Ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, and demons might be the stuff of nightmares, but in the right context, they can be downright hilarious. And that context is memes.
We’ve gathered some of the funniest pics from the ‘Horror Memes’ Instagram page, perfect for anyone who loves all things creepy. So, get cozy, dim the lights, and light some candles as you scroll through. Just remember to upvote your favorites—the ones that made you laugh and shiver at the same time!
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Sorry, nothing scary here. In the US, the real horror will start on November 6 if the Orange Man is heading back to the White House.
You and I both know that horror memes, as much as they try, are never quite as terrifying as horror movies or chilling true crime stories. But that doesn’t change the fact that many of us are drawn to the scary and spooky.
On the surface, it might seem contradictory, but researchers Haiyang Yang, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and Kuangjie Zhang, an assistant professor at Nanyang Business School, have a pretty interesting psychological take on this fascination.
One reason we gravitate toward horror is to experience stimulation. According to Yang and Zhang, exposing ourselves to frightening things—like stories of demonic possession or alien infestations—can be both mentally and physically stimulating. These experiences elicit a mix of negative emotions, like fear or anxiety, and positive ones, like excitement or joy. And as it turns out, we often feel the most exhilarated when we’re feeling the most scared.
Seeing as I love cats, bats, and pumpkins/jack o' lanterns, I wouldn't even be mad if stores had Halloween decor in stock for longer periods of time XD
Horror also gives us a taste of experiences we wouldn’t normally have, like surviving a zombie apocalypse. “Some novel experiences can even contribute to our sense of accomplishment, like visiting a notorious haunted house. Being adventurous in this way makes us feel more worldly or daring—not to mention grants us bragging rights,” Yang and Zhang write.
On top of that, horror taps into our curiosity about the dark side of human nature. We don’t usually come face-to-face with villains or monsters in real life (thank goodness), but it’s natural to wonder about what people are capable of. As Yang and Zhang put it, seeing characters wrestle with their darker sides can be a way for us to explore that curiosity without the real-life danger.
However, while some of us are die-hard horror fans, others are repulsed by it. Yang and Zhang say it all comes down to something called a “protective frame,” which helps horror lovers enjoy the thrills without feeling overwhelmed. This frame has three key parts: feeling safe, staying detached, and having confidence in handling whatever comes your way.
honestly that's kind of how the Warrens operated in real like lol
The safety frame relates to our need to feel physically secure. For example, we can enjoy a horror movie about a terrifying evil entity as long as we’re convinced it’s confined to the screen. But if we start believing the creature might emerge from our TV, like Samara from The Ring, it’s a whole different story.
The detachment frame refers to our ability to psychologically separate ourselves from what we’re watching. It’s a reminder that the horror is fictional, full of special effects and skilled acting. Just because zombies are running rampant in a movie doesn’t mean they’ll be banging on our apartment door any second.
Finally, there’s the frame of confidence in managing whatever threats come our way. For example, if we visit a haunted house and come across an actor dressed as a chainsaw-wielding maniac, we can still enjoy the thrill as long as we’re confident we can handle it—like running out of there if things get too intense.
When these protective frames aren’t in place, it can make horror much less appealing, which might explain why some people avoid scary movies, books, or events. So, if you’ve ever found yourself steering clear of Halloween festivities, keep this in mind. Next time, try finding ways to feel more safe than spooked—you might just end up enjoying the holiday a bit more!
I swear I loved summer when I was a child. Now I can't stand it XD Hot weather, too much sun, sweat under the jahoobies, and the stupid fake grass that my mom installed in the front lawn gets up to a scorching 155F so it's unwalkable without shoes XD
I hate horror movies. The only ones that I ever enjoyed were the Hammer Horror productions of the 1960s-70s which were not, in fact, scary,. Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price were legends even then.
Horror in general has become gore and vulgarity rather than good writing and good fun. I rather enjoy the few exceptions, but those have become very rare anymore. Even a lot of sci-fi has become just another alien gore-fest.
One of the things about Paranormal Activity that makes it an awesome horror movie is that it trains you when to be scared and f***s with you. Watch it with a good sound system. In the 1st half of so, when something scary happens, there's a low grade hum that starts but ends after the scary part. Without realizing it, you subconsciously hear the hum and get scared. So the director/writers played with it. The hum would stop and nothing happen but you're leaning forward or hiding farther under the blanket. So you relax and then the scare hits you. That movie Pavloved us!
Load More Replies...People often forget that Horror Movies are not all supposed to be scary. It's about expectations. You're not going to feel the same watching a spatter movie, gore, psychological horror, horror comedy, erotic horror... Or if you're watching a japanese movie, a korean one, a french one, an american one...
When I was 5, my mom tried to sneak away to the movies. I wasn't having it, and she warned me that I had better not wake her up screaming because I had a nightmare. We then proceeded to go see The Exorcist. I was hooked and of course woke her up screaming. Next time we snuck off to the movies she took me to see Jaws. LOL!
I hate horror movies. The only ones that I ever enjoyed were the Hammer Horror productions of the 1960s-70s which were not, in fact, scary,. Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price were legends even then.
Horror in general has become gore and vulgarity rather than good writing and good fun. I rather enjoy the few exceptions, but those have become very rare anymore. Even a lot of sci-fi has become just another alien gore-fest.
One of the things about Paranormal Activity that makes it an awesome horror movie is that it trains you when to be scared and f***s with you. Watch it with a good sound system. In the 1st half of so, when something scary happens, there's a low grade hum that starts but ends after the scary part. Without realizing it, you subconsciously hear the hum and get scared. So the director/writers played with it. The hum would stop and nothing happen but you're leaning forward or hiding farther under the blanket. So you relax and then the scare hits you. That movie Pavloved us!
Load More Replies...People often forget that Horror Movies are not all supposed to be scary. It's about expectations. You're not going to feel the same watching a spatter movie, gore, psychological horror, horror comedy, erotic horror... Or if you're watching a japanese movie, a korean one, a french one, an american one...
When I was 5, my mom tried to sneak away to the movies. I wasn't having it, and she warned me that I had better not wake her up screaming because I had a nightmare. We then proceeded to go see The Exorcist. I was hooked and of course woke her up screaming. Next time we snuck off to the movies she took me to see Jaws. LOL!