Why is it that one feels so liberated after having grossed someone out?
I have a theory: that this is the very notion behind the success of all horror literature and film. It feels titillatingly delicious to really crank it up, I mean, sensing when you have crossed the line with a story and then going totally overboard. Moreover, we love to be disgusted. It's naughty.
The other day, I was recounting to a colleague one of my dogs' disgusting habits. As I sensed her squirming, I found myself delving deeper and deeper into heinously unnecessary detail. I left her in a state of half-scream/half-laughter. Yet, I had to go one step further and exit the room while making sound effects relevant to the anecdote. When I heard her climactic groan, I could no longer erase the grin from my face.
I felt tremendous success and catharsis. I was now relieved of the hideous memory, having divied it up amongst other beings in the universe. I no longer have to independently carry the burden.
We may actively hunt down creepy moments to relieve our over-active imaginations, to free our stressed psyches, or to simply to feel more than we do in daily life numbed by societal pressure. Perhaps we are attempting to connect with some now-forbidden archetypal instinct. Whatever the reason, I'm sure my friend felt just as rejuvenated after hearing my story as I did after telling it.
About Me
- Aedon Young
- Aedon grew up in Port Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. Since the age of 6, she dreamed of being an author. She worked as an actor, producer, and writer in film and theatre for over ten years. She has also been employed as a gymnastics coach, a warehouse receiver, a salon assistant, an inventory controller, a clown, an importing agent, and a model. Currently, Aedon is a junior high French immersion and drama teacher. She lives in St. John's, Newfoundland with her witty husband, preschool daughter, beloved German Shorthaired Pointer, and troublesome Weimaraner. In her free time, Aedon hikes with her dogs, runs, does Pilates, gymnastics, and yoga. Aedon recently published "Mara Roams", a magic realism coming-of-age novella for young adults. She has also written an exercise book for postpartum mothers and now is working on the sequels to "Mara Roams".
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Agreed, there is something stess-relieving after a good laugh over a gross activity. That being said, I discovered our greyhound eating another dog's poo last week...nothing funny there.
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