With films like Carrie to pave the way for the troupe of girlhood being portrayed as monstrous in cinema, Jennifer’s Body is no different, but the film offers a playful twist on the troupe as well as some much needed commentary on teenage girls and rape culture.
When the audience realizes what has happened to Jennifer and where her appetite for high school boys comes from, this could implicitly be an allegory for rape. This being a horror film, and unfortunately, a fear that is somewhat universally for young women (and women of all ages) is putting faith in men assumed to be trusted, when in reality they have sinister ulterior motives. It should also be noted that in horror films the virgin is often saved from being slaughtered due to her righteous behavior, making her often the final girl; however, in this situation, Jennifer, who appears to be a virgin, breaks this troupe. It’s not that simple to break a troupe because Jennifer’s behavior before and after her transformation could be interpreted as playing the role of the whore or even the femme fatale/monster with her youthful lust. The whore and the femme fatale/monster are two of the roles that women are limited to in cinema, and while Jennifer is empowered by taking control of her narrative by the men who robbed her off her voice, it should be noted that after Jennifer’s possession she preys on individuals that had near to nothing to do with her unfortunate circumstance, proving the femme fatale/monster role to succeed here.
When studying feminist film theory, it is important to note Alison
Bechdel & Liz Wallace’s “The Bechdel-Wallace Test.” The Bechdel-Wallace Test was created as a satrical joke in a queer comic/magazine. A movie can be proved to feminist is there are (a) two named female characters, (b) they speak to each other, (c) and they speak to each other about something other than men. While the film does pass the test, the test gives the bare minimum requirements for movies to include women. Yes, Jennifer and Needy’s relationship does pass the Bechdel test with some of their conversations pertaining to something other than boys, but Jennifer and Needy have a terribly toxic relationship. Just because your movie features women does not automatically make it a feminist classic. Needy and Jennifer often verbally bullying each other, and Jennifer often calls Needy homophobic slurs. This is mostly likely due a queer denial/repression that Jennifer has. Their relationship is toxic and is not a positive example for teen girls, the demographic this film was intended for.
Speaking of demographics, while Jennifer’s Body was intended to marketed towards young girls in high school, the marketing team took a left turn and decided to market the film towards young men who are fans of the horror genre. The film itself was written and directed by a woman, adverting itself from the male gaze in a object way with two female creatives; however, marketing felt that Megan Fox’s beauty should be glorified for the marketing campaign. The objectification of Megan Fox’s figure was the highlight and focal point of many posters with Fox leaning in suggestive poses over desks and chairs with minimal or revealing school girl clothing. This is partially as to why the film initially flopped because the film wasn’t intended for boys. The male gaze can only be avoided so much, and with the homoerotic nature of Jennifer and Needy’s relationship, men tend to get creative.
It’s no secret that heterosexual men often find desire or lust in bisexual women or lesbian relationships. It is often fantasized by male creatives in film. Take Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) for example. At the end, Peter gets both his bisexual love interest, Kate, and her girlfriend after winning the dodgeball tournament as the rest of his team congratulates him for both victories. Unfortunately, queer female relationships portrayed on screen make a pathway for men to insert their narcissistic identification into cinema. It also allows for the young, heterosexual men who the movie was marketed for to participate in voyeurism and use this moment of sexual exploration for the girls as a moment of that narcissistic identification as they objectify the girls, sexualizing and fetishizing them for their sexual preferences.
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