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they generated a particular type of Horror film Parody: Mocking in a critical way, according to
– namely one that is both scary and humorously postmodernist critic Fredric Jameson.
self-referential. Post-feminism: A position that suggests that
Rather than over-burdening the Horror genre, women should take respect and equality for
or the genre film production of the 1990s, granted after the successes of the 1960s and
postmodern practices of self-referentiality, parody 1970s feminist struggles, and should enjoy the
and pastiche have instead enabled generic rules ironic and playful pleasures associated with
have been revised and reaffirmed. traditional ‘femininity’.
Postmodernism: The social, political and
Glossary of key terms
cultural attitudes of production and consumption
Final Girl: Stereotypically, the virginal girl that
of (media) products in the late 20th and early
survives in Horror films. In her very influential
21st centuries. The term carries several meanings
text Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in
but is usually associated with the self-reflexivity
the Modern Horror Film (1992) Carol Clover
of contemporary culture and media (see page 6).
defines the Final Girl as a ‘phallic’ heroine, who
Self-reflexive: Texts which display an
is only acting as a male protagonist would, thus
awareness of their own artificial status as texts.
both undermining her feminine address, and her
Self-referential: A text that makes a reference
(often literal) role as ‘castrator’; however, this view
back to itself, usually in a self-ironising and
has been questioned as these female heroines
playful manner.
often distinguish themselves by rejecting the
Pastiche: Texts which are made up from
established codes of masculine behaviour and
different sources, favouring practices of copying
by enhancing their credentials as modern post-
or simulation and rejecting authenticity. The
feminist women. On this you can further consult
term is often used negatively for texts that do
Paul Wells, The Horror Genre: from Beelzebub to
not display originality; an approach that has,
Blair Witch (2000).
however, been revised by many theorists.
Intertextuality: The way in which (media)
Tonia de Senna is a Lecturer in Media and Multimedia at
texts refer to and interact with other texts,
Amersham College, Buckinghamshire.
assuming that audiences will recognise those
allusions. Images courtesy of ©
image.net
english and media centre | February 2008 | MediaMagazine 61
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