Scream Queens, Final Girls, and Unlikely Icons

My heroines growing up were Final Girls:

• Nancy in Nightmare on Elm Street…

• Ripley in Alien(s), played by Sigourney Weaver…

• Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie in Halloween…

Like most women in films of the 70s + 80s, they were supposed to be viewed as vulnerable and more delicate than their male co-stars. 

But these characters were strong:

• Proactive.

• Faced the nightmare monsters.

• Fought back.

• They prevailed. Survived.

They’re called “final girls” because they’re the girl at the end of the film who kills the monster.

I loved horror movies growing up. 

Still do.

They’re often sexy. Weird. Exciting. Creative.

They often tackle subversive or taboo topics. The good ones are smart.

And they often sneak social and political commentary into a “lowbrow” genre in a smart way, because horror films are usually about whatever is horrifying us at any particular time:

In Nightmare on Elm Street, Aliens, and Halloween, the horror was real. The monsters were right in your face.

The terror in real life was vague. And “good girls” weren’t supposed to scream and fight against it. 

In my own family mental illness, addiction, suicide loss and more made life pretty anxiety-provoking. Not to mention the pervasive fear of being a girl in the 80s. Adult men started to hit on me when I was 12.

At least Freddy was an obvious monster. Man with finger knives? Be like Nancy and learn how to turn your home into a maze of booby traps, and destroy him.

Man in the lobby asking me for coffee when I was thirteen? All I could do was giggle, apologize, and go find my mom.

I wanted to yell, “Get away from me you creep! I’m 13 years old!”

Final Girls got to be more masculine and action-oriented than was allowed in real life.  They were good and heroic for being strong and standing up for themselves. They fought and won. And for that, they were my icons.

Through my favorite horror heroines, I could pretend to be a badass. 

I could get the satisfaction through Laurie and Ripley and Nancy.

I could punch the patriarchy in the balls. And be celebrated for being strong and smart.

Horror gave me courage. 

To be stronger.

To scream in the face of monsters.

To stand up.

To fight.

Who were your unlikely icons?