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American Horror Story and Philosophy- Horror Can Be Great Drama

Madison Berry H-02: Tues 10-9-18

Read: AHS and Philosophy Chapter 6

In 2011, the American public’s view of entertainment was completely shifted by the airing of the controversial, edgy show American Horror Story (Imbd). While the seasons are continuous, each of the seasons creates an individual “horror story”. Each season tells the story of a set of characters, most of whom probably die, in settings that are traditionally associated with terrible tragedies or deaths. The seasons so far, in order, are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freakshow, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, and Apocalypse (watch the trailer) which is currently airing. My post revolves around a book in the Pop Culture and Philosophy series, American Horror Story and Philosophy which covers the seasons up until Roanoke. I will mainly be focusing on the philosophic conclusions found in the chapter “Horror Can Be Great Drama” and how American Horror Story can be related back to Aristotle’s Poetics.

In Aristotle’s Poetics, the ideal form of a drama is described. Evan Kreider explains how modern entertainment producers unintentionally follow this form in today’s entertainment. The shows that fail to follow it, often do not successfully capture the audience.

The Poetics describes the six main attributes of a drama:

1.          Plot- the story
2.      Character- individuals with moral character
3.      Thought- intentions of characters
4.         Style- rhythm of speech
5.          Lyrics- music
6.          Spectacle- visual elements

American Horror Story successfully follows the most important guidelines: plot, character, thought. The most prominent element on the show is spectacle. American Horror Story is well known for its gory, explicit scenes in nearly every episode. The show managed to become prominent in today’s popular culture through this spectacle combined with the characters that remind the audience of themselves. In the very first season, the story centers around a normal, upper-middle-class family torn apart by infidelity and seeking a new start across the country. However, things quickly go wrong with the presence of ghosts, murders, and demons. The family is ultimately the victim of a haunted house. However, despite this trope being remade over and over, the show quickly became known as something completely new and different.

Despite all the horrific events that occur through this season, no character is purely evil. The teenage mass murderer cannot even remember his crimes and just wants to help the original lady of the house. The bitter mistress hunting for her lover’s wife’s unborn baby was abandoned then killed while carrying her own child. The original lady of the house is lost and seeking her disfigured baby. The seductive maid was murdered for having a forced affair with her employer’s husband. The audience is put into a position to understand the actions of each character.

As Kreider states, Aristotle would have definitely approved of the American Horror Story culture. The stories are much shorter than other similar shows, and Kreider appoints this as one of the main advantages of the show. American Horror Story remains unrivaled in the uniqueness of the production and plot.

Questions:

1.  What are two elements of a drama?

2. What is one of the most important elements?

3.  What did Aristotle write Poetics about?

4.  Why are the characters so powerful?

Discussion Qs:

·   Why would the creators of the show create horrible characters that the audience still manages to feel empathy for?

·   Why would such an old text apply to such a modern show?

·   How does spectacle contribute to a show such as this?

·   What role does evoking pity play in the horror genre?