Timeline: female representation in horror

1980

Introduction:

The roles of women in horror have changed drastically over the years. This exhibit aims to highlight the positive changes that have surrounded women in the horror industry. Through this exhibit, you will encounter different objects throughout history that highlight the evolution of women in horror. This will illustrate how far we have come since the 80s in the ways that women's horror roles are portrayed and accepted in our society.

1984

horror press release- This exhibits how females in 80s horror were typically objectified and sexualized. It lays the groundwork for the evolution that came after this time regarding womens roles in horror.

This press release from the University of Scranton, Office of Public Relations, discusses the changing genre of horror. It discusses how horror has changed to reflect the world differently than it had in the past. It highlights the previous roles of women in horror and how those roles were beginning to change. This release highlights the sexual portrayal that women often had in horror but shows that even people at the time took notice of the demeaning ways in which women were represented.

1996

"Scream" Clip- This clip highlights a pivotal point for women in horror. In this clip we can see how women are given more influential and defining roles. These women were no longer portrayed second-hand characters which was defining and monumental.

Link text This clip shows the female roles gaining the upper hand over 2 killers in "Scream" 1996. The female leads were now given depth in their roles. The women were portrayed as strong and smart. While not all films at the time gave women such important roles, this film portrayed women in a strong and important way that paved the way for future female roles.

1999

Drew Barrymore photo- This image shows that the public not only accepted but loved horror films where women were given meaningful and important roles. It illustrates a shift in societal norms. It shows the acceptance of powerful female roles on screens.

This image is from a magazine cover from 1999. Barrymore is a female horror icon. She was featured in "Scream" in 1996 and has more recently been in the horror series "Santa Clara Diet". Her popularity with scream shows the way in which women's roles were becoming more appreciated in the 90s. "SCD" changed horror by placing her in a positive light despite her being the monster in the series. She has depth and development in the productions that women before her were not given in decades before.

2006

Womens lecture poster- This poster shows just how important women on screen are in consumers eyes. It shows how the love for complex womens' roles has been loved and admired to the point of having lectures surrounding this topic.

This poster advertises a lecture held to discuss the roles of women (both good and bad) in horror. It highlights the discussion around this topic and shows the changes that have happened over time to elicit this type of lecture.