MovieChat Forums > The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Discussion > Maybe one of the hardcore fans here can ...

Maybe one of the hardcore fans here can answer this....

posted 10 years ago by CelticRose
28 replies | jump to latest

Maybe I'm being a tight-ass and reading too much into this, but I'd still appreciate an answer.

I'm not really a Rocky Horror fan, but I know a number of people who are, and I'm somewhat familiar with the history of the film and its fan community. I understand that the "spirit" of the Rocky Horror fandom is (and always has been) one of acceptance and tolerance, making people comfortable in their own skin -- especially when it comes to sexuality. Why, then, is one of biggest callbacks calling Janet a "slut"?

I get that it's supposed to be a joke, but isn't labeling a woman a "slut" for her sexual practices and preferences...well, slut shaming? If I remember correctly (it's been a while), Janet has sex with two men in the movie: one of them basically rapes her, while the other is a partner her of her choosing; how does that make her a "slut"? How (and why) did that particular callback start, anyway?

[–] beersandshots 9 years ago

Because in the grand scheme of an AP script that was developed almost 40 years ago, when people weren't nearly as crunchy about political correctness, the word "slut" was much more user friendly than "former virgin that just found out what she was missing out on". 

"In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

[–] jefgg 9 years ago

Rocky fans like to have fun and are not very serious. What are they supposed to scream at Janet? Does it bother you that people scream "a$$hole" at Brad?

[–] Picnic10 9 years ago

Two of the most notable people in Rocky Horror are English- Richard O'Brien and Tim Curry.

Whilst moral majority views of privately calling someone a 'slut' might not be uncommon , it is unlikely to me that theatre going English people would have ever derrived cathartic pleasure, as a way of absolving themselves from enjoying a liberal production, from calling a character a slut.

America is a far more openly religious country than England. I don't mean it's more common in Britain to be permissive but it seems part and parcel of the high school language in America. She did cheat with 2 people as opposed to just 1 for Brad. If it had been the other way around, maybe Brad would have been called as such. Cheating is cheating - it's wrong, deceiving, harmful (emotionally, potentially physically), insults the intelligence, lazily tries to have it all ways.

[–] natwinston-654-967153 9 years ago

aren't you the one saying that a "slut" is a bad thing? you sjw's crack me up

[–] Blue_Eyes_James 9 years ago

Anyone who uses the term "_____- shaming" for any topic is way too sensitive to watch "Rocky Horror". You just need to crawl off to your safe space and stay there. Please.

And yes, I'm SJW-shaming some of ya'll!

[–] CelticRose 8 years ago

I'm far from being an SJW (I've actually stopped going on social media BECAUSE of those types), I did watch the movie, and I don't need a safe space. But thanks for your "concern".

Corduroy pillows: they're making headlines. 

[–] jaynobody 8 years ago

No you do need a space space, you actually said "slut shaming" and weren't joking. It's a movie from 1975 and such stupid concepts did not exist. Now go hug a whale.