Why does Gen Z love horror so much?
I've connected the dots...
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Who are the ghoul boys?
The Ghoul Boys need no introduction BUT I’ll still give them one for added context incase you’re not familiar with them. Our favourite ghost hunters and crime connoisseurs (they don’t commit the crimes, they retell stories… I just wanted an alliteration) started their journey on Buzzfeed with their series Buzzfeed Unsolved True Crime and Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural. Unsolved ran for 8 seasons amassing a sizeable fan following and further positioning itself deep into pop cultural psyche due to the memeability. The duo eventually left the listicle company and started their own called Watcher with another colleague, Steven Lim. Keeping their ghost hunting spirit alive, they started a show similar to Buzzfeed Unsolved called Ghost Files which has had 2 seasons already with a third on the way.
Why do people like horror? Are they insane?
Okay so, I can’t call people insane but I do question why people love horror and just like life’s answers, I have them all. There was an uptick in people consuming horror content during the covid lockdowns and me, personally, I could never, but to the people who did, I get it. Because there was such uncertainty, horror and anything apocalyptic became a form of escapism and a coping mechanism. People had nothing to lose at that point and they were tackling it by taking control of what, how, and when they felt fear.
To be fair, the phrase controlled fear sounds like something a corrupt government would do but I’m using it anyway because I don’t know how else to explain it. So consuming horror was a way to control that fear and how they felt it to some extent. While you know that something is going to happen in the movie and that it’s paranormal, you just don’t know when. The shock factor and the anticipation of it all takes your mind off of what’s happening in the outside world because you’re too worried about the nun from hell on your screen.
Okay so why people like the Ghoul Boys so much?
Two words: trust and humour. Most ghost hunting shows on any platform are super exaggerated and faked. With Bergara and Madej you KNOW they’re being real. Shane is a non-believer, while Ryan is a believer. A dynamic that’s rarely seen on shows of the same genre. It’s also pretty dang hard to fake being a non-believer and mocking ghosts constantly in the way Shane does it. And if you look at Ryan being scared, yeah, you can’t fake that either. Although Ryan’s a bit more chill with ghosts now, he’s still a believer but doesn’t get spooked easily. He’s not playing up that persona if he knows he isn’t spooked easily anymore. THAT is how they’ve built that trust.
Humour and horror: connecting the dots (just like Shane)
Horror and humour have a lot more in common than you think. Not only do they share similar alphabets, they’re also feelings! You learn something new everyday, innit? No seriously though, let me explain. Horror and humour are primal emotions, these are emotions you don’t necessarily need to analyse because you know what’s going on. When you put it into the context of media, genres like drama or thriller demand more of your attention than comedy and horror. Take Pride and Prejudice for example, there’s so much you can analyse there. With something like Scary Movie or Conjuring, you already know what emotions you’ll be feeling.
Horror and comedy is cathartic. Why it works together is because at the end of the day, both of these feelings are used as catharsis. Like I said, escapism and coping mechanisms play a huge role in the popularity of horror and comedy.
Why the ghoul boys are still relevant
I have a lot to say, but when do I not, honestly. Right then (how do I sound British OVER TEXT?), let me tell you WHY humour and horror work together beyond just what I said earlier.
So for their show specifically, you see this tension being built up that eventually is released through fear or comedy. Most of the time it’s comedy because Ryan ends up screaming over nothing. Or Shane says something to antagonise the ‘spirits’. This is because fear, although a primal emotion, CAN get exhausting, and jumpscares might not have the same effect anymore.
I know it holds true because for like 2 months straight I was binging Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural and Ghost Files and then I watched a horror movie and ??? I LAUGHED. WHO NAMES AN EVIL SPIRIT BOOGIE JONES AND WHY WAS SLENDERMAN CATWALKING WHILE HUNTING HIS VICTIMS. This just proves that horror IS goofy, at least the new movies. They don’t do it like the OGs anymore.
But the Ghoul Boys always bring it‼️ They have a fairly different concept and dynamic to the rest of their counterparts, they’ve got the audience’s trust and involvement, and they’re funny as hell so they’s the entire package honestly. Everyone else needs to wrap up their shows, let the boys steal some more bridges from demons.
Side note: The author is a big, big, BIIIIIIG, Ghoul Boys fan so even though I seem biased, I’m just speaking fax, no printer. I wish we were being sponsored by them, but we’re not in any form of collaboration with them unfortunately (one day though, speaking it into existence).
How brands can use horror beyond halloween
Horror’s huuuuge at the moment and if you remember our Zepotha newsletter, we’ve touched on horror marketing. It’s THE BEST way to go viral at the moment. It won’t give you consistently viral content because there’s no formula for virality, but it could be the video that pushes you into the limelight.
The best way to utilise horror for your brand would be to be more focused on using it as a storytelling medium. Lean more towards thriller than gore to keep the audience hooked. Get them involved. WGSN says sponsoring films, launching your own movies or using shock factor can cut through the overwhelming advertisements everywhere. Make your ads NOT look like ads.
Use AI to play into pop-culture and horror. Or scrap AI altogether and use pop-cultural icons and turn them into a character from a horror movie. Your company’s mascot or logo can be made creepy. Imagine Duolingo’s owl running around like Chucky going after other mascots, greatest crossover in the history of crossovers. Idk, I feel like I’d like it if I saw it on my TikTok fyp anyway.
Any questions/suggestions as to what we should cover next? Reach out to us and we’re always here to chat!
— Written by Shaurya, Trends Reporter at The Z Link
Connect with Shaurya on Instagram where she shares great content and lives her best influencer life as a fashion student in London. And she writes all of these great issues too. What can’t she do??? 🧐 Thank you for reading!