Jennifer’s Body

Jennifer’s Body, the latest from 31-year-old feminist screenwriter Diablo Cody (of Juno fame), is hitting theaters September 18th and already it’s causing quite the buzz. The Times ran an interesting story this weekend about how Cody and her crew tried to create a film “with both feminists and 15-year-old boys in mind.” Karyn Kusama, of Girlfight, is directing and told the Times: “It may be one of the best ways for a young male audience to experience a female story without feeling like they have been limited by a female perspective.”
The trailer, I have to say, is full of annoying cliches–glamorizing bisexuality, seemingly for male-benefit, dumb dudes mesmerized by evil beauty, you know the drill:

The lingering question is, were Cody and Kusama really able to subvert some of these cliches in order to make smart, feminist commentary on them, or will they just play like good ol’ fashioned objectification and sexism (think all the homophobes laughing their asses off at Bruno)? Cody, who called the script a “crazy, chaotic homage” to the horror films of her youth, told the Times: “The tricky thing is if you’re going to subvert those tropes, they have to be there. We were constantly bobbing and weaving. Karyn and I talk about the film as a kind of Trojan horse. We wanted to package our beliefs in a way that’s appealing to a mainstream audience.”
I, for one, am fascinated to see Cody and Kusama creation. Will that so-called Trojan horse cross the finish line in covert feminist style or will it resemble all the other horror flicks despite feminist intentions?
Bonus: Check out Jessica Wakeman’s interview with Diablo Cody.

Join the Conversation