The first article that I read by Tibi Puiu, “Why Do People Love Horror Movies?” it answers this question by stating that people do not actually enjoy the emotional experience of fright, but they enjoy the emotional relief after the adrenaline rush of a scary moment. According to “This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘excitation transfer’, and despite this kind of arousal is far from being pleasant, when the extreme sense of excitement wears off, it is replaced by an equally intense sense of relief” (Puiu). At an emotional level, being chased by a face-altered, crazy clown in real life is fairly comparable to seeing and experiencing images of such a chase at a distance from the comfort of a chair, watching a movie. The reading assignment, “Why Horror?” states that, “it is not the tragic event itself that imparts pleasure, but rather, the way it is worked into the plot” (Carroll, 277). There are many theories argued as to why other reasons would strike a persons attention to see a horror movie; one reason being a coping mechanism for their own conflict with fear or violence.
The second article I discovered is based on materials provided by University of Chicago Press Journals, “They Enjoy Being Scared”. The main argument was that typically, people’s motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain, and it certainly seems counterintuitive that so many people would voluntarily view two hours of terror, fear and disgust. How can this be proven with many decisions to engage in experiences known to contract horrible feelings, such as horror movies? It almost seems that, “horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy” (They Enjoy Being Scared). People experience both negative and positive emotions simultaneously — people may actually enjoy being scared, not just relief when the threat is removed. “The Horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages its audience by being involved in the process of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation” (Carroll, 279). The article responds to the question, “Why do people love horror movies?” by evaluating that the viewer is not actually afraid, but excited by the adrenaline caused by the movie.
Personally, I am not a fan of the horror genre. While I have felt the rush or being frightened by a film, I feel like some can almost be too realistic. Both articles discuss the thrill that people love to feel while seeking the next terrorizing moment in a horror movie. The younger generations tend to enjoy the thrill more because young adults seek the excitement in life, and horror seems to display the unknown and scenarios that could seem realistic.
Puiu, Tibi. (October 29, 2012). “Why Do People Love Horror Movies?” ZMEscience.com. ZME Media. Retrieved February 16, 2014 from http://www.zmescience.com/research/studies/why-people-watch-horror-movies-4032432/#eCvOQIrQBTIZLHsg.99
University of Chicago Press Journals. (2007, July 31). “Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 16, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm
