The sexist, empowering history of the femme fatale

An archetype that can be traced all the way to the Bible gets a much-needed upgrade for the modern age

Lauren Bacall and her husband actor Humphrey Bogart star in The Big Sleep.
(Image credit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis)
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Scott Meslow
Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.

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