"Jennifer's Body" haters: could it be...SEXISM?
So I haven't posted in ten million years, and now I'm posting just to bellyache. Yeah, what else is new?
Awhile back I saw the Diablo Cody movie "Jennifer's Body." It's about a gorgeous, demonically possessed teenage girl who rips the guts out of teenage boys and eats them. It's sharp, witty, and way, WAY more fun than a teenage cannibal movie should be. However, a lot of my horror writer (and horror fan) friends hated this movie. Hated it with an undying passion.
Why? Well, first they rag on the rapid-fire, stylized, snarky dialog. It's "unrealistic." Then they move on to the way Diablo Cody tends to beat you with the Obvious Stick. Okay, it's pretty irritating that Jennifer's best friend's nickname is "Needy." And that Needy's sweet boyfriend's last name is "Dove." Okay, we get it. But you know who else is guilty of stylized, snarky dialog and super-obvious character naming?
JOSS WHEDON.
Yep. Joss. Whom most of my pissy horror friends worship.
So why is it OK for all the dialog in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to sound like a teenage version of a '40's Spencer/Tracy comedy, but it's BAD BAD BAD when Diablo Cody does it? Why is it OK to for Joss to name a sweet, innocent character Willow and a punk rock vampire Spike, but it's not OK when Diablo Cody does the same kind of thing?
Don't get me wrong, I don't worship La Cody. I enjoyed "Juno," but I had problems with it. There was a bit of the Obvious Stick in that movie too. And if Juno loved punk music so much, why was there no punk in the soundtrack? And why did she sing a barfmaking emo love song at the end? But nevertheless, I think DC is very talented. And I think "Jennifer's Body" was a really, really fun movie. I might even buy it.
So...why can't Diablo play in Joss's pool? Is it because she's a GIRL? Geez, I really hope not..