Every year Cinemas are flooded with new horror movies to which people line up and pay to spend two hours biting their lips, covering their eyes, and shrinking away in fear. This observation is thoroughly perplexing as it is reasonable to assume that people would aim to avoid things which cause them distress, and thus has come to be referred to as the paradox of horror. This phenomenon justly commands attention in philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, and sociology as understanding it would provide insight into the human psyche and cognitive processes. The most reasonable theories that serve to explain the paradox of horror, or why people would actively seek out horror movies which produce feelings of fear, anxiety, and disgust, are the psychoanalytical theory, fascination theory, and enjoyment theory, of which the enjoyment theory is most plausible because it can be supported from a biochemical standpoint. One of the most popular and oldest theories as to why people enjoy horror, and in turn, enjoy being scared is rooted in psychoanalysis. The psychoanalytical explanation as to why individuals like horror asserts that horror films allow people to relieve themselves of repressed and negative emotions. The foundation for this theory is Aristotle’s concept of catharsis, by which he claimed that viewing tragic plays created an effect by which the spectator’s own anxieties are purged as they are expressed through the characters of the play, thereby granting the viewer a form of emotional release. In much the same way, the idea of “catharsis” is also incorporated into the psychoanalytical theory addressing the paradox, in that the horror film provides viewers with a way to relieve themselves of and lighten the grip that negative emoti... ... middle of paper ... ...y seek out and watch them. This behavior, in essence, is the “paradox of horror,” resulting in the generation of a number theories as to why people voluntarily choose to watch films that produce feelings of fear and disgust. Of the existing theories, the most refined are the psychoanalytical, fascination, and enjoyment theories. Upon further inspection however, the psychoanalytical and fascination theories are revealed to have several shortcomings when compared to the enjoyment theory, which presents itself as the most simple and straightforward theory by asserting that people seek out horror films because they like being scared. Furthermore, the enjoyment theory gains credibility as empirical evidence can be provided as to why an individual would enjoy being scared. Thus, enjoyment theory can be set apart as the most feasible theory of why some people like horror.
There are two types of movies that provide psychic relief. One of those types of movies could be a horror film that makes everyone scream. The other type is a movie like Marley and Me that provides catharsis by making everyone cry. In Stephen King’s essay ¨Why We Crave Horror¨, he explains that the reason why we watch horror movies is because ¨… horror movies provide psychic relief¨. This is because he believes it is rare for people to have that opportunity to express such negative emotions when watching horror films. King’s argument has elements that agreeable and disagreeable. On the one hand, he is right when claiming that our emotions and fears need to be controlled by an exercise; however, his belief that horror movies provide psychic
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.
Both Di Muzio (2006) and King (2007) make contradicting arguments towards the horror genre. Di Muzio (2006) provides a thought provoking piece regarding morality in horror films and provides his critique on the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Whereas, King (2007) focuses his attention on the positives of the horror genre and ways it allows one to liberate from their sadistic thoughts, calling it as food “to keep the gators fed” in our psyche. (King, 2007, p. 458)
“Why We Crave Horror Movies,” an essay by the legendary Stephen King, explains two challenging concepts to understand: why people like gory horror movies and how people are able to control their darkest desires. “I think that 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.” King opens the essay by addressing the hard truth- we are all insane. People have dull lives, and often it’s the little bit of crazy within in us tha...
In classical Hollywood cinema, horror films were produced in the notion that as human beings we enjoy the concept of being scared and take it as a form of entertainment. This review examines five scholarly peer-reviewed
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.
I have provided a clear evaluation of his essay in an organized way using the appropriate standards of evaluation. In understanding why humans “Crave Horror Movies” even when some people get nightmares after watching them we find the importance of our emotions and fears. We find those emotions and fears form a body of their own which needs to be maintained properly in order to remain healthy. We see how emotions can be controlled though viewing horror movies. Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies” is a well written essay with convincing analogies, comparisons, and urban humor.
When I was young I would always watch “scary movies” with my sister. For this reason, Every night I would have nightmares after each movie. By all means, I’d end up on the other side of the bed or on the floor. Given that, Stephen King claims his short story “ Why We Crave Horror” is to crave horror by facing our fears and, re-establish our feelings normalcy by getting used to the horror towards something that is called the human condition provided that, he is right about his claims. By all means, His three claims are “To show we can,that we are not afraid, that we can ride this roller coaster”. “ We also go to re-establish our feelings of essential normality”. “ If we share a brotherhood of man, then we also share an insanity of man”.
Stephen King, a very well-known writer and director, has a passionate voice when it comes to anything dealing with horror. In “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” King calls us out for knowing that we love the adrenaline rush and how we are so captivated by horror movies. He explains how we watch horror movies for the level of fun. King proposes that we go to defy ourselves; to see how far it can push us and that is what makes the experience so interesting. We lock our inner psycho from reality and feed it with the demonic, bloody violence found in horror movies. Doing this suggests that horror movies are our fix for our psychotic thoughts. Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies” portrays that we are all insane in some weird way through
Stephen King wrote a very brief essay titled "Why we Crave Horror Movies", in which he explained some of the reasons that people choose to go to horror movies to be entertained. In his essay, King goes on to explain that we as a people need horror movies as a sort of release; to feed the darker elements within all of us without having to sacrifice our humanity (also, civility). King does this by comparing people based on their levels of sanity whereas some societal "eccentricities" are completely acceptable, while some will get you thrown right into the loony bin. It’s summed up pretty well in this quote:
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
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. (Horror Films)
We all have cravings, be it for snacks or sweets, there is always something we desire. We crave horror in the same way. In Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” he argues that people need to watch horror films in order to release the negative emotions within us. King believes that people feel enjoyment while watching others be terrorized or killed in horror movies. King’s argument has elements that are both agreeable and disagreeable. On one hand he is acceptable when claiming we like the thrill and excitement that comes from watching horror movies; however, his views regarding that the fun comes from seeing others suffer cannot be agreed with because the human condition is not as immoral as he claims it to be.
PREVIEW MAIN POINTS: today I will discuss, some of the reasons we are interest, the chemicals in our bodies that are set off when we watch them and ways to be less afraid when watching these horrifying movies.