I was mindlessly surfing the internet the other day and I came across a list of “parenting fails” on EbaumsWorld with this picture:
My first reaction was, “Hey! That was taken at HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis!” Then once my brain put together all of the pieces I felt a pang in my stomach. Apparently horror-loving parents are a bad thing? Maybe I’m in the wrong business.
I posted the picture on Facebook and a friend said, “Consider the source.” Absolutely. Ebaums World is a site whose sole purpose is to make its readers laugh. But the picture spoke volumes to me.
The sad truth is that, despite the fact that horror has become fairly mainstream (The Walking Dead, anyone?), the general public seems to think that watching people getting eviscerated (on film) might contribute to us being bad role models. It’s very hard for a lot of people to separate fact from fiction
Let’s go back to that picture for a second. It’s a guy in a Michael Myers mask and worksuit holding a baby, a baby who isn’t even looking at him. If the kid had seen him and was frightened, wouldn’t he be crying or fussing? He’s just a normal baby, unaffected by a mask. Even if that father is watching Halloween every night while he gives the baby its evening bottle, do you really think it’s going to affect him? Most likely not. I personally don’t know anyone who has vivid memories of any movies they were exposed to before age two.
When did you start watching horror movies? For me I was around three years old. One of my best friends Ben was four. His first horror film? Halloween. Ben now has two kids, ages four and seven. Neither of them have seen Halloween, but his daughter can play the Halloween theme on piano. His son William has yet to see any of the Friday the 13th franchise but can identify which mask was used in part 4 and which was used in part 6, because they are in his dad’s home office. Parents won’t bat an eye when their young child recites the alphabet or count to 20, but to be able to tell the difference between The Final Chapter Jason and Jason Lives is somehow bad parenting? Come on, that’s awesome! Someone who is not a horror nerd might compare that to a child who can religiously recite the names of all of the characters on Yo Gabba, Gabba! or a football loving parent hearing their child naming the entire starting lineup of their favorite team. See what I’m saying?
I guess the biggest reason this riled me up so much is because the person who wrote this list took one look at a picture of a baby being held by a guy in a horror mask and called it a bad parenting decision. As a lifelong horror fan who someday would love to make babies and would be ecstatic if her kids loved horror too, it hurts to see a horror parent passed judgment on so flippantly. That baby might grow up to hate horror. Maybe they’ll look back at this picture and think, “God, my dad was such a dork,” in the same way that some of you look at your Star Wars obsessed parents now. But if they become a casual horror fan or an outright horror zealot, why should it matter? Won’t it be amazing for them to grow up in a house where their interests are supported and fostered? When that kid is in his teens, he can point to that picture and show he’s been in the genre since he was a baby. Bragging rights for days!
I hope that the general public will come to realize that the passion we feel for horror is the same as any pop culture passion they may have. I invite them to visit a horror convention and see for themselves that horror fans are some of the warmest, most passionate and loving people you may ever meet. You’re likely to see as many kids as adults. I’ve yet to see a kid who is frightened by what they’re seeing. More often than not, kids at conventions are fascinated, not terrified. I’m not ashamed to admit I freak out more than most of the kids at conventions when a creepy clown walks by.
We all see something different when we look at a picture, read a book or watch a movie, and we all bring our own views and experiences to the table when we do it. What do you see when you look at this particular picture?
For more horror-loving kids, be sure to check out Ten Awesome Halloween Costumes for Kids of Serious Horror Movie Fans.