It might seem like we hear more than enough about pandemics from living through the novel coronavirus in reality.
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But, a group of scholars argue in a recent paper, fans of horror and pandemic movies and the “morbidly curious” show better psychological resilience in relation to the real pandemic.
“Exposure to frightening fictions allow audiences to practice effective coping strategies that can be beneficial in real-world situations,” they write in ‘Pandemic Practice: Horror Fans and Morbidly Curious Individuals Are More Psychologically Resilient During the COVID-19 Pandemic.’
It is a ‘preprint,’ a term for a scholarly paper published before formal peer review.
“Stories allow the audience to explore the dynamics of an imagined version of the world at very little cost, making stories particularly good vectors for learning about threats. Through stories, people can learn how to escape dangerous predators, navigate novel social situations, and explore methods for surviving a catastrophe.”
Coltan Scrivner, a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago and an author of the paper, said the study looked at fans of prepper films: “films like apocalyptic films, zombie films, alien invasion, horror films where there’s an end-of-the-world element, where something is invading the world and the world is in chaos.”
This genre, he argues, has at least some elements of the situation we’re living in.
The study compared the fans to the general population, asking them whether they agreed with statements such as “I have been taking the news about the pandemic in stride.”
“What we found was that fans of, specifically, prepper films were not only experiencing less psychological distress, but also experienced greater feelings of preparedness,” Scrivner explains. “What this means is that if we gave them statements like, ‘I knew how bad things would get before they really took off with coronavirus.’ Or, ‘I knew which supplies I should buy in order to prepare for the pandemic.’”
Scrivner is an expert on morbid curiosity — a stronger-than-usual interest in themes related to fear and death.
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He argues that in a real-world catastrophe, morbid curiosity can be an advantage, which was another of the study’s findings: morbidly curious people “experienced significantly greater positive resilience during the pandemic.”
Morbid curiosity is often discouraged, if only because it can make other people uncomfortable, but Scrivner argues that it isn’t a good or bad thing in itself.
In mid-March, as Canada started to shut down in response to the pandemic, the 1995 movie Outbreakmade the Netflix top 10.
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According to the film’s synopsis, Outbreak follows “army doctors struggling to find a cure for a deadly virus spreading throughout a California town that was brought to America by an African monkey.”
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Scrivner says his favourite pandemic movie is Contagion (2011), in which a devastating pandemic spread by touch arrives in the United States from east Asia.
“I watched it in March or April, and it does such a great job, now that we’re kind of living in it, of really simulating what that looks like. There’s everything from the shortage of supplies to Jude Law propagating this kind of miracle cure — all these things that we’re seeing in the real world.”
“It’s really interesting, really well-done with regard to how well they predicted what would happen in a true global pandemic breakout.”
5:42 Coronavirus outbreak: Stars of ‘Contagion’ movie reunite to film PSAs on COVID-19
Coronavirus outbreak: Stars of ‘Contagion’ movie reunite to film PSAs on COVID-19
York University professor Steven Hoffman assigns students Contagion as required watching for an international health law class he teaches.
“I have always included Contagion in my … lists, because I felt it so accurately depicted what was likely to happen in a future pandemic,” he says. “And indeed most of what we saw in Contagion has actually happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Hoffman points to the breakdown of international health systems under pressure, panic buying by consumers, dubious miracle cures and a disease that “spread very quietly and then very quickly” as common features of both Contagion’s fictional pandemic and the real one.
“It really highlights the power of the arts to bring attention to the way things could be, and to help us be ready for those futures, and ideally craft a better one.”
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Hoffman is open to the idea that exposure to fictional catastrophes could leave us better able to deal with real ones.
“Simulations, and experiences that get people to think about future possibilities, will have a preparatory effect on people. That’s why we often run simulations for organizations and communities in order to make sure that people know what to do when certain events happen.”
“People enter a world, they know it’s fiction, does it actually make them better-prepared? That’s what this study speaks to. It’s a really interesting question.”
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
