Hell is a Teenage Girl

What do you get when you combine angsty female friendship with a murderous spree of male victims? Jennifer’s Body, a horror-comedy flick with surprisingly strong feminist themes.

In Defense Of 'Jennifer's Body' - Bloody Disgusting

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The film follows Jennifer and Needy, two unlikely besties due to their drastically different social standings, who are torn apart by Jennifer’s sudden penchant for flesh and blood. We later learn that Jennifer’s transformation is the result of an occult ritual in which a band tried to used her as a virginal sacrifice for a Satanic guarantee of fame. However, Jennifer was not actually a virgin, and thus became stuck in a possessed state of violence.

Jennifer’s Body is carefully layered – it provides poignant commentary on imperfect victims, purity culture, female rage, the intensely intimate nature of childhood friendships, and most importantly, the power a women can wield with her sexuality. Even further, the choice to have Megan Fox embody Jennifer Check was a direct nod at her cultural significance during 2009. Fox was hypersexualized to the point of being typecast, and using her to allure in male audiences only to then turn the tables on them by having her kill all men in her sight was a delightfully ironic decision. This choice follows the line of thinking outlined in “lipstick feminism,” a movement empowering women to embrace femininity in the face of the patriarchy. Jennifer is by all means the beauty standard – and using her looks as a luring tactic during her predation is a multifaceted take on how men often underestimate the women they are attracted to.

Jennifer's Body ] - This movie is so iconic! I like it even if the story was kind of strange it… | Megan fox wallpaper, Jennifer's body aesthetic, Jennifer's body

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As the film goes on, we can see Needy struggle to stop Jennifer, while still grappling with the trauma Jennifer has gone through. Jennifer’s revenge is not justifiable, but it does not lack cause. Her pain is gripping enough that Needy proceeds to avenge Jennifer through her own gruesome murders of the band that made her a demon.

Ever since transformers I've been in love with Megan Fox

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So often in media, women are depicted as needlessly crazy – Jennifer’s Body tackles this phenomena excellently by demonstrating that just like men, women’s anger is valid… But maybe not quite all the killing. It ties directly into the #MeToo movement seen as of late. In a powerful excerpt of the collection, Not That Bad: Dispatches of Rape Culture, writer Lyz Lenz astutely captures this societal double standard.

“We speak of men and their rage as if it is laudable. “Men just get mad and push each other and it’s over”, we say. “Women are just b******; they never let it go.” That’s because we never can let it go. Because where would we put it? What system? What faith? What institution has room? Has patience? Has understanding for an angry woman?”

And Lenz is right. Truly some of the only times scorned women get justice is on the big screen. Jennifer Check is a reminder that crazy girls often have an origin story spurred by even crazier men. It similarly begs audiences to check their biases at the door – “chick flicks” can be some of the most piercing condemnations of the patriarchy.

3 thoughts on “Hell is a Teenage Girl

  1. Shreya,

    What an interesting blog concept! The villainization of women in media is such a common, fascinating, and sometimes upsetting phenomenon. Your idea of chick flicks being “piercing condemnations of the patriarchy” is so true – most have a problem that begins with the untoward actions of men. Jennifer’s Body is a great movie, but I’ve never thought of it through this lens before – I’ll have to rewatch it! If you’re ever interested, the book “The Mists of Avalon” takes one of the most well-known and documented female villains – Morgan Le Fae of Arthurian Legend – and retells the story from her perspective. She goes from an evil, two-dimensional plot point to a well-fleshed out woman betrayed by her family, desperately trying to keep her religion afloat. It’s a fascinating look at women in traditional media. Great job!

    Best,
    Sam

  2. I really liked the quote you included. It definitely puts a twist on a longstanding “truth” that society has normalized. I think the differences between men and women are super interesting, and I’d be interested in seeing how different the genders are from a biological standpoint. I bet there’s less of a difference than people would guess. Also, I haven’t watched Jennifer’s Body, but you did a really good job of outlining the plot while also making your points. Overall, super interesting post, I always love the villain stories.

  3. Shreya, another semester and another class! This is going to be an awesome blog post to read for the semester. This reminds me of a very popular YouTuber “MinuteMovies.” He actually covered this movie in an episode before, but not nearly to the extent that you did. It is fascinating how you dive into the social applications of the movie, and past events that it is referencing. I am excited to see the next movie that you review, I know it’s going to be a fun read.

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