What’s The Drama?

Jessica with American Horror Story co-star Lily Rabe, the show’s producer/creator Ryan Murphy, and Zachary Quinto

You may or may not remember that in July American Horror Story: Season One earned 17 Emmy nominations. This tied it with Mad Men, and put it far ahead of Homeland, Downton Abbey, and Game of Thrones. So how did FX manage to be the only network not completely shut out of the drama category? Well, actually, they were.

American Horror Story‘s producers decided to submit the show into the “movie/mini-series” category instead of the “drama” category, arguing that because it is an anthology series (no continuing narrative elements between one season and the next) it could be considered in either grouping. They decided to enter it in the less competitive “mini-series” category, completely removing networks from a chance in the drama category.

Clearly it seemed to pay off when they received 17 Emmy nominations. Major categories included “Outstanding Miniseries”, “Lead Actress” for Connie Britton, “Supporting Actress” for both Jessica Lange and Frances Conroy, and “Supporting Actor” for Denis O’Hare. It also recieved recognition in technical categories for “Art Direction” (x2), “Casting”, “Costumes”, “Editing”, “Hairstyling”, “Main Title Design”,” Makeup”, “Prosthetic Makeup”, “Sound Editing” “Sound Mixing” and “Stunt Coordination.” That’s a mouthful, and very impressive! Especially considering the horror genre doesn’t often receive many Emmy nominations.

Despite these promising nominations, some criticisms along the way to the Emmy’s may have harmed American Horror Story‘s chances of sealing the deal in September  Many critics disagreed with the producers’ decision to shy away from the drama category in favor of the mini-series category. The producers countered that they knew AHS would be a miniseries all along despite critics being unaware of the fact. Come time for the Emmy’s, AHS were only selected to win 2 Emmys: one for Jessica Lange as “Supporting Actress in a Miniseries” and one for “Hairstyling for a Miniseries”. Whether this happened because of some tainted opinions of the show, or because Game Change was a genuine front runner movie in the category, we can only hope American Horror Story‘s next season can hold it’s own in the Emmys, whether in the mini-series or drama category. Better believe I’ll be rooting for it.

One Person’s Craziness Is Another Person’s Reality

This season of American Horror Story Asylum will be a thrill ride, to say the least. It’s going to be a completely different horror than last season because this time, it’s psychological. It will have you questioning social norms and taboos, and asking just what defines sanity and insanity.

Because really, what is sanity? Technical definition says, “The ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner; sound mental health.” But this leads us to have to define “normal”, which I believe to be, in it’s simplest form, having the ability to conform with the masses. With this definition in mind, sanity, or “normal”, is situational – it can vary from culture to culture, or depending which friends you may be around. Think 1933 Nazi Germany. Or the fact I’m a Southern Girl, born and raised, and still hate sweet tea – insane right?

In Asylum, most people considered insane are simply different. They either have different beliefs, values, or appearance from what was considered normal in the 1960s. They then chose to act on these beliefs rather than mask them as most people might to appear acceptable to society. While you may find some of the reasons characters are locked up to be insane, consider your own personal biases towards people and cultures not considered traditional today. Picture any TLC show involving addictions, hoarding, polygamy…okay, picture any TLC show. Also consider a show like “The New Normal” as it explicitly tells the audience that social norms have changed.

Considering that throughout history mental illnesses were considered to be demonic possession, maybe this season won’t be as far from last season as we might expect. The Asylum is a classic example of how these people considered crazy or possessed were handled in the past. They were institutionalized, put away with the deliberate intention of reprogramming them to conform to strict controls. Until the end of 1960s, institutionalization was considered a totally rational option to treat psychiatric patients. In these institutions, as we will soon see in AHS, psychiatric patients were often subjected to humiliations and maltreatment. While we may not still be institutionalizing people we deem insane in this manner, we do still expect them to change and conform.

So I still come back to this idea of “normal”. It’s all perspective, and no two people perceive the world around them in exactly same way. Our history, values, ethics, and personalities all play a vital role in whether we choose to adhere to social norms or throw them out the window. As a personal example, I know one of my values is autonomy, or having the ability to make choices for myself, have control of my body and mind, and choose when I want to rely on someone else. This leads me to admire the pregnant CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, and defend her against articles like “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.” Some people believe Mayer to be insane for saying she will only take a 2 week maternity leave. I think she has control of her decisions and knows what is best for her own self.

I’m sure you can also think of a value you hold that may not be considered normal to those around you. I challenge you to go into this season of American Horror Story Asylum with an open mind, ready to consider what you believe to be the difference between sanity and insanity. Let’s just hope we don’t go insane waiting for the season to start – 3 weeks!

The Horror! The Horror!

It’s a commonly held belief that we as humans are programmed to enjoy pleasure and to avoid pain. We love ice cream and crisp autumn mornings. We hate doctor’s shots and stubbing our toe. And yet, here I am about to subject myself to watching an hour long show which will make me feel suspense, fear, and sheer terror once a week. So why am I, and millions of other avid AHS audience members, about to go against our human instincts?

Well, American Horror Story isn’t just any old cheap scare, classic structure horror show. Yes, there are many gory, yet enthralling, deaths. There are also plenty of agonizingly suspenseful moments where your favorite character wanders through dark corridors (or ghost infested basements) and all you can do is hope they aren’t the next casualty. There’s even sex, swearing, blood, gore, and guts. The difference is that American Horror Story is true to it’s name. It’s a horror and it’s a story. As one writer put it “watching “AHS” feels like you’re watching a book being acted out. It is, quite literally, a story and gothic come to life.”

The characters are well developed and compelling, the acting is superb, and the dialogue is realistic. Even when our favorite guest stars are brought into the mix, and you know they’re probably about to be the next body in the closet (literally), you love seeing their characters’ internal struggles and guessing how they play into the complex, spiderweb like plot. It ties in drama, comedy, and satire as well. The stories brought to life by American Horror Story are ones of relationships, of internal demons, of love, of family, and of just trying to live in this world. It’s about people who could easily be your neighbors, or be you. It’s all almost too relatable and real, and that’s what makes it truly terrifying.

Maybe that’s why people watch this horror show. Yes, they love the darkness and the death and the inappropriate scenes you’d never get on network television, but they come back for the story. So if you’ve never given it a chance, or are fearful of what you might see, I beg you – watch this second season. It’s a completely new story with completely new characters, and the reality of it is all too horrific.