This'll be a long read. So buckle up.
So, this is a hot take (depending on who sees this) that's been on my mind for a good while, but as a huge fan of internet horror who's been deep into the genre for more than a decade, I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to make a horror story that utilizes shock instead of scares or involves something that one might consider as "too much".
(Like sexual assault or violence against children)
An example of this that I'm a huge fan of would be Urbanspook's The Painter, a series that many people within the analog horror community see as the "Worst analog horror series ever", which, while it's not outright perfect, is nowhere NEAR as bad as some of the shittiest stuff that I've seen within the genre.
What draws me so much towards The Painter is the unapologetically graphic & grounded nature and how it doesn't fuck around with its victims.
Critics will say shit like how "Fucktoy Cory" is too much for a horror series, but if you're a bit knowledgeable in true crime cases throughout history, this wouldn't be too out of the realm of possibility.
(Now that I think about it, I find it funny how so many creators within the analog horror genre love to denounce Urbanspook for his content yet have something just as egregious in their videos.)
(Okay, it's maybe not as bad as Cory, but I have seen series brutally kill off children like it's no big deal)
Another example that I like was this video I saw back in 2023, in which a horror author made a reimagining of FNAF Security Breach's story, and BOY, did it not fuck around when it came to its victims (who were all kids).
As a huge FNAF fan as well, I'll give kudos to anyone who wants to provide a more mature take on the FNAF storyline.
And yet, despite the two examples that I stated before being entirely fictional, the reaction that the internet had is honestly a bit infuriating.
You can dislike shock horror if you want, but calling someone and anyone who even dares to like it "pedophiles" is so pathetic, and as a CSA victim, it pisses me off that such a damaging label can be thrown around so easily like that.
Someone shouldn't be demonized for wanting to make a FICTIONAL piece of horror just because it's seen as "shock value."
And if it is seen as shock value, who cares?
Horror is a wide array of mediums that aren't localized entirely to some slow-burning, A24 arthouse bullshit.
It's ok to prefer a horror story that gives you an uncomfortable, gross feeling rather than giving you a quick startle.
Tl;dr: It's ok to make a horror story that goes "too far," and the internet shouldn't be acting so puritanical over it.
