When off shift, I like to catch a movie or two. When I watch a movie, I enjoy it more if I can empathize with one of the characters. I imagine myself in his situation: solving a crime, having sex with that bimbo, wearing a leotard while battling injustice and what ever else. (scratch wearing a leotard) It's hard to enjoy a movie if I can't relate to how the characters are feeling, even if they are quite different from me. That's normal right?
So how the hell does one explain the popularity of horror movies?
There are only two kinds of characters in a horror flick: the victims who are dying of horrible deaths, and the psychopaths that are doing the killing. My problem with those movies is that I automatically empathize with the victims, and I can feel their pain. When a character gets impaled with a sharp object, I imagine what that would feel like. I think it would hurt. So, I steer clear of horror movies. Yet millions of people enjoy this type of entertainment. Here's a frightening little question of the day: Who are horror movie fans empathizing with?
So, I did a poll on the guys at the station. Their answers by a landslide, they empathize with the killer and some mentioned that they imagine themselves as the killer... thinking how cool it would be to disembowel some cocky teenagers. Jeezus-fricken-christ!!!! And to think, these guys here at the station look like normal people.
I wonder how many times while on shift that I have had to give direction to someone, and they stand there looking at me thinking 'It sure would be fun to drive a spike through the Lieutenant's forehead and make a vest from his skin.' It probably happens more often than I'd like.
Do you enjoy horror movies? If so, what the heck is wrong with you?
╔════════════════╗
Lieutenant
╚════════════════╝
