I have an obsession with serial killers. I read about them online, watch "Dexter" and other crime TV shows, and constantly tell others about serial killers. I promise I am normal, but I know my obsession is really weird. However, I am obviously not alone in my obsession, proven by the prevalence of the serial killer in American pop culture.
Albert Fish. Hannibal Lector. Ted Bundy. Dexter. In slasher films, crime shows such as “Law and Order SVU”, or even television shows such as “Dexter”, the idea of a serial killer fits right in with the portrayal of violent figures in Pop Culture including gangsters, spies, vigilantes and the like. Not only are fictional serial killers prevalent in American pop culture, but the media also obsesses over real life serial killers such as Albert Fish or Charles Manson, with multiple documentaries and books about these real life horror movie characters. However, some opponents of violence in the media suggest that such prevalence has desensitized the public to violence, and could possibly even cause admiration for such acts. But is this really possible? In horror movies, with what character does the audience empathize with, the killer? No, they empathize with the victims. So, the real question is: why is it that we as a society are obsessed with such characters? If we love horror movies, yet empathize with the victims, does our obsession just stem from a desire to feel fear? It may very well be the simple fact that like sex, violence sells. Perhaps it is as simple as that for most, but for me it is not. I cannot watch horror movies, but I obsess over their characters. I read about serial killers online, but only those with female victims. I have a paranoid fear of serial killers, yet I am obsessed with them. Why is it that I am obsessed with serial killers? Perhaps my motive is the same as the rest of the world; I want to feel fear. But if that is true, why don’t I watch horror movies? The extent of my horror movie experience is watching the trailers whenever they come on television. Well, it is actually watching the first two seconds of horror movie trailers before I run out of the room with my eyes covered. Why do I have this obsession with violence and serial killers but can’t watch movies featuring them? Perhaps my obsession comes not from my desire to feel fear but my paranoia. Perhaps I obsess over serial killers as a subconscious form of self protection: if I am an expert about my fear, than I can recognize it and avoid it in real life. I really am not sure, and throughout the duration of this assignment, I still have not been able to pinpoint why exactly I have this obsession or the reason it is so specific. However, I did come to one conclusion while on this project; I really want this book.
Victoria G.
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Clearly you came up with more wonderings and questions as you wrote this and never resulted in a conclusive answer (besides that book that you want) and I actually like that about your blog. It is also pretty honest, both to the reader and to yourself. Maybe we feel the need for some sort of adrenalin rush, or maybe we feel that if we know about them (from Law and Order) we might be able to protect ourselves from them.
ReplyDelete-Tori
Your post was really interesting to me because i have a fascination with serial killers myself. I actually have that book, my friend lent it to me and i never gave it back. I like that you explore why you are so obsessed with the topic. I know at least for me, I'm really obsessed with the psychology behind it because it's so hard for me to understand how someone could do such horrific things.
ReplyDeleteI thought it might have been cool if you explained more about why serial killers are part of pop culture, you explain a lot about why violence is a part of pop culture but not so much about serial killers in particular.
I thought this essay was really interesting because I never even thought that serial killers were prevalent in pop culture, but they are! I thought you asked a lot of really engaging questions, that I found myself responding to. I think there are a lot of movies where characters actually do empathize with the killer (in shows like Dexter). Maybe you could talk more about this in another post, but overall I thought your post was good because it raised a lot of questions in me as well.
ReplyDeleteSophia N.
Your post really intrigued me. Your paper is a great representation of a window and mirror paper, because I got the meaning out of the post that you want to portray, and I also learned about some of the things that I am obsessed with. I would like it if you explained why serial killers are such a big part of pop culture today. Other than that, your paper flowed really well, and I really liked some of the points that you made, like your reflexive question, "If we love horror movies, yet empathize with the victims, does our obsession just stem from a desire to feel fear?" because I could use this question to learn more about myself.
ReplyDeleteThis blog raises a couple of interesting questions. From what I have read, many people enjoy the adrenaline rush from horror films. You get to feel the rush of the fear, but part of you knows you are safe. The same is true for action films. I personally never see horror films any more. Another question is fascination with the forbidden and with people who break the rules and get away with it. Americans have always seemed to romanticize lawlessness and gangsters. It seems to be part of our frontier history. But then there is a moral question about whether the popularization of violence actually perpetuates it -- a pretty important question in light of events like school shootings like Columbine and Virginia Tech. What do others think?
ReplyDeleteI used to read a lot of true crime books, way too much. Then I started having persistent nightmares, and fears that I considered to be unhealthy. I have stopped watching horror movies, and reading these books for many reasons. Mainly that I was putting a lot of crap into my head that wasn't necessary. I watched this one movie, I can't even remember what it was now, where these men go into a home and torture, humiliate, rape, and kill a family. It was too much. I am haunted by it to this day because it was based on a true story, that is what bothered me the most. If I watched movies like Halloween, Jason, or whatever I thought they were just silly, but at the same time, still putting crap into my head. Reading the books was almost worst. I feel a little bit healthier now mentally that I don't feed into the obsession anymore. I never could relate to the killers or rapists, of course I felt sympathy and terror for their victims. Then I would feel angry towards the killers. Then I would wonder why I pointlessly fill my head with garbage that makes me angry. It is a helpless sort of anger, because there is nothing I could do about it. I am conflicted about violence in movies, tv, etc. There is obviously a lot of violence in our world. Of course the entertainment industry is going to reflect it, so I see it this way. If you watch it, and you know what it is, you are the only one responsible for putting that into your mind. I also stopped watching the news. Nothing is more depressing and negative, not to mention biased, than the news you will see on television. Well, that's my ramble for the day.
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