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

James Forsyth Anderson

doi:10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507

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

James Forsyth Anderson^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

1 Citation (Scopus)

1304 Downloads (Pure)

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)	131-138
Number of pages	8
Journal	Porn Studies
Volume	12
Issue number	1
Early online date	31 Jul 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507
Publication status	Published - 2 Jan 2025

Keywords

Bonnie Rotten
authenticity
branding
punk and porn

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10.1080/23268743.2023.2225507Licence: CC BY

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Girls and corpses the tattoo-titted freakdom of Bonnie RottenFinal published version, 499 KBLicence: CC BY

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

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