The Real Monster in Horror Media: Stereotype
Horror entertainment, a genre that heavily relies on the use of stereotypes to generate fear and suspense, perpetuates negative beliefs about marginalized groups, leading to further marginalization and discrimination. Despite being a popular genre that explores societal fears and influences cultural beliefs and opinions, horror media has a long history of perpetuating harmful stereotypes that have tangible effects on vulnerable communities. This ethical issue brings into question the impact of media representation on societal opinions and the responsibility of creators to challenge harmful stereotypes. This essay examines the most recurring stereotypes in horror entertainment, including the negative portrayal of mental illness and disability, the role of white-dominant culture in perpetuating harmful beliefs, and the responses of marginalized communities. Moreover, horror media has also served to perpetuate harmful stereotypes of women, as well as caricatures of queer and gender non-conforming people and communities, particularly in early horror films and television. While some argue that horror’s use of stereotypes is not problematic, there are many documented instances of real-world damage done to those depicted negatively by these films. The horror genre can and should be made more ethical by actively challenging harmful stereotypes and promoting more diverse and inclusive storytelling practices.
Amongst the many stereotypes depicted, mental illness is a particular focus in horror, with the “crazy” or “dangerous” mentally ill person frequently used as a plot device. Disabled individuals are also portrayed as “helpless” burdens, adding to their marginalization. Horror films, books, TV shows, and video games not only reinforce negative stereotypes about mental illness and disability but also people of color. Horror media frequently depicts racial tropes, including the “exotic” and “mystical” person of color, which not only encourages false and harmful notions about oppressed groups but also further marginalizes and stigmatizes these communities. One particular stereotype that goes unnoticed often is the perpetuation of the myth of Manifest Destiny. Through popular media, the extermination of indigenous peoples is exacerbated by the frequent portrayal of Indigenous Americans and Black Americans as brutish and uncivilized. (Pilgrim) The genocide of Native Peoples and other oppressed groups was even praised in some horror fiction, which helped to reinforce negative preconceptions and attitudes about these populations. The impact of these inaccurate representations of oppressed and disadvantaged communities should be acknowledged by both those who make and consume horror media, and efforts should be made to advance more accurate and respectful depictions of these groups. It’s also important in representing these communities that there is significantly more representation among the actors, writers, directors, and crew that create horror films. There is still a long way to go before there is equitable casting and work available for filmmakers of color, and horror is no exception.
One of the most iconic and early portrayals of the “psycho killer” in a horror film is seen in the 1960 film Psycho, which depicts the main antagonist and murderer Norman Bates suffering from symptoms of multiple different psychiatric conditions. According to Ryley Mancine’s analysis of the film’s impact on public perception, Bates was depicted as displaying many signs and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder (DID). Because of a lack of proper representation or public knowledge, Bates’ symptoms of disorganized thoughts and delusions were believed by audiences to accurately represent schizophrenia. According to Mancine, “As a result, audiences generalized the two disorders as one. Psycho portrayed a psychiatric condition coupled with a new, heightened level of violence… which perpetuated negative stereotypes of violence by psychiatric patients.” (Mancine) Other examples of similar stereotypes in media include the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, 2016’s Split, as well as TV shows like American Horror Story, books and musicals like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and video games like The Inpatient and Outlast. These pieces of media all portray stereotypes of mental illness, mental health disorders, and mental health treatment. They reinforce the ideas that people who suffer from mental illness are dangerous or violent, two-sided or evil, or helpless and incapable. These pieces of media do this by negligently portraying the perpetrator of violence and crime, portraying symptoms of mental illness as signs of a murderer or violent individual, or using outdated language or visual representation of illness or treatment. This perpetuation of harmful stereotypes A study by Brand et. al (2016) about the perpetuation of myths surrounding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) states not only that there are many common myths and misunderstandings about the disorder, but that they impede healthcare professionals’ understanding of the disorder. As well, Brand continues to state, “The cost of ignorance about DID is high not only for individual patients but for the whole support system in which they reside.” This perpetuation of harmful stereotypes of these disorders has real-world consequences and further marginalizes already vulnerable groups. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a rare mental health condition caused by trauma, and people with the disorder mustn’t be isolated or discouraged to seek treatment, but some horror media portrayals may do just that.
Alongside the negative portrayal of mental health and illness, historically, gender and sexuality have been a point of contention. Tropes surrounding women in horror include characters like the Virgin or the Final Girl, while whole film genres have emerged like the Psycho-Biddy, common in the sixties and seventies. Often, women are portrayed as the first victims, while others end up as the final survivor. One example of this is Halloween’s final girl Laurie Strode, which exemplifies the good vs. bad woman dichotomy of the traditional final girl trope, “while her peers tend to be portrayed as bimbos, mean girls, superficial popular girls, and promiscuous women, the final girl is depicted as morally superior. [She] was always a virgin or showed no interest in sex. She’s resourceful, intelligent, clever, and usually brunette.” (Marshall) Laurie, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is a bookworm, straying away from her more promiscuous peers to be rule-following and studious. While she is seen smoking marijuana once during the movie, she chokes, and it only goes further to depict her innocence or inexperience with promiscuity. The other women in the movie who fall victim to the killer are much more promiscuous than Laurie, seen smoking, drinking, and having sex before being murdered. This aligns with a study done by Cowen and O’Brien (1990) where though there were more female survivors of attacks in horror movies, “sexiness was paired with nonsurvival of female victims,” (Cowen and O’Brien) further encouraging how violence against sexual women is often seen as deserved or brought on by the victim. As described by Linz et al. (1988) in their study, The Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Violent and Sexually Degrading Depictions of Women, slasher films of all kinds are “sexually violent films” that contain “scenes of explicit violence primarily directed toward women, often occurring during or juxtaposed to mildly erotic scenes.” Along with these violent and often sexually charged depictions of women in horror media, queer and transgender characters’ treatment isn’t any better. As stated by Lucy J Miller, the most common depiction of transgender people in a horror film is “that of a transgender woman with [a] knife raised high, ready to plunge it into the unsuspecting body of a victim.” (Miller, 40) This “trans-coded antagonist” can be seen in the previously discussed Psycho, Dressed to Kill, The Silence of the Lambs, and Sleepaway Camp. (Kisner) Though many pieces of horror media have an overwhelmingly queer fan-base, such as the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House Series, What We Do In The Shadows, and even video games like Dead by Daylight, many more pieces of media from the same time serve to demonize and further isolate queer viewers.
First seen in the 1979 horror film The Amityville Horror, the “Indian burial ground trope” is a plot point used in supernatural horror in which when a building or individual is cursed or haunted by desecrating or disrespecting “Indian burial grounds.” A building built on these lands is haunted and residents are terrorized, or an individual who disturbs a sacred burial ground is cursed until they placate the spirits that rest there. This trope is described by Ariel Smith in her essay This Essay Was Not Written On Indian Burial Grounds (2014) by stating, “The Indian burial ground motif, heavily featured in horror film cycles of the 1970s and 1980s, is an example of how mainstream cinema renders Indigenous people both hyper-visible and invisible.” She argues that though the burial grounds are seemingly posed as the crux of the plot, they are hardly expanded upon, and the dominant culture, whiteness, is still centered. She questions whether or not this inconsequential discussion of the very real desecration of burial grounds is due to white guilt, as well as states that this dismissal is a perpetuation of the “trope of Indigenous people as vanishing or inconsequential”. (Smith) In an article authored by Eythen Anthony (2020), he discusses how horror media has a focus not on Native people, but on their mythology (similarly to the popular fictional stereotype of the “Magical Negro” or “The Myth of the Negro”). He centers media made by Native peoples as an attempt to offset the large number of movies made about Native Americans that do not acknowledge the racism that they face in reality. This kind of limited portrayal is harmful, representing and encouraging the genocide of Indigenous peoples and the widespread erasure of their culture, as discussed by Smith (2014). Anthony states, about non-Native filmmakers’ choices to center mythos and not humanity, “The refusal to explore the realities of Native Americans proves to be yet another example of the repeated degradation they face.” (2020) This kind of dehumanization through media mirrors and perpetuates significant, real-world genocide and the attempts at wide-spread erasure of Native people.
In addition to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes against Native Americans, horror media has also been responsible for perpetuating negative beliefs about Black Americans. The trope of the “Brute” caricature, which portrays Black men as innately savage and animalistic, has been present in horror movies and media since the early 20th century. This caricature of the “brute” is described as depicting Black men, “as innately savage, animalistic, destructive, and criminal — deserving punishment, maybe death… Black brutes are depicted as hideous, terrifying predators who target helpless victims, especially white women.” (Pilgrim) This stereotype portrays Black men as violent predators who target helpless victims, particularly white women, deserving punishment or even death. This has been extremely prevalent in all forms of media, from books to TV shows and video games for over a century. Innumerable instances of racial violence have been leveraged against individuals framed as “brutes” as defined by these stereotype-riddled media pieces. As Dr. David Pilgrim, Professor of Sociology, states for the Jim Crow Museum, “How many lynchings and race riots have resulted from false accusations of rape and murder leveled against so-called black brutes?” In many cases, horror movies have perpetuated this stereotype by depicting Black characters as perpetrators of violence and crime. One example of this is the Blaxploitation horror film genre of the 1970s, which allowed some input of Black creatives, but was ultimately forced to conform to white ideas of media and the constraints of stereotype. (Benshoff) The 1973 film “Scream Blacula Scream,” for instance, depicted an African prince who becomes a vampire and terrorizes a Black community. Similarly, the trope of the “Magical Negro” in horror media is a manifestation of racial stereotypes that serves to reinforce existing prejudices. The character is often depicted as an older, wise figure who provides knowledge and assistance to the white protagonist. However, this character is also sometimes portrayed as inherently violent or dangerous, further perpetuating harmful stereotypes. One instance of this is in the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, where the Black protagonist is mistaken for a zombie and shot by white police officers, highlighting the pervasive fear and suspicion of Black people, even those seen as “upstanding” in American society. Anti-Black Racism fueled by the idea that Black Americans are inherently violent or dangerous has been a significant issue in American culture for centuries. Stereotypes of Black individuals have been a staple of white-created and consumed media, from the “Sambo” tropes, Minstrel entertainment, “Mammy” or “Jezebel” tropes to the “Brute” and “Savage” characters depicted in horror media. (Green) Media is and has been a visible perpetrator of racist ideals and stereotypes, but even in modern horror, equity and understanding aren’t always present.
In light of the harmful impact of horror media on marginalized groups, it is imperative that we recognize the pervasive nature of damaging stereotypes and actively work to dismantle them. As the horror genre progresses, it is crucial that it takes a discerning approach to its previous usage of damaging tropes and instead incorporates more ethical storytelling methods. The assertion that these tropes are benign or simply a customary component of the genre disregards the genuine and extensive ramifications of perpetuating negative stereotypes. It is more than possible to make horror media that does not rely on or reinforce stereotypes but instead works to dismantle them and uplift those affected. Horror Director Jordan Peele’s body of work serves as a testimony to the potential of horror narrative when it is undertaken with attentiveness and consideration. Through Peele’s depictions of Blackness, racism, and non-stereotypical horror tropes, he has transformed the genre and demonstrated the significant impact that horror can have in facilitating conversations about harmful depictions in horror media. (Newby) As a genre with substantial cultural influence, it is our collective duty to use horror as a means of encouraging understanding and dismantling harmful stereotypes. In conclusion, it is our collective responsibility to demand more ethical horror narratives and to hold creators accountable for the impact of their storytelling. By challenging stereotypes and embracing diversity and inclusivity, we can harness the power of the horror genre to promote social justice and encourage meaningful conversations about the world we live in.
Sources Cited
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