Why We Call Horror Real, But Love Just a Fantasy

If you make a movie about a maniac who kidnaps a woman and keeps her chained to a radiator for five years — something that has happened only once in history — it will be called a gritty social drama.

If you make a movie about a maniac who kidnaps a woman and keeps her chained to a radiator for five years — something that has happened only once in history — it will be called a gritty social drama.

But if you make a film like Love Actually — about how people fall in love, the doubts, the passion, the longing — what millions of people are experiencing right now in the UK, it’s dismissed as sentimental nonsense.

We Believe in Horror but Are Ashamed of Love

Why is society ready to accept violence and cruelty as the truth of life, but tenderness and sincerity are seen as childish fantasies? Why is a scene where a man weeps over his wife’s body considered real, but one where he nervously reaches for her hand is called “cheesy”?

This paradox is explored by writers at menscult.net, who note that our culture has turned cynicism into a badge of intelligence. If you believe in love, you’re naive. If you believe everyone’s playing a game, you’re “mature and wise.” But let’s be honest: love is the true engine of life. It’s what makes us suffer, push ourselves, change, grow, and fall. This is the real reality we live every day.

Why Are We Drawn to Tragedy?

There are several reasons our brains gravitate toward the dark:

• Evolution: Negative events signaled danger. We remember the bad to survive.
• Safe empathy: Watching horror lets us experience stress without real harm.
• The “realness” myth: We see pain and suffering as serious and truthful.

But here’s the paradox: love is one of the most common and universal emotions. Yet, it often causes discomfort, ridicule, or rejection in film. Why?

True Strength Is Honest Feeling

Modern men often hide their feelings behind irony, detachment, and phrases like “That’s just nonsense.” But can a strong man not love with intensity, wait anxiously for a call, or fear losing someone? Why is the fear of seeming “weak” more important than being genuine?

Being a man today doesn’t mean being a stone wall. It means being real. And not being afraid to seem sentimental when love lives inside you.

A World Where Love Is Normal

What if we started seeing love as normal and common? What if movies about care, trust, and intimacy earned respect instead of mockery? Only in a society where love isn’t considered a “cheap trick” can healthy relationships and emotionally mature men grow.

In a world where reality includes feelings as much as pain, a man can be a hero not because he defeated someone, but because he stayed true to himself.

The real challenge today isn’t making a movie about a maniac. The real challenge is showing love in a way that no one scoffs. So a man can watch it and see himself. Because that’s what’s truly real.

If you still think feelings are a weakness, maybe you’re just afraid they’re stronger than you.