Indoctrination in the Dark
Another big hit from the 80’s was “Revenge of the Nerds”. It was a huge success, such an appealing crowd pleaser that they made several more “Revenge of the Nerds” movies.
In this scene our lead girl asks her boyfriend Stan to have sex with her. Only it’s not Stan. It’s the nerd dressed up as Stan, pretending to be Stan, only she doesn’t know it. When she finds out-- she praises him.
I think what’s most disturbing in these movies is how these women are portrayed as reacting to their own rapes. There is no outrage, no demands for justice. Instead, what is modeled for our behavior is acceptance, satisfaction, enjoyment and gratitude.
In my “Revenge of the Nerds” painting, I’ve again used glitter and sequins and spangles. I wanted it to feel innocent and hyper twinkly and simultaneously brutal and rape-y. Because young girls’ fantasies and expectations of what romance should be, have clearly been hijacked in these movies by male fantasies.
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE(4673)