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.
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.
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,
“Why We Crave Horror Movies,“ written by Steven King, is both an informative and persuasive essay. King uses his writing skills and charming sense of humor to explain why
We are born afraid of only two things: falling and loud noises. All our other fears are learned and influenced by the environment and cultures surrounding us. The world we live in helps differentiate the “insanity of man” that we all share (3). Since “we’re all mentally ill” (King, “Why We Crave” 1), it leaves us the decision of our degree of sanity. In his essay, “Why We Crave Horror,” Stephen King thoroughly claims that we humans crave horror to face our fears, restore humans feelings of being normal, and to encounter a peculiar sort of fun.
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.
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.
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)
Horror is one of many fears humans have. We all have many terrors, but horror is the one that gets the best of us. Some crave, while others resent, the feeling horror movies bring to our body and the emotions that we experience. In Stephen King’s article, “Why We Crave Horror,” he explains that it is a part of the “Human Condition,” to crave the horror. King gives many strong and accurate claims on why we crave the horror movies, such as; testing our ability to face our fears, to re-establish our feelings of normality, and to experience a peculiar sort of fun.
To begin with, some people would say they enjoy a horror movie that gets them scared out of their wits. They go see these movies once a month on average, for fun, each time choosing a newer sequel like “Final Destination” or “The evil Dead”. King says “When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at tenth-row center in a theater showing a horror movie we are daring the nightmare” (405). As a writer of best-sel...
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”
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:
The mind’s subconscious is a complicated and touchy subject for some, it goes without saying that few speak of it and tend to leave it undiscovered. More and more in daily lives we tend to do things without knowing why or even stopping to think twice about it. People tend to view horror or violence as a bad omen. Violence is always something the concerned mother or protective family tend to steer their children away from. But what if it is truly beneficial for our children to be exposed to doses of violence or for people to experience a good horror movie and it be ok? These matters are discussed in “Why we Crave Horror Movies” and “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”.
You’ve just finished a scary movie at your house and it’s now 10:47pm, and you remember you are the only one home. Its pitch black and you hear a creaking noise from upstairs so you begin to panic and become completely frozen, this is the feeling of fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, and some people go out of their way to seek that feeling. This now creates the question why? Why do some people enjoy the feeling of fear? Author’s Allegra Ringo and Steph Yin articles about fear help discover the answer to that very question. While some people may think that this topic is pointless or not interesting, both Allegra Ringo and Steph Yin’s article will quickly change your mind.
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