Creep Show
Can horror films help resolve my son's fears?
by Kevin Keck
October 27, 2008
I also know that society evolves. Miley Cyrus would have been hauled before the House Committee on Un-American Activities had she appeared on television in the 1950s in her quasi-provocative attire. What's not acceptable to one generation usually becomes part of the mainstream for the next. However, violence and fear — even the pretend kind — falls into a strange gray area.
My son truly loves Halloween, perhaps more so than even Christmas, and it seems impossible to separate some element of violence from Halloween. I mean, it is a holiday that celebrates the dead. And yet people do look askance at me in the video store when Gavyn requests to see a film that features, "people killing a lot of werewolves, 'cause they're the hardest monster to kill." I would like to think the wayward looks are because everyone knows that the Chupacabra is actually the most difficult creature to kill, but I can't help but feel thoroughly judged as someone out to warp his child's mind with violence and horror. I often wish to look at those pious people and say, "I tried the baseball. He thought it was a monster's eye," but I don't want to invite more condemnation into my life.
This time of year my son exhibits a similar excitement to those grown-ups equally ecstatic over the commencement of football season. He sees the Halloween knick-knacks and costumes appearing in the stores. He knows the weather is changing, and that soon everyone around him will be celebrating all the nightmarish ghouls that he indulges year-round.
We stood amidst an aisle of costumes in Target the other evening. Gavyn has already decided that he will be paying homage to zombies this year, but he likes to look at what's available, just for the pleasure of looking. There was a girl about Gavyn's age on the same aisle, arguing with her mother over her choice of attire for Halloween:
"But I want to be a witch!" she said, gritting her teeth at her mom.
My son truly loves Halloween, perhaps more so than even Christmas.
"Witches aren't nice. Don't you want to be a princess?"
The girl fixed a menacing gaze on her mother, and her voice sounded like a pixie version of Linda Blair in The Exorcist. "I hate princesses. I want to turn them all into goats!"
The mother looked up at me and then sighed. I suspect had I not been there, her daughter would have been treated to a different response altogether. When I looked around, Gavyn was gone.
I found him on the next aisle, biting his fingernails and looking panicked.
"We need to go. That girl scares me. I think she could really turn her mom into a goat."
"Maybe," I say, taking his hand, "but not us."
We walked along, passing by the hardware section.
"Can you kill a witch with a shovel?" he asked.
"No, but you can kill them with a house."
"Is there a movie about that?"
"Well, Gavyn," I said, "you just happen to be in luck."
Article photo: Shanon Poole
©2008 Kevin Keck and Babble
About the Author
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Kevin Keck is the author of the memoir Are You There God? It's Me. Kevin., and a collection of personal essays, Oedipus Wrecked. Visit him at www.thekeck.com.
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