This thesis examines the representations of gender and femininity on the television series Deadly Women. Each episode deals with three real-life cases of female murderers, each organized around the theme of the particular episode. The three chosen case representations were analyzed through a critical gender studies theoretical lens. The specific theories utilized were Judith Butler’s (1990, 1993) performativity theory, R.W. Connell’s (1995, 2002) notion of multiple masculinities and femininities, Judith Halberstam’s (1998) notion of female masculinity, and Ann Lloyd’s (1995) doubly deviant, doubly damned hypothesis. The cases analyzed were Aileen Wuornos (“Predators”, Season 2 (2008), episode 6), Jill Coit (“Fortune Hunters”, Season 4 (2010), episode 3), and Ashley Humphrey (“Dangerous Liaisons”, Season 4 (2010), episode 4). These three cases are viewed as particular performatives of violent transgressions of the social norm regarding ‘appropriate’ femininity. Aileen Wuornos’ representation replicates conventional understandings of female killers, in (re)producing the notion of the ‘monstrous’ predatory femininity of such women. Her “monsterization” (Morrissey, 2003) is often juxtaposed with testimony to Wuornos’ own troubled background. Wuornos’ own victimhood, however, is never portrayed in a manner that would condone her serial murders. The latter two cases provide alternative ways of understanding and discussing female killers. Jill Coit performs a version of (deadly) female masculinity (c.f. Halberstam, 1998), killing one husband while disguised in oversize men’s clothing and a clearly fake handlebar moustache. Finally, Ashley Humphrey performs a version of dangerous violent racialized hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1995, 2002) and of victimized femininity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MANITOBA/oai:mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca:1993/30207 |
| Date | 13 January 2015 |
| Creators | Doll, Kyla |
| Contributors | Spencer, Dale (Sociology), Bookman, Sonia (Sociology) Prentice, Susan (Sociology) Austin-Smith, Brenda (English, Film, and Theatre) |
| Source Sets | University of Manitoba Canada |
| Detected Language | English |
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