"Why We Crave Horror Stories": A Response

Today I had to read "Why We Read Horror Stories" by Stephen King for my research paper English class. It is a very intriguing essay, but very dark. I don't have time or desire to recapitulate all his arguments, so in order to understand my response I recommend you go read the essay yourself here. It isn't long, only about a page.

King's argument is indeed interesting, and I think I agree with some of it, especially this: "We also go [to horror movies] to reestablish our feelings of essential normality...Freda Jackson as the horrible melting woman in Die, Monster, Die! confirms for us that no matter how far we may be removed from the beauty of a Robert Redford or a Diana Ross, we are still light-years from true ugliness."

...up to the succumbing to the crave part.

I've never seen, nor particularly craved, a horror movie. Yet, from what I got from King's article, I know I never desire to see one. (Actually, I knew this before.)

I feel that...Somehow, contrary to King's cynical approach that we must indulge this base, monstrous "lyncher" within, those of us who experience this gnawing crave for violence must instead seek to eradicate it from their soul through starving this desire any nourishment.

I do understand King's point on catharsis. Aristotle, in his Poetics, makes a similar point about tragedy: we enjoy tragedy because the sadness and loss experienced by the characters reflects that which we may ourselves feel, yet without actually happening to someone in real life. Therefore, we can feel and cry over this dramatic sorrow, while still realizing that it is not reality. Therefore, after we cry and release our pent up grief, we can experience relief and move on.

King seems to think the same is true of a human's base desire for violence: if we indulge this internal depravity with something "innocent," a horror movie, gory video game, or WWE wrestling, this will allow the built-up pressure within us out just enough to keep us able to hide our "insanity," as he calls it. Our violent longings can live vicariously via these entertainment genres, and so be contented and subdued for a time.

Yet, experiencing catharsis for grief and seeking the same for violent, murderous, and depraved desires are fundamentally opposed to one another. The former, the ability and need to grieve, is an inherent part of our humanity and was placed there by God himself. Certainly, the most powerful words in all of scripture are "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Christ, perfectly God and perfectly man, would not have grieved over Lazarus's death if grief itself was not a holy and acceptable emotion. But the desire for depravity and violence is found nowhere in Christ. It is evil; while it may perhaps, to some extent, exist in all humans, it is thus a result of Original Sin, and was not intended to reside within us at the creation of man, nor ever.

Therefore, catharsis through vicarious experience is certainly the wrong approach for dealing with such a disordered desire. This would be akin to visiting a shooting range and pretending that the silhouette on the target is actually one's most despised enemy; then taking full pleasure in "pretend" murdering him.

Such an act of "pretend" would be vilely sinful, and make one hate said enemy only more.

Again, this could be compared to a person seeking lustful sexual satisfaction through pornography. As all studies show, porn is never cathartic. Rather, this vicarious unchastity makes one crave sex more and more, never lessening the desire but instead amplifying it exponentially.

I do not necessarily condemn all horror-movie viewing. I myself do not prefer it, but I'd have to research and contemplate its ramifications more fully before I could form any sort of qualified opinion.

However, I do believe, if one's purpose in enjoying this genre is in any way akin to those stated in King's essay, that is incredibly unhealthy and sinful. The more a sinful desire of any sort is indulged within us, the more indulgence does it constantly demand. Therefore, the more one feeds the violent "lyncher" beast within oneself, the more of that beast will he himself become.