Guest Speakers: Amber Anthony, Penelope Flynn, Derek Austin Johnson, Michelle Renee Lane
*Content warning – Mature themes*
Why do Horror and Erotica mix so well together in fiction?
There is the build up of anticipation, the moment of impact, and the fallout thereafter, which reflects two sides of the same coin. Both Erotica and Horror elicit a visceral response from the scenes that unfold. In real world terms, some people are terrified by BDSM, while others find it titillating.
In the “Psycho” movie (1960), Marion Crane steps into her shower and is attacked by a mysterious figure lurking behind the curtain. In this pivotal moment, would you expect her to be sexually assaulted or stabbed with a knife? Another shared commonality between Horror and Erotica is the fear of being alone, and a state of vulnerability.
Freud delves into these concepts in his essay regarding Eros (Love/Sex) and Thanatos (Death) as fundamental drives behind the human psyche. Another psychologist, Friedrich Nietzsche is known for one of his famous quotes “Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
What does it mean to ‘climb into bed’ with a monster? Or skate along the razor’s edge? A ‘monster’ may mean one thing to some people, but is interpreted altogether differently by others. Vampires, though often used, embody the combination of fear and lust. Many of us are in-between hybrids, based on our own experiences. Every one of us has a monster within, lurking beneath the surface. If something terrible happens in your life, and you choose to empower yourself as a result – do you kill off a part of yourself? Compartmentalize your mind in order to adapt?
Eroticism and Horror, at their core, are about transformation. When does the grotesque become beautiful? When you’re in the presence of an alluring and terrifying creature, is there anything that makes you feel self-conscious or uneasy around them – such as a siren?
However, when the prey willingly succumbs to the monster, it’s not marketed as horror, but rather a love story. There is a variation of Beauty and the Beast, where the man in the sewers is a vigilante on behalf of the city. He stumbles across a beautiful lawyer who was attacked and raped. While he tends to her wounds, he refuses to let her see him, and slowly, she falls in love.
What monsters do you find to be exquisite? Are there other shared traits between Horror and Eroticism that we haven’t touched upon? Are there aspects within your deeper, darker self that both scare and entice you? Let me know in the Comments Section below!
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Featured Image: https://www.kidzworld.com/article/1850-sirens/
Interesting perspective. I’ve read that many people can’t tell the difference between fear/excitement and arousal. Imagine a story where a frustrated super villain becomes america’s next top model because everyone is so attracted to him they completely ignore the crimes. No matter how awful he is, people laugh it off as him being cute or quirky but oh so hot.