Cybersurfing: Torture Porn Debate

In “Torture Porn in Horror Today,” the League of Tana Tea Drinkers offers a round-table debate on the “cross-genre use of torture porn in films.” A half-dozen bloggers give their opinions on the subject of whether the use of torture in horror films rises to the level of “pornography” and whether or not the use of this kind of material is dramatically justified.
Many of the obvious points are hit: This is only the latest manifestation of mainstream critics saying that the horror genre is bringing about the end of civilization as we know it. There are classic examples of the horror genre (THE RAVEN with Karloff and Lugosi, WITCHFINDER GENERAL with Vincent Price) that include elements which might not be termed “torture porn.” And of course someone objects to the very phrase “torture porn” (without offering an argument besides saying that it is “just stupid”).
Ironically, the lengthiest and most thoughtful response comes from Curt Purcell (The Groovy Age of Horror) – who has not seen any of the films (SAW, HOSTEL, WOLF CREEK) under discussion. Thus unable to cite specific examples, Purcell instead offers an overall look at the misunderstanding of what is fundamental in the horror genre – the myth that sickening is the essential ingredient, as opposed to more subtle fear reactions that are actually enjoyable (the thrill of facing and surviving danger). He also objects to the misguided attempt by filmmakers to compete with real-life horror like Abu Ghraib, arguing that the horror genre works best when it makes distinctions between fantasy and reality.
Just to toss in my two cents: The underlying conceit of torture porn is specious. The idea seems to be, “Horrible stuff really happens, so our films just reflect reality.” But they don’t. They’re a sort of escapist sideshow that pretends to confront its audience with “realistic” horror while actually dodging reality. The horror of Abu Ghraib is that the torture was perpetrated by not by stereotypical movie psycho-killers but by young American soldiers, who are supposed to be the defenders of liberty – who are supposed to be fighting evil, not perpetrating it.

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