It's all quiet right now, and damn cold to be sure. But that's Britain for you. There's always plenty of light and shade here. I like the seasons, if I'm forced to admit it. You just can't sit and watch a Christmas movie effectively if it's tropically hot outside and still light at 7 o clock in the evening. Here, it's neither. Around this time of the year it gets dark around 5 p.m. and the temperature dips to freezing point somewhere in the dead of night.
Where I sit typing, the house heating system switched itself off hours ago - so you can imagine it's pretty parky (as we Brits say). America waits to find out who will be the next President, and the rest of us wait for our next influx of cash.
You might ask what this has to do with 'Game of Thrones'. If you do, you may not have read the blog title correctly. It says 'Games of Thrones', not to be confused with Mr. R.R. Martin's masterwork. No, the subject I wish to discuss in the latter half of this post is truly nothing to be celebrated, as we know George's books are - and should be. This is a cry against the festering heart of the darkest corners of British celebrity and politics - where the devil (be he detached monster or switch impulse in the black hearts of mere men) has spread his pervasive hand abroad.
For many, appreciation of the horror genre by its true followers is a complete anathema. There have been times in my own experience where flippant comments have been made, or queries as to just why I'm into 'all that horror stuff'. I suppose, on the one hand, it's a question worth asking. Those who are honest about it are not afraid to let everyone know about their passion; sometimes to their undoing, as they become tarred with a brush marked 'weirdo'. And yet, how wrong could we be? In my experience the true aficionados, are among the nicest people you would care to meet.
I suppose in the end it's as the old phrase says - 'horses for courses' - or as the Grinch so wisely said 'one man's poison being another man's potpourri'. We are fascinated by fear in all its forms because it's part of who we are. It has to be, otherwise there would be no quest to be had. Those who choose to explore the dark side are misunderstood at times. My own taste of horror delicacy is what might be branded as 'dark fantasy', with really no basis in reality, but still carrying the jeopardy of true horror to the characters involved. So, vampires taking over a small town in New England is not going to make news anytime soon. There can be a large body count, but it still feels like a Grimm's fairy tale, because in essence, that's all it is.
Conversely, there is the horror tale based in reality; the thing that could happen, were we not vigilant. Not particularly my taste of fare, but those intelligent people who appreciate this kind of work, as in breathtaking books like Truly, Deeply Disturbed by Andrew Nienaber - or films like Cannibal Holocaust would never be deemed as weirdos by this writer. They argue their case for a fascination in the disturbing with eloquence and flair, almost like it is a science. Good people mostly. My friends.
And yet, over recent weeks, the UK news has reported regularly of events that have taken place over a long stretch of time; events diabolical enough to make any of my horror appreciating friends squirm in their beds. Monsters have been, and are truly among us . . . in the guise of angels of mercy, or men of importance and celebrity. They have used the comforting skin of the good samaritan to sneak their way into the sanctuary of the most vulnerable, presenting an illusion of pure hearts, to then wreak a havoc that is only now breaking through a dam of fear fueled silence. While the media spotlight has often focussed upon the belief that watching horror movies can turn our children into potential mass murderers, these demons have done their 'work' right under our noses, even sometimes daring us to see their evil. And that's not too strong a word for it. See what true evil is my friends. It's not some movie director throwing fake blood and gore around. It's men like Mr. Jimmy Savile and others presenting themselves as agents of mercy, or people of standing, when all the time they have represented the Biblical 'roaring lion' seeking whom to devour.
Not everything is as it appears. I am almost hesitant to mention The Bible yet again, as it seems like an old chestnut across a few of my posts. But in this case, the wisdom there cannot be ignored. The Bible talks much about Satan's primary weapon being deceit and misdirection. If he was obvious in his actions there clearly would be little danger. We could always be ready. This current sex abuse scandal, to me, illustrates clearly how blind we can be. For years Jimmy Savile was on an untouchable celebrity pedestal - a true 'angel of light' as he went around 'serving' the community. He had the money, the power, and dare I say, arrogance, to call his own shots in all this. All the while, a sick torrent of evil acts were being perpetrated, covered by his impregnable veneer of confidence. I say, thank God the truth is now being revealed. And it's not merely a trickle, it's a tsunami - as many who were too afraid to come forward are now finding the courage to do so. The point is to learn from this - to always look further than the end of our nose. That guy or girl who likes wearing goth gear, or has a piercing through their tongue are saying it loud. Don't judge the horror fans, please.
You could well be laying blame in the wrong place.
