As you may know, February is "Women in
Horror" month. To celebrate, PromoteHorror.com asked
women from different professions if they would like to answer some questions
about being a "Woman in Horror." This time we have a group of the women who were kind
enough to answer our questions, the fantastic Horror Honeys. Lets see what they said about being a “Woman in Horror”…
-When
did you first become a horror fan?
Hardcover
Honey Jocelyn: Junior
high
Horror
TV Honey Lisa: I
was around 12 when I saw A Nightmare On Elm Street 4 and there was no
going back from there.
Supernatural
Honey Suzanne: Elementary
school. My babysitter introduced me to Stephen King.
Revenge
Honey Linnie: When
I was little, I would sit outside the door to my grandpa's TV room and
secretly watch Stephen King movies along with him. So probably when I was 6 or
7.
Slasher Honey Chassity: Since 10. My uncle
snuck me a copy of Scream, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Head Honey Kat: I was a bit of a creepy kid,
at 4 I was determined that I was going to marry Vincent Price.
-Was
there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to go from being a
fan of horror to a woman who contributes to the genre, or did it just kind of
happen naturally?
Hardcover
Honey Jocelyn: Happened
naturally after I hooked up with my original sister in screams, Linnie,
and her passion increased mine!
Horror
TV Honey Lisa: Completely
happened by accident via a random Twitter interaction.
Supernatural
Honey Suzanne: I
always wanted to do something in the genre, but writing really happened through
my twitter connections.
Revenge
Honey Linnie: I'd
been writing about darker things since I was in middle school, but I didn't
have an outlet for it until I met Jocelyn, and then we eventually both became
Horror Honeys! The environment encouraged me to pursue more work in the horror
world
Slasher Honey Chassity: Happened
naturally. I talk about horror all the time on social media. Then I met Lisa
and she’s been hooking me up with amazing horror opportunities ever since.
Head Honey Kat: It kind of just... happened. I
never really had a plan to be a horror writer/journalist/author/movie-obsessed
weirdo, but itsbeen a wonderful rollercoaster ride.
-
What does having a "Women in Horror" month mean to you?
Hardcover
Honey Jocelyn: Not
sure yet, seems like a fairly new construct?
Supernatural
Honey Suzanne: In
theory, it’s great, but since women are really making huge headway in horror,
it seems a bit… insulting.
Revenge
Honey Linnie: I
think Hannah Neurotica did a fabulous thing when she spearheaded the
movement. But it's up to all of us to make sure people remember we're
here all year. Not just in February.
Slasher Honey Chassity: I feel like it’s
existence shows good intentions, but draws attention to how unfortunately
rare women in horror are.
Head Honey Kat: The goal of WiHM is
to eventually cease to exist, and I applaud that wholeheartedly. The struggle
that women in horror face to be recognized on the same level as our male
counterparts is sometimes a painful one and we put up with a lot of shit. I
hope that WiHM will open people’s eyes to the fact that it
really shouldn’t be necessary to highlight our
gender when it comes to horror, but celebrate the fact that the genre is
growing in diverse ways and that we have something valid and unique to
contribute.
-Is
there a woman in horror who you consider a role model?
Hardcover
Honey Jocelyn: Locally
I love Jill Sixx(Call Girl) who is doing her own thing big-time!
Horror
TV Honey Lisa: Dpyx-I
think we will all be hearing a lot from them in the future. Also, more people
should know what Stacy Pippa Hammon is doing.
Revenge
Honey Linnie: Gale
Anne Hurd is a huge role model of mine. She has been the unsung hero
behind so many horror and sci-fi films over the years, and rarely gets the
credit she deserves. Also, Emilie Autumn because she's pure magic.
Slasher Honey Chassity: For me,
this is an impossible choice.
-How
do you think the role of women in horror has changed over the years?
Hardcover
Honey Jocelyn: I
hope less victimhood, more independence (i.e., You’re Next, which I LOVED).
Horror
TV Honey Lisa: I
don't feel that it has changed very much. I think what has changed is the
amount of women who are vocal about being a part of it and that is what will
begin to shape things for the better.
Supernatural
Honey Suzanne: I
think women writers and directors are proving that they can create smart,
thought provoking and scary films that don’t have to rely on gore or pointless
nudity to draw an audience.
Slasher Honey Chassity: Women are becoming
more and more heroic, to me. And by that I mean that they dominate sometimes
and even rescue the men. Positive moments for women in horror are less and less
accidental and coincidental. Final Girls are more and more proactive. These
days, we get strong women who have always been strong, versus seeming to luck
into their roles and their strengths because of circumstances.
Head Honey Kat: I think being vocal is a big
part of the change. Women make up a HUGE percentage of the horror audience, and
we’re not afraid to express ourselves when it comes to what we love and hate
about the genre. The best and most organic kind of change comes from
within, and bringing a different perspective to the genre is a key element of
female voices in the horror arena.
-What
do you think the future holds for women in horror?
Hardcover
Honey Jocelyn: More
women writers and directors, ideally!!!
Horror
TV Honey Lisa: I
think that depends entirely on how we choose, as a group, to direct that.
Revenge
Honey Linnie: Hopefully,
we will get to a point when "women in horror" is no longer a
distinction that needs to be made. We just are horror.
Slasher Honey Chassity: I think that with
more and more women in horror, we’ll see a change. A shift to more unique,
defining roles and more creative, never-before-seen ideas for horror
films, and moving away from a time when everything is regurgitated.
Head Honey Kat: Horror is a genre that is
constantly in flux, and I hope that women can find not just their niche, but a
platform to share their unique experience that isn’t pushed aside, dismissed or
discounted on the basis of gender. Equality is always the goal, however far
away it might be.
Being
that this is PromoteHorror.com, please feel free to plug your current/next
horror project.
The
Horror Honeys is a collection of strong minded, badass women with foul mouths
who are in love with all things horror. We write, live tweet, interview, rant
and rave about everything we love (and hate) about the horror genre.
The
Horror Honeys are Full-On Female Fronted Horror, without all that bullshit
about being a victim. (bio from their site)
For
more information, again please visit:
Twitter
handles for the Honey's who supplied answers:
