Why We Love Monsters (And What They Reveal About Us)

Why do we love monsters? We pay money to be scared. We root for vampires and fall in love with beings that shouldn't exist. Monsters aren't just entertainment — they're mirrors. They show us the parts of ourselves we're afraid to look at.In this episode:- How del Toro uses monsters as outsiders and mirrors of the marginalized- The science of recreational fear and Voluntary Arousing Negative Experiences (VANE)- La Llorona, El Coco, and why Latin American monster mythology runs on superstition- Why Gollum is one of the most beautiful monsters ever put on film📌 Chapters:0:00 We All Have a Sleeping Monster Inside1:50 What Monster Scared You as a Child?4:33 Horror as a Tool — The Child Abuse Story8:01 Del Toro: Monsters as Patron Saints of Imperfection9:12 Can You Fall in Love With a Monster?12:46 Pan's Labyrinth: The Real Monsters Wear Uniforms15:58 Why Do We Pity the Monster More?18:55 Monster Theory — Fear as a Cultural Mirror20:18 Del Toro's Frankenstein: A Monster Who Just Wants Love22:49 Frankenstein, Slavery, and the History of Othering30:04 Why Do We Enjoy Being Scared?38:10 VANE: Voluntary Arousing Negative Experiences39:29 La Llorona, El Coco & Latin American Monsters45:58 Monsters Can Be Beautiful — Del Toro's Final Lesson47:05 Gollum, The Beast, Medusa: Monsters We Love52:21 Creating a Monster to Scare vs. One to Make You Feel54:38 Monsters Are the Fullest Expression of Humanity56:34 Thank You Oldren — Where to Find His WorkResources & Links:Recreational Fear Lab — Aarhus University: https://cc.au.dk/en/recreational-fear-labVANE Study (Kerr et al., 2019): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30307264/Del Toro's Frankenstein on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81760512Next time a monster moves you — ask yourself what part of yourself you're seeing in them. Because monsters don't just frighten us. They expose the human mind.Meet Our Guest — Oldren RomeroFilm Director | Founder, New England Film FestivalNew England Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/NewEnglandFilmFestivalOldren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldrencillo/🎙️ Subscribe & Follow The Silver Frame Podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSilverFramePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesilverframepodcast/Apple Podcasts: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/the-silver-frame/4578169d-2453-49d8-b56f-39c104a42d95