Of Men and Monsters 3:

(Image from:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1684044015213864/posts/4275777912707115/)

Welcome back to the third installment of this monster loving series.  The 20s to the 50s focused on love tales in cinema, but now we are about to delve into a whole new era of monstrous affection.  Just to remind everyone of the definition as stated in the first post:

Monsters are mostly inhuman creatures that challenge societal norms such as law and order, therefore inviting chaos into the lives of the people it touches.  It is true that humans can become monstrous in action and state of mind, but that is a whole other topic of introspection that will not be addressed during this series.  The goal is to find qualities human beings seek out in a long term love interest, and how it’s been so easy to find it with those that humanity has deemed a monster.

In this installment, we will take a close look at the wonder of 60’s television and how monsters became more relatable and tangible for the masses!  The 70s will detour into one of the most popular games on the planet, which has been a significant influence on story telling across platforms.  Once the detour is over, we’ll veer back onto the 80’s highway to cruise through movie land for a new type of monster.  

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The 1960s were a pivotal era for civil rights and the promotion of peace and love over war and destruction.  Film however, decided to get even darker than before.  With the rise of Hitchcock and his fear-inducing Psycho, film descended into the madness of psychological thriller and low budget horror that left a lasting impact on cinephiles (1).

(Image From:  https://www.history.com/articles/psycho-shower-scene-hitchcock-tricks-fooled-censors)

In this decade of cinema, Hammer Films, who had been around for a while, decided that it was time to create new adaptations of our favorite monsters from the 30s.  The twist?  Instead of giving us a regurgitation of the same old monster movie, Hammer Films decided to plunge deeper into the darkness of forbidden attraction (1).  Long gone were family friendly films, as the company pushed the boundaries of socially acceptable viewing and set their sights on an x-rating for their monster movies (1).  Now, keep in mind that what was X-rated then is not even close to what is X-rated now.  However in the 60s, adding erotic material to titillate and enthrall audiences was scandalous (1).  Dracula and Frankenstein were a constant presence with new actors taking the helm for these incredible monsters and their eternal tales.  

(Image From:  https://hammerfilms.com/pages/the-hammer-legacy?srsltid=AfmBOopIJbtO40AuIkBkmIxxiwi7gHGdCtK74HqxzhuOn0YcYZVF56Gv)

If we, the public, weren’t already intrigued by the thought of monsters turned lovers over the past few decades, the cinematic glory that Hammer Films brought to the masses definitely brought our imaginations full circle.

On another screen, much smaller this time, rather tame, but still relevant stories of the supernatural and monsters were taking hold of national television.  

I want to take time to give a shout-out to Bewitched (1964-1972), a story about a witch who marries a mortal man and how they navigate their lives with her eccentric family along for the ride.  Another is, I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970), which looks at the life of a genie in her bottle found by a mortal man and the shenanigans that ensue.  Both of these sitcoms stepped away from the typical, cookie cutter imaginings of ‘normal’ and put a woman character on a proverbial pedestal as both Jeannie and Samantha (Bewitched) were more powerful than their mortal counterparts.  Still, they were gorgeous women without any outward features that leaned toward monster appeal, maintaining the ‘pretty’ status quo and is the reason that they are a shoutout.    Nevertheless, they were masterpieces and if you haven’t seen them!  Go!  Go now!  I’m sure a provider has them for streaming.  Both should always be remembered for strong female representation (for the 60s!) in positions of ‘power’ through who and what they were.  

(Image From:  https://collider.com/i-dream-of-jeannie-bewitched-sitcoms-compared/)

The family friendly sitcom that was all about monsters, and one “normal” person, that changed the idea of vampires, frankensteins and werewolves from scary to cute and maybe even, cuddly, was The Munsters.

(Image From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Munsters)

The Munsters television show wasn’t just entertainment for the masses by giving us a ‘Monster’ family going through the motions in the 1960s.  It did that, yes, however the pathways it opened for monsters was groundbreaking.  They were a loving family with trials and tribulations that they conquered together.  They were relatable and suddenly, tangible.  They could be just like us.  They could exist inside of our world instead of on a screen that took us to faraway lands we couldn’t live in.

For those of us who live to create worlds and tell stories, this sitcom made those little daydreams of a vampire husband, or whatever monster a person fancies, feel less farfetched than before.  Through media testing new spaces for Monsters to exist, it may have opened up the way for the gloriously insane amount of television shows our world is currently steeped in.

Even if The Munsters wasn’t the catalyst, we cannot deny that it was a brand new twist into the lives of an American family.  Let’s introduce them shall we?

(Image From:  https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/munsters-tv-show-movie-original-rob-zombie-reboot-history)

The head of the family is none other than our Frankenstein, Herman Munster.  His beautiful wife, and undoubtedly the brains of the family, is Lily, who is our beautiful vampire mistress!  Her father, the quintessential Dracula, is called Grandpa for the show, and lives with the rest of the family.  Eddie is Herman and Lily’s son who is a werewolf, and Marilyn is their niece, who happens to be ‘normal’. 

 

Each character had their own personality, with their own character traits that were rooted in wholesome themes (Herman was a bit of a himbo, but an adorable one).  Had this been another run-of-the-mill American family, it would have lacked substance.  The fact that the Munsters were trying to make a home for themselves in suburban America while embracing their differences, brought something fresh and everlasting to the audience then, and now (2).

While the television show may not have been at the height of horror or action the way films often are, the family gave us a look at what happily ever after looked like for the monsters we have spent decades loving.

Ready for the 70s?   

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(Image From:  https://decider.com/2017/10/25/1970s-best-horror-decade/)

There are numerous horror themes explored throughout the 70s that have nothing to do with love between the ‘creature’ and the protagonist, though maybe they did provide a backdrop for our current explorations of “truly evil” tropes and how we have fitted them into the genre of misunderstood creatures.  For now, I digress, because the slasher, occult and creature horror films of the 70s were not dedicated to forbidden romance or even the idea of it.  Their goal was to strike fear and chaos into the hearts of viewers, which they did (Looking at you Exorcist).

Now… I may be a little controversial with my next topic of media, however I believe it would be a disservice to everyone if I didn’t mention it.  We’ve been discussing films at length, reviewing television sitcoms, however there is another area of interest that has impacted each and every one of us, and our love of monsters, whether we realize it or not.

Table Top RPG’s.  What’s that you ask?

(Image From:  https://www.odeon.co.uk/odeon-scene/dungeons-and-dragons-movie/)

Does Dungeons and Dragons ring a bell?

Okay!  Maybe you are thinking, “Oh please!  I don’t play that!”  But do you play video games?  Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft are two of the biggest franchises that have ruled the past couple of decades, and the vast majority of us know at least one person who plays one of them. The basis for these games began with D&D (3).

(Image From:  https://gamesbeat.com/ranking-final-fantasy-i-to-xv/)

And what would these games be without story telling?  Where would some of our current literature be without the influence of D&D on authors.  Since the table-top game began in the 70’s, it has profoundly impacted affluent authors that have shaped what fantasy and sci-fi mean to the literary world (3).

Today, we have a multitude of media be it film, television, literature, board games, and youtube channels dedicated to watching people play their campaigns.  Some celebrities (Vin Diesel, Terry Crews, and Joe Mangionello – the werewolf in True Blood) play D&D.  We saw Joe Mangionello on an episode of The Big Bang Theory amongst other famous faces, playing the game.  It has hit the mainstream.

(Image From:  https://www.enworld.org/threads/shatner-wheaton-more-in-d-d-themed-big-bang-theory-episode.666081/)

What does this have to do with monsters?  What does this have to do with our current obsession with them and their influence on the way we see love stories?  Well, some of the characters that can be played could be considered monsters (Orcs).  Over the years, more and more classes and new systems in the Table Top world have been created, which have invited countless new monsters to love into the world.  Not only that, but being able to create a character that becomes entirely one’s own, that isn’t human or mortal, that can be considered a monster, gives the player something a film cannot.  The player becomes the storyteller, and they have the honor of creating lasting memories of a character that they went on adventures with.

If that isn’t some form of love, I don’t know what is.  

Not everyone will create a love story with their chosen Table Top system, but they will develop love for the game.  They will create worlds in which to tell their stories, with a whole host of new characters each time.  

(Image From:  https://critforbrains.com/2017/02/what-books-do-i-need-a-guide-to-5e-for-new-players/)

Who knows what fantastic stories are waiting in the wings, just waiting to be told!  If not for Tolkien and his influence on the creators of D&D, who knows what our current media landscape would look like.  In fact, it was Tolkien’s writing that influenced the creators of D&D significantly.  Without him we may not have had the game at all.  All hail Lord of the Rings (3).  

(Image From:  https://screenrant.com/lord-of-the-rings-middle-earth-map/)

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In the 80s we were given incredible cult classics with The Lost Boys (vampires) and Beetlejuice (dead zombie, spirit guide thingy), amongst numerous horror legends.  Four of these legends not only ruled our amygdalas, the fear center of our brain, they have continued to amass new followers over the past forty years.

Keep in mind, Monsters come in all forms, and while some are not appealing to the eye or bred for tales of warmth and devotion, they still wiggle into the imagination where a spark of disturbing attraction forms.  

They are the forbidden.  They are those who stalk the darkness and twist the minds of their victims to the breaking point. 

The four horsemen of slashers: Freddy, Jason, Michael and Pinhead.

(Image From:  https://comicvine.gamespot.com/forums/battles-7/freddy-krueger-and-jason-voorhees-vs-michael-myers-2168166/)

None of their movies, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, nor Hellraiser, were supposed to evoke warm fuzzy feelings.  They were supposed to do the opposite, but the human imagination sometimes wanders astray.  

We’re intrigued by power, by fear, and if you are me – the unattainable villain that no one can fix except you!  There are so many stories about ‘evil’ men and women, who find a soft spot for one particular individual and do any and everything for them.  Maybe our interest in this trope began with these harbingers of death?  

Either way, its undeniable that each one is a monster, as they go on their separate rampages to destroy communities and families alike.  Provoked are they to exact their unending fury toward a world that did them wrong!  Jason was drowned, Freddy set aflame, Pinhead consumed by an alternate reality, and Michael was merely born.  Each of them is unpredictable and untamed, bowing to no authority save for their own.

Does this sound familiar?  How many creature stories have been filled with villains seeking power, destroying that which offends them, and existing in a world of their making by completely ignoring law and order?

(Image From:  https://spoilertown.com/why-we-love-villains-the-psychology-of-cinematic-evil/#google_vignette)

Countless!  Dexter, Hannibal, Loki, Darth Vader! – none of them are good!  They are all monsters the things they have done, and yet their orbital pull is astronomical.  

And so, my dear readers, even if you do not jump on board with the idea of slasher horror villains being a gateway to dark romance, I hope I have at least planted the seed for other curiosities that have been lingering in the forbidden recesses of your minds!

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(Image From:  https://horrorobsessive.com/2023/10/18/the-lord-of-darkness-in-legend-is-a-clever-mirror-image-of-jesus-christ/)

These three decades were unique to monsters, and while we have discussed many topics, there are three more bountiful decades yet to come!  Media consumption exploded in the 90s and has only continued to grow throughout the 2000s. 

Prepare yourselves for more Monsters to love, and other theories that may tingle the receptors in your brain.

Until then, stay curious my little darlings!

1. “1960s Horror Movies.” Horror Film History, https://horrorfilmhistory.com/1960s-horror/.

2. “Home – The Munsters.” The Munsters, Butch Patrick, 2025, https://munsters.com/.

3. “Dungeons, Dragons, and Pop Culture: How D&D Shaped Mainstream Media.” Dungeon Master’s Vault, 11 Apr. 2024, https://www.dungeonmastersvault.com/2024/04/11/dungeons-dragons-and-pop-culture-how-dd-shaped-mainstream-media/..