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digitalimpression's avatar

Why is it scarier in horror movies when a child says something simple?

Asked by digitalimpression (9920points) September 29th, 2011

Children are used all the time in horror movies. Why do you suppose that is? Is it creepier to you? Is it because something/someone inherently innocent is displaying opposite traits? What do you think about kids in horror movies?

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11 Answers

GabrielsLamb's avatar

Creepy. Psychologically it is intended to create a reverse trust fear effect. Kids aren’t supposed to be creepy thats how they play tricks on your brain.

REDRUM!

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

Because we don’t expect children to do terrible things, or be put in horrible or dire situations. We like to envision children as “innocent” and “pure”, untouched so to speak. We love their naivete, their sweetness, their innocence. So when we see a child in a horror movie, doing and/or saying terrible things, we’re disturbed by it. It shakes our image of them as being angelic creatures. They’re the “devil’s child”. Lol.

Simone_De_Beauvoir's avatar

Because horror movie directors want you to feel like a scared kid so they put scary kids in the movies.

smilingheart1's avatar

I dont know about ail that but when a child whispers “zoom, zoom” in a popular automobile tv ad o get the creeps.

DominicX's avatar

One aspect that’s common in horror stories is the kids’ ability to communicate with the paranormal (often in the form of an “imaginary friend”) and to them, it seems normal because of their innocence, but it scares the adults in the story. There’s a part of The Amityville Horror (the original) where the little girl is talking about her imaginary friend Jodie who “tells her things” and the mom says “what does Jodie tell you?” and the little girl says “She tells me about the little boy who used to live in my room. He got hurt, and he died. She says she wants me to live here forever and ever so we can all play together.”

That scene scares the shit out of me… :P

GabrielsLamb's avatar

Don’t even get me started of the shankapotomus baby! I ♥ those comercials but they are still slightly creepy. I think anything babies do that they aren’t supposed to messes with the mind a bit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=783CfN2R18k

mazingerz88's avatar

Because they see dead people.

Jellie's avatar

It’s the juxtaposition of pure innocence with evillllllll. The comparison makes it all the more scary.

ucme's avatar

Because when a child says something like “Your mama sucks cock in hell!!”…....(said in a demonic tone) it has slightly more gravitas then when uttered by a drunken hairy beast of a man. Kids are not meant to display evil traits, did I really just say that!?! ;¬}

filmfann's avatar

It can be as simple as “They’re here!”
Children don’t process impossible. Everything is so new to them, they can express exactly what they see, even if it doesn’t make sense. Adults tend to complicate events, so that they make sense.

digitalimpression's avatar

So the prevailing theme is the idea of expected innocence being contrasted by displayed evil . Well. Now that it’s all on the fluther it all sort of just makes sense… xD

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