Looking at movies like "Freaks" or "American Horror Show", the question is how this concept can be understood in the context of 'freaks' and 'freakishness', whether it is sorely related to physical deformity, how this concept is expressed culturally, what "horror" is and how it works. Above all, there is the question of how 'freaks' and 'freakishness' are associated with horror. How they are supposed to generate fear in the viewer, and how this could be concretely illustrated by an example.
The series "American Horror Show: Freak Show" and the episode "Rosa Cubcakes" are approached from the perspective of these questions. In order to find basic answers to these questions, the first part of this work roughly deals with 'freaks' in American history and culture, terms are explained and the understanding of freaks and their representation in films is discussed. This is followed by a reference to monsters and their connection to the horror genre, which is outlined in its early development in America. In order to understand the effect of horror in films better, basic, typical film techniques of the horror genre are discussed. In the second part a short introduction of the series follows and then the analysis of the episode Rosa Cupcakes where the focus lies on the representation of 'freaks' and 'freakishness' with their connection to horror. Finally, the insights gained are related to the questions mentioned at the beginning and put into the overall context.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. About 'freaks', Monsters and the Horror Movie genre in American Culture
2.1 ‘Freaks’ in American History and culture
2.2 About the Horror movie genre and its relation to monsters in American culture
2.3 Techniques used to create horror in Horror Movies
3. The example of American Horror Story – Freak Show
3.1 The series American Horror Story – Freak Show
3.2 Analysis
4. Conclusion
5. References
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper explores the cultural and historical construction of 'freaks' and 'freakishness' and investigates how these concepts are utilized as elements of horror within the television series American Horror Story: Freak Show.
- Historical evolution and cultural transformation of the term 'freak'
- The relationship between monsters, deviance, and the horror film genre
- Cinematic techniques employed to evoke fear, disgust, and suspense
- Analysis of 'freakishness' as both a physical attribute and a social construct
- The instrumentalization of vulnerability and 'otherness' in horror narratives
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Analysis
The depiction of ‘freaks' respectively 'freakishness' can be understood as based on two main level. Firstly, based on physical difference and secondly based on a “deviating” in social aspects, more concrete in sexual orientation and behavior, represented directly and indirectly which will be elaborated in greater detail in the following.
In the first scene (0:00-1:36) the director of the Musem of morbity presents "extraordinary human anomalies" as part of the exhibition "modern mutations" to the audience. While the curtain is being lifted a sudden noise underlines the unveiling scene when the "exhibited item", a dead person put in alcohol in a container which is illuminated from the ground that sets the body in a greenish light, is presented. The person suffered from Phocomelia a condition that involves malformations of human arms and legs and is tattooed all over his body. Since the words for introduction used by the director was the “Phocomelia” (1:24), it appears that 'freakishness' is pinned to the physical appearance in this case.
The relation to the horror genre can be understood in creating a “shocking moment” which is achieved by using typical motifs and film techniques that are characteristic to the horror genre. The fact that unless with historical “Freak Shows” where people were presented to the audience alive, the person presented in the scene is dead which gives a reference to the motif of death. Furthermore, lighting from below creates the so called chiaroscuro effect which is a typical lighting technique in Horror Films (Park, 2018, pp. 13-14) and creates a greenish light which in combination with the pale color of the dead skin can be interpreted as a reference to the motif of sickness. The Reflex technique is used for the moment when the curtain lifts, […] a sudden noise which to make the audience jump.“ (Park, 2018, p. 28) in order to create a shocking moment.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the theoretical framework of the monstrous and outlines the research objective, which focuses on the connection between 'freakishness' and the horror genre.
2. About 'freaks', Monsters and the Horror Movie genre in American Culture: This section details the etymological shift of the term 'freak' and discusses the historical development of the horror genre and the role of the monster in American film.
3. The example of American Horror Story – Freak Show: This chapter provides an overview of the series and a detailed analysis of specific scenes to assess how 'freakishness' and deviant behavior are instrumentalized to generate horror.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, confirming that 'freakishness' is staged as a form of social and physical deviance to fulfill the criteria of monstrosity and evoke fear.
5. References: This section lists the scholarly works, dictionaries, and primary sources used in the research.
Keywords
Freak, Freakishness, Horror, Monster, American Horror Story, Deviance, Monstrosity, Film Techniques, Chiaroscuro, Cultural Construct, Otherness, Phocomelia, Horror Genre, Voyeurism, Social Outcasts
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The paper examines how the concepts of 'freaks' and 'freakishness' are culturally constructed and subsequently utilized as effective tools to trigger horror in the American Horror Story series.
What are the core thematic areas?
The central themes include the history of 'freak shows', the psychological aesthetics of horror films, and the intersection between physical/social deviance and the concept of the monster.
What is the central research question?
The work attempts to answer how 'freaks' and 'freakishness' are explicitly associated with horror and by what means they generate fear in the audience.
What methodology is employed by the author?
The author combines a theoretical overview of horror film aesthetics with a qualitative analysis of specific scenes from the episode "Rosa Cupcakes" to see how cinematic techniques align with the representation of 'freaks'.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the etymology of 'freaks', the evolution of horror movie techniques (lighting, sound, makeup), and a dissection of how the show uses these elements to frame specific characters as objects of horror.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include 'freakishness', 'monstrosity', 'deviance', 'horror genre', and 'American Horror Story'.
How is the term 'freakishness' defined within the context of the analyzed show?
The author concludes that 'freakishness' is broadened beyond physical deformity to include social, sexual, and behavioral deviations that are perceived as threatening or 'unclassifiable' by society.
How does the author analyze the character Dandy Mott?
Dandy Mott is analyzed as an example of social and psychological 'freakishness', where his lack of empathy and sadistic violent behavior are framed by the series as a form of moral monstrosity.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2022, Freaks and Freakishness as an Element of Horror. The Example of "American Horror Story: Freak Show", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1395573
