Conventions and Overuse Essay

"Repetition of these signs become horror genre convention, however, overuse results in taking away the signified meaning."

In horror, it's been argued many times by many different theorists that conventions are formed by repetition in the genre. For example, a 'dumb blonde' is a typical convention of a horror movie because it's a method that's been used so many times in so many different horror texts that it's become associated and grown an attachment with the genre. This idea was first really wrapped up into a theory by Daniel Chandler, who argued that genres and sub-genres were identified by the tropes and conventions they possessed. However, many argue that overuse, over time, has de-valued these conventions and signs, making them redundant and actually damaged them. I will be discussing this argument throughout this essay.

The first convention that I will be analysing is the 'Scream Queen' trope, that is very (in)famously associated with the horror genre. The 'Scream Queen' convention used to carry very misogynistic connotations, with the underlying message being that no woman could fight for herself, and when faced with some kind of adversity, would scream to attract a heroic male's attention. In addition, this convention is very patronising in the respect that it assumes women have minimal, or no restraint or control upon their emotions, and simply are reduced to a screaming wreck when intimidated. This convention has been used a criminal amount over the history of Horror films, but the meaning still hasn't really faded. Even a casual viewer recognises that this idea means still what it was intended to mean when it was first introduced: That women are secondary to men and are unable to fight for themselves.

In addition, a very common horror convention is the idea of the 'death of innocence'. This is commonly practised in supernatural films, where a child will be possessed and lose their moral 'innocence' that they had presumably had when they were a human. The problem with this theory is that it has not adapted or changed at all since it was first introduced, to match with the changing audience. Society doesn't encourage the innocence of youth anymore, and many youths are far from 'innocent' like they once were, so this convention is now subject of overuse with no real relevance. 

Moreover, another convention that seems to be as potent and relevant as ever is the idea of Zombies representing our own consumerism and utter dependence on technology. This idea was first used in 'Night of the Living Dead' by George A. Romero. As our greediness, desire for material goods, and satiating need for technology has increased since the film's release, this trope hasn't actually been overused at all, meaning the whole idea and underlying subtext remains as vital and potent as ever, proof that limiting the frequency of a convention makes it extremely important and ensures the meaning isn't lost with a progressing audience.

Finally, the last convention that I'm going to be looking at, is the idea of the 'Final Girl', a theory used so much that it has become less of a staple, and more of a requirement regarding all 'Slasher' films. It's quite the opposite of the 'Scream Queens' scenario, with the feminist underlying message that not only can women fight for themselves, they're actually better than the men and can survive for longer, even defeating the villain. This trope still retains some significance despite its ridiculously large usage, overall suggesting that there is no real such thing as 'over'use.

Overall, it's quite apparent that the above statement is false. Overuse exists in some cases for film conventions, but on the whole, most conventions hold up well and retain their meaning for a modern audience.