What Would you Give for Your Kid Fears?

I just finished watching Sinister and managed to creep myself out.  It's not the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it certainly has its twitchy scenes. Now I'm jumpy and seeing stuff in the shadows. It's all so stupid because the monster in the movie only kills families with kids. I have no kids, unless you count the cats. I mean, I count them, but I doubt that monster would. He strikes me as a bigot on that way.

In a strange sort of way though, being scared over a movie like this is strangely comforting. Hell, even BEING in a situation where you're terrorized by some monster who looks like a heavy metal singer/pro wrestler is and has magical powers is strangely comforting. Monsters like that are simple. Scary, but simple. Once you realize they're more powerful than you, you can reach a kind of comfort at how your situation is going to end.

Horror of this nature is appealing to adults because we can escape into it and pretend like it's the worst thing that could happen. Zombipocalypse? Vampires? Demon who eats children? Pissed off ghosts? Aliens? All of these things are simple and easy compared to the fear of real life. I'd rather deal with zombies all day than deal with worrying about paying my bills. Vampires want to drink your blood, but they're not going to get you drunk, rape you, and then put it on the internet. Demons aren't actively campaigning to take away your rights and getting rid of pissed off ghosts is probably less messy than most people's divorces.

Reality is just so much more potentially horrifying than the movies. It just holds way too many pitfalls of broken down cars and lost love and being stuck in situations you don't know how to get out of. For adults, I think horror movies have become total wish fulfillment. "This problem is so simple that either I can defeat it using only my wits and basic skills OR it will kill me. Being dead will suck, but suck far less than a lot of the shit life is handing me right now."

And while I do know this is supremely depressing, I'm also not sure what can be done about it. Times are hard and we're a soul weary group. Give us some monsters to fight. It's a lot less stressful than figuring out tax code.