Episode 25: “Alien”
In Space, No One Can Hear Dudes Scream
Ripley and Jones onboard the Nostromo in Alien.
MASSIVE CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS ONE: This episode contains well as explicit descriptions of fictional sexual violence that is 100% a metaphor for real-world sexual violence, plus discussion of pregnancy, extremely traumatic births, death in childbirth, and abortion. Please listen with care.
In 1979, Ridley Scott's Alien burst onto screens, terrifying audiences with its nightmarish extraterrestrial threat. But beneath the surface of this sci-fi horror classic lies a powerful feminist message that remains relevant over four decades later. By cleverly subverting genre expectations and forcing male viewers to confront uncomfortable truths, Alien exposes the horrors of rape culture and sexual violence that women face every day.
At its core, the alien lifecycle in Alien is a chilling allegory for sexual assault and forced pregnancy. The face-hugger violently overpowers its victim, choking them into submission before forcibly impregnating them through oral penetration. The victim then unknowingly carries the alien embryo, powerless to stop its growth, until it violently erupts from their body in a fatal “birth.”
This nightmare scenario forces male viewers to imagine themselves as potential victims of sexual violence – a reality that women must constantly be aware of in their daily lives. As we discuss in this episode of Paranormal Pajama Party, “The horror of Alien for male movie-goers is that they're forced to imagine a universe in which they, too, could be raped and forced to carry and birth their rapist's child.”
Subverting the male gaze
Alien screenwriter Dan O'Bannon explicitly stated his intention to “attack the audience sexually.” The film accomplishes this through its abundance of phallic imagery in the Xenomorph design, created by surrealist artist HR Giger. From the phallic-headed adult form to the penis-like chest burster, male viewers are confronted with threatening sexual imagery typically reserved for female characters in horror films.
By making the first on-screen victim a man (Kane), Alien subverts expectations and forces male audience members to empathise with the vulnerability traditionally imposed on female characters in the genre.
Ripley: female action hero
Ellen Ripley, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, emerges as one of cinema's most iconic female protagonists. In a radical departure from typical genre roles, Ripley is defined by her competence, logic, and leadership skills – traits often associated with male action heroes. She makes tough decisions, operates complex machinery, and ultimately outsmarts the alien threat.
The film's final act brilliantly plays with audience expectations. Just as viewers might feel the urge to “protect” Ripley in her vulnerable state, stripped down to her underwear, she proves once again that she never needed male protection. This final subversion drives home the feminist message: women are just as capable as men (if not, in this case, more capable), even in the face of extreme danger.
The monstrous-feminine and body horror
Film scholar Barbara Creed's concept of the “monstrous-feminine” is on full display in Alien. The film's set design is rife with vaginal imagery, from the shape of the derelict spacecraft to its organic, womb-like interiors. This visual language taps into deeply rooted societal fears surrounding female sexuality and reproduction.
By combining these feminine elements with the phallic threat of Giger’s Xenomorph, Alien creates a potent mixture of body horror that challenges viewers' perceptions of gender and sexuality.
The real-world horror of rape culture
While Alien presents a fictional nightmare, it reflects the very real horrors that women face in our society. The constant threat of sexual violence, the lack of bodily autonomy, and the trauma of forced pregnancy are realities for women worldwide. The film cleverly forces viewers – especially male viewers – to confront these issues in a visceral, unforgettable way.
Nearly 50 years after its release, Alien remains a masterclass in feminist horror. By turning the tables on male viewers and exposing the true horrors of rape culture, the film continues to challenge audiences and spark important conversations about gender, power, and bodily autonomy.
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Sources
Cameron, J. (1986). Aliens. Twentieth Century Fox.
Christian, A. (2017). Is Ellen Ripley a feminist? In W. Irwin, J. A. Ewing, & K. S. Decker (Eds.), Alien and Philosophy: I Infest, Therefore I Am (1st ed., pp. 166–177). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Creed, B. (1986). Horror and the monstrous-feminine: An imaginary abjection. Screen, 27(1), 44–71.
Jones, T. (2017). Alien violation: Male bodily integrity in an equal opportunity rape culture. In W. Irwin, J. A. Ewing, & K. S. Decker (Eds.), Alien and Philosophy: I Infest, Therefore I Am (1st ed., pp. 178–185). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Lindenmuth, W. A. (2017). Cross my heart and hope to die: Why Ripley must save Newt. In W. Irwin, J. A. Ewing, & K. S. Decker (Eds.), Alien and Philosophy: I Infest, Therefore I Am (1st ed., pp. 67–79). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Scott, R. (Director). (1979). Alien. Twentieth Century Fox.
Sexual violence - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Vega Varela, N., Cohen, N. L., Opper, N., Shiran, M., & Weber, C. (2023). The state of reproductive health in the United States: The end of Roe and the perilous road ahead for women in the Dobbs era. In The Gender Equity Policy Institute (p. 2). Gender Equity Policy Institute.
Zanin, A. (2017). Ellen Ripley: The rise of the matriarch. In W. Irwin, J. A. Ewing, & K. S. Decker (Eds.), Alien and Philosophy: I Infest, Therefore I Am (1st ed., pp. 155–165). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.