Zoo is an American feminist horror drama television series that premiered on the cable network FX on October 28, 2015. It follows the lives of three sociopathic sisters who are also witches, using their supernatural powers to carry out their plans for revenge. The show has been praised for its bold and original storytelling, as well as its exploration of themes such as gender, power, and violence. However, critics have also noted that it portrays women in a highly sexualized way, which can be problematic.
One example of this is the treatment of female agency. In the pilot episode, "Birth," the main character Shelley (Emma Stone) is shown to be a powerful and confident woman who takes control of her own destiny. She seduces a man and uses him to get what she wants, but ultimately rejects his advances when he tries to dominate her. This scene could be seen as empowering, but it quickly becomes clear that Shelley's power comes from manipulation rather than true agency. As the season progresses, the show portrays more traditional ideas about femininity and masculinity. For instance, in "Fear Not," Shelly must confront her fear of intimacy after she discovers that her ex-lover is trying to kill her. While the show does explore the complexities of female relationships, it ultimately relies on tired tropes about love and romance.
Another issue is the show's treatment of sexuality. In "American Horror Story: Coven," one of the central characters is a young black girl named Zoe (Taissa Farmiga). Zoe is presented as an object of desire by several male characters, including the villainous Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson). This objectification can be read as a form of exploitation, particularly since Zoe is depicted as naïve and innocent. Furthermore, the show often uses sex to drive plotlines forward, such as when Misty Day (Lily Rabe) sleeps with Kyle Spencer (Evan Peters) to gain information about the coven. These scenes are meant to titillate viewers, but they also reinforce harmful stereotypes about women and their place in society.
Overall, American Horror Story: Coven has been praised for its unique take on horror and fantasy genres, but its treatment of female agency and sexuality remains problematic. The show could do better at representing strong women who are not defined solely by their relationship to men or their sexual attractiveness. Body 1
Zoo follows three sociopathic sisters who use their supernatural powers to carry out their plans for revenge. It has received critical acclaim for its bold storytelling and exploration of themes like gender, power, and violence. However, critics have noted that it portrays women in a highly sexualized way, which can be problematic. For instance, in the pilot episode, Shelley manipulates a man into giving her what she wants but ultimately rejects his advances when he tries to dominate her. As the season progresses, the show relies on traditional ideas about femininity and masculinity. In "Fear Not," Shelly confronts her fear of intimacy after discovering an ex-lover trying to kill her. While the show does explore complexities of female relationships, it ultimately falls back on tired tropes about love and romance. Another issue is how Zoe is presented as an object of desire by several male characters in "American Horror Story: Coven." This objectification can be read as exploitation since she's depicted as naive and innocent. Scenes like Misty sleeping with Kyle to gain information reinforce harmful stereotypes about women and their place in society. American Horror Story: Coven has been praised for its unique take on horror and fantasy genres, but its treatment of female agency and sexuality remains questionable. The show could do better at representing strong women not defined by their relationship to men or sexual attractiveness.