Ghosts, Witches, and Vampires in Songs - How Music Proved That Monsters Are Real

Written by JD Valdepenas

Photography by Sylvie Goodblatt , Edited by Mark Bluemle

Creative Director: Jake Pranian

Movement Direction: Sophia Querrazzi

Styling: Sophia Querrazzi, Diamond Durant

Makeup: Kindra Kirsch

Production Management: Amy Kapel

Production Assistance: @clay.baae

Models: @living_.dead_.gir1 @sxhaani @shes.so.dope @sabsyduan @diamondashle.y @kindrakirsch

Monsters are real and these are the songs to prove it. Perhaps it’s unlikely that you will ever encounter a sparkly, fang-toothed immortal who wants to drink your blood, but it is likely that you have a boss who drains you of your time and energy. Maybe the literal spirits of the dead don’t haunt your house but doesn’t the lingering memory of a certain someone do something similar? While some Civil War soldier with a sliced-off head doesn’t follow you around, an ex-best friend could linger in the back of your mind. Witches are real, but what makes a woman a witch? Is it because she’s older or openly angry? She may not fly on a broom, but she is certainly tired of her neighbors bothering her.

In “Ghosts” by Mayday Parade, the band chooses to cut the crap and outright tell the audience that “metaphorically this ghost is you”. While it may start with the statement, “there’s a ghost in my bedroom,” backed by a ghostly choir, the song is about the metaphorical haunting that a person goes through when someone that they used to be close with leaves. The song is frantic – a cross between a vaudeville track and a garage band. Its fast pace evokes the cartoonish image of someone running away from ghosts as they are being chased around the house. The narrator admits, “I’ve asked him to leave, but he keeps stopping by”. Ghosts only stay when they have unfinished business in the world of the living; they leave when they are finally at peace. The narrator’s relationship ended in a place that they felt was unfinished, hence why there is a ghost in their bedroom. The music slows, becoming more peaceful as the narrator sings, “there’s a ghost in my bedroom and he’s dying to meet you, God knows he’s heard all about you”. The ghost is still there, but it torments him less. There is hope that one day the ghost won’t be in his bedroom at all.

Witches in songs are often reduced to either their Halloween caricatures or a woman who is hell-bent on causing harm simply because she can. When Taylor Swift wrote “mad woman” she saw the witch differently. The song is told from the perspective of a woman who has been accused of being a “witch” because her neighbors hate her. But as she’s tied to the stake, about to be burned, her voice remains steady as she asks, “What did you think I’d say to that?” When women express emotions that make people uncomfortable or go against how women are expected to act, society attempts to label them as crazy. In a 2019 interview on Good Morning America, Swift commented on how “a man is allowed to react, a woman can only overreact”. This sentiment is reflected in the lyrics, “everytime you call me crazy, I get more crazy […] And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry”. A witch is just a woman whom society wants to throw away because they don’t like her. A woman who isn’t crazy, but complicated just like any other person. A woman who has a right to be angry, but whose anger isn’t taken seriously. She gets called “mad” because she won’t let people get away with insulting her. Unfortunately, it’s because of her reactions that she is accused of being a witch. A woman becomes a witch when she deviates from society’s expectations of how women should behave. As Swift says, “no one likes a mad woman”.

Lastly, in her song, “vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo calls out the monster in her life. At first listen, “vampire” comes off as a breakup song about an ex-partner who took advantage of Rodrigo for her fame, money, talent, connections, etc., but alternatively, one can view the song as an expression of all the pent-up anger and resentment toward the music industry for the way that Rodrigo, and other famous women, have been mistreated. After the debut of her first album, it seemed like Rodrigo was being hit left and right by accusations of plagiarism which led to her giving up 50% of her royalties to the artists that demanded credit (Hayley Williams for supposed similarities between her song “Good 4 U” and “Misery Business” and Taylor Swift for the similarities between “Deja Vu” and “Cruel Summer” as well as an interpolation of Swift’s song “New Year’s Day” on Rodrigo’s song “1 step forward 3 steps back,” despite gaining the rights to use the chords). Knowing all of this, “bloodsucker, fame-fucker, bleeding me dry,” takes on a different meaning. Yet, has this not been done to several other female artists, as well? How many times have we heard about or even seen paparazzi chasing down an actress or a singer? The way that photographers mercilessly hounded Britney Spears during a difficult time in her life, or that clip of Selena Gomez asking photographers to leave her alone as they terrorized her. “You said it was true love, but wouldn’t that be hard? You can’t love anyone ‘cause that would mean you had a heart” reads like a denouncement of the music industry — the one that promises to take care of their artists, only to exploit them for all that they are worth and discard them once finished.

There we have it, readers. Ghosts are the long-dead relationships of our past, witches are women who just aren’t likable, and vampires have been music executives all along. They may not exist as the creatures from horror movies, but the real-life monsters are still just as terrifying.

Written by JD Valdepenas

Photography by Sylvie Goodblatt

Creative Director: Jake Pranian

Movement Direction: Sophia Querrazzi

Styling: Sophia Querrazzi, Diamond Durant

Makeup: Kindra Kirsch

Production Management: Amy Kapel

Production Assistance: @clay.baae

Models: @living_.dead_.gir1 @sxhaani @shes.so.dope @sabsyduan @diamondashle.y @kindrakirsch

31 Spooky Movies, Songs, and Media for October

Written by Lucy Anderson

Photography by Thea Wiener and Garrett Hoy

Creative Directors: Lucy Anderson, Jazzi Almestica

models: @shes.so.dope. @markbluemle, @sophiamq_14, @amykapel, @lugzyjane, @diamondashle.y

Production Management: Lee Mazzio

Production Assistant: Mark Bluemle

October is the best month to enjoy horror media in all shapes and forms. Whether you’re sitting down in the theatre to watch the newest A24 horror release, or curling up on the couch with a ghost story in hand, 47magazine has you covered. From sleepovers to seances, we have collected 31 pieces of horror media to help you celebrate Halloween and all things horror all month long.

My Top 10 Horror Books for this October:

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

This book is one of my more recent horror reads that quickly became one of my all-time favorites. I’m usually not the biggest fan of Women written by men, but Grady Hendrix has a heart to his writing that honestly made me forget he was the author. His characters are so real and raw that it’s almost painful, and the horror he creates is well… horrifying. Besides being just a horror novel, this book tells a beautifully realistic story of grief and family. Pick this up if you get the chance.

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

This was another summer read for me and WOW. This is the type of horror novel that is so stressful that you have to read another book after reading a chapter of it so you can fall asleep. This book had me up in the middle of the night because I just had to know what happened next. Fantastic read with an interesting story and ending.

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

A Certain Hunger is an interesting read, and not for those with a weak stomach. This cannibalistic novel is a read that is so delicious you won’t be able to put it down (or it’ll be so gory you’ll have to take breaks.) This novel is on the shorter side so it’s great for a quick-ish read this October.

Misery by Stephen King

It’s not truly the October Issue if I don’t include at least one Stephen King novel. The story of Misery is more thriller than horror, but still so scary it’ll have you on the edge of your seat the entire time you’re reading. This novel is the ultimate fangirl situation gone wrong and is strangely applicable to modern-day fandoms. Misery is also a great introduction to Stephen King because while the story is wild, it’s not as weird as some of his other works.

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs is the ultimate horror/thriller/suspense book. It is the second novel in a series of four by Thomas Harris, but The Silence of the Lambs is a cult classic and favorite for a reason. This book quickly became not only my favorite thriller novel but one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. If you’ve seen the film you’ll know what to expect from this bloody tale, and if you haven’t you are in for a fantastic surprise.

The Elementals by Michael McDowell

Everyone loves a good ghost story and a story about a father and daughter duo. The Elementals by Michael McDowell is a fantastic presentation of horror in one of the most drab places imaginable. While the novel has a slow start, once it starts picking up I promise you won’t be able to put it down.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Is this book technically horror? Well, no. The futuristic dystopian novel is not classified as a horror book, but to me, and most other women, the Republic of Gilead feels all too real. This book is not only an important read for those who are pro-autonomy but also has great writing overall. Margaret Atwood is famous for a reason. If you’re not big into dystopian novels you can always check out the show on Hulu and see how you feel.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a horror STAPLE. If you didn’t grow up being terrified of a woman missing her toe we are not the same. The short stories are spooky and scary and are simply the perfect mix of nostalgia and classic horror for me. This book is great for a quick read and a good scare.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

If you have ever been logged into a Netflix account, you’ve seen clips of the show based on this novel. Another book filled with ghosts, The Haunting of Hill House is an emotion-filled horror story to the brim. Even though the book was published in 1959 the themes of grief, psychological hauntings, and family remain all too modern.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the more recently released works on this list. Published only three years ago in 2020, Mexican Gothic has quickly become a modern horror favorite. Filled with twists and turns, this work of historical fiction has become an instant horror favorite.

My Top 10 Horror Movies for this October:

Barbarian (2022)

If you were on any sort of social media platform last year you heard about the powerhouse of horror that is Barbarian. The first time I watched this movie I was curled up in my bed, alone, Airpods in (noise cancellation on of course) and… yeah I had to pause it a couple of times. Maybe it was the ambiance, being isolated in a dark room, but damn did that movie creep me out. After rewatching and watching a couple of video essays about it on YouTube I have come to realize it’s not the scariest movie, but it’s a pretty solid horror flick with a lot of WTF moments.

The Craft (1996)

THE CRAFT. If you’ve seen this movie you understand why I started off talking about it in all caps. I LOVE this movie. The outfits, the setting, the dialogue, the snakes, the 90’s of it all. The bitchiness, the witchiness, the “there’s no way in hell this could ever happen at a real high school” -ness of it. The Craft is a movie that you can either let yourself get deeply invested in, or sit back and laugh at every camp moment there is to enjoy in the film. I like to do a mix of both.

The Thing (1982)

First things first, when you watch The Thing (notice how I said when and not if) make sure you watch the original. Yes, there is a remake, yes it… exists, yes the original is better. The practical effects in this movie are a marvel and a truly wonderful show of dedication to the craft that is horror. The film truly feels like a terrifying and suspenseful getaway to the Arctic, which makes me glad I never wanted to be a scientist. It is also an iconic piece of fiction and a cult classic that made this list for a reason.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Two things about me: 1. I love zombie movies and 2. I love Edgar Wright. If you love either of those things (or horror, or comedy, or Simon Pegg…) you will love this movie as much as I do. The horror genre is nothing without the beautiful subsection of horror comedies that exist within it. I knew I had to include a zombie movie on this list, and once you watch it I’m sure you’ll realize why it’s one of my favorites. (BTW I seriously debated putting Warm Bodies on this list, works very well as a comedy if you get together with some friends and make a watch party out of it. Granted, it is not nearly as well made as Shaun of the Dead is.)

Hereditary (2018)

“...all I get back is that fucking face on your face!” This A24 Ari Aster horror escapade follows a family of four after the death of their grandmother. The family is put through a lot of stress, not only in their everyday lives but also in the sudden amount of freaky shit that starts happening to them. Hereditary is a beautiful, scary, and, at times, really fucking funny piece of horror media. This movie not only acts as a great horror film but a great movie overall with a brilliant story and cast of characters.

It (2017) (Chapters 1 & 2)

Alright, I’ll admit it. The 2017 and 2019 films are better than the 1990 miniseries. Like, miles better (no offense Tim Curry, your Pennywise was terrifying.) The films feature a fantastic group of talent across generations of actors, and the films themselves are pretty damn scary. Watching both films in theatres is an experience I’ll never forget. If you haven’t had the chance to check out either chapter yet, do yourself a favor, sit down with a big bowl of popcorn, and make it a double feature.

Talk to Me (2022)

Talk to Me (recently purchased and redistributed by A24) has been making waves as the modern definition of a good horror movie. This horror movie has everything that makes it a great candidate for a modern classic. The new wave of actors the film presented us with, the new and original ways of scaring the crap out of its audiences, and the modern story it tells are all big features of why this movie became so popular so quickly. Talk to Me was recently released for streaming, so if you missed it in theatres, be sure to check it out.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Wow! Another comedy on this list? I’m sure everyone reading is shocked by this inclusion. Beetlejuice is so good that it even got its own Broadway musical to show how popular it is. Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice… is a great example of how to mix horror and comedy all into one. The heart, laughter, and scares in this movie are phenomenal. There is not a dull moment in this movie, and watching it always gives a great reminder of why this movie is so widely loved.

Coraline (2009)

Coraline is one of the most beautiful horror movies ever created. Period. I mean, look at it! Every single piece of this movie is crafted with a love for the art and a pure passion for the project. In addition to all of this beauty, it's also spooky as hell. I don’t know about you, but the Other Mother still scares me now just as much as she did when I first watched Coraline as a kid. I feel like, by now, everyone has seen this movie. But, if you haven’t, please take this article as an excuse to go ahead and watch it.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Last but certainly not least on my list of horror movies is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This movie is honestly one of my favorites of all time, not even just in the horror genre. The movie is a comedy, romance, drama, tragedy, sci-fi, musical, and horror all rolled into one delicious 1 hour and 38-minute runtime. To top it all off, you have Tim Curry starring, while scantily clad in a corset and pearls. Fun for the whole family!

My Top 11 Pieces of Misc. Media for this October:

Podcasts:

Scary Story Podcast

Looking at (or rather, listening to) the content of this podcast compared to the title it feels like Scary Story Podcast is a good title. Self-explanatory, scary stories in podcast form. It’s a good listen, check it out if you’re in the mood for a scary story in the background of your day.

The No Sleep Podcast

The title to this one also feels pretty self-explanatory… this podcast has a horror so scary you won’t be able to sleep after listening.

My Favorite Murder Podcast

If you are a true crime junkie this podcast is for you. The perfect mix of horror and truth for year-round listening, or an extra ounce of fear in your October.

Are You Scared? Podcast

If you were ever a fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved, or are a fan of Ryan and Shane's new channel, Watcher, you should check out the Are You Scared podcast. The podcast is full of creepy stories as well as a lot of laughs from the two hosts.

Short Films:

Peephole Peephole - Short Horror Movie (2018)

This is a short, short film. With a run time of just under 4 minutes, Peephole is worth the watch. No more explanation is needed. Click the link, watch it, and come back to the article when you’re done.

Who’s Hungry? Who's Hungry?

It’s creepy, it’s animated, it’s only 5 minutes long. Watch it.

After Hours After Hours | Short Horror Film

After Hours is a mid-range short, under 10 minutes, and worth every second. It’s not the most outright scary, but it’s still pretty damn creepy and makes me glad I’ve never been alone in an office after closing.

Out At Night OUT AT NIGHT | Award-Winning Horror Short Film

I don’t want to spoil anything for this one. It’s a little longer, about 17-18 minutes, but worth it if you have the chance.

TV Shows:

American Horror Story

Though the reputation of the show has dwindled a bit in recent years (and the quality of the show but… that's a convo for another day) the earlier seasons are still a killer source of horror entertainment. Filled to the brim with stellar performances for series regulars, Sarah Paulson I’m looking at you, is an awesome collection of stories across all webs of horror.

What We Do in the Shadows

Yes! Another comedy. What We Do in the Shadows is a monumental-style comedy series that follows the lives of vampires and all of the day-to-day struggles they face. Even if you don’t watch all 5 seasons, it’s still a great time for a quick laugh with a dash of horror.

The Haunting of Hill House

You know I had to save one of my favorites for the very end. This show, in a word, is a masterpiece. The show is a phenomenal adaptation of the book while also creating a unique experience for TV. The Netflix original is a beautiful example of what horror should be, a balance of jump scares, suspense, drama, and a deeply moving through-line story that follows the cast of characters we get to know and love throughout the series. The details of this show are endless, and provide ample opportunity for rewatches to try and catch all the things you missed the first time.

Finally! We’ve reached the end. A lot of these are pieces of media that are near and dear to my heart, and quite a few are just awesome projects I want to share with the world. I hope you enjoy this list of various forms of spooky media, and have a Happy Halloween.

Written by Lucy Anderson

Photography by Thea Wiener and Garrett Hoy

Creative Directors: Lucy Anderson, Jazzi Almestica

models: @shes.so.dope. @markbluemle, @sophiamq_14, @amykapel, @lugzyjane, @diamondashle.y

Production Management: Lee Mazzio

Production Assistant: Mark Bluemle

Queer Horror

Written by Alec Conwell

Photography by Sylvie Goodblatt and Alec Conwell

Creative Director, Styling: Sophia Querrazzi

Production Management: Jazzi Almestica

Models: @najmmuhammadd @belledaydiggins @loganbaker.m @malia.corinneeee @colin_cardwell2 @hadadechicle

Horror is a long-standing genre that has existed for centuries and has made its way through folk tales, novels, films, and TV shows. There’s something incredibly intriguing about the macabre, and many queer folks like myself have found themselves drawn to the genre in one way or another. What is it about the horror that has queer fans so entranced?

Well, to go back a couple hundred years, many classic horror/gothic novels, such as Frankenstein and Dracula, had very queer themes. The authors’ identities could also have contributed to this; Dracula’s author, Bram Stoker, was thought to have been a gay man, and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) was possibly bisexual. Another gothic horror novel is Carmilla, in which the title character Carmilla, the vampire, has romantic feelings for the other female main character. This is only the beginning of queer themes and allegories in horror.

As we entered the 20th century and began to see a rise in horror films, there was an undeniable trend of queer-coded villains and antagonists. Vampires have always been very inherently queer creatures, and who can blame them? Why would an immortal being seek out romantic partners of only one gender?

Of course, the queer-coding of villains and monsters was not an innocent mistake, and it was intentionally done to make it seem as though queer people themselves were monstrous and bad. It just so happens that when you continue to spread that sort of rhetoric about a community, they will end up reclaiming it once more.

This article cannot exist without a mention of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The film is a testament to camp, which comes from writer Richard O’Brien’s love of old science fiction and horror movies. The film is a whirlwind of glitter, rock music, drag, and, naturally, blood, and its incredibly bizarre story has gained it a cult following since its release in 1975. I’m going to hope that if you’re reading this article, you will have seen this movie, but in the small chance you haven’t: go watch it right now.

Moving into the 80s, a supernatural horror film called Hellraiser was released. The movie was written by Clive Barker, a gay writer, who adapted the screenplay from his horror novels. The monsters in the movie, called cenobites, were directly inspired by S&M clubs, and the creatures themselves are removed from any typical view of gender. After an abundance of sequels, another Hellraiser movie was released last year, with the main antagonist being played by trans actress Jamie Clayton.

In 1994, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire was adapted into a film, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Though the movie was plenty queer in its own right, I have to rave about the recent television adaptation on AMC. They gave us the bloody gay vampire show we’ve been yearning for, with brilliant acting by leads Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson, who play Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac, respectively. The first season wrapped up in late fall of 2022, and while the teaser trailer for season 2 has been released, there is no definitive date for season 2 aside from “early-to-mid 2024.” Here’s to hoping the AMPTP will pay their writers and actors properly.

Another iconic queer horror movie is Jennifer’s Body, released in 2009, starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. Fox plays the title character, Jennifer, who becomes possessed and kills and eats her male classmates to survive. She has a pretty homoerotic friendship with her best friend, Needy (Seyfried), and the two kiss at one point. The movie also features an iconic line when Needy says, “I thought you only ate boys,” to which Jennifer responds, “I go both ways.”

Naturally, I have to mention my personal favorites in this article, so next on the list is the show Hannibal, which aired on NBC from 2013 to 2015. The show was inspired by Thomas Harris’s novels, particularly the first of the tetralogy, Red Dragon. The series follows FBI profiler Will Graham and his odd relationship with Hannibal Lecter, who is his sort of psychiatrist/friend, turned enemy, turned indescribable relationship combination of friend, enemy, and romantic interest. Though the relationship title is ambiguous, the feelings and homoeroticism are very much present. The series also features a sapphic couple in the third season! If you’re someone who is intrigued by the metaphors associated with cannibalism in horror and gothic romance, this show may be for you.

Another recent horror show is Yellowjackets, an ongoing series that began in 2021, which follows a group of high schoolers after their plane crashed on their way to a national soccer tournament. The show goes back and forth between the 90s when the kids are stranded in a forest following the plane crash, and the present day, when some of the characters are dealing with the repercussions of their trauma. It does include quite a bit of violence, cannibalism, and psychological horror. Furthermore, the show features at least one sapphic couple, though many of the characters have very complex friendships and relationships. Multiple actors on the show are queer themselves, and two of them are nonbinary.

There are so many other examples I could mention, from a variety of periods, but that would be an incredibly long piece of writing. Queerness has been a part of horror for a very long time, as a way of expressing a desire that was seen as monstrous by society as well as reclaiming the villainous projections placed on us. My only hope is that we continue to get more queer horror content that is made by and for queer people in the future.

Written by Alec Conwell

Photography by Sylvie Goodblatt and Alec Conwell

Creative Director, Styling: Sophia Querrazzi

Production Management: Jazzi Almestica

Models: @najmmuhammadd @belledaydiggins @loganbaker.m @malia.corinneeee @colin_cardwell2 @hadadechicle