Skip to main content

Why do people enjoy watching horror movies?

Per www.the-numbers.com, here's a breakdown of gross revenues generated by movie genre from 1995 to 2015:

  1. Comedy - $39.4 billion (22.1% market share)
  2. Adventure - $38.9 billion (21.8% market share)
  3. Action - $30.6 billion (17.1% market share)
  4. Drama - $30.2 billion (16.9% market share)
  5. Thriller/Suspense - $15.2 billion (8.58% market share)
  6. Romantic Comedy - $9.2 billion (5.18% market share)
  7. Horror - $8.0 billion (4.50% market share)
  8. Musical - $1.9 billion (1.07% market share)
  9. Documentary - $1.8 billion (1.06% market share)
I'm so glad to see Comedy atop the list, as it's far and away my favorite movie genre. My second choice would be Action, which sits comfortably in third place with a hefty $30 billion.

What I found most surprising is that the Horror category has taken in $8 billion over the 20-year span. 

"Why?" you might ask.

Going back to my early childhood, I have never been a fan of gory movies, and that includes even the most popular slasher films (Friday the 13th, Michael Myers, Freddy, etc.) Not only do I become squeamish at the sight of blood, head-chopping, and anything remotely pertaining to demons, but I find watching such movies serves little purpose.

As I see it, there are enough murders and rapes taking place in the world we live. Why must I witness such content on film when my whole purpose for going to the movies is to escape reality?

I suppose some people just get a kick out of seeing serial killers go at it and eventually witnessing good prevail over evil (as is the case with action- and adventure-based movies). 

Still, I would much rather go to the movies to turn of my brain and watch a goofball comedy. It's been said that laughing helps you live longer, and there's nothing like cracking to the point of shedding tears. I would think that Horror movies have the opposite effect, causing one's blood pressure to go up, not letting a person sleep at night, etc.  

What's your take on this? 
Labels:

Comments

James Mason said…
Loved this. Perhaps gluttons for punishment? :-) Touching their fears, feeling them for a while. The aphobic seeker. What is the psychological value of Halloween? Great stuff here. Glad to have found you. Thanks for the follow Jeff. Got you bookmarked. :-)
May 6, 2015 at 10:25 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Women vs. Men: Who likes to backstab more?

Whether it's on TV or in the workplace, the general consensus seems to be that women gossip, backstab, and stir up more conflict than men do. But, as with every other topic, I thought it only fair to put this so-called stereotype under the microscope. If you watch reality shows like Celebrity Apprentice, you'll notice it's the women who spend far more time bickering. While the men do at times become embroiled in tit for tat, it's the women who are portrayed as meaner and more hostile. In the workplace, I have noticed that women seem to gossip far more than their male counterparts. I haven't really seen any cases where a person blatantly backstabs the other, but I have caught both men and women in little white lies. If it is true that women are generally more into backstabbing and gossiping than men, why is this the case? I believe that it isn't fair to make a blanket statement like "all women play these games while all men keep to themselves and pre...
1 comment
Read More

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it?  After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...
6 comments
Read More

Men prefer to marry brunettes

Study after study shows that men prefer blondes as girlfriends or mistresses and brunettes as wives . It seems many men see brunettes as more trustworthy and loyal. What's more, even though participants claimed that blondes are better in bed, they feel brunettes are better kissers and more affectionate than blondes. I find these results to be rather interesting. In my high school and early college days, I actually had a preference for blondes myself -- that is, until I hooked up with my now-wife. From that point on, I deemed brunettes as more attractive and marriage material, probably because they reminded me of and more closely resembled her. I think we can blame Hollywood, shows like Baywatch, and Playboy for painting blondes as wild, big chested, promiscuous and loose. (Yes, I know that there are brunettes in Playboy, but they seem to be in the minority.) When someone tells a man to think of an attractive blonde, who do you think likely crosses his mind? More likely than...
Post a Comment
Read More