Theory: 'mascot character but SCARY' horror trope is an evolution of the same kind of affected distancing from glossy childhood totems that used to generate 'kill barney' games etc. except now it's 'what if barney killed YOU'
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in reply to @mousefountain's post:
You know, that's an interesting idea. Always did find the way that sort of humor just kind of abruptly vanished odd.
my theory is that kids like grotesque things, but mascot horror tends to be gore free so their parents won't yank it away. same thing with skibidi toilet and amazing digital circus
There was one of those for wolfenstein that had an absurdly elaborately realized fic attached to it, that cast Barney et al as immortal cult leader types, with horrifically mutated children and life draining warlock shit.
I've never been able to remember the name of it, but that kind of "there is so much more evil under the cutesy facade" stuff always makes me think of it.