Gwyneth Peaty

Curtin University, Internet Studies, Faculty Member

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Papers by Gwyneth Peaty

What it Means to be Free: Disability, Neurodivergence, and the Super ‘Freak’

The Routledge Companion to Superhero Studies , 2026

This chapter examines how contemporary superhero narratives are associating real neurological con... more This chapter examines how contemporary superhero narratives are associating real neurological conditions, such as mental illnesses and autism, with the possession of superpowers. It builds on the observation that, within popular discourse, disability is increasingly linked with being supernaturally ‘gifted’ or having superhuman potential. This chapter explores how recent superhero narratives lean into such characterisations and the contradictions that can emerge as a result. While the formative role of Marvel and DC superheroes is acknowledged, the analysis is also concerned with media produced beyond these universes, including the German film Freaks: You’re one of Us (2020). Within this text the very concept of the superhero is explicitly reimagined through the lens of disability and mental illness. Protagonists wrestle with traits that mark them as categorically different from the norm, while medicalised discourses surrounding the treatment, medication, and institutionalisation of disabled people are reimagined in the context of regulating superpowers.

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Monstrous gifts: Horror and disability in The Advent Calendar

The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 2025

Representations of disability in contemporary horror films build on an uneasy legacy. Throughout ... more Representations of disability in contemporary horror films build on an uneasy legacy. Throughout horror history, filmmakers have used disability as a source of inspiration when creating monsters, villains and evildoers. In the twenty-first century, views on disability are changing and audience expectations are shifting. This article examines The Advent Calendar (2021), a film released at a transitional moment, balanced between embracing new visions of disability in horror and falling back into well-worn stereotypes. I argue that the film illustrates both progressive and conservative impulses towards disability representation in horror, providing a fascinating case study of how popular culture can both reflect and respond to emerging social dialogues.

Dead Beautiful: Zombies and Cosmetic Surgery

The Palgrave Handbook of the Zombie, 2025

This chapter explores the evolving links between cosmetic surgery and zombies in recent popular c... more This chapter explores the evolving links between cosmetic surgery and zombies in recent popular culture, focusing on how stories of bodily ‘enhancement’ are intersecting with narratives of horror and desire. As part of the analysis, I examine horror-comedy Yummy (2019), credited as the first ever Belgian zombie film. With a tagline promising “facelifts, boob jobs, and zombies,” Yummy features a zombie outbreak set in a cosmetic surgery hospital. Different forms of hunger intersect as both consenting and resisting bodies are cut, suctioned, injected, and consumed. As such, the film offers an intriguing site for exploring where the relationship between zombies and cosmetic surgery might be heading. Other media sources will also be touched upon, including television series, marketing materials, and relevant news articles. As will become clear, zombies share a key preoccupation with cosmetic surgery narratives, namely, an obsession with the contemporary human body and the many ways its boundaries can be/are being violated and renegotiated in the twenty-first century. Although the primary focus is on transformative surgical operations, non-surgical cosmetic treatments are also significant to consider as they are increasingly normalized and accessible.

Protocol for a wait list randomised controlled trial: Using social media for health promotion, communication and advocacy

Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2025