Sex and
horror are strange bedfellows. As types of entertainment that exist outside of
the mainstream’s safe zone, they’re inexorably linked, but they also have an
uncomfortable relationship with each other. One of the most referred-to
stereotypes in horror movies, and particularly slasher movies, is that if a
character has sex on-screen, or has ever had sex in their fictional
life, they are going to die. Films like the Friday The 13th series,
where it seemed like Jason Voorhees had a sixth sense for people fucking nearby
(an idea that became literal with Jason X).
Now, while
there’s a general understanding that, yeah, that’s the actions and motives of
the villain, so it’s not implicitly meant to be a viewpoint that should be
adhered to… well, when it gets to the point where that stereotype of ‘sluts
die’ is something that gets brought up consistently not just with discussions
of older films, but is brought back in a lot of modern meta-horror features as
well, you have to start wondering if that repetition is to acknowledge how
regressive that worldview is, or to reinforce it. See also: The black man being
the first to die in a horror film.
