‘Girls and Corpses’: The ‘Tattoo-Titted Freakdom’ of Bonnie Rotten

James Anderson*

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Bonnie Rotten's onscreen persona drew equally on punk-inspired and horror iconographies; a conjunctural aesthetic epitomised in the ornate spider-web pattern tattoos that adorn her breasts. Other designs homage cult horror films, as seen in—the zombie design from Night of the Living Dead (1968) on her stomach, as well as iconographic references to classic slasher flicks such as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Friday the 13th (1980). In this article I examine how Rotten's branding as a ‘punk model' signifies her ‘rebellion’- vis-a– -vis corporeal embodiments of the grotesque, carnivalesque, and the abject – in an articulation and reframing which has become familiar within contemporary pornographic production.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)131-138
Number of pages8
JournalPorn Studies
Volume12
Issue number1
Early online date31 Jul 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jan 2025
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Bonnie Rotten
  • authenticity
  • branding
  • punk and porn

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