With a firm belief that people are all mentally ill, Stephen King, a well-known horror novelist, composes his essay, titled “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” to elaborate on the popular appeal of these types of films. Within the essay, King studies the human race and claims that all of mankind needs to release their insanity. With many years of experience in the field of horror, he believes that horror films lets individuals release the bad that lives within themselves in a safe and socially acceptable way. He starts by addressing the basic reasoning of why men and women alike willingly buy a ticket to see a horror movie before deeply analyzing why horror movies are so alluring. King states that the public goes to see horror movies for three reasons: …show more content…
King claims that the public goes “to show that we can, that we are not afraid,” but also to “re-establish our feelings of essential normality.” He claims that horror movies are like roller coasters in the sense that both have the ability to get the audience to let out a scream and produce adrenaline rush. Horror movies also reassure people that they are normal because what is happening in the film is so crazy. Horror movies demonstrate that although the audience does not match the beauty of Marilyn Monroe or Angelina Jolie, “we are still light-years [away] from true ugliness.” That while people may have what seems to be a chaotic family life, their houses are not haunted and built on top of a …show more content…
As child, people are taught that family is safe and strangers lead to danger. This type of mindset is very simple, very black and white. As a child grows into an adult, the childlike mindset quickly transitions into thinking critically in all situations. Horror movies invites people to fall back into a mindset of “simplicity, irrationality and even outright madness.” As time passes, society also becomes more strict on what emotions are appropriate and which are not. Just like any muscle, emotions must be exercised in order to maintain its current state and avoid it going out of control. However, not all emotions are appropriate to exercise and express in civilized society, such as insanity. Positive emotions - “love, friendship, loyalty, [and] kindness” - are continuously praised by society and welcomed with open arms. These emotions include love and friendship. Since birth, humans have learned what is acceptable and what is not. When expressing these emotions, people are treated with positive reinforcement. If an individual releases negative emotions - what King calls “anticivilization emotions” - in public, negative sanctions quickly
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
In his essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies” King attempts to bring understanding to the phenomenon of the horror film genre. He states “sanity becomes a matter of degree” eluding to the theory that sanity is relative and that all humans are relatively insane. Jack the Ripper and the Cleveland Torso Murderer were the examples of humans on one extreme of the spectrum of sanity; saints represent the other safe end of the sanity spectrum. He illustrates the thought that in order for human kind to stay functionally sane there needs to be some sort of outlet for our violent “mad” thoughts. In King’s view horror movies provide a stable outlet and mental relief for innate madness. King argues that his insanity/ant civilization emotions are ingrained
We live in a society where a life of another human being is losing value by the minute, murder is almost more common than marriage, and monsters no longer lurk under our beds but inside us. Even sadder, this is acceptable; this is our normal. When we are children, we have an indescribable innocence; we are invincible. As we grow up, life happens, and we go through hardships that break us. Stephen King says it best with the words “sometimes inhuman places create human monsters” (Stephen King, The Shining) It is in the battle of finding ourselves in the process of trying to pick up the broken pieces. We tend to feel our losses more intensely than our gains- the exact reason we often see the walls we build from our past and not the strength gained in our experiences that aid us in our futures. We all have both good and evil in us, and we become the one we choose to act on. The majority of us choose to represent our good side, the more socially acceptable choice, but some fall victim to their darkest self. However, in order to survive in our society, we generally act on the good in us, and in order to maintain the good, we must feed the bad sometimes. This Is why I agree with Stephen king on his view of why people like horror movies?
One of America’s famous actress film director and producer Katie Aselton once said,” I don’t love horror movies with something surreal happening. That doesn’t work for me. What’s terrifying is something that could actually happen to me and what I would do. I don’t know how to throw a punch, and I’ve never had to do it.” This quote shows connection to King’s article. I’m starting to consider that everyone has a crazy side. Why We Crave Horror Movies explains the reason people want to go see horror movies. The average person enjoys the horror movies because they are in a safe environment knowing they can not be harmed. By discussing the argumentative strategies such as ethos, logos,
Often times I wonder if people go to see horror movies for enjoyment, or is it something much more than that? I have mixed feelings about the idea that, “the horror film has become the modern version of public lynching” (King 562). Horror movies do promote violence and can influence the mindset of the audience, but sanity people is not based on the excitement we receive from watching a horror film. Instead, it is based on what is already within us, not what we witness on a movie screen, but what we experience throughout our lifetime.
Paranoia has always been an enemy to me in the darkness. This irrational fear has accounted for many sleepless nights, and horror only fuels the fire. Yet, I am still captivated by something that produces such unpleasant results. The culprit just might be one thing-- the characteristics, events, and situations that humans all share that are the ingredients to what makes things such as emotions and ambitions exist; otherwise known as the human condition. Based on these two notions, it is safe to say that in the article “Why We Crave Horror,” Stephen King is correct in claiming that humans crave horror to display some sort of bravery, to reassure feelings of normality, and simply for the fun of it.
Insanity: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” a quote by Albert Einstein that helps sum up humanity’s love for horror movies. People go see horror movies all the time, each time the graphics are clearer and more intense than the last. Are people expecting them to change? If not then why would anyone in their right mind, make a conscious decision to go see the next horror movie knowing what they know, understanding that someone will get stabbed, beaten, shot, or killed? Its simple humans crave them, we enjoy horror but why? In this essay Stephen Kings thesis “I think we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little bit better” (405). In that statement he provides a twisted example of “Why we crave Horror Movies” claiming it’s mainly because of our mental state. King explains there are many reasons for going to see them, he says we go to have fun, we go to dare the nightmare and we go to re-establish our since of normalcy. All of which I find are strong arguments were he states his case. With his use of urbane humor, he says “the potential lyncher is in almost all of us”(406). King uses practical wisdom to lead his audience to believe that without horror films, humans are all ticking time bombs set to explode from buildup of pathos, just waiting to become another “funny farm crazy” or “Jack the ripper” to some degree or another.
horror movies, King argues that “we are all mentally ill” (345). He expresses that we all
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” a quote that sums up humanity’s unchanged love for horror movies. Over the years, as millions of people have watched horror movies the graphics, special effects, and sounds have changed for the better. While scenes have intensified yet remained the same someone gets stabbed, butchered or killed violently. It’s hard to imagine how anyone in their right mind could choose to see such violent acts. Which is the reason why Stephen Kings say’s “I think we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better- and maybe not all that much better after all” (405). That sentence provides us with his twisted example of “Why we crave Horror Movies” claiming it’s mainly a matter of our mental state. King includes examples of reasons people continue to go, he says it’s to have fun, to dare the nightmare, and to re-establish our sense of normalcy. Kings arguments within this essay are strong enough to prove his thesis making this a well written essay. He easily convinces normal people that they are mentally ill, with his use of analogy’s, comparisons, and logos. Stephen King’s use of practical wisdom leads his audience to believe that without horror films, humans are all emotional ticking time bombs waiting to explode.
For example, the short story “ Why we crave horror “ Stephen says that we are having a “ particular sort of fun” meaning death. King says “ pro football has become the voyeur's version of combat,then the horror film has become the modern version”( Kings , “ why we crave horror” .2). Meaning the soldier’s version of combat has become the horror , in which kids see, fun to watch at a young age. Horror movies are to make a purpose for you to feel catharsis towards it. Emotion muscles also known as the human condition, are the way you feel about the horror in that case, having fun while watching it and finding it interesting. Compared to the narrator and the events of “Strawberry Spring,” we “reestablish our feelings of essential normality” (King, “Why We Crave” 1). Despite the macabre fact that multiple women are killed in the short story “Strawberry Spring,” the experience is a “peculiar sort of fun” (King, “Why We Crave”
We crave horror movies simply for “the fun of it” in agreeing with Stephen King Why We Crave Horror movies. King gave multiple examples in his story as to why we crave horror movies and I can agree with just about each and every one of them. After watching a few horror movies for yourself, you will understand why it is easy to agree with King. If you have watched movies such as the 2004 movie Dawn of the Dead, The Purge, or The Conjuring you will also be able to relate to Chuck Klosterman My Zombie, Myself “Zombies are just so easy to kill.” Klostermans theory of zombies are extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult yet exciting problem of zombies in the real world. Klosterman’s argument that the repetition of modern life is
It amuses us to watch what we know will never happen. As King had said in his essay, “The fun comes from seeing others menaced - sometimes killed,” (King, “Why We Crave” 2). Accordingly, King had proposed that “we’re all mentally ill,” and theses emotions are part of the Human Condition (1). Just as we cry to release our sadness, we also need to find a way to express our insanity. We need horror films as cathartic release to be able to be “let loose to scream and roll around in the grass” (2).
In the essay “Why We Crave Horror Movie,” Stephen King describes that horror movies are beneficial for the people because we are all mentally ill. King explains that horror movie is a sort of release because everyone has a dark side in our body, so watching horror movie can keep the hungry alligators under control. People watch horror movie because they want to prove themselves that they are not afraid of a horror movie, and they are normal people too. King describes horror movie like a roller coaster, so people have enough courage to sit through the whole ride. People also enjoy seeing other people in danger. A horror movie can also keep the dark emotion down such as violence and aggression, and it allows people to remain happy and sane. A horror movie can
People are addicted to the synthetic feeling of being terrified. Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned.
King is right when he argues that people like the sudden excitement of watching a horror film. The horror genre keeps us on the edge of our seats and has us entranced with the overstimulation that comes with them. When he says “To show that we can, that we are not afraid, that we can ride this rollercoaster” he is implying that a horror movie is similar to riding a rollercoaster (King 1). The analogy lets the reader know he is saying people revel in the emotion of a horror movie, even if it scares them. People enjoy riding roller coasters because of the excitement and the rush that comes with it, just like people enjoy horror. The