Article #1
Pittman Linder, Constance. “The Horror Paradox: Why Being Scared Can Feel Good”. Retrieved February 14, 2008, from http://www.swedish .org/17032.cmf
In Constance Pittman Minder’s article, “The Horror Paradox: Why Being Scared Can Feel Good,” she raises some very interesting points regarding why people are repeatedly drawn to the genre of horror. The article starts off by talking about how people who generally go to the movies to see something scary are usually “sensation seekers” and these “sensation seekers” tend to be younger males and sometimes females; although, there is an increasing change in the profile of movie goers. The average person is in line to see movies like The Ring and The Grudge , which lack the blood and guts but have more of a subtle building of tension. “’It may be more intellectual sensation seekers that are drawn to these films,’ Zuckerman guesses. Either way sensation seekers draw on their ability to empathize—to put themselves in the characters’ shoes while taking in the chilling story”. A little later in the article, Constance Pittman Minder discusses that some people may have an addiction to fear and the physical, biological reaction that is experienced. Other researchers theorize that people who suffer from pos-traumatic stress disorder may also enjoy the films due to the sensation it provokes. These theories are highly debated though. She ended the article nicely stating: “Perhaps we’re all just looking for the same thing—a periodic jolt to the nervous system and a roundabout peek at our innermost fears, all within the comfort of a secure environment”.
Article #2
Shaw, Daniel.,(1997). ‘A Humean Definition of Horror’, film-philosophy, vol.1 no. 4. Retrieved February 14, 2008, from http://www.film-philosophy .com/vol1-1997/n4shaw
In Daniel Shaw’s essay A Humean Definition of Horror, Shaw discusses Noel Carroll’s essay The Philosophy of Horror. Ultimately the essay of Shaw’s agrees with the over all points of Carroll’s essay. But for the majority of Shaw’s essay, the flaws of Carroll’s essay are pointed out and Shaw disputes much of the reasoning behind Carroll’s article. One point that Shaw repeatedly makes throughout his essay is “he[Carroll] provides an ingenious solution to the paradox, but fails to come to grips with the essence of horror in the process”(Shaw). Another point that Shaw makes throughout his essay is that he believes that the psychoanalytic approach to monster movies the way to go. Shaw believes that it is human nature to want to experience the negative emotions as long as the emotions are in a controlled setting. Shaw states “I differ with Carroll on what the emotional and intellectual effects of horror are on the audience, and about he significance and meaning of those effects”(Shaw). But he does conclude his essay with the fact that there are many ways to explain the paradox of horror.
I found Daniel Shaw’s essay, A Humean Definition of Horror, to be interesting and relevant to the classes’ readings and discussions about the paradox of horror. Shaw raised a lot of counterpoints to many issues in Noel Carroll’s essay. Both authors agree that one main element to the enjoyment of horror is the curiosity that many people have towards the unknown creatures in the narratives. I think that this is a correct assumption on both the authors’ part. I have never studied or done research on the human psyche when it comes to horror, but from personal experience with horror films I am curious to know more about the fictional character/creature. Both authors also bring up the idea of how the plot behind the horror narrative is actually what makes the genre interesting. Here they do differ a little in opinions. I find this point to be very interesting. Overall Shaw’s essay was extremely relevant to the other readings in the class. I enjoyed reading a counter argument to Carroll’s essay.
5 comments:
I enjoyed reading the research on your second post (the one at the top) which reviewed statements by Constance Minder. I've never read any studies on post-tramatic stress syndrome (PTSS) with a connection to watching horror movies, so this was first hand information for me. I wondered if Minder's findings showed any connection between PTSS and people who have an (as you state) "an addiction to feat and the physical, biological reaction they experience" when watching a horror film. Were there any higher incidences of viewing horror movies among the group with PTSS? A very interesting summary and subject. Thank you.
“Perhaps we’re all just looking for the same thing—a periodic jolt to the nervous system and a roundabout peek at our innermost fears, all within the comfort of a secure environment”.
I can see this as the basic reason of why we are attracted to horror. I feel that curiosity is what causes us to be interested in the first place and then we get this "jolt" of goose bumps and our hair standing on end which causes a rush of adrenaline. I think the way she ends her article summarizes the whole reason for horror in a simple way. These articles were very interesting.
I agree with the arguement you make about enjoying a movie because we control what is occuring. I have turned off movies, or walked out of movies beacause I was extremely afraid. This just shows that we as viewers take advantage that the situation may not be occuring to us. This is an interesting theory that I have never considered. Another point that I can make is that movies as more scary in the theatre because we have less control on our surroundings. We are surrounded by strangers in a dark loud room forced to look ahead a giant screen. Our only option is to leave.
This response written was very interesting in the fact that it tries to take psychological reasons to stand behind the reasons that horror films are viewed. I thought that was very interesting to read because I had never heard this. The PTSS syndrome was what I thought was very interesting because I would've never even thought about making this type of connection...I wonder, but like Cassandra and the writer of the article said I don't know how reliable this point is. Females I wouldn't think would be the more common audience of males and females to watch horror film but then I think about my mother or customers at my video store that tend to watch and ask for scary movies and it is mostly middle aged wives who's husband don't like all the sci-fi, horror, or blood. i think though that America shares an interest in viewing horror films because if we didn't we wouldn't come out with so many and Horror films would rake in so much money and revenue in the box office.
I agree with shaw that as soon as the experience is under controlled, people will like to experience because of their curiosity. And they think those horror things will never happen on them and they don't want them to happen either, watching horror movies will be a good way to experience something they will never try. Watching horror movies are just like playing roller coaster that people are scared but they still want to try since they know except being scared, nothing worse will happen.
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