The Rise of the Vulva Monster
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The Rise of the Vulva Monster The Petrifying Pussies, Voracious Vaginas, and Othered Orifices of Posthuman Futures Carrie Russpatrick, MPH Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Gender Studies Centre for Gender Studies University of Oslo Blindern, Norway November 2019 © Carrie Russpatrick 2019 The rise of the vulva monster: The petrifying pussies, voracious vaginas, and othered orifices of posthuman futures http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo Abstract The film and television industries are no stranger to terrifying gendered monsters. Pulling from iconic and diverse folklore, the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy have enunciated long-standing human fears in myriad gendered ways. In this thesis, I focus specifically on nonhuman monsters whose mouths, or “maws,” resemble human vulvas. While these monsters have elicited extensive pop-culture scrutiny, there appears to be no overview or systematic mapping of this phenomenon. This thesis enters as a way to explicate and map the unique variabilities as well as the commonalities of what I call vulva monsters. Using textual analysis, I examine the narratives and bodies of eight vulva monsters from western film and television over the last 60 years. I situate them in a typological structure to build an argument for their considerable theoretical potential as a trope and a posthuman figuration. I use the monstrous-feminine and the motif of the vagina dentata as a starting point to both analyze and problematize this common reading and open up space for posthuman irruptions. Specifically, I argue that the bodies of these monsters fall into three typological categories related to corresponding posthuman theory: 1) The Alien Body 2) The Animal Body and 3) The Trans Body. Through this approach, the vulva monster proves to be entangled with essentializing and binary associations of the vulva (like those explained by the monstrous- feminine) and with the complexities of multiple othered bodies. The vulva unites these creatures—through metaphor, representation and materiality—and that opens up for an unhinging of the monstrous from the materially feminine, but not from the not-quite-human. In this way, the vulva monster trope becomes a useful tool for gender theory by providing a way to analyze multiplicity and the more-than-one othering that is at stake for these posthuman boundary creatures. i ii Forward I have not always aspired to be a monster theorist—in fact, I don’t usually like horror movies. My previous career was completely unrelated to the field I find myself in now. Back in the US, I spent my free time as a community sexual health educator and rape crisis counselor before getting my first master’s degree in public health and development. This degree landed me in rural Zambia working in maternal child health and gender- based violence in rural communities. While I had dealt with challenging and emotional topics related to gender in my previous experience, it wasn’t until Zambia that these issues became so unspeakably close. I was no longer dealing only with women’s trauma, I was dealing with women’s deaths and interacting regularly with women who were dying in childbirth—not because they were unhealthy but because they lived in communities that could not provide for them. Despite my training, as an individual, I was helpless to stop the kind of social, cultural, and global forces that were stacked against these women. It took its toll on me physically, emotionally, mentally—in the span of four years, I aged a lifetime. Luckily for me, my partner’s career led us from the dusty paths of Zambia to the snowy streets of Norway. This gave me the opportunity to pursue new paths at STK in the hopes of processing the complicated gendered issues I had seen in my short career. I assumed in the beginning, that I would be trying to solve some of the vexing problems I witnessed in Zambia. But, it was like touching a very deep wound that had not yet healed. The more I tried, the more I resisted. As, our now director, Helene Aarseth can attest, I had a long and fairly dry list of thesis ideas related to gender and development—each retaining a semblance of the calloused and distant feelings I still held in my heart. Anxiety mounted as the second semester ticked away. What was I going to do? In a fit of willful procrastination, I binge-watched the first season of the Star Trek: Discovery and the second season of Stranger Things. Much to my partner’s chagrin, I couldn’t stop talking about how these series focused on monstrously animated vulvas. Although I’m sure he was tired of hearing it, I felt I had endless things to say about them. iii I typically ended each impassioned conversation with “Ugh! I could write a thesis just about this.” And in my desperation, I finally found the courage to take myself seriously. I could write a thesis about this. And the enthusiasm continued from there, nurtured thoughtfully by the brilliant, supportive, and spirited people who have accompanied and led me through this masters. While I have not abandoned my long-standing interest and passion for the study of reproductive health and gender-based violence, I am able to touch on the othering and discrimination processes underpinning these issues from a theoretical distance. A process which, at least for now, has been absolutely necessary and healing. I am unimaginably grateful for the rich and powerful emotions and lessons I have experienced throughout this process. At times, I find myself baffled when I think back to where I started and see the place where I am now—especially when I look at this thesis. I find myself at the end, pages in hand looking at this odd and weighty thing I created. If nothing else, this thesis has taught me that some explorations of gender can be academic and substantive while also being full of renewal and dare I say…joy. iv Acknowledgements This thesis was made possible through the love and support of many people. I am so full of appreciation and gratitude to the shining souls that believed in this project. Thank you. To the Center for Gender Research in Oslo for the opportunity to do this research, and for the guidance, education, kindness and support. To the sorceresses of towering intellect, the sages, the meaning makers, the weavers of drafts and slashers of sentences, my advisors. This thesis could not have been done without your devotion, hard work and incisive critique. To Sara Orning for that soul-warming enthusiasm, soaring theoretical knowledge, invaluable practicality and driving support. To Ingvil Hellstrand for interpreting what I write so that I might actually understand it, for your passion, soothing words and big picture thinking. You guys are quite literally the best. To all my cave-dwelling ladies of STK, I love you all beyond words. I am so lucky to be part of such a talented, caring, empathic and spectacularly loving group of people. Your patience, thoughtfulness, wisdom and feminist riffing made this cross-continental journey worth-while. To all my friends who endured hours of terrible movies for the sake of science, who suffered my absence at trivia, who kept me fed and told me to go to sleep, whose fingers cramped with the supportive texts both here and across the seas. You make my life fun and well-lived. To my family who had no idea what to tell the ladies at church but loved and supported me anyway. Especially to my mom who had no idea if I was living or dead in these last few weeks. Your love and wisdom are always felt—you have made every good thing in my life possible. To my partner, my bestie, and my most supportive ally, Scott. Let it be written in the immortal pages of this thesis, thank you. Thanks for being the person who cheered me on when I could see nothing merit-worthy in myself, the sounding board for all my excited ramblings, the caretaker of all my self-conscious fears, for the gentle, hilarious moments you bring to my life. I love you. And, to all the people in all the bars that asked me what I’m writing about only to spit out their expensive drinks in laughter. Cheers! I did it. v vi Table of Contents ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... I FORWARD .................................................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... V TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... VII TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................................. ix 1. INTRODUCTION: MONSTERS IN CULTURE ................................................................ 1 1.1 BEGINNINGS ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 YOU CAN’T UNSEE IT… ..................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Labia and Vaginas and Teeth, Oh My! Reclassifying the “Vagina Monster” ............. 4 1.2.2 Bridging the Gaps: Theory and Pop-Culture Tropes ................................................. 5 1.2.3 Roadmap: Here There Be Monsters… ...................................................................... 6 1.3 IT