Wednesday, February 3, 2010

February is Women in Horror Recognition Month!

In case you haven't already heard, February has been designated Women in Horror Recognition Month. As a woman in possession of both a lifelong love of the genre and strong feminist convictions, I have to admit that I'm giddy at the prospect. The mastermind behind the entire event is Ms. Hannah Neurotica, creator of Ax Wound: Gender & the Horror Genre. Here's a little excerpt from her WiH Manifesto:

Women are seen as a novelty item in horror. We are bloody babes and soon-to-be gut piles in peril. We are “horror chicks of the month”: almost every site dedicated to women in horror is about what they look like and how hot they are. I used to love the term “Scream Queen” but it no longer has any empowerment left. ...Women have to face body image issues all over the place in our culture, why must we also experience it in our favorite genre? Why do women have to be celebrated as strictly Tits & Ass & Blood. Why can’t we be recognized as “Scream Queens” who scream out with our artistic and creative abilities; qualities other then how we look. I mean, shit, a lot of Women love horror in very personal and passionate ways and are not wanting to be “Horror Babe of the Month.” We are writers, directors, producers, artists, eery musicians, creepy doll makers, FX artists. We are audience!

In honor of WiH Recognition Month, I plan to make sure women are featured prominently in all of my Spooky Little Girl posts for February. For more information, become a fan of the official Facebook page. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite scary ladies...
Felissa Rose as Angela in 'Sleepaway Camp' (and, of course, Pamela Springsteen as Angela in the two subsequent 'Sleepaway Camp' films - both excellent performances, but it's hard to beat Felissa's Angela for sheer visual impact, am I right?)

Jill Banner as Virginia in 'Spider Baby'

The divinely creepy Karen Black in 'Trilogy of Terror' & 'Burnt Offerings'
Yvonne DeCarlo as Lily Munster
And, of course, my personal favorite...Elvira

3 comments:

ZombieJoe said...

Don't forget Linda Blair from the Exorcist!

Melissa P said...

Of course! Very much looking forward to Once Upon a Nightmare this Saturday, btw.

-Lou said...

When I was a hitting my tween years I used to watch reruns of the Munsters every day after school, largely because I found Yvonne DeCarlo oddly arousing...

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