I remember in the first class of my ENG 109, which is Introduction to Television, my professor asked, “What TV shows/series are you guys watching now?” Almost everyone said, “Walking Dead.” It seems that watching horror TV shows and films has became a popular trend among our generation. Why do we enjoy watching horror films? Does it change the genre structure of Hollywood?

In the article “Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies”, Sharon Begley uses Paranormal Activity 3 as a successful example of horror movies. She also gives some quotes to explain the relations of scary movies and human mind in terms of media psychology. “Horror movies are one of the better ways to get really excited,” says Fischoff. And then she discusses why horror movies are more popular among younger audiences than older people. They find that “a cathartic effect” can offer people emotional release and escape from the reality. Otherwise, Begley indicates that horror films attract people who like predictability and neat ends. Also, horror movies can help young people learn how to manage terror. “Horror films are popular because they speak to the basic human conditions if existential fear, the knowledge that we are all doomed.” Finally, she lists the top 25 favorite films, but horror is not in that list. Horror is less popular than other genres because they “often leave people feeling nervous and unsettled”.

Another article I read is from Hollywood Reporter, which is called “From ‘American Horror Story’ to ‘Walking Dead,” How Horror Took Over Hollywood”. The authors first introduce the makeup trailer of American Horror Story as a hook. And then they mention horror is flourishing film and television, also, they give a brief introduction to the horror films in Hollywood history. They also point out that based on Jason Constrantine, horror film can be cost-effectively produced and is popular with men and women regardless of age and race. The authors discuss some horror TV series such as The Walking Dead, The Following, Dracula and The Exorcist and American Pycho. There’s a long pattern of young audiences flocking to horror movies. Furthermore, the article talks about the budget issue of horror movies. Also, in the past, horror films targeted white younger teenagers, but now, “women and Latinos are fueling the surge”. Then they introduce several examples of the successful horror films since 2002. In addition, the horror genre also grows in the international markets such as the U.K., France, Russia and Latin America. Finally, back to American Horror Story, it is very hard to believe that horror films were laughed out of TV networking meetings. This kind of TV series also reaches international audiences’ eyeballs.

Why do young people like watching horror films? Begley says, “Freud suggested that horror was appealing because it traffics in ‘thoughts and feelings that have been repressed by the ego but which seem vaguely familiar’ as a 2004 paper explained.” That is to say, horror could provide people another different world that they seem vaguely familiar. They might have some feelings and thoughts but they are not real. Also, young teenagers like excitement, and horror films can bring this kind of feeling to stimulate their inner desires and help them release pressure. “Horror movies help young people learn to manage terror,” Begley mentions in her article. That’s true. I’m not a fan of horror films, but sometimes I watch it because I want to get some excitement and different feelings in my life. At the end of the article, the author asks a question, “Why is horror less popular than other genres?” Then Fischoff answers, “Generally, people anticipate feeling entertained and feeling good when they leave a film”, but “they often leave people feeling nervous and unsettled.” However, in the second article that I find from Hollywood Reporter, the authors introduce how horror has been a very popular genre in TV and film industry. In my opinion, I’m not sure if horror would be a “fast food” in young generation’s entertainment world.

Begley, Sharon (2011, October 25). Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies. The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 12, 2014 from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/25/why-our-brains-love-horror-movies-fear-catharsis-a-sense-of-doom.html

Marisa Guthrie, Tatiana Siegel (2013, October 9). From ‘American Horror Story’ to ‘Walking Dead’. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2014 from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/american-horror-story-walking-dead-645007