Why does King consider horror movies conservative and reactionary What Essay - 1

Why does King consider horror movies conservative and reactionary What do you believe the role of horror movies to be in our society - Essay Example People try to display this belief by reacting with horror at whatever gory happens in the horror movies. Hence, King says that horror movies are conservative as they help people to confirm to themselves and to the world that they are ‘normal’ people as they fear and loath things that horror movies show. According to him, horror movies limit their goriness and ugliness by showing only those things which can be digested by human mind. In doing so, horror movies conform to the social expectations and hence, they remain conservative. King also says that horror movies are reactionary as they help people to avoid social change. By that he means that people avoid the social change by refusing to accept their attraction towards the antisocial and gory aspects of their mind. The fact remains that despite of knowing that horror movies are about gory violence, evil spirits, sinister vengeance etc., people still choose to watch the movie. If they had really felt repulsive towards the ugly, gory, violent and disgusting things in life, they would have chosen not to watch the horror movies, which are full of these things. However, horror movies provide only that which can be accepted by the society. Hence, they avoid change. The very fact that people choose to see the horror movie shows that there is something in their psychological make up which makes horror appealing to them. However, people refuse to accept it and rather than dealing this face to face, they suppress it. It is stored in their subconscious mind and they try to fight it by presenting themselves as a people who hate violence. Watching the horror movies is nothing but an attempt to display to the world that they are ‘normal’ beings and are just like other human beings who hate the gory things in life. Hence, King says that horror movies are reactionary as they oppose social change and reinforces the attitude of ‘normality’ in people. People find an outlet to their suppressed