1

Dedric Cherry
Connie S Douglas
ENG 112-56
06 September 2016

Mothers of Murder : Women and the Progression of Slasher Films

Sarah Trencansky discusses surviving a slasher film and the overall themes of the films
in Final Girls and Terrible Youth: Transgression in 1980s Horror published in 2001 in the
Journal of Popular Film & Television. Trencansky argues that the subgenre should not be slept
on, but that the Final Girl breaks the stereotypical mold and the story allows for the film to serve
as social commentary through the struggles of the characters. It is directed to those in the field of
film. Andrew Welsh, the author of On the Perils of living Dangerously in the Slasher Horror
Film: Gender Differences in the Association Between Sexual Activity and Survival, published
in 2010 online by Springer Science+Business, examines the argument that not only do the
characters transgressions all but cement their deaths, but that violence on women run rampant
(even worse and more often is they are sexually active). This analysis is intended for his peers
and highlights the correlations in behavior, gender, and death in slashers. Both authors believe to
an extent that transgressions often lead to the death of female characters, Trencansky speaks
from an observation of the themes explored in films (context) while Welsh brushes context aside
and speaks from studies of film and characters (statistics)

Final Girls

2
This stance tends to be the most agreeable. Final Girls and Terrible Youth was written for
the Journal of Popular Films & Television and was written accordingly. Trencansky ideas and
drawn examples flow seamlessly from one point to the next. She trades ten dollar words for
relatability. It feels as if she is in the room carrying on an intelligent conversation with the
audience. It helps the audience progress without having to pause out of frustration or to look up
words. The article tells a story as we progress from film to film, heroine to heroine. When you
reach the end Trencansky dives a little deeper, explaining how the films transcend blood and
gore. The lens pulls back and you see the women as stronger for having gone through the ordeal,
as well as the authority they need to question to do so. She plays on the audience's understanding
of social norms and then explains the who, what, and why of women and their role in horror.
Noting that These slasher series specifically concern the boundaries that exist between
dominant society and its others, and their overt insistence on women heroines who encompass
more than the usual category of women is just one wat that 1980;s slashers break down binary
divisions. The main weakness is the length. It tends to drag a bit. Other than that it was put
together well and guides the audience to think about the why which is very important.
On the Perils of Living Dangerously in the Slasher Film:
Where Trencansky focused on meaning and symbolism, Andrew Welsh was grounded in
the implications that can be drawn from the films. He noticed that the biggest concern or critique
in the slasher films was the punishment women faced for their sexuality. He points out that there
seems to be weight to this idea that media depictions of female victims tend to emphasize and
reinforce schemas of traditional gender roles, such as female vulnerability or the damsel in
distress He acknowledges the critics then decides to see if the claims hold up under scrutiny.
Welsh gets 50 simple random samples and compares data. He looks at men and women, their

3
survivibility, death likelihood, the length of the murders, and their sexuality on/off screen to look
for any signs of correlation. A drawback is that it does get a little long winded and fact based.
The latter, while not bad and even goes to prove points made, was just done in a way to detracted
from the message at times due to explaination. It does however prove a correlation between
gender, sexuality, and violence while addressing opposition lightly. Welshintention was fulfilled.
CONCLUSION
It appears of the two that Sarah Trencansky is most effective in fulfilling her intention.
She wanted to inform and she did. Trencasky acknowledges more than her own view. The
audience gets to hear from the detractors of the slasher genre from the very beginning. Then page
by page she ackowledges, explains with example, and moves on. Each article speaks on the
problematic gender roles that we still observe to this day. Trencansky, pointing out that change is
possible with the observance of the Final girl; Welsh pointing out that Final Girl is a
problematic figure that is an outlier. Noting that it doesnt speak to the fact that sexualized
women are still the object of violence in film to this day.

Works Cited
Welsh, Andrew. "On the Perils of Living Dangerously in the Slasher Horror Film: Gender
Differences in the Association between Sexual Activity and Survival." Sex Roles 62.11-12
(2010): 762-73. ProQuest. Web. 8 Sep. 2016.

4
Trencansky, Sarah. "Final Girls and Terrible Youth: Transgression in 1980s Slasher Horror."
Journal of Popular Film & Television 29.2 (2001): 63-73. ProQuest. Web. 8 Sep. 2016.