Stephen King Why We Crave Horror

“Why We Crave Horror”
Murder. Revenge. Gore. All of these come to mind when we think and hear about horror. What should also come to mind is the Father of Modern Day horror, Stephen King. In his essay, “Why We Crave Horror” he explains that we love the thrill that we get when we watch horror film. He believes that watching the gory action packed film is like riding a roller coaster that’s doing some really great 360 degree spins. In other words, were daring the nightmare. Many believe the horror genre to be diabolic, but King’s overview on the topic are accurate because many scenarios can be realistic with the use of human experiences, just featured in an over exaggerated way.
King is correct that the genre serves to keep our sanity in

check. As he states in his article, “If we are insane, then sanity becomes a matter of degree. If your insanity leads you to carve up women like Jack the ripper or the Cleveland Torso Murder, we clap you away in the funny farm… On the other hand, your insanity leads you to talk to yourself when you’re under stressed or to pick your nose on your morning bus, then you are left alone to go about your business.” What he is saying is that we all snap every once in awhile, but it’s not as bad as trying to murder prostitutes or ripping off people's torsos. (5) It just takes a matter of time. If we watch horror films it give us a relief of some sort that keeps us sane.
We want to get scared! Out of all the choices in the theater, we chose to watch this movie. This genre. As said previously, it’s like riding a roller coaster when you’re scared of heights. As King explains in his text, “When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at a tenth-row center in a theater showing a horror film, we are daring the nightmare.” (2) Many people choose to watch this film, many others don't. But nonetheless it’s still a choice.
Aren’t you a bit glad? Watching horror movies doesn’t just give you relief, but it’s also really fun! A very unique kind of fun. King states, “And we go to have fun. Ah, but this is where the ground starts to slope away, isn't it? Because this is a very peculiar sort of fun, indeed. The fun comes from seeing others menaced- sometimes killed.” (3). Back in the olden days, roman fights would also be considered public lynching. Even though the screams, blood and death are over exaggerated, it’s pretty fun watching the person you hate get brutally murdered.
Many disagree with King’s claim about how it’s for everyone, saying it’s for the youth because they’re healthy enough to not die when they hear a scream. However, it’s not just for the youth. According to the text, “It urges us to put away our more civilized and adult penchant for analysis and to become children again, seeing things in pure black and white.” (4) As it is stated in the text, it’s not just for the young, but it’s for everyone. It gives them the chance to go back in time and think about the olden times and how realistic the movies are, it could also bring back times to where they overcame their hardships.
Horror movies aren’t just something that kids watch, but it’s for everyone as well. It give us some sort of relief and it also is pretty fun to watch. The thrill of seeing the person you dislike get hanged or the chill that's creeping up your spine. It feels truly wonderful. Towards the end, Horror films can be used as a way to describe our human condition and relief our human experiences because of how realist they are.