The genre “Slasher” is sub genre of horror, which became popularised and revolutionised in the 1980s, due to the hit of Halloween and Friday the 13th. Throughout the years the representation of women has not changed, however has been represented in two ways. The first is the final girl, who is the last person alive to confront the killer. The final girl is conventionally sexually unavailable, shares a history with the killer and sometimes has a unisex name. The second type of representation is voyeuristic; as Laura Mulvey argues that male spectators enjoy the sexual pleasure in the way some women are presented.

In the opening of Psycho (Hitchock,1970) the audience see a scene of Marion and her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), kissing and talking in a hotel room. Marion is wearing only a slip and bra, which was forbidden in the conservative time period. Immediately, the audience forms an attachment to Marion’s feminine body. The way the camera lingers on her body for 45 seconds and 70 camera positions, links with the idea of the way in which women are the objects of the male gaze. There has been much controversy to how Marion has been portrayed in the film. Studlar argues there is too much emphasis on the male gaze, while not enough on the female gaze. The ways in which Marion is presented has been classified as “unthinkable and painful”, as seen by feminists, however it has not stopped viewers from enjoying such scenes and can relate to the indirect acceptance of such actions that do occur. Societies reception of such scenes shows that they are indirectly accepting violence acts in our culture. Although these exaggerated gender roles are meant to be entertainment they are sending out ideas of the objectification, exploitation and victimisation of women is a norm. This may help explain or lead to the murders and rapes of women in reality.

Mulvey and Clover both have very contrasting understandings of the slasher genre, which has led them to feel differently about the representation of women in slasher films. Mulvey sees that the audience are forced the see the film from a male point of view, whatever gender is watching. This statement is partly true, as in Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978), Laurie Strode’s best friends in the movie Annie Brackett and Lynda Van Der Klok, who happen to be female, are both murdered. Mulvey’s Male Gaze view can be contradicted as in Halloween; Laurie Strode’s boyfriend is killed, resulting in Laurie Strode being attacked by Michael Myers however she escapes from him. Also in Halloween, the image of Judith’s murder shows a combination of sex and violence, not only because Judith recently had sex, but also because of the sexual arousal that the audience experience from viewing Judith’s naked body. Some critics believe that Laurie Strode and her group of friends became Michael Myer’s targets because they represent the moral downfall of society in America in the 1970’s due to the hippie-movement, a time where people were allowed to express their sexuality. Sexual promiscuity, drug and alcohol use, social and political apathy and general lack of morality were all problems that adults believed were arising in young people during this time. In Halloween, when Judith exclaims, “Michael!” and covers herself when she sees him, she looks directly in the camera, as if at the audience, men watching this may find as if they are the ‘Final Girl’.

Mulvey’s theory has been opposed by Clover, as she argues that in every slasher film there is a ‘Final Girl’ character, who seems to be the last one-ending the sequel. In Clover’s book on Men, Women, and Chain Saws she presents a radical view, questioning the reasons why women are portrayed the way they are in Slasher films. Also, she connects it to society as of the way society deals with gender confusion, sexual repression and violence. Clover states that we should find out why women are portrayed against violence in Slasher. Clover’s view on “The Final Girl” is that it presents the female character to be ‘female, however with male traits-the fact that she is able to physically harm and maybe kill the antagonist. This aspect entices the male audience, as they are able to easily identify with her. In the words of Clover:
“She is feminine enough to act in a gratifying way, unapproved for adult males, the terrors and masochistic pleasures of the underlying fantasy, but not so feminine to disturb the structures of female competence and sexuality”
This quote is important, as it shows that Slasher films can suit both audiences-male and female. Which can be proved as many middle-aged men went to see slasher films, when they were popular during the 1970s. However girls enjoyed the excitement of the slasher genre, as they are able to relate to the final girl, this was found in my primary research. When asking girls above the age of 17 “Do you think the idea of a having a “final girl” a good idea in slasher films?” 90% said yes, as they believe they inspired by the final girl’s confidence and capability to defeat the killer.

With reference to the ‘Final Girl’, it has been argued that she is a “masculinised woman”. Isabel Cristina Pinedo acknowledges this problem and writes:
“If a woman can not be aggressive and still be a woman, then female agency is a pipe dream. But if the surviving female can be aggressive and be really a woman, then she subverts this binary notion of gender that buttresses male dominance."
Women who watch slasher films may not agree with this quote, as they may find that women who are shown as powerful and more dominant to men is better to watch, as they can identify with them. Women found watching the Pyscho famous shower scene appalling, as it degraded them, therefore subverting patriarchy is seen as a good thing, which is as Clover would argue, taking place less due to the “final girl”.

The representation of women has continued ever since the Slasher genre came into perspective. The famous film ‘Psycho’ (1960s) in which other Directors began to copy the conventions of the movie, made others successful, such as Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Psycho used the actress Janet Leighs, which is an aspect that made the film famous similarly Halloween used Jammie Lee Curtis. The presentation of Dr. Michele Foss called “A Different Kind of Love, A Different Kind of Death”, points a major difference between the genre of horror and slasher, which is, the portrayal of and acts of violence against women. "The final girl is very special," said Foss, "because she's the one who wouldn't die." Foss said the final girl is easily identified early on in the film, and we know she is the one who will end up alone with the killer. In which did Carol J Clover also said. Foss also pointed out that those female victims who offer sex to the kill are punished severely, which was seen in Scream 2, when Hailey thought that the killer was playing a joke, so she began to flirt with him which resulted in a death. Foss also made another important point being:
"She is the fighter, and her survival depends on and, "her lack of popularity and sexuality, and her intelligence."
This again was seen in beginning of the sequel Scream, where Sidney Prescott (Never Campbell) is attempting to cope with the anniversary of her mother’s brutal rape murder. In this situation, she is fighter, as “ghostface” attempts to kill her in which she survives it.

To conclude with, films such as “Creep, “Friday the 13th”, “Scream”, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, have all presented women in similar ways. Feminist such as Carol J Clover would argue that, “The male figure cannot bear the burden of sexual objection.” This can be linked with the directors who produce the films and them being male. However, there has been an increase of female directors, which may be linked with the fact that women in slasher films now are given more power and dominance. Society has also evolved with this is, as women are much more independent now then ever before. The representation of women can also be argued that it is shown in a way that characters direct their gaze towards female characters. The cinematic gaze has been measured in three levels-camera, character and spectator.