Well, I suppose it’s time to wrap up Women in Horror Month. I know I went over, but seriously, is it really fair that the shortest month of the year be devoted to such a cool subject? I’d like to once again thank all the talented ladies (and a gent) who were kind enough to share their thoughts on the subject. I’m also really glad I could explore a lot of types of characters and a lot of issues going on in the genre. I’ve had a blast, and I didn’t get to talk nearly enough about everything on my mind, but I suppose that’s why there’s always next year, right?
I want to include a great big thank you not only to all my guests this month, but to all the awesome people who kept the conversations going on comments, who retweeted my posts, who spread the word via facebook, and on and on. I feel like we’re finally starting to get a conversation about this sort of thing going, and I love seeing what everyone has to say, even about the hard subjects. It makes me really proud that not only are you guys interested, but you’re willing to keep it going and bounce new ideas about the subjects around, yourselves. I’m also really thrilled to help spread the word about talented female horror writers and their different thoughts and approaches – from those who like to get gory, to those that love the paranormal and supernatural, to those that are into the psychological thrills. There’s room for all of us, and it’s what makes the genre so awesome.
The fact is, this isn’t going to go away. We have a long, long way to go to spread the recognition of women writers, film makers, actresses, artists, and others who not only participate in, but truly love the horror industry. So what if we look at it in different ways? Why should any genre have a strict formula, anyway? The very nature of fear is always changing, so there’s no reason to stick to old standards. Sure, it’s a little nerve-wracking to see the things you love be changed up, but none of us women who are into horror want to totally destroy the genre. We love it for a reason; we just want to explore things a little differently, or a little more. And we want to be recognized for it, not shoved under some sub-genre or given a pat on the head and kicked aside unless we’re providing sex appeal. We want to have input on the horror genre, and I personally think that there are a lot of talented ladies who could blow people’s minds. We’ve barely begun to see what’s out there, what’s doable, and to explore all the different viewpoints on horror. There are so many talented women out there doing different things in the genre, I can barely stand it. It’s time to not only show appreciation, but bring them into the forefront so we can all work together, men and women, to really rock the hell out of the horror genre and do some intriguing new stuff. So get on your google, keep your mind open when you’re watching horror movies, really pay attention to who’s writing what. And when people are talking about horror, make sure you bring up the talented gals in your mental file cabinets. It’ll not only take the conversation in new directions, but it’ll also help us slowly begin to change people’s minds about what our role in the genre really is. And there’s nothing scary about that at all.
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