Referred to it in his article “The Paradox of Horror” as the “enjoyment theory,” this idea asserts that a people are attracted to horror simply because they can enjoy being scared and disgusted. This theory also explains how the genre has as its self-conscious aim, the production of fear and disgust in its audience, and it has become increasingly sophisticated and successful in achieving this end. I believe this is exactly right. People who love to watch horror movies, enjoy that activity because of the pleasure the film offers them. Nevertheless, in order for a person to enjoy fear or an experience that scares them, they necessarily have to be mentally strong. Otherwise, horror would turn into a terrifying experience with no aesthetic pleasure whatsoever, disallowing the audience to feel in control due to the lack of separation of fear from the experience, making it too real for
Referred to it in his article “The Paradox of Horror” as the “enjoyment theory,” this idea asserts that a people are attracted to horror simply because they can enjoy being scared and disgusted. This theory also explains how the genre has as its self-conscious aim, the production of fear and disgust in its audience, and it has become increasingly sophisticated and successful in achieving this end. I believe this is exactly right. People who love to watch horror movies, enjoy that activity because of the pleasure the film offers them. Nevertheless, in order for a person to enjoy fear or an experience that scares them, they necessarily have to be mentally strong. Otherwise, horror would turn into a terrifying experience with no aesthetic pleasure whatsoever, disallowing the audience to feel in control due to the lack of separation of fear from the experience, making it too real for