{"id":4776,"date":"2017-10-20T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/"},"modified":"2024-09-23T14:58:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T21:58:44","slug":"scary-monsters-and-super-creeps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/","title":{"rendered":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n            \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  \u201cOur fascination with monsters is perpetual,\u201d said Leo Braudy, University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature.\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Scary Monsters and Super Creeps<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  What does our enduring love of ghosts, zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality? USC Dornsife\u2019s resident monster expert Leo Braudy explains.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Susan Bell<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">October 20, 2017<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Almost 35 years have passed since a ragtag troupe of gyrating zombies first captivated audiences worldwide, helping to propel Michael Jackson\u2019s 1983 hit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA\">\u201cThriller\u201d<\/a> to the coveted position of greatest music video of all time. Our appetite for all things associated with the undead has only grown more pronounced since.<\/p>\n<p><em>World War Z, The Twilight Saga, The Walking Dead, True Blood, <\/em>the White Walkers from<em> Game <\/em><em>of Thrones <\/em>\u2014 our current obsession with monsters seems to be at an all-time high as we binge on a raft of popular movies and TV series dedicated to vampires and zombies. In today\u2019s youth-obsessed culture in which we are reluctant to even acknowledge our own mortality, much less discuss it, does this fascination with monsters signal a need to confront our fear of death?<\/p>\n<p>First, there is nothing new in our love of monsters, notes Leo Braudy, University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature. \u201cWe have told each other scary stories since the beginning of time. Ghosts, for instance, have been around since the start of civilization,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Braudy, professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/engl\">English<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/ahis\/\">art history<\/a>, film and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/hist\/\">history<\/a>, is a monster expert and the author of<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/2445\/leo-braudy-and-the-history-of-fear\/\"><em> Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural Worlds<\/em><\/a> (Yale University Press, 2016).<\/p>\n<p>Our fascination with monsters, he says, begins in childhood with the fairy tales we hear at our mother\u2019s knee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChildren love fairy tales for the same reasons we all love frightening stories \u2014 because they allow us a kind of mastery,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re comforting, but also titillating, certainly for adults. It\u2019s that idea of \u2018you escaped.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Recognizing the four categories of monsters<\/h2>\n<p>In<em> Haunted<\/em>, Braudy divides monsters into four categories. First, \u201cthe monster from nature\u201d embodies our fear of an uncontrollable natural world. Examples fall into two groups: mysterious, elusive but ultimately less threatening monsters like Sasquatch, the Yeti or the Loch Ness Monster; and more menacing specimens, like Godzilla or King Kong, that embody the fear that nature will take her revenge for our transgressions against her.<\/p>\n<address><em>\u201cWhat horror does,\u201d Braudy said, \u201cis keep our mortality squarely in front of us.\u201d<\/em><\/address>\n<p>The second type of monster is associated with the fear of science. Frankenstein is an example of this kind of monster, created purposefully by a scientist whose hubris leads him to believe he can rival God\u2019s creativity to bring to life an unprecedented being.<\/p>\n<p>Third, comes the Jekyll and Hyde monster. Appearing in the late 1880s, it is one of several doppelganger figures \u2014 people with double lives or double selves \u2014 that reflects the more complex, late Victorian view of human psychology. This is rendered not necessarily in terms of Freudian psychoanalysis or depth psychology, but in terms of fears of the monstrousness of one\u2019s otherwise repressed self. This psychological monster-from-within nevertheless coincides with Freud\u2019s early development of his theories of psychology and the inner self.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, there is the monster from the past that arrives to take revenge on us and our modern cult of progress, improvement and change.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/Braudy-2684.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Leo Braudy\" width=\"225\" height=\"350\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Leo Braudy, professor of English, art history, film and history at USC Dornsife.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cDracula, who comes out of a very distant, even pre-Christian past, is a prime example,\u201d Braudy noted. \u201cHe promises immortality.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Vampires and zombies<\/h2>\n<p>Our modern-day enthusiasm for vampires stems from our desire to avoid confronting our own mortality, Braudy believes. \u201cVampires have lived for thousands of years, have survived history, so they are simultaneously feared but admired, because they represent, for the moment, a liberation from mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the current zombie craze, Braudy argues, reflects our present-day fear of groups. This is an era where we\u2019re less afraid of James Bond-type villains \u2014 those descendants of Hitler and Mussolini who want to rule the world \u2014 and more afraid of the faceless, shadowy, anonymous groups we can\u2019t pin down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s really different about the zombie and what separates it from most of the classic monsters is that it\u2019s part of a collective, while other monsters are individuals,\u201d Braudy said. \u201cThere\u2019s no hierarchy in the zombie world, no \u2018king zombie,\u2019 so fear of zombies represents a modern fear of groups. They might be Islamic fundamentalists, immigrants, Republicans, Democrats \u2014 you name it, whatever group frightens you.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>A revealing obsession<\/h2>\n<p>Our love of monsters is revealing, Braudy argues, showing us how preoccupied we are with death and mortality. Our obsession with monsters provides the counterbalance to our own change in funerary practices as described in Jessica Mitford\u2019s celebrated book <em>The American Way of Death<\/em> \u2014 medicalized, sanitized death that now takes place mostly in hospitals, far removed from our daily lives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat horror does,\u201d Braudy said, \u201cis keep our mortality squarely in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Popular culture, he argues, essentially allows us to indulge our fears and desires without penalty, and that explains the pleasure we currently derive from watching films or TV shows featuring monsters, including zombies and vampires.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPopular culture is, to a certain extent, emotionally compensatory,\u201d Braudy said. \u201cIt allows us to indulge those fears and desires that medical science has deprived us of by de-sentimentalizing or de-emotionalizing death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHywdqH3F6Y\"><em>Scary monsters, super creeps<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\/ keep me running, running scared<\/em>,\u201d David Bowie sang on his hit from the 1980 <em>Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) <\/em>album. His words still ring true today and, according to Braudy, will likely continue to do so for generations to come. \u201cOur fascination with monsters,\u201d Braudy said, \u201cis perpetual.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/\"><em>Read more stories from <\/em>USC Dornsife Magazine<em>\u2019s Fall 2017-Winter 2018 issue<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-we-love-horror\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Why we love horror<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-mummies-still-mesmerize\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Magic, medicine and eternal love: why mummies still mesmerize<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does our enduring love of ghosts, zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality? USC Dornsife\u2019s resident monster expert Leo Braudy explains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":4779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[74,143,431,109],"class_list":["post-4776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-english","tag-faculty","tag-leo-braudy","tag-usc-dornsife-magazine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Scary Monsters and Super Creeps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does our enduring love of monsters like zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What does our enduring love of monsters like zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-20T15:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-23T21:58:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Margaret Crable\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Margaret Crable\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c\"},\"headline\":\"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-20T15:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-23T21:58:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\"},\"wordCount\":5,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"english\",\"faculty\",\"leo braudy\",\"usc dornsife magazine\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Faculty\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\",\"name\":\"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-20T15:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-23T21:58:44+00:00\",\"description\":\"What does our enduring love of monsters like zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":525,\"caption\":\"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c\",\"name\":\"Margaret Crable\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Margaret Crable\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/mcrable\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps","description":"What does our enduring love of monsters like zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps","og_description":"What does our enduring love of monsters like zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality?","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2017-10-20T15:30:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-23T21:58:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":525,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Margaret Crable","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/"},"author":{"name":"Margaret Crable","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c"},"headline":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps","datePublished":"2017-10-20T15:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-23T21:58:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/"},"wordCount":5,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg","keywords":["english","faculty","leo braudy","usc dornsife magazine"],"articleSection":["Faculty"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/","name":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg","datePublished":"2017-10-20T15:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-23T21:58:44+00:00","description":"What does our enduring love of monsters like zombies and vampires reveal about our relationship with mortality?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2684.jpg","width":800,"height":525,"caption":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scary-monsters-and-super-creeps\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Scary Monsters and Super Creeps"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c","name":"Margaret Crable","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Margaret Crable"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/mcrable\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4776"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21537,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4776\/revisions\/21537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}