When prepping for this first season of We Ship It, Devin and I knew we would have to include the "classic" ships. You know: Elizabeth and Darcy, Ron and Hermione, Romeo and Juliet, etc. Swoon. What we did not plan for...for whatever reason, it just slipped our minds...were the spooky ships!
I think it clicked for us when October hit...you see it everywhere...the spooky szn photos, the cozy sweaters, the pumpkin spice, and oh yeah, the GOTHIC ROMANCE books and movies that beckon every autumn lover. We knew we had to put together a quick bonus episode...one that focuses on the relationship between romance and horror...and the relationSHIPS that embody both of those elements.
Unsurprisingly, it was not hard to come up with spooky, horror, or gothic themed romances. Our society is chock-full of these examples...to a point that I think we are almost obsessive about them. And it got me wondering why. I think, there's a lot to our society's love of thrill...whether that thrill come from a scary story...or an exciting romance.
So, we invited a friend of mine from college and avid horror film-lover, Antoinette Cea Lopes, to join us; we each picked our top 2 spooky couples...and even though they each represented a different aspect of spooky season, these 6 ultimately do well to round out the different aspects of gothic romance.
Antoinette's picks:
Jack and Wendy from The Shining
You know, the full on "here's Johnny" type of horror film! Antoinette did well to bring in some relationships from truly SCARY movies. While she had to think a bit more on what good characteristics might come out of a relationship like this...she definitely wins in fear factor!
2. Rosemary and Guy from Rosemary's Baby
This is the all-time CREEPY relationship. Horribly selfish hubby working with the Devil? Satanic baby. Yep, this film pretty much has it all.
Devin's picks:
3. Casper and Kat from Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Dev's picks, while generally cuter, fall into the more "Halloween-town" vibe...the spooky pumpkins and skeletons type deal. Casper and Kat, a spirit and a human, fall in love in the unlikeliest of ways!
4. Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas
A fan favorite, and of course, Tim Burton's brainchild: Jack and Sally...are also from a cartoon. However, their relationship is definitely spooky. Not only is there that Halloweeny aesthetic Burton does so well to bring forth, but throughout the tale the two help each other find who they are...so it's a spooky but a sweet tale!
Steph's picks:
5. Jane and Rochester from Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is not an outright scary story...but there are definitely paranormal parts! Throughout the entire novel, Jane thinks there is a ghost following her around...and Rochester lives in a spooky mansion. Steph's picks follow the more classic Gothic romance tale...that focuses on the sublime and possible supernatural elements to romance.
6. Christine and Raol from The Phantom of the Opera
The music is to DIE for, but that's not why Steph picked this one! The weird relationship between Christine and the Phantom is kinda fun and hot...but mostly, the pure Christine and the gallant Raol are highlighted so nicely with the dichotomy of the darkness of the set and cast of this love story!
So, it's obvious, all three of us picked QUITE different genres and aspects of "spooky" when choosing our couples. But I think the variety covers the multitude of genres that pair so well with the topic of human love. What is it that makes the gothic elements pair so well with romance?
Well...with gothic romances...both sides of that coin deal with different sides of human passion. The gothic...kinda spooky nature of things...it frightens us...and it brings us to the excitement of mystery and the dark side of our human nature. Sometimes, the depth of that darkness mirrors the passion of romance. These are two extreme passions within humanity...and they compliment each other.
At first, I was going to say, we love it because it’s kinda hot...but I think it has more to do with how closely darkness and light can be...and how darkness and light can both emit STRONG emotions from people...whether that be love or hate. That’s always the dichotomy. If you can intermingle love and hate...and portray that common struggle among human beings...that’s powerful. Think Wuthering Heights...think Dracula. Human passion and desire can be nurtured to respect either one of those values...and that’s why these tales speak to us.
Are you an avid Gothic fan?! Send us an email to be featured on an upcoming episode at weshipitpodcast@gmail.com . Also, if you're interested in more about this topic, follow Antoinette's blog at : https://antoinettecealopes.com/ .
Here's to spooky szn, y'all!
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