Why We Crave Horror Stephen King Analysis

We yearn for horror to re-establish our feelings of normalcy. For instance, some people would watch a movie and see people melting or in an ugly form, but then realize what King said,

So say my personal tastes in movies make me a sick bastard just because of the subject matter portrayed in the narrative. Ok, well that isn’t exactly about what Stephen King was saying. King tells us that the horror movie does a dirty job of satiating our urges and letting our instincts run free, which in turn means that most people have something deep and dark inside them, merely a hairpin away from freaking out and murdering adorable puppies for no good reason (and there are plenty of good reasons, stop lying to yourself). I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel anything deep and evil inside of me that must be satiated so I don’t go on a weekly blood rampage so I feel like that isn’t the reason.

Stephen King never clearly states the thesis of this essay however there is enough information provided that we can infer one. We need to keep our inner lyncher at bay by feeding ourselves with small portions of demonic, bloody, violence, found in horror movies. King writes “It deliberately appeals to all the worst in us. It is morbidity unchained, our most base instincts let free, our nastiest fantasies realized...” (Why We Crave Horror Movies, paragraph 12) and by doing so he’s implying that horror movies are like a temporary fix for our violent craves.

Horror is the genre that keeps the reader on their toes for nights upon end. It keeps them thinking. Thinking about how cruel and disturbing someone, or something, could possibly be. Thinking about what in the world happens to a character after the story drops off in a cliffhanger. Thinking about the probability that the events in the narrative could transpire in real life. Thinking about how likely it is for those things to happen to the reader. Refusing to look out their window in fear of seeing the glimpse of a murderous face, and listening to every sound with acute accuracy, praying that the noise is not one of a stranger creeping up the stairs. Scary accounts make the reader live in fear whenever the

sample, but it also appeals to population and emotion. To further explain why we crave

People develop multiple reasons to why they like to receive these odd and fear emotions, which now in society we call insanity. In the “Why We Crave Horror Movies” by Stephen King, whose main argument is that we watch horror movies to satisfy our curiosity. In the “How Tabloid Train Wrecks Reinventing Gothic Literature” by Carina Chocano, whose main argument is to prove how gothic literature is very similar to gossip; for example, gossiping makes people turn into ghosts, unnatural. It’s tempting to see Gothic tales as escapism, but these stories will sum up during times of trouble. Fascination with fear or Gothic stories satisfies some emotional need of individuals and of society by making people feed on their inner childhood that is inconstantly needed of satisfaction. People can do that by watching horror movies or reading tabloids and that is why they enjoy scaring themselves.

In fact By comparing ourselves to the author, narrator, and the victims the events that Stephen King points out. We establish ourselves and process what's going on. The reason we crave horror is because it gives us that thrill that urge to feel normal once again and we as people actually enjoy watching a man's head get severed off by some crazy maniac that's trying to kill him. Or for example, Stephen King shows in why we crave horror;shows, Freda Jackson as the horrible melting women in Die, Monster, Die! Confirms for us that no matter how far we may be removed from the beauty of a Robert Redford or Diana Ross, we are still light-years from the true ugliness.

In the essay, "Why We Crave Horror Movies" by Stephen King the author tries to prove that the modern day horror movie is are relief of violence, are fix of adrenaline and fun, and also something that can dare the nightmare. In a lot of ways these things can be related to real life situations. My relief of violence is playing video games, and my fix of fun and adrenaline is when I play football, and something that dares my nightmare is when I challenge my brother.

Do you enjoy watching murder, the paranormal, and any other morbid scene which makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, your palms sweat, and your adrenaline surge? Why people enjoy watching murder, tragedy, and carnage in their spare time has been a mysterious phenomenon. If these gruesomely horrific scenes would not be enjoyable in real life, why is watching a recreation of it so riveting? Stephen King, a world-renowned horror novelist, wrote “Why We Crave Horror Movies” to give insight as to why horror movies, although gruesome and morbid, captivate audiences. King also aims to persuade readers to continue to watch horror movies, arguing that they are a crucial part of keeping sanity. King delves into this psychological aspect of humans and believes that the desire to watch horror films is a normal tendency of humankind. “Why We Crave Horror Movies” includes appeals to emotion, logic, and author credibility in order to convince readers of the positive, normal desire to watch horror films, why it is important to watch them, and why the reader should believe what the author is saying. King utilizes the rhetorical devices—pathos, logos, and ethos—in an effective way through the use of metaphor, logic, humor, and emotion to persuade readers that watching horror films is normal.

In Stephen King’s somewhat subjective essay in the 1984 Playboy magazine, Why We Crave Horror Movies, King describes his reasoning behind why so many people are fond of watching movies residing in the horror genre. The content of his essay, though inserted in an unconventional area for

It was a dark, cold, November night. The moon overlooked the lake as it mirrored its reflection. It was peaceful, too peaceful. I was on my way to my aunt’s, who lived a mile or so from my house. I didn’t want to go, but my mother made me. She was working a double shift at the hospital and she didn’t want me to be alone tonight. Tonight was the night my brother died two years ago. It’s a funny story how it happened, but that’s a story to tell another time. According to Stephen King’s essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies” he draws viewers into horror stories like the one above simply because we crave it. King claims in his essay we obsess over the wanting of horror as if we are daring the nightmare. The human condition is finally allows people

Many people throughout the world enjoy things that scare them. These things can include scary movies, roller coasters, haunted houses, etc,. In an essay called. “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, Stephen King explains his reasoning to readers about why people are attached to horror movies. For the most part, King believes that people enjoy horror movies, because people are all slightly insane, but there is another reason that can cause people to enjoy scary events and movies.

In “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” Stephen King argues that the fun of horror movies is seeing people being threatened. Despite the good ratings of these movies, I think watching people in peril has no possible positive outcome. Not only are horror movies a waste of money, they sham real fear and give juvenile audience bad ideas. Horror movies are a waste of money. King says that when we pay to see a horror movie, “We are daring the nightmare.”

In horror stories there is just enough mystery to make you want to know more, and enough danger to make you glad this is fiction. Scary stories can allow people to conquer their own adversities. We all have our demons, things we’re afraid of but don’t want to admit. Some horror novels play on common fears like IT by: Stephen King which uses clowns as the source for fear, Chucky which features menacing dolls and Contagion which portrays rampant pestilence. By vicariously facing your fears in a novel, you’re able to tame them in real life. Sometimes even watching a character deal with the monster uplifts you to face your own fears. The concept of gruesome entertainment is all in human psychology. In order for us to be entertained, we have to feel the story being told. Scary stories bring us the adrenaline rush, the exploration of the unknown, and even the upliftment we all crave. Luckily the monsters in these stories are all fiction and cannot harm us in real life. Until they show up the next night, waiting for you in the

“Why we Crave Horror Movies” is an essay written by the most popular horror author, who works included Carrie (1974), The Shining (1977), The Dead Zone (1979) and Misery (1987), Stephen King. The excerpt originally came from his book “Danse Macabre.” “Why we Crave Horror Movies” was originally published in Playboy Magazine in 1981. The essay was an explanation of why King felt that people craved horror movies. He goes into great detail throughout the essay and gave various reasons of he felt the way he did. While reading the first the that came to mind was the ‘target audience’ because he is speaking to a certain group of people. Then ‘logos’ because King is making a huge assumption throughout the essay, which came of very strong. Lastly, ethos’ because of the tone King sets in the essay, and ‘pathos’ because overall King has a purpose for the essay he wrote.