SHOCKtober Day 5

 

Now look, I don't want to get all political during SHOCKtober and ruin any "good" "vibes" you might be seeking or enjoying by visiting this site. Horror, of course, is the LEAST political genre there is! A REAL Master of Horror would never dare infuse political messages into their work. If you don't believe me you can ask John Carpenter! Or a medium who can make contact with George A Romero (RIP king)!

But sometimes in this workaday world one has no choice but to bring up The Important Stuff, even somewhere like a horror blog. And so escapism be damned! I'm getting real by spotlighting the character who struck a blow for women's rights in the slasher genre...

THE BAG LADY IN THE FUNHOUSE (1981)

I love The Funhouse! I think my ancient review of it still sums up my feelings on it quite nicely: it really really captures the grimy carnival vibe and I'm super into it. It's one of the sleaziest slasher movies, but the sleaziness comes through in the details, not in the usual "naked women get brutally murdered" kinda grindhouse way. Of course it's a Tobe Hooper movie, know what I mean? I can't imagine him making any other kind of slasher movie.

So, about that Bag Lady! She comes a-marchin' into the ladies' room just as pleased as punch while two of our horny teens (Amy and Liz) talk about their horniness and whether or not they're going to "do" "it" with their boyfriends. That's when Bag Lady interrupts:

"God is watching you! He hears everything!"

And that's when all the Susan B Anthony coins in circulation began to shine brightly. For you see, the local doomsayer wackadoo is a stock slasher character, but clearly that's a man's job. Crazy Ralph, Abel, that guy in Just Before Dawn...it's always an unkempt fellow warning teens to stay away from places and be less horny lest they be punished. But The Funhouse says no! Women can be just as unkempt and nosy and off putting as men! Let's go real crazy here and have a woman be the Cassandra figure. That's feminism, baby!

Side note: FYI, I almost posted about the Animatronic Funhouse Lady from The Funhouse--another feminist icon, obviously--as today's character. Give yourself a thrill by spending some time thinking about what might have been!