Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2022

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Liberal Studies

Department

Communication and Digital Studies

Department Chair or Program Director

Rao, Anand

First Advisor

Goldman, Adria

Major or Concentration

Communication and Digital Studies

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of queer representation across the Scream film franchise. The original Scream premiered in 1996 and in 2022 and the series was rebooted with new characters that are the second generation of the characters in the first film. The direct parallels between the films allow for an analysis of how representation has grown with the times. The ultimate goal of this paper was to investigate two different aspects of on screen representation: quantity (how many queer characters are shown?) and quality (Are they queer coded? Are they shown to actually be queer? Do they embody queer stereotypes? Are they a main character? Do they have a personality and exhibit behaviors beyond their queerness?). More recently productions are working towards adding more diversity on screen, but the desire to be seen as diverse begs the question of quality. Many tv shows and movies will add diverse characters purely to capitalize on the fact that they are a “diverse” production. Quality checking these characters to see if they are given a main role, have a complex character, and are more than just a stereotype is more important than ever. Ultimately, this paper answers the research question, “How has the quality and quantity of queer representation in the Scream franchise changed over time to reflect modern values?”

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