Luci.News

A collection of my top 5 articles I’ve written over the summer for @ messygirl mag. From sport to movie recommendations to advice.

Available to purchase at – messygirl.shop

1)The Final Girl: a Deep Dive into what Makes the Perfect Horror Final Girl 

The phrase ‘Final Girl’ is now as universal in horror culture as the likes of ‘jump scare’ and ‘slasher’. The term was first used and understood by Carol J Clover in Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film and it refers to the heroine or ‘survivor girl’ who’s defined by several qualities. Firstly and most obviously she is the last one standing after all of her friends have been sent to their demise. Traditionally, the ‘Final Girl’ is young and remains virginal in the face of vice, however this characteristic has been subverted more than once amongst our horror favourites. And finally, the oh so pure ‘Final Girl’ must appropriate a masculine object to overcome her devil. 

The hard contradiction of trying to create a strong female protagonist who is still defined by the binary term of ‘whore’ is an obvious paradox inherent with this trope. Yet we’ve also seen it be ignored and almost mocked. There are plenty of ‘Final Girls’ but what separates the best from those merely just lucky enough to survive ? 

My favourite ‘Final Girl’ has to be Laurie Strode. The year is 1978 and this ‘Final Girl’ is fighting for her life against the infamous Michael Myers. Laurie is obviously the only survivor of John Carpenter’s Halloween and yet three years later she is up against the masked killer once again (and for 5 more movies after that). We’ve all seen characters like Strode repeatedly in horror/slasher movies but no one embodies the ‘Final Girl’ quite like her. If it isn’t for her relentless drive it’s for her killer outfits – no pun intended. She spends the whole movie franchise noticing things, noticing the threats ignored by others who are subsequently killed. She’s virtuous, vulnerable, paranoid, realistic – the perfect ‘Final Girl’

People see empowerment in the ‘Final Girl’, she survives against all odds, she’s perceptive and intelligent, whilst also staying true to her stereotypical ditsy self. Yet the ‘Final Girl’ character fails to represent what it means to be a survivor after the relentless cycle of violence is over. I think it’s important to recognise that these girls only exist on our screens to give us someone to root for. Someone to give us hope. And that’s exactly what Laurie Strode does. 

However, Mia Goth’s character Maxine Minx (in the Ti West trilogy) quite literally shows what happens when the ‘Final Girl’ escapes a Texan bloodbath. The final movie (MaXXXine) opens with a quote from Hollywood’s own, Bette Davis- ‘until you’re known in my profession as a monster, you’re not a star’. Not only does this set the tone of the entire movie but also describes Maxine, and her former adversary Pearl, so well. It highlights how not every ‘Final Girl’ is the sweet ‘girl next door’. Something that modern movies are beginning to portray. 

Unlike Laurie Strode, who is obviously a victim of her nightmarish surroundings, it is unclear whether Maxine (and Pearl) are the huntress’ or the prey of the movie. Yes, Maxine can be classified as a ‘Final Girl’  but the movies subvert such archetypes so seamlessly. As previously mentioned the ‘Final Girl’ is typically so virtuous and pure (the complete antithesis of their monsters) that we believe they deserve to survive. Yet, Maxine reclaims her power through the explicit use of her sexuality and doesn’t shy away from ‘sin’. I mean come on she’s literally the sole survivor of “The Texas PornStar Masacre”. Like Laurie, she finds herself back fighting for survival but this time in LA where she will (eventually) make it big as a Hollywood star. 
This just proves that although there is a stereotypical and dare I say misogynistic blueprint for what makes the perfect ‘Final Girl’ it can all be simply narrowed down to a woman merely strong enough to survive. Laurie Strode IS the ‘Final Girl’ character to a T, whereas Maxine is the MessyGirl equivalent.

2)How Lorelai Gilmore is a MessyGirl

The time old question of- ‘is Lorelai Gilmore problematic or is she just getting the Carrie Bradshaw treatment?’. When people nowadays watch Gilmore Girls, they come away from it seeing Lorelai as this deeply problematic and flawed character. 

Here’s some of the things often referenced. Her ‘friendship’ like a relationship with Rory – she treats her more as a friend than as a daughter. Her emotional immaturity. Her relationship with men / commitment issues. Her inability to address her privileged – just because you hate your parents with money does not mean that wealth does not exist. Blah blah blah. 

Personally I think her character, and the show as a whole, is the perfect time capsule for the 2000s. Yeah she’s ‘flawed’ but we love her. Yeah she’s ‘problematic’ but who isn’t ? Especially in the early 2000s. Her imperfections ARE the show, it’s literally what Gilmore Girls is about…

Who wants to watch a show about perfect people? I don’t, do you ? 

Everything about her makes her human. It makes her THE MessyGirl. 

From raising Rory on her own as a teen mum to opening her own Inn with best friend Suki, she really has done it all. Despite being born into obvious wealth and being a ‘silver spoon’ child, Lorelai became everything from nothing. Her life, her career, her personality, her (sometimes messy) relationships are all a credit of her own doing. Throughout the seasons we watch Loreali unapologetically be herself. She knows what she wants and gets it. 

Alongside being a full time mum, business owner and an absolute icon, Lorelai still finds the time to attend business school (in season 2). Proving that this MessyGirl isn’t just a chaotic hot mess but also driven and smart. 

Lorelai is an extremely independent person and never once tries to be someone she’s not. She wants to do everything her way and often by herself. This is obviously evident by her leaving home as a teen. She also raises Rory in her way instead of the sheltered ‘my way or the high way’ life of her parents. Embodying the so-called American Dream, where, after having left the protective wing of Richard and Emily, she climbed the social hierarchy, thanks to her effort and resilience.

Yes, Lorelai has certain societal privileges which make it that slight bit easier, and yes again, this has been done in several other shows, but Lorelai pulls it off so admirably, because she consciously makes this choice and perseveres with it. Something a MessyGirl would do. This is a choice that acts as a foundation to Lorelai’s entire character, this is her ‘self-nurture’ and at the same time her embracing her ‘nature’. 

Now let’s talk about her outfits because God they are good! Y2k fashion must really be back, because I want her entire closet. I just know she’d make a fortune selling her baby tees and low-waisted flare jeans on Depop today. She’s the quintessential ‘fall girl’ in every right way. 

When autumn comes around my entire personality and sense of style resembles that of Lorelai (if she was a 19 year old uni student from a small village in England).  

It is no secret that Gilmore Girls made history, as one of the best and most heart-felt coming of age family dramas, thanks to its trope breaking characterisation of Lorelai Gilmore as the revamped ‘cool mum’ . She’s refreshing and real and reminds us all that no ones perfect and that in turn is exactly what makes us ‘perfect’.

Although Gilmore Girls is known as THE autumn must watch, it’s intriguingly delightful how winters make Lorelai’s character all the more alluring. Without winters, Lorelai is incomplete to me, or perhaps winters are incomplete in StarsHollow without Lorelai. It is these small jocund quirks that Lorelai draws her charisma from. Quirks that make her a MessyGirl. 

Being a MessyGirl isn’t just a style or an aesthetic, it’s a mindset. A mindset that Lorelai displays so effortlessly. A mindset she carries no matter what life throws at her. She’s flawed but we’re drawn to love her. She’s messy but she’s put together. She’s problematic but she’s cool. She has her questionable moments but come on she’s the Lorelai Gilmore.

She’s THE autumn MessyGirl.

3)Embracing Your Inner Weird Barbie 

Lifes too short to be anybody other than yourself. Embrace the ‘weird’ and the ‘ugly’, the ‘off putting’ and ‘cringe’ MessyGirls you are. 

Stop trying to play it cool. There is no other YOU, so how could you possibly want to be anything but your unapologetic self? 

Because when you ignore your innate individuality and unique impulses you mindlessly melt into the gen-pop abyss. Take a stand. Listen to your heart. Get excited and follow your weird. Trust it will lead you to something magical.

In this complacent age of ever changing fashion and super “cool” micro-trends (that we have seen a million times before), dare to be different, break free of the “clean girl”, “cottagecore”, “y2k”, “mob-wife” and whatever else aesthetic of the month mould. Being true to your own self and own style is a trend that will never die. 

Oh, that girl thought you were cringe? That boy didn’t message you back because you’re “too much”? Who cares. The world is too small and too insignificant to squeeze yourself into a box of normality you were never meant to fit into. 

Think of how your younger self would feel if she knew you toned down her personality out of fear of not being liked. If she knew you stopped embracing her weirdness just to be accepted by people who didn’t matter. That little girl that lives inside of you wouldn’t want you to be quiet and boring.

Don’t worry about what other people think. Be unique. Be memorable. Be confident. Be proud. But mainly, be you. Because you never know who will love the version of yourself you so desperately try to hide. 

You are exactly who you are meant to be. All the things that are ‘wrong’ with you are the very things that make you perfect. 

Don’t conform. Be a weird MessyGirl Barbie. 

4)The MessyGirls of Sport 

Alexandra Trusova – Olympic Figure Skater 

Alexandra is THE MessyGirl of MessyGirls. A lot can be said about this 2022 silver medalist, most of which focuses on the ‘temper tantrum’ thrown at the previous Olympic games. Despite making history, landing 5 (YES FIVE!) Quads in her freeskate and scoring astronomically high at only 17 years old she was unable to bring home a Gold medal. Shocking, I know. 

Trusova is the first woman ever to land a Quad at the Olympic games and the first to land four and then five in a freeskate. Thus, has been credited for spearheading the technical revolution in women’s figure skating. Changing its performance forever. Even in her early career and junior programmes she dominated the skating scene (as many Russians often do). I’d go as far as saying she’s the Tonya Harding of our generation and rightfully is labelled as ‘one of the greats’. Since placing 2nd, Trusova has yet to skate competitively again. However, I for one can’t wait to see what she does next. 

Lily Muni He – Golfer 

This Golf pro to internet sensation is a great example of how fashion meets sport- uniting MessyGirls alike across the world. Although He is an exceptional Golfer, her online presence captivates many, influencing a new generation of female golfers in such a male dominated sport. 

Her success on the course has brought her plenty of attention off the green too. With more than 700k followers on Instagram and 5.3 million on TikTok, the 24-year-old is building a second career as a fashion micro-celeb. Alongside dating Williams driver Alex Albon. The two really are THE power couple living in the fast lane (excuse the pun). 

He made her LPGA debut in 2019 and has since been playing against the best in the world. Becoming the face of many global brands we know and love. Namely – FILA, Tommy Hilfiger and most importantly – Jellycat. 

Susie Wolff – Former Racing Driver & F1 Academy MD

We’re at a crossroads in the world of motorsport. Formula One – and by association, other racing series – has exploded in popularity. Particularly, and notably, among women. We have the likes of Susie to thank for this. To put it simply, Susie is THE biggest inspiration this generation of young women has. 

From her time in the paddock where she became the first ever woman to compete in an F1 weekend in over 22 years (as of 2014) to the creation of her all-female F1 Academy, Wolff is everything a MessyGirl should aspire to be. She’s ambitious, bold, and not afraid to push the boundaries for women in sport. 

Her sponsorship knows no limits. From RedBull to Charlotte Tilbury, the F1 Academy makes a real and noticeable difference – in style of course. Women’s participation in motorsports has still never risen above 5% of the pool. However, thanks to visible role models like herself, the time now feels kairotic, with enough conditions coming together to catalyse change.

Simone Biles – Olympic Gymnast 

With 7 Olympic and 25 World Championships medals under her wing, Biles is without a doubt the most decorated US gymnast in history. Her ongoing success at the Olympic games is a testament to her domination in almost every category – Vault, Beam, and Floor. 

Biles perfected the Yurchenko double pike vault at the WCs, amongst being the first women to perform it, and thus this incredibly difficult element is now internationally known as the ‘Biles II’ across the gymnastics scene and rule book. 

So far, Biles has earned five moves that bear her name in the international rule book. The Netflix limited series Simone Biles Rising (out July 17th) discusses heavy subjects of trauma, showing how mental health has no limits, especially in sport. Biles’ openness and message to young girls regarding mental illnesses is not only brave but equally as inspiring. 

As she’s currently preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics, there is no doubt in my mind that this MessyGirl won’t bring home Gold. 

5)MessyGirl RomCom Recs

Rom-Coms are so popular amongst us MessyGirls for a reason. They transport you to a place of nostalgia and happiness that comes from no other sub-genre of cinema. However, most romcoms (especially from the early 2000s) tend to push this aesthetic of the super innocent and sweet girl, who usually has no real role other than falling for the guy, onto our screens. So here’s my top 6 (i’m indecisive and couldn’t pick 5) recommendations for you MessyGirls that stray from the oh so boring cliche ‘girl next door meets hot popular jock’ tropes we so often see.

(no spoilers obvs)

10 Things I hate About you – Gil Junger

To start with the obvious MessyGirl rom-com, there is no movie more iconic than 10 Things I Hate About You. Everything about Kat Stranford just screams ‘MessyGirl’. From her outfits to her attitude, I WANT to be her. If you haven’t already seen this iconic movie (WHY?) I’ll give you a quick overview. 

Staring, Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, the late 90s movie follows ‘feminist b*tch’ Kat Stranfrod through her highschool days. In which she falls victim to a fake dating scheme with self proclaimed bad boy- Patrick Verona. Stereotypical I know, but trust that this movie will have you loving the cliche tropes in a way you didn’t know was possible because it is done so differently and so well.  

What’s most shocking about this is how Kat is labelled as the ‘anti-social, undateable, hard to get girl’ when in reality she’s simply a strong female lead not written for a man. 

10 Things I Hate About You is written for the angry girls, the speak their mind girls…the MessyGirls. 

Miller’s Girl – Jade Bartlett

I honestly wasn’t sure whether to include this considering the movie’s lack of traditional ‘romance’ and even more lack of ‘comedy’. Yet, it fits so perfectly in such a category despite not being intended as such. But that’s kind of the pitch here for this “almost” erotic thriller that has arrived during a moment when the subgenre is in danger of becoming a footnote in cinema. Miller’s Girl is more often stymied by the pretensions and clichés associated with most films about writers and literary professors. As much as I love those passionate and flowery reviews, I will say I’m glad I decided to give this movie a go despite everything I’d seen online. And I strongly suggest you do so too. 

Cairo Sweet (Jenna Ortega’s character), despite her name, can be bitter. She’s smart and bold; she knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s a literalist, she’s powerful, and she’s positively gothic. If anything, this movie sets the standards for a MessyGirl in all the right and wrong ways. 

This is a movie of Tennessee, teens, literature, and of course teacher x student ‘romance’ (if it can be classified as such). I could say more but do I really need to or have you already pressed play? 

Drive Me Crazy – John Schultz

Drive Me Crazy is one of the most criminally underrated rom-coms of all time (in my opinion of course). The fake dating trope AND childhood friends to enemies to lovers … this movie has everything. What more could you want? 

What distinguishes Drive Me Crazy from your average prom movie is that the characters are more intelligent and have dialogue written with a certain wit and insight. Giving them real substance and nuance. They’re not the victims of the plot but its controllers. And here’s a switch: none of them believes the world will end if they go to the dance with the wrong person – crazy I know. 

This movie is such a realistic insight into teenage life. It shows ambition driven Nicole and outcast Chase as they try and navigate their way through the realities and harshness of highschool in 1999. 

Ruby Sparks – Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton 

The rom-com to poke fun at all rom-coms. It’s so clear that Ruby Sparks was written by a woman. A woman who knows male writers. A woman who knows male writers who try (and fail) to write about women. 

Ruby Sparks isn’t real. She’s the idealised facade of a woman men think they want. But the perfect woman only exists for the man who’s dreaming of her and never beyond that. Ruby was created for Calvin, by Calvin. She can only do what he writes her to do. She sings, she dances, she speaks French, she needs him, she loves him blah blah blah. 

This satirical romcom is an incredible statement on how men feel entitled to women and expect them to be flawless creations of their own design- dehumanising them into nothingness. Yet even then they still aren’t the women they want them to be. 

Although its entire substance is built on satire, the movie’s concept as the ‘perfect’ rom-com is strong nonetheless. And a must watch by all accounts. 

Pretty Woman – Garry Marshall 

Julia Roberts is THE MessyGirl in every movie she stars in, yet Pretty Woman has to be the most iconic. She gives us drama, comedy, hair, makeup, outfits – everything. 

With its cautionary tales of trauma, LA sex-work, class divide and the obvious power dynamics between man and woman, Pretty Woman reinvents the genre of rom-coms in a new light. 

Yet these darker and grittier themes so effortlessly displayed add layers to the movie’s complexity. It shows Vivianne as a real person who exists outside of her interactions with Edward. Pretty Woman reintroduces the concept of ‘the happy ending’, a trope not always necessary for the rom-com genre but nevertheless a nice touch. Acting as a breath of fresh air at a time of scarcity in what we now know as the quintessential rom-com. 

I love this movie for many reasons but mainly because it’s an irresistible tale of love that defies all societal expectations and standards. 

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days – Donald Petri

The perfect recipe for romance – a magazine article and a business bet. 

Journalist Andie Anderson and advertising executive Benjamin Barry push each other to their limits for their own respective agendas. Not knowing of course that love will soon follow. 

Cheesy predictable rom-coms have my heart and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days sets the standards. I love that it features all the traditional rom-com cliches, it’s such a dumb and stupid movie but there’s this nostalgic fantasy to it that perfectly encapsulates 2003 NYC in such a cosy and quaint way. 

Andie’s so real for this because I too would fall in love with Mathew McConaughey in just 10 days.