Tuesday, April 29, 2008

100 Facts about Elle #25

Or so. I haven't used this label since April 2007.

Okay. When I was younger, I loved horror movies. That was one of the things my cousin Tesha and I had in common. My sister--not so much. Tesha's sister--my cousin Trin--a big hell to the n-o. We couldn't even watch Unsolved Mysteries or that The Twilight Zone-like show (the name escapes me now) because the music scared Trin.

As I've gotten older, horror has pretty much lost it's appeal for me. When I try to explain why, I pretend that growing older made me wiser. "When you're young," I say, "it's fun and exciting to get scared in a setting that you know is safe." I also, at different times, claim not to like all the blood and gore (I really don't) and not to like suspense (I am impatient!). And I really did notice, like everyone else, that the token person of color gets axed pretty quickly in horror films.

But here, I will divulge the real reason for my recent lack of affection for the genre.

I watched The Ring. And my reaction to that film was much like my reaction to most others--I was unperturbed.

Until seven days later.

While lying in bed, I noticed a ring on the ceiling. My ass was scared.

What did it mean? From where did it come? I wouldn't get my ass up to explore--I was not about to be that disposable token.

So I lay there, terrified, for hours.

And then I realized, my printer was on and the power button was lit... the power button that had a circle on it.

I got up and turned that thing off and got my ass back under the covers.

And, yeah, pretty much since then, I no longer like horror movies.

9 comments:

RageyOne said...

I'm with your cousin, hell to the NO, about horror movies. I'm not so bad that I didn't like the music of various shows, I just don't like blood and guts or too much shooting. I do, however, enjoy suspense movies and will put up with shooting in those (even though I don't like and will hide my eyes and cover my ears).

Sorry, but I must laugh at your realization that "the ring" on your ceiling was from the printer. LOL! That is pretty funny.

Unknown said...

Never been a fan of horror movies either, personally. If I'm going to watch them, they have to have a wicked sense of humor, like "Shawn of the Dead," which is about as close as I get. Similar feeling about roller coasters--I can get through them, and have ridden them because other people insisted that I go with them (usually a girlfriend or my daughter), but I never enjoy them.

elle said...

You know what? I forgot Shawn of the Dead. I did enjoy that one.

Ragey, you're not the only one who laughed. My family thinks this story is hilarious!

docweasel said...

offtopic, but saw your comments on feministe re: re: the feministe Vogue bitching
If they were basketball fans, instead of women, they’d know that far from being a put up job by racist Vogue editors, LeBron probably made the face himself, naturally. Its one of his signature “grimaces” after he scores or makes a big play:
Lebron photo
that was on the first page of google images, I’ll wager there are 50 more where that came from. I’ve seen him do it dozens of times, and they don’t telecast Cavs games down here very often, I’m a transplanted Ohioan in Florida. He’s becoming such a big star, they might start, though, thankfully.

But still, if they want to make something out of nothing, or assign motives where they don’t exist, I’m sure this won’t stop them.

elle said...

Its one of his signature “grimaces” after he scores or makes a big play:

Hmmm... and Vogue editors decided that was a good look for him to have with a white woman in his arm. Does that mean he's "scored" with her? Is grabbing her a big play?

Now that you've told me how I should perceive things, and that women and basketball fans are two mutually exclusive groups, please feel free not to come back, 'kay?

Giftie Etcetera said...

Sorry to laugh at you, but that was damn funny!

I don't like horror movies because they make me pee my pants. :/

Anonymous said...

I can't handle horror movies at all. I mean, at ALL. I'm the one everyone else makes fun of for being a chicken.

Buuuuut, my curiosity got the better of me about this ring stuff (I've never seen it and couldn't quite figure out why the ring on your ceiling was so frightening to you), so I looked up the plot synopsis for it this afternoon.

And then I grabbed my purse and flew out of the house to catch up with my boyfriend at the grocery store, because no way was I staying in the house alone where the phone could suddenly ring and make me jump out of my skin. He's been alternating between reassuring me and making merciless fun of me ever since.

I'm just glad I live in the desert where I'm unlikely to run into any wells or cabins in the woods. I don't know why I find The Ring's premise so creepy, but I do, and I absolutely understand why you would not get out of bed to investigate the ring on your ceiling.

elle said...

oh, ilyka, i'm sorry!

but i'm laughing :-p

belledame222 said...

-snort- yeah.

"I don't believe in ghosts, no. But--they're there."

--best friend's grandmother, anecdotally

anyway, I did not watch the Ring to the end, and I did not watch the little cutesy "Easter Egg" they had for the rental, thank YOU.

Revelations and ruminations from one southern sistorian...