okay we all joke about the stabbing scene being an obvious metaphor for penetration and yes yes it is i know. but really. REALLY. in scream, the knife is a phallic symbol. (to me ! < this is your one and only disclaimer that this post is my opinion lol)
there's so much to dig into when you think of it in those terms - of course all the penetration but also the subtler things. the very intentional way it's stroked clean after every use, the way they handle it so gingerly and softly (see: stu's handoff to billy, billy's gesticulating with it perched precariously between his fingers) until the moment they get to use it for its intended purpose, at which point they become rougher, more animalistic. the way billy sucks the tip of it.
you could even argue that the way the blade is shaped lends itself to the metaphor. it's a buck 120, with a clip blade. now, i wont get into the different specs and purposes of blade shapes, but i will say that the clip blade is meant for hunting - specifically hunting that requires precision in tighter spaces. i dont think i have to explain how the symbolism carries over.
and i mentioned this briefly, but the way billy gestures with the knife is also so apt when you view it from this lens. i thought it was comical at first the way he let it, essentially, dangle in his hand while he waved it, and you can see how unsteadily it bobs and sways in his light grip. up until the point of action, you could almost call it flaccid. well, as flaccid as solid steel gets.
and yes, lets please talk about the penetration actually. this might be my most deranged explanation yet, but i want to attempt to explain WHY the penetration is a sexual innuendo, as opposed to vaguely gesturing at it and telling you to come to your own conclusions - because, to me, it's more layered than "phallic object went inside someone."
its apparent that billy and stu's favorite method of murder is gutting. they specifically note as much in the opening scene, namely that they "want to see what [casey's] insides look like." and how else to better carry over the metaphor? the senses of sight and touch are so inextricably linked to the point that many people can identify what an object looks just by feeling it. all that to say - if your phallic symbol doesnt carry over that sensation of touch, they cant feel through the blade, then your next best option is to express the same mechanics of a sexual encounter through sight. penetrative sex is, of course, the act of feeling someone's insides. in this context, seeing is the same thing, really. in this way, the act not only of penetration but of stabbing and gutting specifically, is tantamount to a sexual encounter.
anyway tl;dr scream is a gay romcom and the knife is a big penis.whatever
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I met Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy. Sobbed so hard 😭 both of them were so nice, they’re such great people.
“I’m a thot.” -Jamie out of context.
“Where the fuck do you even find these?” -Matthew out of context.
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