Copyright 2018 by Gary L. Pullman
In times past, horror writers often created monsters
to represent "the other," that type of individual or group
that was outside the norm or otherwise different from the members of
the status quo.
Minority groups, people who lived alternate
lifestyles, foreigners, individuals who subscribed to minority
political views, poor folks, mentally ill persons, and others whose
views, values, behavior, or even melanin levels didn't accord with
the rest of "us" became the "them" whom the rest
of "us" demonized; they were often the monsters who
populated horror fiction, albeit in a modified, symbolic form.
Fortunately, for the most part, this type of
demonization is rare now. We can only hope it vanishes completely.
Meanwhile, what seems to be taking the place of these
traditional, admittedly racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, and
otherwise repugnant "villains" seems to be animals (the pit
bull in Bullet Head), a
sniper (Downrange),
ghosts (Winchester), parents (Mom & Dad),
a computer (Unfriended: Dark Web and
Upgraded), a demon (Piewacket),
a psychotic doll (Cult of Chucky),
kidnappers (House on Willow Street),
a dollmaker (Anabelle: Creation),
and any number of other monsters, human and otherwise. The variety of
villains shows that “the other” as a source for monsters is not
necessary; there are plenty of other roots of potential villainy from
which to draw. In fact, these alternative sources are limited only by
the imagination. And that's a good thing.
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