Extra Salty: Jennifer's Body (11)

Pop Classics #11

by Frederick Blichert

Megan Fox, a diabolic indie rock band, toxic friendship, fluid sexuality, feminist reckoning, and a literal man-eater in the body of a high school cheerleader: Jennifer's Body has it all

What would be an easy sell in 2021 -- women at the helm (screenwriter Diablo Cody, director Karyn Kusama), a bankable cast (Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried), and a deceptively complex skewering of gender politics -- was a box office flop in 2009.

In Extra Salty, Frederick Blichert flips the script on how Jennifer's Body was labeled a failure to celebrate all that is scrumptious (as Jennifer would say) about it: supernatural horror, dark comedy, queer love, and a nuanced handling of gendered violence. The movie could have been to the aughts what Heathers was to the eighties, and it's finally getting its due -- whether in the flood of tenth-anniversary praise, the parade of Jennifer Halloween costumes, or Halsey's nod to it ("Killing Boys") on her platinum-selling album.

With insight into the genre's cinematic tropes, our current cultural reckoning with misogyny, and an original interview with director Karyn Kusama, Extra Salty solidifies the status of Jennifer's Body as a cult classic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Horror, Pop Culture, Media Tie In, Film, Audiobook

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally squealed with pure delight when I saw this gorgeous little book and I knew I HAD to have it. Jennifer’s Body is my favourite movie of ALL time and to see a book that dissects the movie plus has interviews with the director is just a dream come true. And I’m glad to say it did not disappoint, it was absolutely perfect in fact. I loved getting to dive deeper into this movie and learn some of the inspiration behind it, it was truly fascinating. There’s so many things being said with this movie and all of them are so important, it’s so much more than a movie about a killer cheerleader. It’s queer and feminist and sex positive and just fucking bloody brilliant. This little book explores all those facets of the movie and more and is just an absolute must read if you’re as obsessed with Jennifer’s Body as I am. Although I doubt anyone is as obsessed as me, I watched the movie over 13 times in 30 days…

[Milana M (acouplereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer’s Body is a movie I loved only to turn around and see intense negative reviews and general dislike across the board back in 2009. A movie that if released today would be an easy sell, a movie that’s become a cult classic. Jennifer’s Body is a queer supernatural horror dark comedy that deserved better.

In this edition of Pop Classics, Blichert delves into cinematic tropes Jennifer’s Body dismantles and gives us a deep overview of why this wasn’t a box office success and how societal’s cultural reckoning with misogyny has brought about positive change and conversation.

I’m so glad I fit this one in this month for #NonFictionNovember. I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone and picking up non fiction titles on topics that interest me and I’m so glad because I’ve been learning a lot and finding some great books. Looking forward to reading more Pop Classics from @ecwpress, 4✨.

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for a review! This did not affect my rating in any way.

I will start by saying that this is not my typical kind of book. I am a huge fiction reader and nonfiction is always a huge hit or miss with me--especially when it's not an audiobook. But the topic looked so interesting that I HAD to give it a shot. I'm so happy I did.

This author has such an engrossing way of writing. When I first started, I was wary because I thought I would feel lost in the opinionated chapters. But to my surprise, the moment I started reading, I was immediately pulled in. Blichert brings up such fantastic and infuriating topics that I couldn't help but find myself rooting for Jennifer's Body. The way that Hollywood did this movie SO DIRTY makes me so angry. But not just the movie, but Megan Fox.

When Fox began to gain more attention, I was in my late teens and early twenties. I remember falling into that trap of thinking that she was just this sexy actress that was starting to appear in everything because she was, well, hot. But in retrospect, I can now understand where I failed to see beyond the media's intention to make her this inappropriate and wild actress who was seemingly ungrateful for her sudden rise to fame. Slowly, we've seen a sort of redemption of Fox in the media since the #metoo movement happened and I'm all here for her success. This book also really helped fix my previous perspective of Fox.

I heavily recommend this if you enjoy reading about how films subvert the sexism and sexualization and objectification of bisexual and/or lesbian characters in Hollywood, then you just might really enjoy this. Especially if you like getting into the details of just how awful Hollywood can be when faced with something they're just not ready for. The author is engaging and honestly, this is just so eye-opening. I'm amazed at how much I enjoyed this.

I want to watch Jennifer's Body again just so I can fully appreciate everything I've just digested from this book.

Happy reading!

[Petty Lisbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't seen Jennifer's Body yet but the book was in the Hoopla Bonus Borrows section for February so I checked this out (not the most glowing start for the review but I promise it gets better!) not knowing what to expect. I remember being on her side when I was a teen and she had her interviews about Michael Bay and I remember when classmates would objectify her I would roll my eyes but I never watched anything she was in besides Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen so I didn't really care either way. Although she stopped feeling as big in the mainstream by 2012, my Tumblr dashboard still loved her and she would be included in viral compilations with quotes about bisexuality or feminism and the same corny "everyone thinks she's just a beauty but she has brains too!" caption would easily get you 6 figures of notes and Jennifer's Body was already vindicated as a cult classic and I would roll my eyes at people acting like they just learned that for the first time. Now I just thought of her because of her relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

All of that being said, I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Maybe because I've seen too many gifs and photosets from this movie that it feels cliche to me, but I liked the insight and analysis Blichert had for the movie. I never knew about the Fox Atomic brand at all (and for someone like me who fixates on teen culture and media of yesteryear like ABC Family, The N and its website, The WB, teen magazines, and so on, I never really thought about the impact of different film companies and labels) and I was sad that their cross promotional materials like books and websites weren't enough to save it. I loved hearing what Kusama and Cody had to say about the movie and the post #MeToo resurgence the movie had. I thought the music as a meta commentary section was SO interesting and the part about the casting of Adam Brody in particular. I liked reading about the friendship between Megan Fox's and Amanda Seyfried's characters. I'll be interested in checking the movie out soon.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extra Salty is a really interesting and engaging short work of nonfiction that analyses Jennifer's Body, the promotion and media coverage it received, its initial reception, its cultural impact, and the ways it has been reassessed in recent years. As a fan of the movie, it was an absolute pleasure to read this book, which gave me new information, and put information I had into broader context.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, narrated by Imran Sheikh, which was a solid way to absorb the information here.

This was a delight to read. I recommend it for fans of the movie. I definitely have to rewatch Jennifer's Body as soon as possible.

[Tiffany Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

I love the film Jennifer's Body and remember loving it when it first came out. None of my other friends saw it, however, and nobody ever talked about it. I ended up waiting until it would air on HBO or Cinemax or whatever and then watch it over and over again....back when I had cable and before Netflix and such. That was how I "binge watched" a favorite movie.

Reading this was refreshing. I never understood why others didn't love the film as much as I did or find it as funny or darkly tragic and bittersweet. So, I am grateful to finally read this and find out why this film wasn't so well received initially (until the past few years really).

I'm even happier finding out it has become a sort of cult classic.

Ultimately, I suppose I should not be too shocked to realize that back when this was released, it was not marketed the way it was intended and for the girls and women it was intended for. And that Misogyny truly helped Jennifer's Body slip through every single crack there was...

Ultimately, 2009 didn't know how to handle Jennifer's Body. It needed time to catch up and realize just how truly amazing and relevant it actually is today in regards to it's content (and the topics). I am truly happy that this edgy, dark and witty horror film is finally being seen by more and more people and appreciated.

If you were a fan of this film or are curious about it and want to know more about it, I definitely recommend this one! It is a quick, enjoyable read!

I want to thank ECW Press for sending me a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Matt Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since its release, audiences have mostly ignored Jennifer's Body, but it has gained a small cult following over the past few years.

"Extra Salty" is a quick, insightful read about the film and argues why it deserves another look.
The film is not just another basic teen horror flick about a possessed girl eating boys; it explores themes of toxic masculinity, toxic friendships, and how the film got written off due to Megan Fox.

It also dives into how the marketing did not align with what writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama were really trying to accomplish with the film.

This is another winner for ECW Press. Check it out if you're a fan of Jennifer's Body.

[Dessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love pop classics and I especially liked this pop classic — lots to dig into here about misogyny, monstrousness, queerness, sexiness, recursiveness, sacrifice, and punishment, and boy do we get to digging. Hell yeah. Jennifer — and, more importantly, Megan Fox — forever.

[dafne ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

«The scariest part of this horror film is not the demonic possession or (literal) man-eating, but a violent patriarchal world that sees girls as disposable, as tools to get ahead»

3.5*
Jennifer's Body es una de mis películas favoritas de todos los tiempos. hasta se me ha hecho costumbre verla mínimo dos veces al año, en especial en cuanto llega octubre y empieza la spooky season. amo todo: desde la estética y el diálogo con la tradición del terror/horror, pasando por el soundtrack y el guión ácido siempre ligado a la cultura pop, hasta llegar al cast y la historia que cuenta, una historia que usa y en parte deforma las convenciones del mito, lo sobrenatural y el coming-of-age para hablar sobre las amistades femeninas, el abuso patriarcal, la explotación del cuerpo femenino, el deseo y la sexualidad, el homoerotismo reprimido, la venganza, el trauma y el duelo. le tengo un cariño enorme a la película y es difícil para mí no caer en un ejercicio de disertación, defendiéndola, cada que sale a colación. de hecho, algo que siempre he pensado, y de lo que me gusta hablar con cualquiera que esté dispuesto a escuchar, es que, debajo de su actitud descarada, su humor particular y sus diálogos absurdos, se asoma una tragedia que nunca falla en dejarme un sabor amargo en la boca.

por todo eso —y porque soy incapaz de disfrutar algo de manera normal y calmada, sino que tengo que obsesionarme y sumergirme en el tema como si estuviera haciendo investigación para una tesis doctoral—, es que terminé conociendo el nombre de Frederick Blichert. para ser específica, fue gracias a su artículo para Vice del 2018, "Jennifer's Body Would Kill if It Came Out Today", en donde le daba sus flores a la película y a las mujeres involucradas en ella, además de ver con ojo crítico algunas de las reseñas negativas (y misóginas) que recibió en su momento. fue después que me enteré de que este libro existía y claro que tuve que hacer todo lo posible por conseguirlo.

el simple hecho de que un libro como éste se haya publicado me parece fabuloso. creo que la mejor manera de "hacer justicia" por el cuerpo incomprendido y masacrado de la película —y por la reputación maltratada, juzgada con dureza y hasta ridiculizada, de Diablo Cody, Karyn Kusama y Megan Fox (quienes recibieron la peor parte de los golpes de la crítica en su momento)— es seguir viendo y analizando Jennifer's Body, seguir desentrañando la multiplicidad de ideas que contiene, criticando de manera justa lo que se tambalea pero admirando lo que de ella resulta atemporal, abrazando la complejidad que maneja y la empatía que le tiene a sus personajes protagonistas. y creo que este pequeño libro lo tiene claro.

fue gozoso leer este análisis, sobre todo porque incluye fragmentos de entrevistas que el autor realizó con las mentes creativas detrás del proyecto y porque sirve como recopilación/resumen de cómo el marketing, la campaña de desprestigio contra Fox, y la mentalidad heteropatriarcal terminaron por lastimar la recepción inicial de la película. aún así, tiene sus fallas. si, como yo, alguien ya ha investigado sobre el caso, es posible que mucho de lo presentado aquí no resulte novedoso; los puntos que se tocan son los más "aceptados" dentro de los círculos que aprecian la historia. además, los argumentos resultan repetitivos y, al terminarlo, me dio la sensación de que hizo falta mucha más profundidad y una mejor organización. pero lo disfruté, no hay manera de negar eso, y es muy posible que lo vuelva a leer.

[Victoria I · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Extra Salty” does a great job of explaining the symbolism of many of the iconic moments of Jennifer’s Body. There was a lot of summary, a bit more than I think people who have seen the movie need but within that are a lot of good specific examples of whatever point the author was making.

The author excelled at providing background information on each of the top people that eventually ended up mattered to why Jennifer’s Body wasn’t a box office success. Blichert also adds some information about other pop culture information during the time of release which adds some needed context to paint a better picture of the time.

Blichert spent a good portion of the book focusing on the queer romance, subtext and outright queer moments of the movie which is refreshing as it is an often ignored part of the movie by mainstream reviewers. Blichert also did a great job of portraying the two main characters as fully formed complex women who subvert a lot of stereotypes. It was refreshing to see the woman writer and director, one of whom was queer, highlighted. Blichert excelled in this section as well by really breaking down the commonly accepted stereotypes of women in horror and how having women behind the scenes making their own movies provides more accurate and genuine horror/emotions in horror movies.

With all that said, I have to mark off a star for how disorganized this book is. I think it needed a lot more structuring and focus. At times it felt like topic was jumping to a few different topics within a short few sentences.

This read was a bit odd in other ways as well. The authors writing and claims made in the book, multiple times, was immediately followed up by a quote saying exactly what he said right above but in the sources’ words. I think this book either needed to be less opinion and focus solely on being a book of research, providing even more on the background of the movie and the top people involved with it or provide more complex points of why Jennifer’s Body deserves a better rep. There was a lot of repetition.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ECW Press for an advanced copy of this book.

Movies, like all art, ebb and flow on the tide of public perception and opinion. Sometimes a film can be to far ahead in its thinking and presentation, sometimes the burden laded on a movies stars or creators can cause a public shunning. Maybe its the questions raised, or even for being to honest. Extra Salty by Frederick Blichert, is a study and biography on Jennifer's Body, a film that was ahead of its time in representation, its portrayal of female rage, and sharing too much about women's experiences and what they have to put up with in the real world.

I won't ruin the plot of the movie. If you haven't seen it, do so, the performances are all great, the story is moving where you don't expect it, scary in ways you expect, sad and loving. Even years later the movie holds up well, much better that many horror movies of the time, and still has that capacity to surprise the viewer with a large range of emotions. And blood. Why the movie was ignored at the box office makes up a good part of the book.

Mr. Blichert dives into studio politics, the star Megan Fox was deemed difficult and ungrateful for her role in Transformers, and the screenwriter Diablo Cody was getting backlash for winning an Oscar. Mr. Blichert also covers gender politics and misogyny in Hollywood. As in see previous sentence. The author is a fan that's apparant, but it does not stop him from being objective and honest when he needs to be. So many subjects are written about that it is amazing the book isn't longer. The narrative never lags, and you can tell the research he has done, and the book offers additional interviews with key people.

A great book for fans of the movie, students of Hollywood will also enjoy the backstage view of how the movie was made and how little it has changed over the years. A very compact but fulfilling book.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

b>3.5 stars

I LOVE Jennifer's Body. The first time I watched it several summers ago changed my life. I was so deeply moved by the messages and the depiction of how men will use women's bodies for their own gratification in society, even if it means resorting to murder. I love Jennifer's Body so much that I have watched it about 10 times since I saw it for the first time a few years ago. It became an instant favorite. I never watched it when I was in middle or high school, but I remember seeing the sexualized trailers as a kid. Several essays in this collection explore how the marketing and sexualization of Jennifer Fox destroyed the marketing and the target audience. This is not a movie for horny teenage boys, but that's who turned up for it. This is a movie for teen girls, queer girls or people, and those on the margins of society. There were some strong essays in this collection, but the last essay felt like a rehash and not an essay that could stand well on its own, and that dropped my rating and overall enjoyment down a bit. Highly recommend this for fans of Jennifer Body, horror essays, and content about pop culture.

[Tala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can not state how much joy it brings me to see the 180 shift for Jennifer's Body. After seeing it in the theater, it has been one of my favorite films, and revisit it often. To see it all broken down for people who did not know it's marketing failure and societal misogyny especially regarding Diablo Cody and Megan Fox. There will never be enough to give them any kind of justice, but this is one hell of an amazing start. Also, fuck Michael Bay forever, your time is coming you, gross deviant.

**received ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great deconstruction of the cult classic horror-comedy "Jennifer's Body." Contained many takes I haven't heard of or thought of. It made me want to watch the movie immediately after reading it, which is a good sign of an analysis. Thoroughly convinced me of the feminist merits and cult classic status of the film. Even more than that, it proved to me that the film was easily 10 years ahead of its time. What seemed negligible and far-fetched in the narrative resonates to today's social discussions around gender, womanhood, power and perception.

[Sylecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved this movie for a VERY long time. It’s the only movie I own on DVD that my mom got me maybe 10+ years ago.

Obviously movies have intentional things added to them for context and subtle meanings but WOW. I had never picked up on the subtle intentions that actually weren’t that subtle. I loved how this brought a lot of light into what this film was trying to say and I can admit, I might just love Jennifer’s Body even more.

I know feel like I understand why the movie is titled Jennifer’s Body.

[Louise Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting. More than a pop culture critique, this is an exploration of feminism in the movie industry from both creator to actor. #MeToo has opened the door for this type of analysis and the author is to be applauded for surfacing some systemic biases against women - or rather, what people see as a particular type of woman. A bit repetitive at times, this is nonetheless an interesting work.

[K. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent examination of the film Jennifer's Body, how its 2009 marketing and film critics completely misunderstood this women-led film project, and all of the ways it has been overlooked/is overdue for celebration. The argument was excellent, as was the research and sources (male critics, very clearly, did not understand this movie).
I love seeing the misogynistic mainstream get a beatdown.

JUSTICE FOR JENNIFER (AND NEEDY), AT LAST.

[Autumn Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a compelling argument for the validity of Jennifer’s Body as a cult classic. I’ve always felt this way about the film, even prior to reading this, but the critical analysis and interviews with the movies’ creators just made me feel so much more prepared to tackle the nay-sayers of the film! there were a couple of times where some points were a bit repetitive hence the 4/5 stars, but overall what a super fun, spooky season quickread! 📖🧛🏻‍♀️🩸🎬

[connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

'It goes beyond surface-level references to tackle what it means more broadly to be a teen girl in a world hostile to teen girls. What if monstrosity is what's projected onto survivors of abuse? What if trauma can't be contained?'

[Not Sarah Connor Writes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regretted all the years I didn't watch Jennifer's Body, but luckily that has changed now! I love a good love letter to pop culture and Bilchert nails it with his praise of Jennifer's Body, even if it gets a bit repetitive at some points. A great little read!

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I think you would get more value out of this book if you weren’t as into Jennifer’s Body as I am. I learned nothing that I didn’t already know and it was a bit repetitive in places. However, if you wanna deep dive into the nuances of Jennifer’s Body, I recommend it.

[Vanessa Hrvatin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A really interesting read and beautifully written. Would definitely recommend.

[Mary Foxe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally Jennifer’s body is being recognized as a cinematic masterpiece

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminist Statement mismarketed as a Frat boy consumable? Or perhaps Meagan Fox, just simply isn't that deep.

[amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTARSTIC!!!!! I forgot about it for a minute but dove back in immediately. Incredible queer analysis of Jennifer’s Body. Must. Read.

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent. All I could think while I was reading was that I needed to watch the movie again.

[shivani · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book made me love this film even more (if that's even possible...) so well written and insightful. a brilliant quick read!

[Pearl]

A fun little read, a nice break from all the fantasy I have been reading.

[Kevin Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Definitely a great and comprehensive look at a severely mispromoted and misrepresented masterpiece.