Today's movies still have some of those things, which is natural and right (inasmuch as one can call a zombie "natural"). I have no problem with the Japanese obsession over angry spirits that has led to such terrifying movies as "The Grudge" and "The Ring", because ghosts are scary. Well, with the exception of Casper the "Friendly" Ghost - more like Casper the *Stalker* Ghost, really. Have you seen that movie?
But who decided that children, their toys, and their nursery rhymes should be the theme for horror films? Why is there a fixation with making innocence creepy? I guess ghosts weren't scary enough; no, Steven King had to invent murderous shape-shifting clowns. Throwing Tim Curry in the mix just added to the terror. And who needs a lame ol' zombie when you can be terrorized by The Children of the Corn or alien hybrid kids from The Village of the Damned (another reason to idolize Christopher Reeve).
I shouldn't have to be afraid of blond kids! It makes me a little sad that I can't think of The Lord's Prayer or Mary Had a Little Lamb without a teeny shudder; that whenever I see clowns or life-size dolls, I wonder whether they might be plotting to kill me. I say: Down with the creepifying of things formerly innocent! Let's have a return to being scared of things that are scary in their own rights, like skeletons and monsters and Kevin Bacon.
6 comments:
I'm glad that "Ghost Dad" made the collage. Sure it was *supposed* to be funny...
Don't forget Britney Spears on that list of things we should be afraid of--especially on those days she "forgets" to wear underwear, shudder, shudder.
Oh it's so true. Britney = possible more terrifying that Kevin Bacon!
Also, Ghost Dad may be cute in concept or whatever, but Bill Cosby? Now there's a man to be nervous around!
I wanted to point out that clowns are not innocent, but rather are inherently creepy. This is from my source of great knowledge, Wikipedia, “Coulrophobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns…It is common among children, but is also sometimes found in teenagers and adults as well. Sufferers sometimes acquire a fear of clowns after having a bad experience with one personally, or seeing a sinister portrayal of one in the media. A design study carried out by the University of Sheffield found that children are frightened by clown-themed décor in hospitals.” One of my co-workers admitted to being traumatized by a collection of clowns given to him by his grandmother. His mother made him display them in his room. It explains a lot really.
Okay, I'll give you clowns. Even though I absolutely LOVED the circus when I finally got to go, individual clowns are somewhat insidious and alarming.
But blond kids? Nursery rhymes? WHY?
uuuuh - the orphanage. you are truly a prophetess.
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