After All Is Said And Done...

[dotinthesky]

Most girls and women I know hate horror movies. I'd say almost all women don't like horror and make a point of never watching scary movies. It's also interesting to notice that almost all good scary movies (slashers included) have a female protagonist who goes through hell, is traumatized, sees all her friends/family die, before she manages to defeat the monster and survive. A lot of them end up in psychiatric wards afterwards.

My question: are most women turned off by horror because they feel, when watching these movies, that they are being called upon to relate to the main character and go through her ordeal?

In contrast, men don't seem to mind horror. I quite like a scary movie. But, if you look at the victim's list, men seem to die in the following manner:

- very quickly
- having sex with someone very hot
- saving the heroine/protagonist

And what about women who do enjoy watching horror? Are they smarter, or stronger, and can enjoy the genre without getting subconsciously sucked into it? Are they survivers themselves in real life, thus the movie parallels real traumas they suffered in life?

Comments

[sbeth76.livejournal.com]

I used to hate them. Like I couldn't even watch Silence of the Lambs all the way through. My Mom said that my mind was a beautiful garden and I should be careful about who I let in there because some people will plant flowers and others will leave their trash all over the place.

About 5 years ago I dated a straight edge boy and he wouldn't make a move so we would watch horror movies so that I could squeal and we could cuddle. We watched the classics. Children of the Corn. Carrie.

I watched some Dario Argento movies and they are fucking cool. I love the soundtracks and the fashion and the sets.

I don't know why I watch them now. I feel dirty sometimes after I see them. I close my eyes and I see the images and I'm afraid!

yeah. uh. huh.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Do you think the change happened when you hit puberty?

[sbeth76.livejournal.com]

no no! long after! When I was 22.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Do you mind me asking you when you lost your virginity? In case you haven't... maybe there was some kind of frustrated relationship then?

(please forgive my beginner's psychoanalysis but I'm really curious about women's reactions to horror movies.)

=)

[sbeth76.livejournal.com]

ha ha
I don't mind. You can read about it in my valentine's day post for this year. Click on my calendar to find it - it was on feb 14.
I think I say my age. I was young.

I find the psychoanalysis amusing, being a behavior psychology afficianado.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

then you must know more than me! You must be sniggering at my attempts.

:)

I'll go check it out.

[sbeth76.livejournal.com]

no not at all - besides, behavioral psychology is NOT psychoanalysis

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

is there a particular school of behavioral psychology that you follow?