Be Afraid. Be Slightly Afraid. - October 27, 2022 | Kids Out and About San Fernando Valley <

Be Afraid. Be Slightly Afraid.

October 27, 2022

Debra Ross

The 1973 made-for-TV horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is the story of a young couple, Sally and Alex, who move into the Victorian mansion they've inherited from Sally's grandmother. Sally unwittingly frees some hideous goblins hiding in the basement, who then try to lure her into their subterranean nightmare world. No one believes Sally's reports about what keeps appearing around her corners. It doesn't end well for Sally.

I first tripped over Don't Be Afraid of the Dark when I was about 8 years old, and because Channel 9 in New York would often show it as the Sunday afternoon movie, I saw it many times. Despite sensing I was adding to my own psychological scars each time, I couldn't change the channel if I'd land on it accidentally. I'd root for Sally to convince Alex she wasn't crazy, for her to make it out before the creatures trapped her in the house alone. But it never worked: I'd watch as they'd slip sedatives into Sally's coffee and drag her, step by excruciating step, into the basement fireplace. Whispers of "We want your spirit, Sally..." would haunt me for weeks afterward.

Generation X's parents were not, as a whole, as minute-by-minute protective as are today's parents, which is likely why they let us watch Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Psycho and The Exorcist and Poltergeist and The Shining and Night of the Living Dead without wondering too hard whether it was doing permanent damage. So like other GenX-ers, I spent my fair share of nights with the covers over my head, afraid to peek under the bed. But in retrospect, I can see that the continual re-facing of the fear, on purpose, helped shape me into a confident person who could look scary situations in the eye and know I was tough enough to manage them.

I sometimes worry that today, in a culture focused so intently on "safety first," we've inadvertently conveyed the message that kids aren't capable of managing fear, or uncertainty, or emotional or physical discomfort, without our help and protection at every step. But life is full of times when we feel scared or anxious or uncomfortable, and kids need to grow into adults who aren't afraid of the dark. That doesn't magically happen on someone's 18th birthday; it requires practice.
Debra Ross, publisher
Halloween can help teach us the difference between things we can manage and stuff that's truly scary. If you suspect there are actual goblins in your basement inferno, GET OUT NOW. As for the goblins on your doorstep: Word on the street is they love Reeses.

Deb