Jennifer’s Body tells the story of Jennifer Check, a high school student, who is kidnapped and sacrificed by an indie band in exchange for fame, which leaves her demonically possessed and hungry for boys.
In the poster, Jennifer is wearing a cheerleading uniform, commonly used to signify popularity, attractiveness, and beauty. Her top is low cut, bringing spotlight to her chest, or as she calls them, her “smart bombs”. She is posing in a powerful, predator-like stance, giving the audience a Kubrick stare, and facing the audience head on, but her closed legs signify a defensive nature. Her body language communicates that while she may be feisty, she’s just “playing hard to get” and is an invitation for unwanted sex. The title, Jennifer’s Body signifies the value of Jennifer’s actual body over who Jennifer becomes after her possession, emphasizing the word body instead of Jennifer.
However, the poster itself is a mockery of the movie. Unlike what the poster implies, Jennifer isn’t a cheerleader in the movie. She’s in flagship, with a higher cut, longer top, but even then her flagship is only briefly mentioned at the beginning of the movie to establish her, at most, semi popularity. Jennifer faces her prey head on, breaking their bones and egos with all the confidence in the world, without the fear of being attacked. The movie is a dark comedy that criticizes the male gaze, and the exploitation of women with a violently feminist plot. Jennifer Check is a succubus, exploiting the lust of men to kill them, and is a result of a symbolic assault, more feminine and powerful than ever. She is equally lustrous as she is calculated and smart. The movie challenges the notion that women are either pure, angelic virgins or TNA shot-only, sex objects, and instead mixes the two to show that women don’t need to be the “perfect victim” to be a victim. Yet, the poster contradicts its point.
The poster uses the male gaze to gain attention, using the seductiveness of Megan Fox (Jennifer)’s body. After all, lust is always profitable. Every aspect of the poster serves to objectify Jennifer, and reduce her character to a mush-for-brains playgirl. Her breasts are the focal point, her waist is accentuated, and the spotlight is on her body, not her.
This poster is meant to market to young men, to VERY obviously hint that this movie will be full of sex, blood, and boobs. This poster was proven effective when the movie was dragged through the mud during the initial release for not living up to the dirty and sexy 100 minutes they were promised. The public was misled by the body being presented, not the actual story of Jennifer.
The poster for Jennifer’s Body depicts Jennifer as a slut, highlighting her body through costume design, body language and text. The movie is marketed to lustful young men, when in reality it’s a horror comedy for women, meant to criticize the very audience it was marketed to.
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