{"id":5651,"date":"2016-10-28T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T23:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/"},"modified":"2024-09-23T15:05:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T22:05:46","slug":"why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters"},"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-2454-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters\"\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  <em>Frankenstein<\/em> embodies fears connected to the advance of science and technology. (Image: Shutterstock)\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>Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Leo Braudy<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">October 28, 2016<\/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>Fear continues to saturate our lives: fear of nuclear destruction, fear of climate change, fear of the subversive, and fear of foreigners.<\/p>\n<p><a>But a recent Rolling Stone article about our \u201cage of fear\u201d<\/a> notes that most Americans are living \u201cin the safest place at the safest time in human history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It continues:<\/p>\n<pre><strong>\u201cAround the globe, household wealth, longevity and education are on the rise, while violent crime and extreme poverty are down. In the U.S., life expectancy is higher than ever, our air is the cleanest it\u2019s been in a decade and, despite a slight uptick last year, violent crime has been trending down since 1991.\u201d<\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>So why are we still so afraid?<\/p>\n<p>Emerging technology and media could play a role. But in a sense, these have <em>always<\/em> played a role.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, rumor and a rudimentary press coverage could fan the fires. Now, with the rise of social media, fears and fads and fancies race instantly through entire populations. Sometimes the specifics vanish almost as quickly as they arose, but the addiction to sensation, to fear and fantasy, persists, like a low-grade fever.<\/p>\n<p>People often create symbols for that emotions are fleeting, abstract, and hard to describe. (Look no further than <a href=\"http:\/\/nymag.com\/daily\/intelligencer\/2014\/11\/emojis-rapid-evolution.html\">the recent rise of the emoji<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster \u2013 the embodiment of fear, disorder and abnormality \u2013 a history that I detail in my new book, <a href=\"http:\/\/yalebooks.com\/book\/9780300203806\/haunted\">\u201cHaunted.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>There are four main types of monsters. But a fifth \u2013 a nameless one \u2013 may best represent the anxieties of the 21st century.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/27CNwOpvzuM?si=GEwzsIcNmq_eV9kk\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>Rejecting rationality<\/h2>\n<p>The 1700s and 1800s were an era of revolutionary uprisings that trumpeted a limitless future, when the philosophers and scientists of the Enlightenment proclaimed that reason had the power to change the world. <a href=\"http:\/\/pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il\/%7Emsavihu\/AvihuZakai\/Zakai-RRR.pdf\">Emotion was pushed out of the intellectual sphere by scientific reasoning<\/a>; awestruck spirituality had been repressed in favor of the Clockmaker God who set the universal laws into motion.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, humans have always been afraid. But while the fears of the demonic and the diabolical characterized medieval times, the changes wrought by the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution created a whole new set of fears tied to advancements in science and technology, and an increasingly crowded and complex world.<\/p>\n<p>During this age of political upheavals and aggressive modernization, tales of Gothic horror, haunted castles, secret compartments and rotting corpses were the rage. The novels and stories of writers such as Horace Walpole, Matthew G. Lewis, Anne Radcliffe and Mary Shelley soon became bestsellers. These writers \u2013 and many others \u2013 tapped into something pervasive, giving names and bodies to a universal emotion: fear.<\/p>\n<p>The fictional monsters created during this period can be categorized into four types. Each corresponds to a deep seated anxiety about progress, the future, and the human ability to achieve anything like control over the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe monster from nature\u201d represents a power that humans only think they have harnessed, but haven\u2019t. The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, King Kong and Godzilla are all examples of this type. An awesome abnormality that we can\u2019t predict and scramble to understand, it strikes without warning \u2013 like the shark in Jaws. While the obvious inspiration are real ferocious animals, they could also be thought of as embodied versions of natural disasters \u2013 hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/files\/143736\/width754\/image-20161028-15799-1bz3plq.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/> <span class=\"caption\">James Cameron\u2019s Terminator is a descendent of Frankenstein.<\/span> <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/8\/82\/Terminator.JPG\">stephen bowler\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe created monster,\u201d like Dr. Frankenstein\u2019s monster, is the monster we have built and believe we can control \u2013 until it turns against us. His descendants are the robots, androids and cyborgs of today, with their potential to become all too human \u2013 and threatening.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe monster from within\u201d is the monster generated by our own repressed dark psychology, the other side of our otherwise bland and blameless human nature (think the Mr. Hyde to our Dr. Jekyll). When nondescript and seemingly harmless young men turn into mass-murdering killers or suicide bombers, the \u201cmonster from within\u201d has shown his face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe monster from the past,\u201d like Dracula, comes out of a pagan world and offers an alternative to ordinary Christianity with his promise of a blood feast that will confer immortality. Like a Nietzschean superman, he represents the fear that the ordinary consolations of religion are bankrupt and that the only answer to the chaos of modern life is the securing of power.<\/p>\n<h2>Zombies: a vague, nameless danger<\/h2>\n<p>Recently, our culture has become fixated on the zombie. The recent explosion of zombie films and stories illustrates how fear \u2013 while it may be a basic human trait \u2013 assumes the shape of particular eras and cultures.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/entertainment\/archive\/2015\/10\/how-america-erased-the-tragic-history-of-the-zombie\/412264\/\">The zombie<\/a> emerged from the brutal Caribbean slave plantations of the 17th and 18th centuries. They were the soulless bodies of undead slaves who stalked plantations grounds \u2013 so the myth went. But director George Romero\u2019s pioneering films, like \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0077402\/\">Dawn of the Dead<\/a>\u201d (1978), generalized the figure into an unthinking member of a mass consumer society.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Yd-z5wBeFTU?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The central distinction between the traditional monsters \u2013 such as the Frankenstein monster, Dracula or Mr. Hyde \u2013 is that the zombie exists primarily as part of a group. Unlike earlier monsters, who all stand alone, even in a kind of grandeur, one zombie is barely distinguishable from another.<\/p>\n<p>What might the horrific image of mindless hordes out to eat our brains represent in the 21st century? It could symbolize whatever we fear will overwhelm and engulf us: epidemic disease, globalization, Islamic fundamentalists, illegal immigrants and refugees. Or it could be something less tangible and more existential: the loss of anonymity and individuality in a complex world, the threat of impersonal technology that makes each of us just another number in an electronic list.<\/p>\n<p>In 1918, German sociologist Max Weber announced the triumph of reason: \u201cThere are no mysterious incalculable forces that come into play,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/anthropos-lab.net\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Weber-Science-as-a-Vocation.pdf\">he wrote in \u201cScience as a Vocation.\u201d<\/a> \u201cOne can, in principle, master all things by calculation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe world,\u201d he continued, \u201cis disenchanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Weber may have been a bit optimistic. Yes, we are committed, in many ways, to reason and analytic thinking. But it seems that we need our monsters and our sense of enchantment as well.<\/p>\n<p>This article was originally published on <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a>. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters-65080\">original article<\/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-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              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/gothic-literature-recommendations\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Lifting the veil on history\u2019s best Gothic literature<\/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\/halloween-ghost-folklore-morality-and-ethics\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Why believing in ghosts can make you a better person<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":5654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[74,71,431],"class_list":["post-5651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-english","tag-history","tag-leo-braudy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster.\" \/>\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\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/\" \/>\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=\"2016-10-28T23:20:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-23T22:05:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454.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\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Margaret Crable\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c\"},\"headline\":\"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-28T23:20:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-23T22:05:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":11,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-2454.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"english\",\"history\",\"leo braudy\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Faculty\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-2454.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-28T23:20:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-23T22:05:46+00:00\",\"description\":\"For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-2454.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-2454.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":525,\"caption\":\"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters\"}]},{\"@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:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"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":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters","description":"For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster.","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\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters","og_description":"For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster.","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2016-10-28T23:20:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-23T22:05:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":525,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454.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\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/"},"author":{"name":"Margaret Crable","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c"},"headline":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters","datePublished":"2016-10-28T23:20:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-23T22:05:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/"},"wordCount":11,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454.jpg","keywords":["english","history","leo braudy"],"articleSection":["Faculty"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/","name":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454.jpg","datePublished":"2016-10-28T23:20:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-23T22:05:46+00:00","description":"For over the last three centuries, Europeans and Americans, in particular, have shaped anxiety and paranoia into the mythic figure of the monster.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-2454.jpg","width":800,"height":525,"caption":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why we\u2019ll always be obsessed with \u2013 and afraid of \u2013 monsters"}]},{"@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:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","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\/5651","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=5651"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21543,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5651\/revisions\/21543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}