THE OTHER day, I came across my old playlist of Lady Gaga songs. These were during her “The Fame Monster” days.
I remember that time how controversial she was, with her lyrics and music videos especially, since they seemed to “attack” the church.
When I was watching the videos recently and I viewed the comments, I read about how people realized the artistry of her videos and how they could actually relate to the content.
Some even compared her to Billie Eilish, saying Gaga was like the pioneer of the “dark and disturbing” music.
That’s when I thought about how much people get intrigued by “dark” content. Whether they find it disturbing or cool it is something that always picks their interest. The way people like listening to scary stories and murder mysteries or watching gore movies proves this.
So why are people so attracted by the dark side?
Psychologist Carl Jung said everyone has a “shadow” or repressed dark side. More modern theorists claim this “shadow” is a reservoir for creativity. You can see this with authors like Stephen King or Anne Rice.
Sometimes, I also think our fascination with the dark serves as a distraction from the routine of our daily lives. That is why people are more responsive to negative news like murder, rape or crimes. It gives a sort of thrill or adrenaline rush.
This “shadow” that dwells within us is also apparent with our tendency for rage and revenge. Sometimes when we see harm done to others, or experience harm ourselves, we wish for punishment on the aggressors. When we act out on that rage it is called “self-defense.”
Violence begets violence is like a creed for us. I admit I also wish for pain and suffering on cruel people. That just means I am as cruel as they are, though.
Maybe the “shadow” is a product of our evolution. Our ancestors sometimes had to be ruthless to survive. Even in the modern setting, having too strict morals will get you nowhere. The important thing for us is to keep it under control.
As Nietzsche said, “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into the Abyss, the Abyss will gaze back at you.”/PN
