Jennifer's Body in 2021
- Hannah Davis
- Mar 19, 2021
- 5 min read
This article contains spoilers for Jennifer’s Body (2009).
The 2009 release of Jennifer’s Body was not a successful one. However, in more recent years it has evolved from a failed horror movie to a feminist cult classic. The failure of the now-beloved film is mainly attributed to bad marketing. A film that has themes of female adolescence and it’s toxic friendships was marketing primarily to young men on the promise that they could ogle at Megan Fox for 90 minutes. However, many also believe the film failed because it was “ahead of its time”. Having not viewed the film before, I wanted to watch it for myself and judge whether it deserved criticism or truly was ahead of its time.
Initially, my overall response was one of disappointment. I was disappointed that my younger self had missed out on a film that was a perfect mixture of many acclaimed teenage films. It includes all the humour and toxic female friendships of Mean Girls but the overall aesthetic and gore of Twilight. It fits into the categories of films that are a rite of passage for many teenagers and, were it marketed to it’s intended audience, I’m sure it would have been essential viewing for my younger self.
However, I am also glad I watched it for the first time as an adult, enabling me to thoroughly appreciate the messages the film is presenting in regards to the male gaze, objectification and sexist tropes. In this respect, the movie is undeniably ahead of its time.
The film opens on Jennifer (Megan Fox) who is not looking her best, in particular, she is not the perfect, overly sexualised Megan Fox that many were used to seeing and that the trailers misled many to believe they would witness. Instead, we see Jennifer with chapped lips and blood on her teeth as she, somewhat repulsively, chews on her hair. The first image you see of her is not the expected one-dimensional character presented through the male gaze. It challenges the image that many would have expected and hints to us that the title, Jennifer’s Body, is not encouraging you to sexualise the body but instead alerting the viewer to the horrors of extreme objectification.
Such objectification is shown in what has now become the film’s most famous scene. The scene involves Jennifer getting ready and shows the viewer an imperfect girl who feels immense pressure to be perfect. Her hair is falling out and she is chaotically slathering foundation on with her hands as she cries. All the while, there are two versions of Jennifer staring back at her. One in the mirror and one in a picture frame showing the perfect Jennifer. The framed picture smiles back at her but the flawed version that she sees in the mirrors cries, reflecting the pressures of the male gaze.
The male gaze is most notably utilised through the film’s boy band, Low Shoulder, and its frontman, Nikolai. The band objectify Jennifer, only caring about her body and her sexuality. They are symbols of the male gaze and it’s desire to make Jennifer a one-dimensional character who only exists for the viewing pleasure of men. She only matters to them as a body to sacrifice.
Furthermore, Nikolai’s is revealed as the secret villain of the film. Soon after being introduced to the audience, he ticks off all the requirements for a predatory man. For example, after the teenage Jennifer and Needy (Amanda Seyfried) escape a traumatising fire, he finds them and offers to drive them away in his van. He is pleased to learn that Jennifer is in shock and drunk, knowing she will be an easy target to take advantage of, even giving her more alcohol after discovering this. He leads her to his van and takes her away from Needy, the only person we see in the film who attempts to protect Jennifer. Needy reflects the assumption of many viewers when they watched Jennifer get into the van. She pleads with her friend not to go with them and admits that she knew something awful would happen, echoing many viewers who will be familiar with men taking advantage of vulnerable women.
The film concludes with Needy following Cold Shoulder and killing them. The death of the ever-present boy band is a recognition that despite the depiction of Jennifer as a demon, it was the band that made her that way by objectifying and taking advantage of her. It is a reminder that despite the toxic relationship between Jennifer and Needy, the true evil is still the patriarchal violence present in the film.
Jennifer’s Body subverts the sexist tropes often portrayed in classic horror, particularly the trope of ‘the final girl’. Traditionally, the final girl escapes the killer, often as a result of her superior moral standing linked to her being a ‘virgin’. The film uses the trope to demonstrate how female sexuality is vilified. Jennifer is sacrificed to the devil in order for Cold Shoulder to gain success, but the sacrifice turns her into a demon because she was not a ‘virgin’ (as the band believed she was). Cold Shoulder’s success is shown to grow throughout the film and their support is endless, however, Jennifer is literally demonised for her sexuality. It is a clever way for the film to demonstrate sexism and hypocrisy, as the band’s success continues, despite their legitimate crimes, whilst Jennifer becomes a villain for merely having sex.
The film also subverts the expectation of the female victim as it makes men into the fragile victim instead. Other than the initial violence by Cold Shoulder, men are the victims of violence. This is best depicted through Needy’s boyfriend, Chip. Needy begs Chip not to go to the dance, a dance which she intends to go to, because of the potential violence that could occur against men at the dance. Furthermore, when Chip inevitably decides he will go to the dance, despite Needy’s warning, his mum provides him with pepper spray. The bottle of pepper spray represents a form of self-defence often given to women, demonstrated as the bottle is called ‘Pink Panic’, has a floral design and Chip himself calls it ‘ladies’ pepper spray’. The response towards Chip going out, when it is not safe, reflects the response repeatedly directed towards women, who are punished instead of the men committing the crimes.
Jennifer’s Body did not disappoint me. It embodied all the quirkiness of late 2000s “chick-flicks” while proving that it was ahead of its time due to its complex themes. I don’t doubt that it is a film that grows and develops from multiple re-watches and I am sure if I watched it again, I would want to discuss completely different interpretations. It is worth noting that despite my newfound appreciation for the film, the jokes are oftentimes outdated. However, it is no surprise that it has gained a cult following over the past few years due to its comments on the male gaze, female sexuality and objectification which are still relevant today.
Want to hear more about Jennifer's Body and Megan Fox? Check out this episode of Culture Hang:
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