The media has always been able to alter our perceptions and views of the world around us, and it’s not surprising that we often associate certain imagery with holidays. Once we associate stereotypes and ideas with certain images, it’s challenging to change those views- even if they’re harmful.
With Halloween on its way, the candies in the shop, cute decorations and the beginning of binge-watching some of your favorite horror movies, have you ever wondered why people dislike black cats?
It’s not exactly about the black cats but rather about what they symbolize. During Medieval Europe, black cats brought “bad luck” and curses associated with witchcraft. Black cats were even accused of being part of satanic rituals and having a relationship with the devil. People would accuse black cats of possessing them to be evil. It went to the extremes when it led Pope Gregory IX to declare that black cats are an incarnation of Satan back in 1233. These views were brought to the U.S. by the Pilgrims in the 1620s, starting with the Plymouth colony, which believed in many superstitions. Thousands of cats were burnt alive and persecuted.
To this day, TV shows and movies replay the message that black cats are involved in witchcraft or evil like Salem from Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Sadly, many of these superstitions have led to shelters not allowing people to adopt them in October.
Black cats aren’t the only ones affected by stereotypes- there are also other members of society. Characters like Frankenstein’s Monster and Freddy Kruger influence fear beyond the screen. In the novel Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley never names the protagonist “Frankenstein” but refers to him as a “monster” and “creature” due to his unusual appearance of being made of body parts belonging to different people showing that those who live outside of the “norm” are not accepted and have no place. Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street has a burned scarred body, a red-ridged face, and his long claws bring your worst nightmares to life. His scars terrify those who encounter him and make it easier for people to associate his disfigurement with evil. He was burned after the parents of the children he murdered sought revenge. This plot line reinforces the concept that people in pop culture and fiction who are disfigured deserve “punishment”.
The media’s perception of Halloween imagery is powerful enough to have harmful effects. Animals can be treated harshly, and killed in tortured ways because of superstitions. The media reinforces superstitions and can give “the okay” to feel certain ways against animals like black cats. Disfigured monsters and scarred beings affect people’s views of people with visible differences or who have experienced accidents that cause them to look different than others. “Villains” are almost always disfigured or have scars which causes society to view them by the face rather than actions. People often avoid those who look different, which leads to bullying, shame and self-harm. For example, burn victims frequently feel isolated due to having a distorted body image and being treated differently by their peers. Many face comments that assume and create assumptions about burn victims that solely identify them with their accident.
Pop culture is meant to be fun, entertaining, and welcoming. Halloween stereotypes leave many wondering if what they see in the media is how people should treat them or how they should treat others. The media is everywhere and pushes narratives and ideas onto us, but we should understand that not everything we see on television and in movies is real. A black cat is just a cat. People should be treated a certain way based on their character rather than appearance.
