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

James Anderson

doi:10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507

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

James Anderson^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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 language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-8
Number of pages	8
Journal	Porn Studies
Early online date	31 Jul 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 31 Jul 2023
Externally published	Yes

Access to Document

10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507Licence: CC BY

Girls and corpses the tattoo titted freakdom of Bonnie RottenFinal published version, 939 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{2e20f40886e14ff29e26372c7896d85c,

title = "{\textquoteleft}Girls and Corpses{\textquoteright}: The {\textquoteleft}Tattoo-Titted Freakdom{\textquoteright} of Bonnie Rotten",

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 {\textquoteleft}punk model' signifies her {\textquoteleft}rebellion{\textquoteright}- 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.",

keywords = "Bonnie Rotten, authenticity, branding, punk and porn",

author = "James Anderson",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507",

language = "English",

pages = "1--8",

journal = "Porn Studies",

issn = "2326-8743",

publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘Girls and Corpses’

T2 - The ‘Tattoo-Titted Freakdom’ of Bonnie Rotten

AU - Anderson, James

PY - 2023/7/31

Y1 - 2023/7/31

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Bonnie Rotten

KW - authenticity

KW - branding

KW - punk and porn

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85166618333&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507

DO - 10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507

M3 - Article

SP - 1

EP - 8

JO - Porn Studies

JF - Porn Studies

SN - 2326-8743

ER -

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

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Embargoed Document

Cite this