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SUNDAY, August 21, 2022

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Shock value is overrated

Namreen Shaiyaz
Sun Aug 21, 2022 06:29 PM Last update on: Sun Aug 21, 2022 07:21 PM

P sychological thrillers and horror content exist to strike fear

within its viewers, which is generally an emotion most people try
to avoid. However, some seek it for the rush of excitement it can
provide. Different forms of media can employ unique ways of going
about this, but perhaps the most common method is using shock
value. In short, shock value can be defined as anything which
forcefully induces negative emotions or reactions, and in this case,
it's to scare people. In the case of such movies, it's usually in the
form of either violence or jump scares.

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However, shock value can be overdone, and it gets to the point

where the fear in exchange for the thrill doesn't feel worth it.
Eventually, it can become a very grating experience. For example,
movies like the Evil Dead franchise or the Guinea Pig series are
chock full of jump scares and gore. Even though they are marketed
towards the more seasoned viewers, they too can feel queasy by
such films. Also, not all horror enthusiasts have such high
tolerance for violent content and can find them triggering. This can
alienate certain horror fans, as they may feel like they are missing
out because they cannot tolerate such extreme content.

Regular viewing of such content can have a detrimental effect on

mental health as well. People may become more paranoid or
anxious, which can affect their daily lives. Additionally, research
has shown that watching violent media can increase aggressive
behaviour as it weakens the activity of the brain network
responsible for suppressing such emotions.

Furthermore, it can be argued that any form of media that is not

dependent on shock value can be more effective in inducing fear.
Every horror fan has at least heard of The Blair Witch Project, if
they haven't watched it already. The movie is not graphic at all, and
has no jump scares. Yet, it is still considered terrifying because of
how perfectly it sets up a horrifying atmosphere through using
only found-footage style of filming and the nuanced, off-screen
horror elements. Another famous movie that unintentionally
achieves this is Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Despite how the name
sounds, the film is not actually very bloody or gory, as the director
wished for it to have a PG rating. Much of the violence is left up to
the viewers' imagination, which ended up making it even more
terrifying.

An underrated feature of horror or thriller movies is the sense of

satisfaction they provide. Instead of simply describing everything
going on in a graphic or expository way, the creator can sprinkle
hints throughout and let the viewers piece the story together by
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themselves. Books like Stephen King's Carrie, Gillian Flynn's Gone

Girl, are two very popular horror and psychological thriller books
respectively that fall under this umbrella. They use unique
storytelling methods over outright stating exactly what happens,
and allow the readers to unravel the plot. Even if the endings
themselves are not happy, they do leave the readers with the
gratification of being able to figure out the story.

Psychological thrillers and horror can be the source of some of the

most emotionally-stimulating content. Even though shock value is
the most popular way of conveying this, maybe we should rethink
the effect it has on us, and that there are better ways to consume
such media.

References:

ScienceDaily (December 10, 2007). This is your brain on violent

media.

Screen Rant (January 26, 2020). Why the Texas Chainsaw

Massacre wasn't bloody or gory.

Namreen is sick and tired. Send a reminder that life goes on at

namreen.shaiyaz@gmail.com

Related topic

yo u t h / H o r r o r / T h r i l l e r

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