Doin’ It Well

As Halloween approaches, “Doin’ It Well” turns attentions to the most horrifying and ghastly transformation of all: puberty. The changes undergone during puberty - developing secondary sex characteristics and the accompanying feelings that can come along with it - usher in a new phase of sexuality for teens. What is there to be afraid of? Let “Doin’ It Well” guide you down the ghoulish path of puberty’s horrors.

Hairy Palms

The social expectations for young men and women are different, and horror movies depict this well.  Teen Wolf is an excellent narrative about boys’ sexual coming-of-age. Scott, a lovable dork that just can’t seem to assert himself, begins to notice his body changing, including a deeper voice, claws, and hairy palms. When he gets anxious, mad, or aroused, his “wolf” comes out, until he can’t hide it any longer. His “wolf” is athletic, suave, and in control, in many ways a perfect man, but he’s also egotistic and selfish.  In the end, he tames his beast and learns to incorporate his “wolf” into himself.

Movies like Teen Wolf perhaps correctly suggest that puberty is rife with anxiety and struggles. We can see Teen Wolf as a story about a young man trying to figure out how to control his body as he’s experiencing new sexual feelings and urges.   But they also carry on a dangerous narrative about male sexuality - it’s wild, primitive, and unstoppable.

Not Me!

Stories about teen men’s sexuality often place these sexual urges outside of their control. Not only does this discourage men from seeing their sexuality, desires, and actions as being a part of who they are, but it also allows us to excuse violent behaviors as beyond the man’s control. In the film, Idle Hands, the main character Anton has a real problem on his hand; it’s demon-possessed, violent and maybe just a little horny. As his hand gropes women and slaughters his family, it’s all done with a wink and a nod to the idea that once a man gets turned on it’s just so difficult to stop.

The Curse

For women, there is a whole different set of worries associated with puberty. Menstruation, breasts, telekinesis… You just never know. Yes, we are talking about Carrie, the awkward and homicidal title character. In the film’s beginning, Carrie discovers that she is bleeding from between her legs while in the locker room showers. Unaware about menstruation or her body (and a case for comprehensive sex education if there ever was one), Carrie’s panic also sets off her ability to move things with her mind. Her final straw, a blood-soaking prank designed to humiliate her, leads Carrie to murder the entire school and her sex-negative mom.

For young women, puberty isn’t so much about gaining a special power, as it is being cursed. In many of these stories, women’s sexuality is out of control, but in a totally different way than that of young men. We have to be protected from it, and she from herself. And in the end, everyone dies. See ladies, puberty is just full of surprises.

It’s also worth noting that when men’s puberty is the subject, the movie is lighthearted, perhaps a dark comedy. When women’s sexuality is being discussed, however, we can expect a gruesome and gritty story, much more horror than anything else.

Bloodlust

A new genre of teen sex horror is upon us now: the vampire. As Twilight has taught us, women have sexual urges, too; they are hot for vampires!  Bella, the new girl who doesn’t quite fit in, meets Edward, a vampire who is practicing bloodsucking abstinence. Overcome by his undead beauty, Bella tries several times to lure him into her bed. But when he gets too excited,Edward’s vamp instincts kick in and he withdraws to “save himself” from biting her. The movie, then, walks a line between Bella’s sexual desires and Edward’s attempts at protecting her from his dangerous urges.

The new part here is that the girl is also a complex, sexual being, rather than an object to be acted upon. And yes, we think that’s progress. But he also paternalistically “protects” her from his beastly tendencies. And that sounds like more of the same.

Trick or Treat?

Despite our criticisms, these movies do bring up the subject of puberty and teen sexuality, which is a start. Throughout our lives, our sexuality is constantly shifting, but perhaps most during puberty. These stories capture the insecurities, fears, angst, and social anxieties that accompany many of us through puberty and beyond.

At the same time, youth are much more complex than the stories show. Both young men and young women are figuring out sexual desires and arousal, and both struggle with the feelings during this phase. For a real scare, next time you’re watching a horror film, think about what it’s saying about sex, and what’s missing.

Join us next week as we look at feminist porn.

Sex 411:  More Puberty Fright Films!

• Ginger Snaps (2000)
• Idle Hands (1999)
• My Demon Lover (1987)

Send Jo and Ross your questions and ideas to buzzdoinitwell@yahoo.com