We’re back and we’re bloody. Honestly, that’s the least of it. Most of this gore is blood, but we’ve found flecks of meat, shards of bone, and what looks like the occasional kidney mixed in. The plastic ponchos were supposed to help, but at this stage they’re more stencils than protective clothing. No one ever warned us that podcasting could get this wet. Maybe we should just focus on getting these teeth out of our hair for now.
Main Topic: The Joy of Gore
While not all horror involves gore, it is an essential part of the genre. Whether it’s a genteel smear of blood at the corner of the Count’s mouth or bodies being torn apart like wet piñatas, most horror media involves at least a drop or two of the red stuff. But what is the appeal of something that should, by rights, repel us? Why does it make us laugh even as we gasp in horror? And how can we make use of it in our games without it becoming desensitising?
Our Guest Host
We are delighted to welcome Jared Logan to the Good Friends! Jared is a stand-up comedian and writer who has been involved with a number of major actual play streams and podcasts, including
Glass Cannon,
Stream of Blood, and
Ain’t Slayed Nobody. You can find Jared on tour right now, supporting Kumail Nanjiani.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
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Extreme Subjects in Gaming
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Violence in Call of Cthulhu
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Disgust and Body Horror
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Hays Code
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British Board of Film Classification
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Hannibal TV series
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Video nasties
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Siskel and Ebert
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Mark Kermode
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Kim Newman
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A Pictorial History of Horror Movies by Denis Gifford
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Universal Monsters
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Hammer horror
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When Evil Lurks (2023)
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Speak No Evil (2022)
