I don't know that I agree that people wouldn't still be terrified by the Stepford Wives today. The idea that my husband secretly hates that I want to vote and decide my own life and have a career, or even a job, or hobby, or ideas, and would basically kill me to get that, is terrifying. The story is basically saying that lots of men actually don't want to be married to a human being, but to a slave. They don't want women to be a person, they want women to be subservient and second-class. And let's be real, there are frighteningly many men who do want that still. Andy Tater Tots and his ilk are not without followers. Perhaps that fear isn't as visceral for men as it is for women, but to be confronted with men who want me to be pregnant, and/or hot and naked, and most importantly, silent, on a weekly basis at least, is scary. Like, incels might be a small group of men, but they're pretty loud, and violent. They want women dead for not sleeping with them. And the alpha bros are also creepy AF. These guys do not exist in a vaccuum, so I don't think it's a fear that went away for modern audiences.
I agree that the movie is as salient as ever. I think what I meant by it not being scary is just that compared to today's thrillers (or even some from the 1970s) it doesn't have the same types of jump scares or violence.
I don't know that I agree that people wouldn't still be terrified by the Stepford Wives today. The idea that my husband secretly hates that I want to vote and decide my own life and have a career, or even a job, or hobby, or ideas, and would basically kill me to get that, is terrifying. The story is basically saying that lots of men actually don't want to be married to a human being, but to a slave. They don't want women to be a person, they want women to be subservient and second-class. And let's be real, there are frighteningly many men who do want that still. Andy Tater Tots and his ilk are not without followers. Perhaps that fear isn't as visceral for men as it is for women, but to be confronted with men who want me to be pregnant, and/or hot and naked, and most importantly, silent, on a weekly basis at least, is scary. Like, incels might be a small group of men, but they're pretty loud, and violent. They want women dead for not sleeping with them. And the alpha bros are also creepy AF. These guys do not exist in a vaccuum, so I don't think it's a fear that went away for modern audiences.
I agree that the movie is as salient as ever. I think what I meant by it not being scary is just that compared to today's thrillers (or even some from the 1970s) it doesn't have the same types of jump scares or violence.
Have you seen anything from Jarmusch yet?
I started on Night on Earth a couple weeks ago but got interrupted. Will probably come back to it soon.