'Cabin in the Woods' Questions

Who wrote about the "final girl" theory in 1992? 
Carol Clover was a theorist who wrote about the ‘final girl’ theory in 1992 in her book ‘Men, Women and Chainsaws’.

The theory focused on the sole survivor of slasher/horror movies and how often it was a female. This female had their own set of conventions, they are usual in a way virginal or pure and often androgynous in several ways. This can be through a name like ‘Laurie’ in Halloween or the way they dress or behave. She also states that the final girl fights back. She doesn’t let herself become a victim and fights the killer to survive, unlike her friends. This is a highly conventional character archetype for horror.


Who wrote about existing research on women's roles in the media texts in 1983?

Jeremy Tunstall was another media theorist he looked at women’s roles in the media in 1983. He defined four roles in media that were played by females. The domestic, sexual, consumer and marital.
In 1992 research showed that males dominated females on screen by the ratio of two to one. The only genre that closed the gap and made the level more equal was advertisements and often in these advertisements women were still the consumers and the males were still in positions of authority.

Why does the reading suggest that Ripley (Alien) is 'more progressive' that Lara Croft (Tombraider)
The representation of women has changed over time when you look back at old texts. A clear example is Ripley from the film Alien. Ripley is a very progressive representation of a woman as she doesn’t need saving or protecting, she’s tough and can do everything that a male can. She’s also not overly sexualised. However the same cannot be said about Lara Croft in ‘Tombraider’. Despite it being released after Alien it doesn’t really show a progressive representation of women because she is highly sexualised, wearing tight, impractical clothing.


What are the three 'C's when discussing the portrayal of women in some lifestyle magazines?
Lifestyle magazines portray women in three main ways, through cooking, cleaning and caring. This puts women in a very domestic role.

Who wrote 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'?
Laura Mulvey was theorist that wrote ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ she suggested the idea of male gaze. This says that men objectify women in a sexual way, that’s how they look at them on screen. The females are consumed by males, specifically in horror as it’s seen as a predominantly male genre.

 Example?
The cameras provoke this feeling using things like camera shots and framing to draw focus on parts of women’s body’s that in a way force the audience to look at it. In Cabin in the Woods they use this a lot for Jules, specifically when she is dared to make out with the wolf. The camera tracks up her legs as she walks towards them, drawing focus to her.


Which magazine removes the male centrefold in the 1980's and why?
Cosmpolitan was the magazine that removed the male centrefold in the 1980's. They found that people found the male centrefold more amusing in a comedic way. People couldn't take the magazine seriously.