Author Notes
"'What's the difference between a truckload of bowling balls and a truckload of dead babies' (You can't unload the truckload of bowling balls with a pitchfork.)" This macabre joke by author Stephen King serves two purposes. It provides an example of human nature's desire to laugh at the pain of others, while simultaneously reiterating the same point by actually entertaining the reader.
So, why do we love scary stories? Why do we enjoy that creeping sensation or jolt of terror when we read a ghost story or see a horror flick? Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?
Part of the answer has to do with biology. When we are frightened, our bodies fight or flight system kicks in and orders up a burst of adrenaline and other hormones like dopamine that go shooting through our system. Fear is a stimulant, and in a setting where we know that we will ultimately be okay, it can be an incredibly enjoyable feeling.
Mr. King insists that everyone has an insane side, just in differing amounts-or as he termed, "sanity becomes a matter of degree." He reinforces this statement with the modern-day examples of the extremely insane Jack the Ripper and the Cleveland Torso Murderer, saying that if you are that insane, then society will "clap you away in the funny farm." These real life examples are well known; and even those who have not heard about these psychopaths understand Mr. King's allusion to very insane people. Next, he provides a contrast to the extreme lunatic with the everyday insane-and quite comical-examples of relatively normal idiosyncrasies: nose-pickers and those who talk to themselves.
This will be included in my book, "A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words", which I'll include after it's had its run.
Thanks again to all of my loyal fans here at FanStory who support me fervently. I wouldn't do this if it were not for you.
Or...would I?
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