I met Steve, one of the two hosts of Horror Makes Us Happy, at StokerCon in Pittsburgh this past June. After learning about Steve and Chris' podcast I agreed to be a guest. That appearance dropped yesterday.
But before we get to that, I want to talk about how interesting the podcast Steve and Chris put out is. In their own words, "We (lightly) psychologically profile creators in the horror biz to uncover the REAL reasons people love horror."
But it's is more than how unique their podcast is, Steve and Chris are also super professional. After meeting Steve, I got an official invite with a power point explaining who they are and what their goals are. Here is some sample language from the ppt:
The format: We dig into the horror you love – from childhood, through teen years, into adulthood – building a light/amateur psychological profile as we go. We look for reoccurring themes that point to any core values/beliefs/interests you hold as a human being – sometimes ones you haven't even noticed yourselves!
The hosts: Steve and Chris both work in IT for their day jobs, and are also musicians. Chris is a massive horror fan, the author/artist of horror webcomic Pieces, and is studying filmmaking with the plan to turn his webcomic into a feature film. Steve is the author of A Guide to the Recovery Toolbox. He’s had a lifelong fascination with psychology, multiple years of therapy, and 20+ years working a 12-step program. Those experiences and his IT background have taught him how to ascertain root causes with surprising insight.
Their podcast is like the deepest "Why I Love Horror" dive ever, so of course, after I allowed them to probe my entire life to figure out Why I Love Horror, I had to invite Steve and Chris to participate along with my podcast appearance.
Click here to listen to why Horror makes me happy. And use the same link to see all of their guess. The list is impressive and I know they have episodes through next spring already recorded.
Now it is the hosts' turn. Today, welcome Chris to Why I Love Horror. And in case you missed it, here is Steve's entry from yesterday.
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So what is it about horror that makes me happy, eh? Well, we did a session on our podcast! You can listen to it by becoming a patron! K thx bye!
Yeah, no, kidding of course. If you are so inclined though, my friend Steve Becker and I run a podcast where we ask a very similar question called
Horror Makes Us Happy. Our first 2 interviews were of each other so a lot of the below is actually included in my interview which is accessible to patrons. We’re also on all major podcast platforms. Now, with the shameless self-promotion out of the way…
What is it about horror that appeals to any of us really? You can say it's the allure of the forbidden or the taboo, the safe, contained outlet for interest in the macabre, or sometimes it's just the simple matter that horror looks cool! It's visually and aurally appealing. But it is a valid question. Why the interest in things that are basically violent and harmful, and that ideally and altruistically we wouldn't wish to see beset upon others?
I think at its core, it is the forbidden fruit. A bit of nature and nurture. As we grow up, we progress and learn certain things. You learn that pain is bad, and things are scary. This is usually reinforced by a parent or guardian that heals your wounds and shouts at you, scaring you when you're about to do something dangerous so it's in that, "You can't do that!" category. So naturally, being curious, we're drawn to it. But look at me, wasting a paragraph waxing philosophical about horror.
My interest in horror began young, as it often does. Being a boy in the 80's, I was into all the cartoons and toys that are almost inherently violent. And then there's the movies. The 80's were the slasher heydays! Every trip to the movie store eventually found its way to the horror and sci-fi section, and with such cover art as Critters 2 (with the giant boulder of fuzzy piranha demons), The Howling (with claws slashing through flesh), and of course, Hellraiser (with the man with nails in his face), I was just drawn to them because well... they looked cool!
Earlier than that though, around 5 years old, I recall I had recurring nightmares as a kid - a large wolf chasing me around my grandmother's kitchen. I suspect because I gleaned a scene in classic sneaking-a-peak-from-the-edge-of-the-room trope of An American Werewolf in London. Specifically, the mauling scene in the beginning. I was by no means brave at that age and I'll admit it scared the ever-living shit out of me (as did, hilariously enough, Michael Jackson's Thriller later on). But it still planted that seed: that allure and intrigue in the grotesque. Maybe it was the design, and the lighting, and the setting. Maybe it was the score or the cinematography that just subconsciously fed my brain adrenaline.
I think for me - and for many - what made it a positive experience, and not one of sheer horror, was the company and the type of experience. Were I to walk around a corner alone in real life and see a man being mauled by a giant beast, it would be terrifying! However when in the company of friends or family and viewing it on a screen - even if you do end up getting wrapped up in it because it's such a good story - you still know in the back of your mind that it's distanced from you by a wall of, "This isn't real." Being able to look over and see a friend or loved one smiling, it reminds you that it's okay. (Unless they're a dick, and have hidden behind the couch while you were distracted with the horror, and when you look over and they're not there they lunge from behind the couch and grab you by the shoulders, making you scream like a girl and pee a little... That um... That never happened.)
But speaking of company, there was also the influence of peers and peers of my older sister. One in particular would draw sick pen & ink pieces of things like bifurcated zombies eating their own intestines, and winged demons. The art style was that stark, black & white, heavily shadowed style like Frank Miller. From there I was hooked, so it was slasher movies and horror comics. Being a graphic artist myself, I started drawing things like my older sister's friend, and things I had seen in films. We also had a locally broadcast Saturday afternoon horror marathon which was a big inspiration in my love of horror.
Around my mid 20's, I started to get really into horror, going down the extreme horror and gore rabbit hole. More gore, more shock, more violence. Ever chasing that high off, "Oh my god, did you see that?!" I also started to get into the idea of producing my own horror, so, in turn, I took an interest in the technical aspects of horror. A great blood splatter, a good head explosion, how realistic the intestines looked (the secret is water and flour), or whether or not they used silicone or latex for burned flesh. Also cannibalism. I don't know when it started, but the idea of cannibalism - whether it be 2 daughters eating their father alive raw on the dining table (friggin’ LOVE that reboot!), or a psychotic genius feeding a man's own brains to him after cooking them - I have always loved cannibalism! It's just a perfect mixture of personal invasiveness and body horror.
I love horror because it's dark. Because it's the underdog and alternative. It goes back to my defiant nature to side with the out-of-the-ordinary. Or back to that safe and contained taboo. The interest in what it would look like if someone got sawed in half vertically with a hacksaw while hanging upside down - without personally doing it, because you hear about these things ... because ... well, chatter about horrific things is just part of our social network interconnected lives these days, and it puts that worm in your ear of, "God that is awful, but what would it look like?"
I'd say it's also rooted in the age-old battle of good guys vs bad guys. The good guys were always simple, and well, basic. Sure they had the better intentions altruistically, but they were always so stoic and serious, whereas the bad guys were always having fun doing what they were doing: torturing people while laughing maniacally. Well, except in the end when their plans were foiled. Curses! But they had more fun doing their day jobs!
Now in my later adult years, I'm more interested in the dark and bleak horror. The malice with no reason or explanation other than, as they said in The Strangers, "You were home." And that's likely rooted back to that defiance again. The challenge of the norm where, even in the horror genre, there is pushing the envelope with those stories that don't have an explanation as to why the bad things happen. That don't have a happy ending, and just leave you dumbfounded and speechless as the credits roll. It's dark, but in a way cathartic because afterwards, whatever hell you're going through in life, it lessens it by comparison.
In summation, I guess you could say I love horror because I like bad shit! It is that simple, but it also isn't. Like a Bad Shit casserole with ingredients of safe, contained taboo, shock and adrenaline, cool characters, atmosphere, and story, and just a pinch of cannibalism. I like cannibalism. Did I mention that?
Thank you for coming to my mostly-organized and free-of-tangents TED rant!
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