Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Lara Croft As The Final Girl

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the psychology-of-teenage-boys dept.

Clive Thompson, over at Wired, takes a look at the appeal of playing as Lara Croft ... and doesn't focus on her physical assets. From the article: "The Final Girl theory emerged in 1985, when Carol Clover -- a medievalist and feminist film critic -- was dared by a friend to see The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Back then, most feminist theorists loathed slasher films, and regarded them as classic examples of male misogyny. It wasn't hard to figure out why: Thousands of young men were trooping into theaters to cheer wildly as masked psychos hacked apart screaming young women. That really didn't look good. But as Clover sat in the theaters, she noticed something curious. Sure, the young men would laugh and cheer as the villain hunted down his female prey. But eventually the movie would whittle down the victims to one last terrified woman -- the Final Girl, as Clover called her. Suddenly, the young men in the audience would switch their allegiance -- and begin cheering just as madly for the Final Girl as she attacked and killed the psycho."

8 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Kill Bill by Peter+Cooper · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't really know about Lara Croft, but I'd say I felt this for Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill. I was like, whoa.. I really want this chick to kick ass!

  2. I call shenannigans on this... by Vokkyt · · Score: 3, Interesting
    This article just did not have any convincing arguments regarding Lara Croft as a positive thing for female role model. If the intent behind Lara was anything besides selling a game with a sexy icon, then there would be no need for the misproportionate breasts, the sexual innuendos, and the skimpy outfits. If the theory of the "Final Girl" is true, would it not work with any mildly appealing women? Well, the answer to that is even revealed in his article, and that is no; the anonymous gamer, anonymous being indicative of the reliablity of his source, even says that he feels like he's protecting Lara; He's protecting Lara. As much as I dislike the Tomb Raider games, I know enough about them to know that anyone who thinks they are "protecting" Lara is disillusioned and just as misonganistic as any man from the 40's. Lara is not a person who needs protecting; the games make that clear.

    Lara is indeed a girl that every boy wants to be with, but not in a plutonic way; they want to control her, and have her be the object of their sexual fantasies.

    1. Re:I call shenannigans on this... by thestuckmud · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I played Tomb Raider in the 1996 and found it to be a groundbreaking game. The lead character's gender and appearance were minor details to me. I've played through several sequels (none of which lived up to the possibilities the franchise promised), and I honestly didn't notice sexual innuendo, paternalism, etc.

      I experienced negative reactions to the Lara Croft character only from non-gamers looking at the cover artwork (esp. from my ex-wife). My instinct tells me that many of the criticisms are based on first impressions of the advertising for Tomb Raider, not the games themselves.

      In the same way, I am not persuaded by this "final girl" nonsense. Eidos could have used an Indiana Jones type male character and still had a great game. Claiming the game is sexist because the hero is female strikes me as, well, sexist.

      Of course, I'm concerned with gameplay. I won't argue about Lara Croft's image in advertising. I'm just not interested in advertising.

  3. What are they cheering for? by lawpoop · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "Thousands of young men were trooping into theaters to cheer wildly as masked psychos hacked apart screaming young women... Suddenly, the young men in the audience would switch their allegiance -- and begin cheering just as madly for the Final Girl as she attacked and killed the psycho."

    Maybe the men weren't cheering for the psycho or the woman, but for the violence itself .

    --
    Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
    -- Pablo Picasso
  4. Re:May the best X win! by nomel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But cheering for the last remaining female is also a survival trait. :) I know when I'm with girls in "hostile" environments, I feel a very strong urge (instinct I'm presuming since it happens without choice or forethought) to protect them. Makes sense if we do that, on a more subconscious level of course, in video games where you're helping, guiding, and making decisions about a womans well being that's standing there in third person in front of you. If she wasn't in third person, then there would be nothing for our brain to tell us to protect and reward for protecting. Obviously, the game wouldn't sell as well if it wasn't in third person for other reasons too ;)

  5. She's the one for me. by Progman3K · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The valkyrie at my side is shouting and laughing with the pure hate for blood-thirsty joy of the slaughter

    And so am I

    The fire, baby. It'll burn us both

    There's no place in this world for our kind of fire

    My warrior woman. My valkyrie

    You'll always be mine. Always. And never

    --
    I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
  6. Counter interpretation by Gulthek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    [All information here shared by my wife with her English masters degree. Any and all misinformation introduced by my transcription of her description of the theory.]

    Actually Lara Croft doesn't really fit with the final girl theory. In Carol's definition you can't start with the *final* girl. She goes through a metamorphosis and becomes more masculine as she survives more of the horror.

    Interesting points about the final girl theory:

    The theory is flawed (all failings acknowledged by Carol Clover, she doesn't assert that this theory is anything grand or definite) in that it assumes that only adolescent males enjoy horror movies. The theory is completely broken if you agree that any women enjoy horror movies.

    The theory itself says that the adolescent boys can identify with the final girl without themselves feeling threatened by the killer (who is hunting women), but who demonstrates the traits of a stereotypical adolescent male masculine fantasy (surviving against all odds, strong, capable, etc.). The theory is that this is a way for young men to indirectly experience homo-erotic fantasies. The women are characteristically running from phallic, penetrating objects such as knives and other stabbing weapons. Yet the final girl is also an erotic object herself. She usually has an asexual name (like Sam) and carries a phallic object like a torch, stick, etc.

    Yes, the world of literary theory is stranger than you know. o_O

  7. Re:May the best X win! by TheCarp · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think everyone is reading way too much into these crappy films. Lets try a simpler explanation. Ever heard of the Roman colleseium? How about people like to watch violence. They will cheer for the violence itself.

    I don't think the audience members really care who it is thats being hacked to bits... is it the bad boy or the naughty girl. Whatever, its somebody being hacked up. Its sensational, it stirs up all sorts of things, I think people often identify with the killer at first because well, the alternative is to identify with the person being hacked up, and its much safer to identify with the winner. You get to feel the perverse thrill of the kill, which is much better than the fear of being the prey.

    Of course, who the audience identifies with is going to also be a function of the camera angle.

    Honestly, I think the "final girl theory" more explains the formula of the writters than the actual responses of the audience.

    -Steve

    --
    "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"