I found two articles that explore human beings’ peculiar nature to escape into horror, a genre that stimulates fear and anxiety.
The first article I read was “The Curious Appeal of Horror” by Lucy O’Brien. O’Brien brings up multiple points for why we are drawn to horror. The first point she brings up is that of curiosity. Humans are innately curious. Although this curiosity isn’t as profound as thought provoking questions like: is there life on other planets or which came first the chicken or the egg horror still stimulates our curiosity of the unknown. “We want to see things we wouldn’t usually see in our daily lives”, says O’Brien. She further articulates that the draw of horror is from a persistent urge to see events out of the norm and considered illicit, think forbidden fruit. “Part of the appeal of horror comes down to a basic thrill of seeking out that which we’re not meant to see” (O’Brien). We aren’t meant to see people tortured, beaten, abducted, or killed but horror lets us see all of those things while keeping it not real. The fictitious nature of the events on screen are key for two reasons. The first reason being that if the horror is fictional we can feel in control of it instead of the fear of it controlling us. O’Brien references a study done by Jonathon Haidt, Clark McCauley, and Paul Rozin. In this study the three men exposed a group of horror movie fanatics to: “a series of video scenes depicting real-life horrors –specifically, animals being slaughtered and explicit surgery – and 90% of them turned the video off before it had reached its end” (O’Brien). If the action is real there is no way to end it, there are no credits because it is real life violence. The fictitious nature allows us to grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy the faux fear knowing that when we go to bed at night a real ghost isn’t going to attack us or a masked man isn’t going to break into our house with a chainsaw. The other main point about violence fiction is brought up by O’Brien through a quote from Warren Ellis. Ellis states: ““Fiction is how we both study and de-fang our monsters. To lock violent fiction away, or to close our eyes to it, is to give our monsters and our fears undeserved power and richer hunting grounds” (O’Brien). Ellis is saying that the only true way of understanding and coming to terms with real life violence is to see it through the guise of fictional violence. We don’t actually want to take part or be a part of violence but the only way to learn about it is to see it. The final reason O’Brien brings up for why we watch horror is the apparent catharsis we get from watching these acts. The violent animal in us is allowed to come out without there being any social repercussions. “ As sports games are the modern equivalent of war, King suggests, horror movies are the modern equivalent of a savage and chaotic public lynching” (O’Brien). We want to see these grotesque events without actually participating in them. Society provides outlets for our deepest darkest selves. We watch sports for the rivalries, the competition, the feeling of victory but don’t go out and fight the other team (hopefully). We watch horror for the violence, the fear, and the insanity of it all so in turn we don’t have to go be violent and crazy. These are all very good reasons for why we watch horror. I believe O’Brien demystifies the notion that Carroll questions about in the reading “the apparent delight with which we dwell upon objects of pure terror, where our moral feelings are not in the least concerned and no passion seems to be excited but the depressing one or fear, is a paradox of the heart” (Carroll). We get a lot more from horror than fear itself although the fear in turn helps us grow and better ourselves. It lets us escape from real world horror as well as come to terms with it and that is why horror exists.
Sharon Begley is the author of the second article I read entitled: “Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies”. Sharon brings up a lot of similar points as O’Brien did although she disagrees with catharsis as being a main reason to watch scary movies. Begley quotes a professor emeritus of psychology, Stuart Fischoff in saying: “ the scare we crave—and this applies to haunted houses and spooky corn mazes no less than to horror movies—is a safe one” (Begley). We seek thrills but want safe thrills. This applies even more to people who have relatively calm uneventful lifestyles. “our nervous system requires periodic revving, just like a good muscular engine” (Begley). Fear and horror help stimulate us. As Carroll says “It stimulates our cognitive appetite with the prospect of something previously inconceivable” (Carroll 287). People who need more excitement in their lives are drawn much more to horror movies said a 1195 study. This helps to show why horror movies are especially popular with teenagers and young adults. These folks are more likely to look for intense experiences. Once you hit middle age there are plenty of real-life terrors like unemployment, divorce, etc. to keep you on your toes that you no longer need the stimulation from horror. Begley believes that the catharsis theory isn’t the true reason we look to horror.
“Jung argued that horror touches on primordial images in the collective unconscious. But since there is no evidence that many of us have repressed feelings of drowned children like Freddy marauding through a summer camp in Friday the 13th, let alone that that’s part of our collective unconscious, such psychoanalytic explanations for the appeal of fear have fallen by the wayside.” (Begley)
Basically, catharsis would only be a plausible explanation if we were very violent in our early lives or even evolutionary selves. The collective has yet to show that our society is subconsciously or consciously as violent as horror movies depict and so there is no reason why we should relate or appreciate them on a cathartic basis. Begley believes the appreciation of horror is due to the moral code they depict. “You can be pretty sure that the girl who has sex with her boyfriend will wind up dead (as parodied in the Scream movies), as will teenagers who pick up deranged hitchhikers. Horror films thus appeal to people who like predictability and neat ends” (Begley). Scary movies are easy to predict. You know what is going to happen and that gives a sense of empowerment to the viewer. They help teach what not to do (like never split up or don’t sleep around) because there are repercussions and in horror movies those are taken to extremes. Another reason Begley brings up is that horror movies help to teach you how to control fear. Horror movies teach you how to cope with your environment and your negative emotions. Begley ends with stipulating that despite horror movies’ ability to excite and all of the other positives they are less popular than other genres due to the level of unsettlement they can leave with the viewer. The fear perpetuated by the movie leaves the viewer with less than fond memories. So there are many reasons why we watch horror, more than one can be true, but what is evident is that horror is necessary in our society whether it is for thrill, catharsis, or education.
Bibliography
Begley, Sharon. “Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies.” The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
O’Brien, Lucy. “The Curious Appeal of Horror Movies.” IGN.com. IGN, 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
