Page 34 - Metro
P. 34
WKH PRPHQW LQ ZKLFK /XNH KLWV KHU DQG VKH WXPEOHV GRZQ WKH VWDLUV
When she awakens taped to a chair, we become witnesses to the
VRUW RI FORVHG FDVH LQFLGHQW XQFRYHUHG LQ WKH EDFNVWRULHV RI YLROHQW
NLOOHUV <HW WKRXJK /XNHpV HQMR\PHQW IURP WRUPHQWLQJ KHU UHFDOOV
%TMMX &@LDR 0LFKDHO +DQHNH !DSSDQ 6@SBG .TS
LV QRZKHUH QHDU DV VHULRXV RU GHSUDYHG
$VKOH\ LV D W\SLFDO )LQDO *LUO D \RXQJ DQG DWWUDFWLYH EDE\VLWWHU
like '@KKNVDDMpV /DXULH RU -LOO &DURO .DQH IURP 6GDM @ 2SQ@MFDQ
"@KKR )UHG :DOWRQ 6KH LV HDVLO\ VWDUWOHG t D IDFW HVWDEOLVKHG
LQ KHU ĺUVW VFHQH ZKHQ VKH QHDUO\ UXQV RYHU D EODFN FDW t \HW VKH
rises to the occasion when faced with the intruder, creeping up the
VWDLUV EUDQGLVKLQJ D NQLIH GXULQJ DQ DUFKHW\SDO )LQDO *LUO PRPHQW
2QFH /XNH KDV KHU WLHG XS VKH WULHV UHSULPDQGLQJ UHDVRQLQJ FRP
plying and escaping, desperate to survive. In a scene reminiscent of
+HOHQpV 6DUDK 0LFKHOOH *HOODU GHDWK LQ ( *MNV 6G@S 8NT #HC +@RS
2TLLDQ -LP *LOOHVSLH $VKOH\ DOPRVW JHWV DZD\ MXVW ZLWKLQ
reach of a crowd, her struggle drowned out by carollers.
But Peckover has also built a metanarrative about the horror
JHQUH 7KLV LV HQFDSVXODWHG LQ WKH PRWLYDWLRQ EHKLQG /XNHpV FUXHO
DQG GDQJHURXV KRD[ (DUO\ LQ WKH ĺOP WKH ER\V GLVFXVV DQ DUWLFOH LQ
men’s magazine ,@WHL claiming that women are aroused by horror
PRYLHV /XNH KDV SODQQHG WR WHUULI\ $VKOH\ SOD\ WKH KHUR DQG EH
rewarded with her resultant dopamine rush and uncontrollable lust.
7KLV VWUDWHJ\ UHĻHFWV WKH QDUURZ SUHVXPSWLRQ WKDW KRUURU LV PDGH
for adolescent boys, and the pervasive belief – borne out in a 1986
study – that, in heterosexual pairings, men prefer frightened women,
2
and women, brave men. *HQGHU FRGLQJ LV QRWLFHDEO\ SUHVHQW LQ
KRUURU ĺOPV ZLWK ZRPHQ LQ SDUWLFXODU SXQLVKHG IRU KDYLQJ t DQG
acting on – sexual desires. The decision to make the boys so young
in !DSSDQ 6@SBG .TS highlights the persistent moral anxiety about
sexual development, a frightening visualisation of the saying ‘boys
ZLOO EH ER\Vp :H DUH UHSHDWHGO\ UHPLQGHG RI WKHLU DJH /XNHpV YRLFH
FUDFNV DQG KH VKULHNV DW *DUUHWW IRU VPRNLQJ SRW LQVLGH DV KLV PXP
might smell it. Yet they discuss women in an aggressively lewd way,
VHHPLQJ WRR PDWXUH IRU WKHLU DJH ZKLOH DOVR UHĻHFWLQJ DQ DSSDU
HQWO\ LQJUDLQHG FRQWHPSW IRU ZRPHQ )RU H[DPSOH LQ D JDPH RI .LOO
Fuck, Marry based on CUDMSTQD 3HLD /XNH HQWKXVHV DERXW WKH
sexual potential of Princess Bubblegum. When he subsequently ini
WLDWHV D JDPH RI 7UXWK RU 'DUH t DQRWKHU PDUNHU RI WHHQDJH EHKDY
LRXU t *DUUHWW WHOOV KLP WR WRXFK $VKOH\pV EUHDVW DQG /XNH VPLUNV
Luke’s actions stem from his refusal
relishing her distress.
to accept his thwarted desires. He is the 7KH ĺOP SURSRVHV WKDW DGXOWV QHYHU UHDOO\ NQRZ ZKR WKHLU FKLO
embodiment of solipsism, and is as much GUHQ DUH ,W UHIHUHQFHV WKH oHYLO FKLOGp WURSH WKRXJK /XNH LV VOLJKWO\
a comment on male privilege as on fears WRR JURZQ XS WR EH DV IULJKWHQLQJ DV \RXQJHU FKLOGUHQ OLNH 'DPLHQ
about spoilt children. +DUYH\ 6WHSKHQV IURP 3GD .LDM 5LFKDUG 'RQQHU RU 5KRGD
(Patty McCormack) from 3GD !@C 2DDC 0HUY\Q /H5R\ +H
LV PRUH FRPSDUDEOH WR WZHOYH \HDU ROG 5HJDQ /LQGD %ODLU IURP
3GD $WNQBHRS :LOOLDP )ULHGNLQ DQG IRXUWHHQ \HDU ROGV $QQH
-HDQQH *RXSLO DQG /RUH &DWKHULQH :DJHQHU IURP #NM S #DKHUDQ 4R
EQNL $UHK -RÈO 6ÆULD 2Q WKH FXVS RI SXEHUW\ /XNH HPERGLHV
the often overwhelming and distressing physical and mental changes
WKDW SUH WHHQV H[SHULHQFH <HW WKLV LV D UHFXUULQJ WKHPH XVXDOO\ SUH
VHQW LQ KRUURU ĺOPV IHDWXULQJ EDL@KD protagonists, especially in the
possession subgenre, in which teen women are favoured ‘vessels’
RI GHPRQV /XNH LV GHFLVLYHO\ VHOI DVVXUHG DQG KLV SDOSDEOH VDW
LVIDFWLRQ ZKHQ KDUPLQJ RWKHUV HYRNHV UHFHQW ĺOPV DERXW YLROHQW
teens, like 3GDL 'DYLG 0RUHDX ;DYLHU 3DOXG DQG 3GD
2SQ@MFDQR (Bryan Bertino, 2008). All of these examples emphasise
WKDW WHHQDJHUV DUH GDQJHURXV t LPPDWXUH XQSUHGLFWDEOH ULVN WDNHUV
7KH WUXH VXUSULVH LV WKDW /XNH LV D FRQYLQFLQJ SV\FKRSDWK +H
LV LQYHQWLYH FDSDEOH DQG GHHSO\ GLVWXUEHG t D VLOYHU WRQJXHG QDU
cissist who brags, ‘I am the Harry Houdini of getting away with it.’
$VKOH\pV UHYHODWLRQ WKDW KH NLOOHG *DUUHWWpV KDPVWHU LV D SUHGLFWDEOH
32 • Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM