denial.
I have always thought about this, and my theory is that women (and children, to be fair) as monsters/ghosts are inherently spookier because we’re seen as feeble physically, and so the subversion of that creates an automatic cognitive dissonance that enhances the horror.
“It feels good to be feared for something you’ve been shamed and scolded for” basically sums up the dark appeal of stories like this for me. Great video!
I love when a woman monster is actually monstrous. Like actually an ugly scary monster. Too many woman monsters are still very pretty. Even when a woman is a monster, she has to still be beautiful.
Ahh this is exactly why the myth of Medusa makes me so mad!! Even when a woman is literally cursed to be the most revolting thing to men, she's still appropriated into something that's supposed to be desirable to them.
@@anemonesiacBefore some ancient dudebro ( I hate him so I don't remember his name)rewrote the story of Medusa which her name is actually meduse where she was SA'd by Zeus. But Meduse has been an ancient goddess and protector of women way before that horrid story. She's an primordial goddess of the depths and of large sea creatures and monsters like the kraken. Her sisters are there and she was a gorgon and her sisters are too. They all looked that way fierce with big teeth and snake bodies. The writer of that popularized myth loved writing SA stories disgustingly enough. So he probably wrote it tbh because he couldn't possibly stand how a woman, a feminine deity could be feared and fierce and ugly. There must of been a reason and she must of been cursed. Long live the monstrous feminine. It feels like it's the way to freedom
@@ΣτέφανοςΔημόπουλος-η7τ I did so stfu. The world has and always has been filled with women who are now considered feminist. Medusa is a primordial goddess and an ancient protector of women and children. You thinking equity for all people and wanting that is a modern thing. I'm not twisting any story and making it modern. I did my research
@@ΣτέφανοςΔημόπουλος-η7τ Thorn Blackbird does a wonderful and informative video on Medusa. That's where I got some of my information from. You don't like it tough titties.
My dad was physically abusive occasionally. But because he had terrified me on occasion I was ALWAYS on eggshells, hoping I wouldn't set him off. He'd go from sleepy cuddle bear to berserker in milliseconds sometimes. All recognition or logic gone from his eyes and only a beast left to "teach me a lesson". When I was 8yrs old my dad saw Jurassic Park and mentioned multiple times in my hearing how much it scared him. From then on, when I pretended to be an animal, it was always a velocoraptor. I wanted to be the thing that could scare my dad. I craved it more than I craved beauty or skills or praise. If it had been offered to me, I would have joyfully, gleefully embraced becoming a terrifying Monster. I wanted to be the Melificent- dragon. I wanted to be a gargoyle. I wanted a poisonous bite and claws long enough to gut a man. I dreamed I was a beautiful white werewolf, as big as a draft horse, running free and fearless on all fours. It is exhaustingly frightening to be physically powerless against the strength and speed of men I'm surrounded by as an adult. And being forcably rapped* as a teen by someone I thought was a friend only increased my craving for a greater physical power of my own. Still to this day (I'm 39 now), I'd rather be a truly grotesque monster than a model. Where's MY dark fairy godmother when I need her, huh?
I'm so sorry to hear you went through this, but what a fascinating insight ❤ I can definitely understand wanting to be grotesque in the face of true fear - Beauty can't protect us from real horrors i suppose. Thank you for watching 🌹
This is why I enjoyed Jennifer's Body because Jennifer's sexuality is the REASON she survives, albeit demonically, she was able to get revenge due to her "lack" of purity. I LOVED THIS VIDEO TYSM!!
This is a good video and there’s a reason why we as women love horror movies. We enjoy watching them because they reflect our anxieties and fears of what being a woman is like and we relate to them. We can either be the monstrous feminine or the survivor who fights back the causer of trauma (aka final girl fighting the villain). Horror is an umbrella term for many genres and we are interested by it. Edit: I’m aware that there are some people who don’t like horror movies and that’s okay. Some movies are not for everyone. Let’s agree to disagree.
I also feel like we are told we are over emotional & over reactionary but in the lense of a horror film, characters can be terrified & that isn't seen as unreasonable.
I don't like horror movies. They were cool when I was a young Teen but I somehow outgrew them. Now in my early 20s I have experienced Situationskomik with men that are much worse than what I can experience by watching a movie. And why should I see for experiences that make me fear? I watch horror movies with friends but I feel nothing most of the time. When I want to scare myself I walk through a part of the City with a high percentage of men of a certain Religion. Looking at crime statistics thatwhat women should fear.
@@CordeliaWagner1999 Hey I totally understand why Horror movies are not for everyone. But that right there is something that should be taken seriously because women go through this everyday. The thing about horror movies is that a lot of critics tend to look on horror films as low-brow entertainment, sometimes even claim that it's misogynistic. But there have been studies that much of the audience of horror movie audiences are 50% women. The reason why is that even though Horror is not as high brow as drama or thrillers, but horror forces the audience to discuss topics that are taboo and off-limits, even controversial if necessary. I mean look at Jordan Peele's films and how they tackle racism and classism. "Carrie", "Pearl", "The Witch" and many others tap into Women's struggles in society and even "The Babadook" and "Hereditary" tap into the fears of motherhood. Sometimes Horror taps into everyone's fears as a woman in a very metaphorical sense. But to each their own.
I think the comparison for Carrie is an interesting one. I think the movie largely paints her as sympathetic for going through changes, and it's the world's reaction to her that makes her into a monster. There is her mother that fits into the monstrous feminine mother trope you described.
The inclusion of “Carrie” made me scratch my head too..She wasn’t the monster. It’s society, conformity, and over zealous religious beliefs that are the monsters.
OMG fellow gothic horror fan here! I love that you included Crimson Peak, I just wrote a term paper on it regarding how del Toro inverts sexist tropes of gothic literature and made a modern feminist gothic movie and I love Lucille so dearly as a character! 🥺
I’m so glad to see someone finally giving Lucille Sharpe’s character depth the praise it deserves! I haven’t been able to find any analysis videos on her
Omg she's fantastic! I may do a full video on Crimson Peak one day because it really is one of my favourites- I've never really understood the lack of enthusiasm for it
For some maybe i think the fear is men of themselves you see a women is the bearer of children if she doesnt care then what good is she to men. And that's the fear for the good men it is a fear that you will be forced to be evil by need by necessity. You see its the good man who is the real horror he needs a reason to be evil because he doesnt obtain joy from it. Its just a job that must be done.
As for men who enjoy doing evil stuff what is to be said they enjoy the idea they dont care to see the world burn anyways and we would all be living like beasts with only them.
I'm a writer currently working on a novel about a Regency-era merchant ship full of men being attacked by a siren-esque monster that punishes men who chose to abandon their wives/mothers/daughters/female loved one back on shore to go sailing. The monster is frequently just referred to as "her" or "the beast" (mostly because I haven't got a good name for her yet) and I specifically wanted her to be female attacking a ship of only men because I've always found that interesting. Here's the thing of it: I'm a trans man, someone who no longer identifies with womanhood but still loves the beautiful, incredible power of it. Watching this video (and others), as well as listening to my female friends talk of their own experiences, has been very affirming for me, because sometimes I feel as though making the only female character (save for some flashbacks with my main character's mother, as well as the numerous mentions of wives) the monster. My good friend (who is both a woman and a writer) loves my monster, which is comforting--the last thing this world needs is another male author writing about female power that doesn't apply to him. At the same time, I get to explore a part of myself that no longer suits me, so I come from a unique perspective. I want my novel to be an exploration of male-centered societies, the consequences of a woman scorned, and the power of women as imperfect, unsexy, monstrous beings of their own choosing. I want to play on reader expectations. For example, the first man to die on the ship is affable, well-liked by everyone, and widely considered to be selfless and giving by the rest of the characters. His guise for leaving his wife (who is pregnant) is a natural love for sailing and adventure. It's written so that the rest of the characters--and the reader--think that he's an entirely blameless victim, but from another perspective, it's very selfish to leave someone behind--especially in my character's case, where he will be gone for months and potentially die, leaving his wife and child alone in a male-dominated society with no female agency, but he goes out anyway. I want it to be a play on male cowardice, and how men are often lauded for the bare minimum--something I've come across more and more in my transition. Anyway, I truly find the concept of feminine monstrosity incredibly fascinating. Forgive me for such a long, self-indulgent post; this video is simply wonderful and really got me thinking.
I hope the book writing goes okay. However, your description feels like a caricature of sailors as “bros before hos” guys with a hobby rather than sailors from the early 1800s. I don’t think sailing really is all that selfish at that time period as that description seems to make it. Sailors out at sea for months are dealing with harsh working conditions, poor diet, cruel punishments, dangerous situations, extreme isolation, and are at the whim of weather. With that in mind, they aren’t sailing because it is a fun thing - it was a way to make a living. Many times it was one of the only choices if men couldn’t find work in agriculture or the city. Without any work to do, people in that time period were an extra burden on their families. Many sailors weren’t abandoning women because they were selfish, it was because it was the only real chance of living they could get. A majority of men wouldn’t want to go through that experience if they had the option. Based on what you have, it feels like you are imprinting a lot of modern life into a specific way of life from 200 years ago. I’m hoping this doesn’t sound too rude, but I found your comment and I wanted to give my impression. I like the idea, but it feels like a caricature of bros rather than sailors from the time period. A solid book on that time period to check out if you haven’t is “Two Years Before the Mast”. It isn’t the Regency period of the UK, but it is from an American perspective of sailing in the 1830s (or 40s).
@@gregatkins1866 Hello, and thank you for the response. I should have specified in the original post that I am actually a graduated (summa cum laude) English literature major with an emphasis and concentration on history. I am also a hobby historian on top of this, with my main point of focus being on the early and mid 19th century. I am quite knowledgeable of what I'm writing about (and I love Two Years Before the Mast! It is one of the books I studied for my major). Do take what I say in earnest when I say your perspective is valid but, I think, coming from a place of incomplete information and assumption of my own ability. I barely scratched the surface of my book in that post and do defend it in the sense that it is far more complicated than I implied in my brief post. I have the knowledge, experience, and learned study of sailing history--especially that of Regency and Victorian periods--and am quite aware of the social/working nuances of the time. I discuss it at length in my book, with a great deal of the characters feeling as though they must sail because they have no other choice. For example, I have a couple characters who were pressed into service and many who were born into it. I do not take history lightly--it is a great, great passion of mine and research/historical writing is my ultimate passion and pastime. Thank you! TL;DR: I was a historian and literature history major and did not give enough information or credentials in my original post but yes, I am aware of the information you provided. I thank you for your response!
Yes, it feels good to be feared.In my life i’m sick of being a victim. I don’t want to be the virgin final girl, or the one who gets punished. If I’m in a horror film I want to be the one who brings chaos and horror to those who harm me.
@@rachellydiab How do you make a female character with sex appeal without sexualizing them? Is it possible to make female characters that just simply want to be saved by a man they are in love with? Where's the line drawn here?
Honestly this is a huge question that I couldn't answer here and now!I know I don't want to see a world of monotonous female characters who are void of real traits. So yes, I hope and think characters like this are possible - and the creators intention and earnest self analysis can really dictate whether it's done successfully or not! @@etabiansosin
Ginger Snaps is one of my personal favourite examples of this trend/trope. My Mum showed it to me right around age 11-12 when I myself was hitting puberty as an afab kid. Not only did the visual stick with preteen me but I clearly remember it being the first time I grasped allegory in horror and it was almost cathartic knowing that my own confused hormonal feelings were so common as to become the literal frame for a movie plot.
@@rachellydiab definitely worth the watch! It’s only about 1.5 hours and even has a sequel, Ginger Snaps Back lol hell can knock out both in an evening easily. They probably clock under 4hrs combined run time 😅 but don’t be fooled, they are short but super packed with plot and action and wild visuals.
Yesssss thank you! I wish you had also gone into the fear of reproduction too. One of the most inherent fears of female monsters is... the monster is female. *She can make more monsters.* She is capable of birth, oftentimes without 'male' assistance, or the males are barely worth mentioning. I don't think I have to tell you about the incels who fear women will evolve past needing men. The Aliens movie is dead on the nose with that one. ALL of the aliens who slaughter people are female. The 'males' are mindless drones that die when they're done. Even Stephen King's IT talks about this- the IT monster is discovered to be pregnant, and the urgency to destroy IT became ever higher. IT had to be killed before it could give birth. Hell, say what you will about Stephanie Meyer's The Host, but the part where it was discovered that any Soul could split into hundreds more was a point of horror, disgust, and fear is also dead on the money. I think taking the 'capable of making babies and oh no what if they can do it without men?!' is a gigantic part of it all. Because, historically, pregnancy and the capability to make more people is something that people covet (to the point of being HORRIBLE about it) but are also intimidated by.
@@rachellydiabhave you read Frankenstein? That’s the reason he decides not to make a female bride for the monster. He initially is going to do it. But then he remembers that females can reproduce, and the idea of the monsters having progeny and birthing a whole new race is so monstrous to him that he destroys the female body that he has created and was about to bring to life. That’s the final straw for the monster and why he then goes on to destroy Frankensteins life and kill everyone he loves. Starting with his bride!
I actually haven't! But that's so interesting. I'm not a huge reader, although Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson are high on my priorities list @@ellebee4112
I'm pretty sure that incels are simply waiting for android gfs and don't care about women "evolving", mostly because human beings have stayed the same for centuries when it comes to their core nature, and we simply invent technology to do shit for us so we have more free time for ourselves, and the idea of using it for reproduction it's also being explored... And if anyone read Brave New World and took a nice long look at the alienating state of modern Western society, I don't think it's necessary to explain why that's a terrible idea.
The mother-daughter dynamic of hatred in my experience comes from the subconscious idea that I have to be like her, and I just didn't like my mother in that way, I love her as a caregiver and someone to look after me but I didn't want to be her, because we are kids and we still want to be look after no thinking that we have to look after people. Like just imagine if we told boys they have to start practicing parenting skills, I think am not alone when I say that many women marry with men-childs they cannot cook or do laundry by themselves, the wife has to be their mothers. Some mothers treat their son better than their daughters making a resentment that could last a life time. Also being told that I look like my dad and that my mom is always elegant, organized and clean, while I have (undiagnostic) autisms/ADHD make me feel worse.
I think this totally makes sense! It's a little freudian, and although I think he was mostly a nutter it's so so true that our parental dynamics have a mammoth impact on who we are! I hope you're able to find some healing from the ways that's affected you x
All of this really makes you think about how much Hollywood is still through the male gaze. It makes me think of the mummy with Tom Cruise, the villain was so clearly just a scary woman of color. It’s funny what men find threatening
That was a Tom Cruise addition- Originally the film was meant to focus more on her, but he made changes that centered it around him and how hot she was and how much she wanted him.
I’m a woman who loves horror because so many characters are women both monsters and the victims and the heroines. They’re are some of the few films that pass the becdal test. 2 women often talk to each other about things other than a man often.
This was a really interesting breakdown. I love that some women can find these movies empowering since one thing that always puts me of is when a movie is either too sadistic and/or focuses on the victimisation of women. Being the cinematic outcast or rebel genre that horror can be we can get examples of non stereotypes that mainstream movies have ignored for too long and then handled clumsily contributing to so many infuriating "woke/anti woke" labels. There are numerous wonderful examples of strong women in genre movies either as the villains or as heroines who give as good as they get and it's for this reason that I have no shame in enjoying many slashers despite their varying quality. Growing up on these movies taught me that all people can have strength in many different ways regardless of gender or conformity. It's a fascinating subject to study and well done handling it without the political bias that seems to poison everything lately.
Love this. I think as film goes horror actually displays so much difference and nuance across the board. I never felt like the genre categorically pigeonholed women. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Part of why I kind of like X, the typical “pure” girl actually ends up getting killed whereas one of the promiscuous ones is the sole survivor. It feels like you’re set up to think that the “pure” girl will be the only survivor, not only by the narrative in the movie but also the fact that most horror movies are aggressively trying to kill promiscuous women as quick as possible, and the goody “pure” girl always survives. I like it when they subvert expectations 👍
A way I always connected w femininity as a kid (who was going thru gender dysphoria) was they female monsters and witches in particular, the shape shifting aspect and the aesthetics of it all the gender performance of it was glamorous to me
Keep in mind I always felt like a monster myself for being who I was on the inside! So I felt a kinship with these women monsters because of that, I could not relate to the coveted Virginal cis girl alone (not unless she was more than just an archetype of the virgin, it’s not like I couldn’t relate to feeling helpless but the thing is a girl like this was being rooted for and that’s something I never had for me so hence why I’d see myself in the female monster)
This is so interesting to hear! Although I wasn’t coming at it from a gender dysphoria perspective I definitely connected with the monsters and outcasts- but i live the idea of seeing the glamour in it!
@@rachellydiab yes! Tiffany from chucky was someone who first helped me see the glamour of it all in particular, I mean transfems call themselves dolls for a reason :)
This video was very enjoyable to watch. You have a very calm voice. I don’t think I entirely understood the video but I definitely feel more educated now.
Especially Silent Hill 3! The whole thing is about unwanted pregnancy and assault/the reality of coming of age as a woman. Really horrifying once that clicks while playing. There’s even a giant p*nis monster; and the main antagonist is a woman. It really isn’t spoken about enough! D:
That was such an interesting video! Even more interesting is that half of me went ''No, I disagree'' and also half of me went ''You know what? YAS QUEEN!'' at the concluding speech haha. The Monstruous Feminine is definitely something I always knew was there in so much of horror films and video games as well. Thank you for this video!
My favorite line in this video is my favorite of all your videos I've seen: "We are monsters, and we know that better than anyone." Very empowering. I love it!
Very good essay. Both genres (and the new ones) can be monstrous because humanity in its current consciousness has not yet developed a complete understanding of its being, although it should be noted that men have had a greater opportunity to create poetic disfigurements.
Thank you so much! That actually hadn't occurred to me at ALL... "the opportunity to create poetic disfigurements" is both beautifully worded and such an interesting point.
Carl Jung*. Also, look up Sabina Spielrein. She was the woman who inspired many of his ideas, though tragically she is overlooked in history. It pertains to this video.
Men use physical vioence Women use psycholical violence. Think back to highschool, what was the bullies like and what which genders bullied people how? Of course, theres always exceptions to any rule.
I actually talk about this in my video on revenge! Amy Dunne (Gone Girl) doesn’t have the physical strength of her partner so she uses psychological tools to torture him. It’s a really interesting distinction in male/female victim revenge movies!
Holy crap, did the TH-cam algorithm actually deliver this gem to me?? A funny, well-researched, thought-provoking dive into one of my favourite subjects & you're a KIWI?? Massive aroha for this, instant subscribe from a grateful Ngai Tahu lady. Can't wait to get into your other videos. GREAT pants btw! xx
As a man, I can see the sexist connotations in the monstrous feminine archetype. If used incorrectly in culture and fiction, this looming shadow of evil femininity can be used as justification to hurt or oppress real women. From an entertainment perspective though, the monstrous female is my favorite type of horror villain. Whether it's Snow White's evil stepmother, the creepy little girls from the Shining, or more likeable examples like Batman's Harley Quinn, the inversion of femininity from something pure and nurturing into something evil is both terrifying and endlessly entertaining. I especially love stories where the complex motives of the evil female are properly explored so that she's made into more of a complete character and not a 2D stereotype.
In the States there's also definitely an historical puritanical/protestant influence for the woman as monster (though of course it's been around forever...Medusa, Medea...). I read Creed's book when it came out. A real eye opener for horror film lovers.
I love Fay Weldon's reading of Dracula. Taps into Stokers's fear of female genitalia, his overbearing mother and his latent, and not so latent, homosexuality.
As a trans masc afab person I fell i have an interesting relationship with the monstrous feminine especially regarding puberty. Horror about puberty and "monstrous" female body feel relatable to me. My female body feels monstrous, things like pregnancy horrify me, Puberty was a terrible "body horror" experience. This body, by definition of not matching myself ,is body horror
I've heard a few people now express this same feeling! I imagine there are a million more layers to peel back when you have that added separation from your body. Thank u for your insight x
I watched crimson peak forever ago and loved it, but we rented it from redbox so i couldn't remember what it was called. I'm so glad you mentioned it in this video
I need to move to the UK. Crimson Peak is def in my top 3 Gothic horror movies ever. Love Jessica so much in that movie. Which i always thought was an odd choice for her. But so lucky for us. Adore Suspiria.❤❤❤❤ adore this channel sis. Thanks so much.
I like a lot of these points. Female movie monsters are some of the best movie monsters, though. Jennifer check was one of the best i think, but lilith from bordello of blood was iconic too. But one of the pluses of female movie monsters is that they sometimes make men feel like they're the ones who should be scared in particular.
I grew up on a farm. I watched piglets, calvs and foals get born. No problems. I sufferrd from Tocophobia since the day I learned I could get pregant to. Because I learned about all the effects of human pregnancy in sxx education classes and at home. Nope, not worth the risk. I really enjoy sxx but my Tubal Ligation took my whole life to next level. Finally SAFE!!! I don't say pregnancy is disgusting. I am just to educated about all the risks.
As a health professional, knowing all the risks and pain, the debilitating life long issues and psychological toll us women will experience when and after giving birth, I think getting pregnant is some of the most insane, stupid and irrational thing I could do. And yet, i'm always happy and moved to tears when mothers give birth or when they talk about how much they love their children, despite what it costs them. Then again, as a woman in a patriarchal world, maybe being pregnant wouldn't be so scary if there weren't all this ambiant misogyny, both at hospitals, and at home. The fact that women still have to give birth on their backs...
As an offshoot of embracing the visceral horror of feminity, I also like horror monsters that are feared that I relate to as an autistic person. Since I was always seen as weird anyway, it was comforting to be feared enough for people to let me be instead of acting on their disgust by bullying me. Playing into their fear and disgust kept them from being worse to me and people like me, so for a long time I related to monsters and generally found myself sympathising with non-human characters far more often than any human POV protagonist (which is why I didn't like reading teen fantasy and similar genres of book, because the "quirky girl" protagonists were exactly like the people - boys and girls - who acted monstrously towards people like me).
Crimson Peak mentioned!!! Yes, really is not as loved as other Del Toros' works, I like how he take that tropes and makes twists or deconstructe them, better them and make them be more complex. Also here for jungle and Freud hate
I imagine this wouldn’t be your usual go to, but I hope you give a game called Bloodbourne a look. If nothing else see a video or two of the story mode. That game is fuuuuuull of the monstrous feminine themes and visuals and characters and monsters crossed with eldritch horror.
Thing is, some of this is clearly done from fear and hatred of women with no inside sympathy for a female though process, but a lot of the stuff that's most obvious and explicit about it actually come out of respect for women. I think it's about saying, "Okay, things associated with men have been dissected for good and evil and played with for full nuance, but what about women. Originally a lot of what we see is just hate of all things female and transgressive--an excuse for men to justify hating women with power, but, a reaction to that has been to go deeper and not bulk at seeing how far into what the dark female might be we can see if we admit that it has to start with some grounding in the actual relatable humanity of women and their experience. Something like Alien or Jennifer's Body draws us in because women and the female body get to be villain and victim, often at once, and we get to explore what it might mean for women and feminine stuff to be both as complexly good and as complexly bad as all things male or un-gendered. Suddenly it's okay for women to say "Show us the worst of what we can be and we will be the first to hate us." The key is being able to trust that every dark thing isn't about how much triggering pain we can show women in or how much lazy reaction we can get out of an audience, but about pushing us to see and deal with what really makes human experience and bodies scary and for either sex. Let's have evil come out of things feminine that we can say "that--she, it--is crazy." But that's not hateful because there's something to say after that about how things and people can be dangerous in a real way, just as we can have a productive conversation a frightening character with diagnosable mental health challenges, but that becomes less possible the more that character is just some generic "crazy axe murderer" type or some such steriotype.
fantastic video, really great insight and also very entertaining!! shocked you only have 2000 subs, you deserve way more. subbed, i'm looking forward to what you put out next!
As a AFAB non-binary person, I love body horror having to do with birth/pregnancy because that IS something that would be horrifying (read: extremely dysphoric) for me to go through. With the added layer that it’s pushed as the pinnacle of womanhood/the only thing a woman is good for. Seeing it recognized as horror feels validating.
Growing next to a lot of women and being recently married to one made me realize two things: Life as man is simple, and the female reproductive system terrifies me. Bleeding, recurring pains, the whole body altering experience of pregnancy, amongst a lot of other things. It all sounds like a form of existential horror, and it makes me anxious and worried for my wife and the women around me. That does not even include the constant policing and control that society imposes on women's bodies (which is another form of horror), just the hand nature gives to them. Yet, women just live, persisting through the horrors. For that alone, it makes women terrifying, but also admirable.
great video, but the burning times aren’t real. i’m sure other people must have commented about this even though i’m not seeing it. kaz rowe has a great video about the misconceptions and its origins that’s really good. otherwise, you’ve done a great job going over this subject!
hi! thank you for drawing my attention to this - I wasn’t aware that the common perception of the phrase ‘The Burning Times’ described such an exaggerated version of events. Good to know and i won’t use it again! Thank you for watching 🌹
Bro I just watched a few of your videos ugh your mind ! I think theres this innate fear of birth and pregnancy that women have too at least if they've never had children, it's an incredible terrifying thing that we knew there was like a 1/10 chance of dying from before modern medicine! Also I'm interested in exploring the idea of like infertility and gender non-conformity or more generally how women who don't fit the desirability standard are framed as monstrous in this type of thing too sorry I'm so high I never comment on videos but my brain is churning so hard I'm so glad I found your channel! Have a good day !!!
So that one you don’t wanna reveal the twist for, would love a deep dive into that when you get a chance maybe as a vid on a patreon or Vimeo? Your work is fabulous, it’s the kind of stuff I wish was on A&E or Bravo
I hadn’t even considered doing a video on this but its one of my faaaavourite shows, will definitely put this on the list! Patreon may be on the cards in the future 🤞🏻 And thank you so much, thats so lovely of u!!!
'Teeth' really blew my mind when it came out. I thought that it was inevitable that somebody would finally bring it into the open, it had been pretty blatantly suggested for so long. Regarding the burning of witches, many of the accused were simply widows or single mothers, often they were 'confirmed' to be witches by males, the method they used to identify a witch was mostly inspecting the vagina. If there was a clit, they would take that as proof she was a witch, that's how ignorant they were. Many of the inquisitors were virgin priests (yeah, that's healthy). Very good analysis. Your analysis, not theirs, I meant.
as a long-time horror fan, it's quite interesting to see the stark difference in hollywood and asian horror. a lot of asian horror seems deeply rooted in older cultures that often take a far more mythical degree of archetypal fears, while hollywood seems to have a lot more of modern causes of fear, one being the political stuff such as the topic of the video. for example, take the original japanese "ring" movie. it may be framed with technophobia, but the monster herself (sadako) is deeply rooted in japanese yokai folklore. the korean "a tale of two sisters" is pretty much based on an old korean folktale about dead children getting their revenge. there's a lot of other asian titles deeply inspired or rooted in buddhism, buddhist "hell", reincarnation, the "hungry ghost" doomed to roam, various types of local animism particularly ones that involve contacting or fighting an evil spirit, and so on and so forth. there's a lot of asian titles ranging from S-tier to mediocre to terrible cliches, but i've noticed that a lot of the really good ones tend to hearken back to older belief systems and folklore. otoh, hollywood tends to have a "rational" (for lack of a better word) way of manufacturing horror stories, and this "rationality" seem to go hand in hand with the current era. it's very rare to see a hollywood horror film that's squarely rooted in much older cultures (like native american). even the supernatural stuff usually involves or is in the same league as the ouija board, which is a modern invention / take on the idea of ghosts and spirits. comparing the ouija board style of horror of the movie "the exorcist" to something like the exorcism scene in the korean film "the wailing", the evil spirit of the exorcist movie is decidedly tied to western christianity so it's basically "god vs satan" while in the korean film "the wailing", even though there is a christian reference, somehow that movie is a struggle between "humanity vs evil", which is frankly scarier.
hi all 🌹 I use the phrase ‘the burning times’ in this video, which i wasn’t aware is often used to describe a much more exaggerated version of what actually took place throughout the 14th-17th centuries. There are recorded accusations of witchcraft, trials and few instances of death as punishment - but I didn’t realise that The Burning Times narrative perpetuates the idea that this happened to hundreds of thousands/millions of women. All of this is to say, it wasn’t an accurate way of describing the period - sorry for this misuse.
The witchcraft stuff was just the robbing of rich women by gangsters who got control of the local government.
Once they offed the (mostly widowed) witches typically their large estates were emptyed out and auctioned off to friends dirt cheap
Gosh you killed this! Indian films also have several monstrous feminine esp cause we’ve also had it in our "avataar" stories. Movie recommendations- stree, bulbul, bhootakalam, andhadhun, makadee..
@@Booyawatchin Thank you! And great recs thank you again!!
My very favorite thing is when someone tries to throw female movie villains as a red herring against feminism. Like, "ha! so you admit women CAN be evil too!" "...yes, dude bro, that's the point, women are human too."
Truly! hahah, kings we know
Well, ngl, the way how feminists behave, I can't blame them. Feminists would generally have you believe all men are inherently and irredeemably evil while women can do no wrong, or, if they do something wrong, we're supposed to presume it stems from some kind of trauma or victimhood and therefore sympathize with her. (Never mind that men are never allowed to use that excuse.)
@@miguelthedrawtistthose aren't feminists, they are "feminists". Feminism is that both men and women should have equal rights.
@@johnlastname8752as a traditional feminist I do sadly have to say the movement has been co-opted by feminists so radical that they kinda looped back around to being sexist somehow. I’m a feminist but the amount of violent and seething hatred I get from other feminists when they find out my dream is to be a stay at home mom and housewife is unreal. I just want a nice family, and I want to make sure my future kids have support and not to rely on babysitters and such. And I love to cook and that’s so much cheaper than buying processed food, not having a job saves more money than having one sometimes because you don’t need to pay for convenience essentially ever. It’s not so out there, but I feel like it is sometimes with the negative reactions I get to that😞 sorry for the paragraph, I wanted to vent lol
@@miguelthedrawtist
Check out statistics on violent crime and get back to me.
But seriously. Feminists don’t think women can’t do bad. They want equality.
However anyone that denies males do more violent shit are in denial.
"im going to attack them sexually"
Michael Bluth voice in my head: theres gotta be a better way to word that
lmao
tbh i thought that was an intentional choice
I have always thought about this, and my theory is that women (and children, to be fair) as monsters/ghosts are inherently spookier because we’re seen as feeble physically, and so the subversion of that creates an automatic cognitive dissonance that enhances the horror.
This hadn’t occurred to me but I like this idea a lot! Feels similar to using the elderly in horror to create instant unease and disbelief…
Thank you!
I was thinking the same thing even before seeing the video
“It feels good to be feared for something you’ve been shamed and scolded for” basically sums up the dark appeal of stories like this for me. Great video!
Say "I don't want to be a mother" and you get all the fear you want, expression via hate.
Yes
Yup
"We need more gothic horror or I'll die"
Realest statement
Not enough of it, that's for sure. Especially in cinema.
I love when a woman monster is actually monstrous. Like actually an ugly scary monster. Too many woman monsters are still very pretty. Even when a woman is a monster, she has to still be beautiful.
Thins a great point! Allowing women to be grotesque or even just 'average' is v important imo
Ahh this is exactly why the myth of Medusa makes me so mad!! Even when a woman is literally cursed to be the most revolting thing to men, she's still appropriated into something that's supposed to be desirable to them.
@@anemonesiacBefore some ancient dudebro ( I hate him so I don't remember his name)rewrote the story of Medusa which her name is actually meduse where she was SA'd by Zeus. But Meduse has been an ancient goddess and protector of women way before that horrid story. She's an primordial goddess of the depths and of large sea creatures and monsters like the kraken. Her sisters are there and she was a gorgon and her sisters are too. They all looked that way fierce with big teeth and snake bodies. The writer of that popularized myth loved writing SA stories disgustingly enough. So he probably wrote it tbh because he couldn't possibly stand how a woman, a feminine deity could be feared and fierce and ugly. There must of been a reason and she must of been cursed. Long live the monstrous feminine. It feels like it's the way to freedom
@@ΣτέφανοςΔημόπουλος-η7τ I did so stfu. The world has and always has been filled with women who are now considered feminist. Medusa is a primordial goddess and an ancient protector of women and children. You thinking equity for all people and wanting that is a modern thing. I'm not twisting any story and making it modern. I did my research
@@ΣτέφανοςΔημόπουλος-η7τ Thorn Blackbird does a wonderful and informative video on Medusa. That's where I got some of my information from. You don't like it tough titties.
My dad was physically abusive occasionally. But because he had terrified me on occasion I was ALWAYS on eggshells, hoping I wouldn't set him off. He'd go from sleepy cuddle bear to berserker in milliseconds sometimes. All recognition or logic gone from his eyes and only a beast left to "teach me a lesson".
When I was 8yrs old my dad saw Jurassic Park and mentioned multiple times in my hearing how much it scared him.
From then on, when I pretended to be an animal, it was always a velocoraptor. I wanted to be the thing that could scare my dad. I craved it more than I craved beauty or skills or praise. If it had been offered to me, I would have joyfully, gleefully embraced becoming a terrifying Monster.
I wanted to be the Melificent- dragon. I wanted to be a gargoyle. I wanted a poisonous bite and claws long enough to gut a man. I dreamed I was a beautiful white werewolf, as big as a draft horse, running free and fearless on all fours.
It is exhaustingly frightening to be physically powerless against the strength and speed of men I'm surrounded by as an adult. And being forcably rapped* as a teen by someone I thought was a friend only increased my craving for a greater physical power of my own.
Still to this day (I'm 39 now), I'd rather be a truly grotesque monster than a model.
Where's MY dark fairy godmother when I need her, huh?
I'm so sorry to hear you went through this, but what a fascinating insight ❤ I can definitely understand wanting to be grotesque in the face of true fear - Beauty can't protect us from real horrors i suppose.
Thank you for watching 🌹
I read in a werewolf book that a sign of a werewolf is a woman wearing a white fur coat. You can still be a werewolf. Much love.
You have written so beautifully about something so desperately heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing, I find your strength inspiring ❤
@charlicks8808 thank you! 💜
This is why I enjoyed Jennifer's Body because Jennifer's sexuality is the REASON she survives, albeit demonically, she was able to get revenge due to her "lack" of purity. I LOVED THIS VIDEO TYSM!!
This is a good video and there’s a reason why we as women love horror movies. We enjoy watching them because they reflect our anxieties and fears of what being a woman is like and we relate to them. We can either be the monstrous feminine or the survivor who fights back the causer of trauma (aka final girl fighting the villain). Horror is an umbrella term for many genres and we are interested by it.
Edit: I’m aware that there are some people who don’t like horror movies and that’s okay. Some movies are not for everyone. Let’s agree to disagree.
I also feel like we are told we are over emotional & over reactionary but in the lense of a horror film, characters can be terrified & that isn't seen as unreasonable.
Don't say "we", I am woman and I hatehorror movies, I prefer thriller with some action.
@@grazielaalmeida8438 That’s fine. Not everyone likes horror movies and that’s okay. I also watch a variety of movies too.
I don't like horror movies.
They were cool when I was a young Teen but I somehow outgrew them.
Now in my early 20s I have experienced Situationskomik with men that are much worse than what I can experience by watching a movie.
And why should I see for experiences that make me fear?
I watch horror movies with friends but I feel nothing most of the time.
When I want to scare myself I walk through a part of the City with a high percentage of men of a certain Religion.
Looking at crime statistics thatwhat women should fear.
@@CordeliaWagner1999 Hey I totally understand why Horror movies are not for everyone. But that right there is something that should be taken seriously because women go through this everyday. The thing about horror movies is that a lot of critics tend to look on horror films as low-brow entertainment, sometimes even claim that it's misogynistic. But there have been studies that much of the audience of horror movie audiences are 50% women. The reason why is that even though Horror is not as high brow as drama or thrillers, but horror forces the audience to discuss topics that are taboo and off-limits, even controversial if necessary. I mean look at Jordan Peele's films and how they tackle racism and classism. "Carrie", "Pearl", "The Witch" and many others tap into Women's struggles in society and even "The Babadook" and "Hereditary" tap into the fears of motherhood. Sometimes Horror taps into everyone's fears as a woman in a very metaphorical sense. But to each their own.
I think the comparison for Carrie is an interesting one. I think the movie largely paints her as sympathetic for going through changes, and it's the world's reaction to her that makes her into a monster. There is her mother that fits into the monstrous feminine mother trope you described.
Very true.
The inclusion of “Carrie” made me scratch my head too..She wasn’t the monster. It’s society, conformity, and over zealous religious beliefs that are the monsters.
@@swesttttt i literally said "...nooo?" out loud lmao
Finally some justice for Crimson Peak
Isn’t it the best 🥲
i havent finished the video yet so i literally screamed when i heard she was gonna talk about it i literally love that film to death
It is honestly one of my favorite movies, and I'm glad that somebody is shouting it out.
Yes, Crimson Peak is amazing.
OMG fellow gothic horror fan here! I love that you included Crimson Peak, I just wrote a term paper on it regarding how del Toro inverts sexist tropes of gothic literature and made a modern feminist gothic movie and I love Lucille so dearly as a character! 🥺
How good is it!! Yesss, del Toro seems like a truly wonderful person, and he did such an incredibly job with Crimson Peak. I felt very seen haha
I’m so glad to see someone finally giving Lucille Sharpe’s character depth the praise it deserves! I haven’t been able to find any analysis videos on her
Omg she's fantastic! I may do a full video on Crimson Peak one day because it really is one of my favourites- I've never really understood the lack of enthusiasm for it
I think men are just afraid of women getting revenge lmao
I can’t argue with this hahaha
Yep. See shit ton of male revenge movies that are loved. Women revenge? Oh it’s just revenge porn.
Afraid of a female😂
Lmfao😂
For some maybe i think the fear is men of themselves you see a women is the bearer of children if she doesnt care then what good is she to men. And that's the fear for the good men it is a fear that you will be forced to be evil by need by necessity. You see its the good man who is the real horror he needs a reason to be evil because he doesnt obtain joy from it. Its just a job that must be done.
As for men who enjoy doing evil stuff what is to be said they enjoy the idea they dont care to see the world burn anyways and we would all be living like beasts with only them.
I'm a writer currently working on a novel about a Regency-era merchant ship full of men being attacked by a siren-esque monster that punishes men who chose to abandon their wives/mothers/daughters/female loved one back on shore to go sailing. The monster is frequently just referred to as "her" or "the beast" (mostly because I haven't got a good name for her yet) and I specifically wanted her to be female attacking a ship of only men because I've always found that interesting.
Here's the thing of it: I'm a trans man, someone who no longer identifies with womanhood but still loves the beautiful, incredible power of it. Watching this video (and others), as well as listening to my female friends talk of their own experiences, has been very affirming for me, because sometimes I feel as though making the only female character (save for some flashbacks with my main character's mother, as well as the numerous mentions of wives) the monster. My good friend (who is both a woman and a writer) loves my monster, which is comforting--the last thing this world needs is another male author writing about female power that doesn't apply to him. At the same time, I get to explore a part of myself that no longer suits me, so I come from a unique perspective.
I want my novel to be an exploration of male-centered societies, the consequences of a woman scorned, and the power of women as imperfect, unsexy, monstrous beings of their own choosing. I want to play on reader expectations. For example, the first man to die on the ship is affable, well-liked by everyone, and widely considered to be selfless and giving by the rest of the characters. His guise for leaving his wife (who is pregnant) is a natural love for sailing and adventure. It's written so that the rest of the characters--and the reader--think that he's an entirely blameless victim, but from another perspective, it's very selfish to leave someone behind--especially in my character's case, where he will be gone for months and potentially die, leaving his wife and child alone in a male-dominated society with no female agency, but he goes out anyway. I want it to be a play on male cowardice, and how men are often lauded for the bare minimum--something I've come across more and more in my transition.
Anyway, I truly find the concept of feminine monstrosity incredibly fascinating. Forgive me for such a long, self-indulgent post; this video is simply wonderful and really got me thinking.
Your novel so far sounds amazing! I would love to read it once it's done, is there any way for us to keep up with it? :)
I hope the book writing goes okay. However, your description feels like a caricature of sailors as “bros before hos” guys with a hobby rather than sailors from the early 1800s. I don’t think sailing really is all that selfish at that time period as that description seems to make it. Sailors out at sea for months are dealing with harsh working conditions, poor diet, cruel punishments, dangerous situations, extreme isolation, and are at the whim of weather.
With that in mind, they aren’t sailing because it is a fun thing - it was a way to make a living. Many times it was one of the only choices if men couldn’t find work in agriculture or the city. Without any work to do, people in that time period were an extra burden on their families. Many sailors weren’t abandoning women because they were selfish, it was because it was the only real chance of living they could get. A majority of men wouldn’t want to go through that experience if they had the option.
Based on what you have, it feels like you are imprinting a lot of modern life into a specific way of life from 200 years ago.
I’m hoping this doesn’t sound too rude, but I found your comment and I wanted to give my impression. I like the idea, but it feels like a caricature of bros rather than sailors from the time period. A solid book on that time period to check out if you haven’t is “Two Years Before the Mast”. It isn’t the Regency period of the UK, but it is from an American perspective of sailing in the 1830s (or 40s).
@@gregatkins1866 Hello, and thank you for the response. I should have specified in the original post that I am actually a graduated (summa cum laude) English literature major with an emphasis and concentration on history. I am also a hobby historian on top of this, with my main point of focus being on the early and mid 19th century. I am quite knowledgeable of what I'm writing about (and I love Two Years Before the Mast! It is one of the books I studied for my major). Do take what I say in earnest when I say your perspective is valid but, I think, coming from a place of incomplete information and assumption of my own ability. I barely scratched the surface of my book in that post and do defend it in the sense that it is far more complicated than I implied in my brief post. I have the knowledge, experience, and learned study of sailing history--especially that of Regency and Victorian periods--and am quite aware of the social/working nuances of the time. I discuss it at length in my book, with a great deal of the characters feeling as though they must sail because they have no other choice. For example, I have a couple characters who were pressed into service and many who were born into it. I do not take history lightly--it is a great, great passion of mine and research/historical writing is my ultimate passion and pastime.
Thank you!
TL;DR: I was a historian and literature history major and did not give enough information or credentials in my original post but yes, I am aware of the information you provided. I thank you for your response!
Cool lemme read
Very interesting, quite curious what kind of protagonist you have then, Really powerful idea you have there
Yes, it feels good to be feared.In my life i’m sick of being a victim. I don’t want to be the virgin final girl, or the one who gets punished. If I’m in a horror film I want to be the one who brings chaos and horror to those who harm me.
Amen.
Just once I'd like to see the "bad" girl defeat the monster/killer.
Yeah, I wanna be like Terminator’s Sarah Connor, she was a bada$$ that survived a cyborg.
Thank you for mentioning Crimson Peak. That movie is wonderfully costumed and such a great Gothic theme!
This is quite possibly the best commentary on the female monster I’ve ever seen ❤
What a comment 🥲 thank you so much for watching x
@@rachellydiab How do you make a female character with sex appeal without sexualizing them? Is it possible to make female characters that just simply want to be saved by a man they are in love with? Where's the line drawn here?
Honestly this is a huge question that I couldn't answer here and now!I know I don't want to see a world of monotonous female characters who are void of real traits. So yes, I hope and think characters like this are possible - and the creators intention and earnest self analysis can really dictate whether it's done successfully or not! @@etabiansosin
Yes, female monsters. Not feminine monsters.
Ginger Snaps is one of my personal favourite examples of this trend/trope. My Mum showed it to me right around age 11-12 when I myself was hitting puberty as an afab kid. Not only did the visual stick with preteen me but I clearly remember it being the first time I grasped allegory in horror and it was almost cathartic knowing that my own confused hormonal feelings were so common as to become the literal frame for a movie plot.
Love this! I've actually still not seen Gingersnaps but I've heard so many people talk about it being a really impactful film in their youth!
@@rachellydiab definitely worth the watch! It’s only about 1.5 hours and even has a sequel, Ginger Snaps Back lol hell can knock out both in an evening easily. They probably clock under 4hrs combined run time 😅 but don’t be fooled, they are short but super packed with plot and action and wild visuals.
RIGHT i thought of ginger snaps too
Yesssss thank you! I wish you had also gone into the fear of reproduction too. One of the most inherent fears of female monsters is... the monster is female. *She can make more monsters.* She is capable of birth, oftentimes without 'male' assistance, or the males are barely worth mentioning. I don't think I have to tell you about the incels who fear women will evolve past needing men. The Aliens movie is dead on the nose with that one. ALL of the aliens who slaughter people are female. The 'males' are mindless drones that die when they're done. Even Stephen King's IT talks about this- the IT monster is discovered to be pregnant, and the urgency to destroy IT became ever higher. IT had to be killed before it could give birth. Hell, say what you will about Stephanie Meyer's The Host, but the part where it was discovered that any Soul could split into hundreds more was a point of horror, disgust, and fear is also dead on the money. I think taking the 'capable of making babies and oh no what if they can do it without men?!' is a gigantic part of it all. Because, historically, pregnancy and the capability to make more people is something that people covet (to the point of being HORRIBLE about it) but are also intimidated by.
I actually hadn’t thought of reproduction so literally, but that’s a really interesting point!
@@rachellydiabhave you read Frankenstein? That’s the reason he decides not to make a female bride for the monster. He initially is going to do it. But then he remembers that females can reproduce, and the idea of the monsters having progeny and birthing a whole new race is so monstrous to him that he destroys the female body that he has created and was about to bring to life. That’s the final straw for the monster and why he then goes on to destroy Frankensteins life and kill everyone he loves. Starting with his bride!
I actually haven't! But that's so interesting. I'm not a huge reader, although Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson are high on my priorities list @@ellebee4112
Frankenstein, prob the one example of Birth Myth instead of the usual DeathMyth @@ellebee4112
I'm pretty sure that incels are simply waiting for android gfs and don't care about women "evolving", mostly because human beings have stayed the same for centuries when it comes to their core nature, and we simply invent technology to do shit for us so we have more free time for ourselves, and the idea of using it for reproduction it's also being explored... And if anyone read Brave New World and took a nice long look at the alienating state of modern Western society, I don't think it's necessary to explain why that's a terrible idea.
Crimson Peak is one of my fave movies too! Love this topic. Even wrote a essay about it in filmschool
Isn't the best! I also wrote an essay on it and it was the only thing I ever got an A on hahaha
The mother-daughter dynamic of hatred in my experience comes from the subconscious idea that I have to be like her, and I just didn't like my mother in that way, I love her as a caregiver and someone to look after me but I didn't want to be her, because we are kids and we still want to be look after no thinking that we have to look after people. Like just imagine if we told boys they have to start practicing parenting skills, I think am not alone when I say that many women marry with men-childs they cannot cook or do laundry by themselves, the wife has to be their mothers. Some mothers treat their son better than their daughters making a resentment that could last a life time.
Also being told that I look like my dad and that my mom is always elegant, organized and clean, while I have (undiagnostic) autisms/ADHD make me feel worse.
I think this totally makes sense! It's a little freudian, and although I think he was mostly a nutter it's so so true that our parental dynamics have a mammoth impact on who we are!
I hope you're able to find some healing from the ways that's affected you x
All of this really makes you think about how much Hollywood is still through the male gaze. It makes me think of the mummy with Tom Cruise, the villain was so clearly just a scary woman of color. It’s funny what men find threatening
Who was threatened by the mummy? 🤣
Sofia Boutella was great in that role. That whole movie is underrated imo.
That was a Tom Cruise addition- Originally the film was meant to focus more on her, but he made changes that centered it around him and how hot she was and how much she wanted him.
I felt that “BALENCIAGA!” on a visceral level
I’m a woman who loves horror because so many characters are women both monsters and the victims and the heroines. They’re are some of the few films that pass the becdal test. 2 women often talk to each other about things other than a man often.
Good point actually! Never thought about it like that
This was a really interesting breakdown. I love that some women can find these movies empowering since one thing that always puts me of is when a movie is either too sadistic and/or focuses on the victimisation of women. Being the cinematic outcast or rebel genre that horror can be we can get examples of non stereotypes that mainstream movies have ignored for too long and then handled clumsily contributing to so many infuriating "woke/anti woke" labels. There are numerous wonderful examples of strong women in genre movies either as the villains or as heroines who give as good as they get and it's for this reason that I have no shame in enjoying many slashers despite their varying quality. Growing up on these movies taught me that all people can have strength in many different ways regardless of gender or conformity. It's a fascinating subject to study and well done handling it without the political bias that seems to poison everything lately.
Love this. I think as film goes horror actually displays so much difference and nuance across the board. I never felt like the genre categorically pigeonholed women. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Part of why I kind of like X, the typical “pure” girl actually ends up getting killed whereas one of the promiscuous ones is the sole survivor. It feels like you’re set up to think that the “pure” girl will be the only survivor, not only by the narrative in the movie but also the fact that most horror movies are aggressively trying to kill promiscuous women as quick as possible, and the goody “pure” girl always survives. I like it when they subvert expectations 👍
A way I always connected w femininity as a kid (who was going thru gender dysphoria) was they female monsters and witches in particular, the shape shifting aspect and the aesthetics of it all the gender performance of it was glamorous to me
Keep in mind I always felt like a monster myself for being who I was on the inside! So I felt a kinship with these women monsters because of that, I could not relate to the coveted Virginal cis girl alone (not unless she was more than just an archetype of the virgin, it’s not like I couldn’t relate to feeling helpless but the thing is a girl like this was being rooted for and that’s something I never had for me so hence why I’d see myself in the female monster)
This is so interesting to hear! Although I wasn’t coming at it from a gender dysphoria perspective I definitely connected with the monsters and outcasts- but i live the idea of seeing the glamour in it!
@@rachellydiab keep up the great work! This was an awesome video
@@rachellydiab yes! Tiffany from chucky was someone who first helped me see the glamour of it all in particular, I mean transfems call themselves dolls for a reason :)
I love that! Cheers to the dolls hahah @@nousername4676
Thank you! I've always felt that Teeth is an underrated feminist masterpiece.
How good! I'm planning on doing an exploration video just for Teeth (-:
@@rachellydiab can't wait to see it!
This video was very enjoyable to watch. You have a very calm voice. I don’t think I entirely understood the video but I definitely feel more educated now.
That's so lovely thank you! Glad to have got you thinking.
This is covered in video games as well too. Think Resident Evil, Silent Hill, or The Forest.
bloodborne
Especially Silent Hill 3! The whole thing is about unwanted pregnancy and assault/the reality of coming of age as a woman. Really horrifying once that clicks while playing. There’s even a giant p*nis monster; and the main antagonist is a woman. It really isn’t spoken about enough! D:
That was such an interesting video! Even more interesting is that half of me went ''No, I disagree'' and also half of me went ''You know what? YAS QUEEN!'' at the concluding speech haha. The Monstruous Feminine is definitely something I always knew was there in so much of horror films and video games as well. Thank you for this video!
I love this hahah - great to be able to agree and disagree, but I’m glad there was something in there for you! Thank you for watching ❤️
My favorite line in this video is my favorite of all your videos I've seen: "We are monsters, and we know that better than anyone." Very empowering. I love it!
@@anamae03 thank you ❤️❤️
Very good essay. Both genres (and the new ones) can be monstrous because humanity in its current consciousness has not yet developed a complete understanding of its being, although it should be noted that men have had a greater opportunity to create poetic disfigurements.
Thank you so much! That actually hadn't occurred to me at ALL... "the opportunity to create poetic disfigurements" is both beautifully worded and such an interesting point.
@@rachellydiab But it's okay to disagree a little because if there is a certain "sexist" abuse, greetings, beautiful wise woman 🌷
this was so well made. i hope you can achieve the followership you deserve.
That's so sweet of you, thank you (-:
The way you bellowed BALENCIAGAAAAA had me howling 😂❤
Will be using this to write a journal article for my uni's newspaper and you are so spot on. I love this.
Carl Jung*. Also, look up Sabina Spielrein. She was the woman who inspired many of his ideas, though tragically she is overlooked in history. It pertains to this video.
I can’t wait for your video on Poor Things!!! Excited to hear your thoughts on that movie!
definitely something i’d like to do in the future, thank u!!
Men use physical vioence
Women use psycholical violence.
Think back to highschool, what was the bullies like and what which genders bullied people how?
Of course, theres always exceptions to any rule.
I actually talk about this in my video on revenge! Amy Dunne (Gone Girl) doesn’t have the physical strength of her partner so she uses psychological tools to torture him. It’s a really interesting distinction in male/female victim revenge movies!
Yea
Holy crap, did the TH-cam algorithm actually deliver this gem to me?? A funny, well-researched, thought-provoking dive into one of my favourite subjects & you're a KIWI?? Massive aroha for this, instant subscribe from a grateful Ngai Tahu lady. Can't wait to get into your other videos. GREAT pants btw! xx
That was an impressive summary of female monsters. Lots of points I never even thought about. Well done
Thank you !! 🙏
As usual you remain a genius and my favorite person to hear speak some provocative theory about film!!
u always speak straight to my heart!! I’m so glad you enjoyed x
Because a powerful woman, in full control of her power, is what most men are afraid of.
Amen brother
As a man, I can see the sexist connotations in the monstrous feminine archetype. If used incorrectly in culture and fiction, this looming shadow of evil femininity can be used as justification to hurt or oppress real women. From an entertainment perspective though, the monstrous female is my favorite type of horror villain. Whether it's Snow White's evil stepmother, the creepy little girls from the Shining, or more likeable examples like Batman's Harley Quinn, the inversion of femininity from something pure and nurturing into something evil is both terrifying and endlessly entertaining. I especially love stories where the complex motives of the evil female are properly explored so that she's made into more of a complete character and not a 2D stereotype.
haven’t found a channel this good in so long!! so excited to binge all of the videos
Frfr, this was quite enlightening. Hadn't realy considered all the implications in media until you pointed it out.
Hey thank you - Glad it was interesting!
In the States there's also definitely an historical puritanical/protestant influence for the woman as monster (though of course it's been around forever...Medusa, Medea...). I read Creed's book when it came out. A real eye opener for horror film lovers.
Verrryyyy much so- the historical context in the US is something I definitely want to talk about more!
I love Fay Weldon's reading of Dracula. Taps into Stokers's fear of female genitalia, his overbearing mother and his latent, and not so latent, homosexuality.
I usually never use the comment section on TH-cam but, DAMN I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH EVERY WORD YOU SAID! ready to binge all of your videos 😎
Stoppppp this is so nice!! thank u for being here x
As a trans masc afab person I fell i have an interesting relationship with the monstrous feminine especially regarding puberty. Horror about puberty and "monstrous" female body feel relatable to me. My female body feels monstrous, things like pregnancy horrify me, Puberty was a terrible "body horror" experience. This body, by definition of not matching myself ,is body horror
I've heard a few people now express this same feeling! I imagine there are a million more layers to peel back when you have that added separation from your body. Thank u for your insight x
@sallyskellington94 No, not all people who have periods experience their cycle as body horror.
Oh I SO relate to this! Pregnancy is a phobia of mine; puberty was horrifying. :(
Transmasc 🤝 transfem
Body is horror
Trans femme here and I felt the same thing while going through puberty
I remember writing a paper on the Final Girl and it was all about this ! Such a great topic
I watched crimson peak forever ago and loved it, but we rented it from redbox so i couldn't remember what it was called. I'm so glad you mentioned it in this video
aw i’m glad i could help! isn’t it fantastic
great v-essay! Was not expecting to hear kia kaha. So nice to hear a slice of NZ 😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
The way the new Alien movie use several of these archetypes. Love this video and the book rec.
I need to move to the UK. Crimson Peak is def in my top 3 Gothic horror movies ever. Love Jessica so much in that movie. Which i always thought was an odd choice for her. But so lucky for us. Adore Suspiria.❤❤❤❤ adore this channel sis. Thanks so much.
I like a lot of these points. Female movie monsters are some of the best movie monsters, though. Jennifer check was one of the best i think, but lilith from bordello of blood was iconic too. But one of the pluses of female movie monsters is that they sometimes make men feel like they're the ones who should be scared in particular.
Thank you, youtube algorithm, for randomly recommending this video over a year after its release. Instant sub.
I grew up on a farm. I watched piglets, calvs and foals get born. No problems.
I sufferrd from Tocophobia since the day I learned I could get pregant to. Because I learned about all the effects of human pregnancy in sxx education classes and at home.
Nope, not worth the risk.
I really enjoy sxx but my Tubal Ligation took my whole life to next level.
Finally SAFE!!!
I don't say pregnancy is disgusting. I am just to educated about all the risks.
Hello fellow tokophobic human. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. 😅
As a health professional, knowing all the risks and pain, the debilitating life long issues and psychological toll us women will experience when and after giving birth, I think getting pregnant is some of the most insane, stupid and irrational thing I could do. And yet, i'm always happy and moved to tears when mothers give birth or when they talk about how much they love their children, despite what it costs them.
Then again, as a woman in a patriarchal world, maybe being pregnant wouldn't be so scary if there weren't all this ambiant misogyny, both at hospitals, and at home.
The fact that women still have to give birth on their backs...
@@bee1411same here! Thankfully, it's not a worry any longer!!
omg Im so happy to have found this channel, amazing work!
Eek thank you!
Great exploration - this'll definitely inform my future reading in this area, thanks especially for the citations!
That's awesome, thank u for watching!
This video was way more insightful and informative than I thought it was gonna be, amazing video. It makes me even more proud to be a woman
Dawn's Tussy had me howling lmfao
both youtube-censor friendly and also very slay hahah
As an offshoot of embracing the visceral horror of feminity, I also like horror monsters that are feared that I relate to as an autistic person. Since I was always seen as weird anyway, it was comforting to be feared enough for people to let me be instead of acting on their disgust by bullying me. Playing into their fear and disgust kept them from being worse to me and people like me, so for a long time I related to monsters and generally found myself sympathising with non-human characters far more often than any human POV protagonist (which is why I didn't like reading teen fantasy and similar genres of book, because the "quirky girl" protagonists were exactly like the people - boys and girls - who acted monstrously towards people like me).
Crimson Peak mentioned!!! Yes, really is not as loved as other Del Toros' works, I like how he take that tropes and makes twists or deconstructe them, better them and make them be more complex. Also here for jungle and Freud hate
I imagine this wouldn’t be your usual go to, but I hope you give a game called Bloodbourne a look. If nothing else see a video or two of the story mode. That game is fuuuuuull of the monstrous feminine themes and visuals and characters and monsters crossed with eldritch horror.
I would LOVE to hear you discuss the film “Men”. It’s absolutely phenomenal and there’s scenes in it that I’d love your take on.❤️
I actually finished a script for a video on MEN yesterday! Coming soon (-:
Thing is, some of this is clearly done from fear and hatred of women with no inside sympathy for a female though process, but a lot of the stuff that's most obvious and explicit about it actually come out of respect for women. I think it's about saying, "Okay, things associated with men have been dissected for good and evil and played with for full nuance, but what about women. Originally a lot of what we see is just hate of all things female and transgressive--an excuse for men to justify hating women with power, but, a reaction to that has been to go deeper and not bulk at seeing how far into what the dark female might be we can see if we admit that it has to start with some grounding in the actual relatable humanity of women and their experience. Something like Alien or Jennifer's Body draws us in because women and the female body get to be villain and victim, often at once, and we get to explore what it might mean for women and feminine stuff to be both as complexly good and as complexly bad as all things male or un-gendered. Suddenly it's okay for women to say "Show us the worst of what we can be and we will be the first to hate us." The key is being able to trust that every dark thing isn't about how much triggering pain we can show women in or how much lazy reaction we can get out of an audience, but about pushing us to see and deal with what really makes human experience and bodies scary and for either sex. Let's have evil come out of things feminine that we can say "that--she, it--is crazy." But that's not hateful because there's something to say after that about how things and people can be dangerous in a real way, just as we can have a productive conversation a frightening character with diagnosable mental health challenges, but that becomes less possible the more that character is just some generic "crazy axe murderer" type or some such steriotype.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!! Great work
thank you!!! So kind!
yo kia ora! shot for the lil touch of te reo at the end. Great vid, cant wait to rewatch alien through this lens.
Hey thank you! I think you're the first person to pick up on the reo!
YES CRIMSON PEAK! One of my favorites, I have seen few movies of its kind.
It's so special! Not quite the same vibe, but I'm hoping Poor Things will provide some of the same sickly whimsy.
fantastic video, really great insight and also very entertaining!! shocked you only have 2000 subs, you deserve way more. subbed, i'm looking forward to what you put out next!
That's so kind of you- thank you for subbing!! Hope you enjoy the next vid (-:
My new favorite channel. Ur great, girl!
thank you 💖💖
LOVED this video!! So well done!
Thank you so much for watching 💜
Yes!! Crimson peak was incredible omg
As a AFAB non-binary person, I love body horror having to do with birth/pregnancy because that IS something that would be horrifying (read: extremely dysphoric) for me to go through. With the added layer that it’s pushed as the pinnacle of womanhood/the only thing a woman is good for. Seeing it recognized as horror feels validating.
OMG LOVE THIS VIDEO
OBSESSED
YOU WERE SO MOTHER FOR THIS VIDEO OMG
WHY DID IT TOOK SO LONG?
AHH THANK YOU 💓💓
Growing next to a lot of women and being recently married to one made me realize two things: Life as man is simple, and the female reproductive system terrifies me.
Bleeding, recurring pains, the whole body altering experience of pregnancy, amongst a lot of other things. It all sounds like a form of existential horror, and it makes me anxious and worried for my wife and the women around me.
That does not even include the constant policing and control that society imposes on women's bodies (which is another form of horror), just the hand nature gives to them.
Yet, women just live, persisting through the horrors. For that alone, it makes women terrifying, but also admirable.
Excellent video!!!!
Just found your channel, and I’m hooked! Great insights.
Thank you so much! Happy to have you here (-:
I love Crimson Peak so much! "Sexy goth daddy Tom Hiddleston" is just art, I want it on a mug under a picture of him.
Oh this is so well done. I might just have to add the monstrous feminine to my reading list now
@@Dantalliumsolarium thank you 🌹🌹
great video, but the burning times aren’t real. i’m sure other people must have commented about this even though i’m not seeing it. kaz rowe has a great video about the misconceptions and its origins that’s really good. otherwise, you’ve done a great job going over this subject!
hi! thank you for drawing my attention to this - I wasn’t aware that the common perception of the phrase ‘The Burning Times’ described such an exaggerated version of events. Good to know and i won’t use it again! Thank you for watching 🌹
Bro I just watched a few of your videos ugh your mind ! I think theres this innate fear of birth and pregnancy that women have too at least if they've never had children, it's an incredible terrifying thing that we knew there was like a 1/10 chance of dying from before modern medicine! Also I'm interested in exploring the idea of like infertility and gender non-conformity or more generally how women who don't fit the desirability standard are framed as monstrous in this type of thing too sorry I'm so high I never comment on videos but my brain is churning so hard I'm so glad I found your channel! Have a good day !!!
Ahh thank you!!! Ahahha, love ur thoughts, stay high mama
So that one you don’t wanna reveal the twist for, would love a deep dive into that when you get a chance maybe as a vid on a patreon or Vimeo? Your work is fabulous, it’s the kind of stuff I wish was on A&E or Bravo
I hadn’t even considered doing a video on this but its one of my faaaavourite shows, will definitely put this on the list! Patreon may be on the cards in the future 🤞🏻
And thank you so much, thats so lovely of u!!!
loved this video!
Thanks for another banger 👏🏻
thank you for watching 💜💜
I loved this analysis! Subbed 🥰
GODS I resonate with this so hard!! Makes me think of Verna, from The Usher series by Mike Flanagan. She is my favorite, I idolize her 🤩🙌🤘🌸
'Teeth' really blew my mind when it came out. I thought that it was inevitable that somebody would finally bring it into the open, it had been pretty blatantly suggested for so long. Regarding the burning of witches, many of the accused were simply widows or single mothers, often they were 'confirmed' to be witches by males, the method they used to identify a witch was mostly inspecting the vagina. If there was a clit, they would take that as proof she was a witch, that's how ignorant they were. Many of the inquisitors were virgin priests (yeah, that's healthy). Very good analysis. Your analysis, not theirs, I meant.
That was amazing. Thank you❤
Thank you 🥰
I love your vids! tx
Thank you 💓
I love horror, i love women and i love this so much
Love. Wish this was like 2 hrs long
Bloodborne is one of my favorite pieces of media that explores the horrors of visceral femininity
as a long-time horror fan, it's quite interesting to see the stark difference in hollywood and asian horror. a lot of asian horror seems deeply rooted in older cultures that often take a far more mythical degree of archetypal fears, while hollywood seems to have a lot more of modern causes of fear, one being the political stuff such as the topic of the video.
for example, take the original japanese "ring" movie. it may be framed with technophobia, but the monster herself (sadako) is deeply rooted in japanese yokai folklore. the korean "a tale of two sisters" is pretty much based on an old korean folktale about dead children getting their revenge. there's a lot of other asian titles deeply inspired or rooted in buddhism, buddhist "hell", reincarnation, the "hungry ghost" doomed to roam, various types of local animism particularly ones that involve contacting or fighting an evil spirit, and so on and so forth. there's a lot of asian titles ranging from S-tier to mediocre to terrible cliches, but i've noticed that a lot of the really good ones tend to hearken back to older belief systems and folklore.
otoh, hollywood tends to have a "rational" (for lack of a better word) way of manufacturing horror stories, and this "rationality" seem to go hand in hand with the current era. it's very rare to see a hollywood horror film that's squarely rooted in much older cultures (like native american). even the supernatural stuff usually involves or is in the same league as the ouija board, which is a modern invention / take on the idea of ghosts and spirits. comparing the ouija board style of horror of the movie "the exorcist" to something like the exorcism scene in the korean film "the wailing", the evil spirit of the exorcist movie is decidedly tied to western christianity so it's basically "god vs satan" while in the korean film "the wailing", even though there is a christian reference, somehow that movie is a struggle between "humanity vs evil", which is frankly scarier.
I don’t know if you mention her cuz just starting but I just finished watching Midnight Mass and Bev Keane right there seems to embody this
Brilliant!!! It gave me a lot to think thank you! 💐🌹🌼🐢
Always interesting and well delivered content, thanks!