Beloit College exhibit studies what makes a monster, and why we're scared of them

Greg Little, The Janesville Gazette, Wis.
·4 min read

Oct. 28—BELOIT — When it comes to matters of monsters, everyone has his or her own idea of what is "scary."

For some, fear comes in the form of beast-like creatures with sharp teeth, long claws and thick hair. For others, dread manifests in demonic spirits, flesh-eating creepies, murderous mortals or even clowns.

"There is no single agreement on what makes a monster," said Manuel Ferreira, curator of the Logan Museum of Anthropology and instructor of museum sciences at Beloit College. "The string that connects what most people think of as a monster is the idea of transgression—the breaking of boundaries set up by different cultures and societies."

These concepts are studied as part of "Monstrum: Embodiments of Fear," a new exhibit on display at the museum on the Beloit College campus, 700 College St. Installed to coincide with Halloween, this free tribute to terror is expected to continue into February 2022.

"I am a big horror movie fan, and one of the things I really wanted to do here was create exhibitions that were interesting to the general public," Ferreira said. "I have found people have relationships with monsters in many ways, and whether they find them intriguing and interesting or if they fear them and don't like them, they tend to have some sort of reaction."

Regardless of what it is that haunts your dreams, Ferreira notes the subliminal perceptions surrounding those subjects were likely intended to scare you as much as their outward appearances. In other words, you might be more frightened by the message than the monster.

Take for example Bram Stoker's "Dracula," who is presented in the book as polysexual. Ferreira views this an example of a character deemed a monster due in part to mannerisms and characteristics that were, at the time, considered objectionable.

"There is this history of monsters such as Dracula being queer-coded," he said. "This was because of the homophobia during that time period. What makes a monster is often culturally based, so whether or not it's a good thing depends on if you're being cast as the monster.

"Another part of the fear of Dracula from the movie, for example, is the foreign myth," Ferreira added. "This involves coming from a different place to the homeland during the xenophobia that was prevalent during that time."

The exhibit also delves into the clown panic of 2016, in which numerous worldwide sightings were reported of people dressed as evil clowns appearing near forests and schools.

"Going back to the idea of transgression, it's all about changing this sort of innocent thing into a not-so-innocent thing," Ferreira explained. "(Clowns) weren't always meant for kids, and they sometimes had very adult narratives. But when they became associated with children's entertainment, people like (author) Stephen King, other artists and some horror enthusiasts were able to latch onto that and sort of manipulate it into something very frightening."

In addition to vampires and clowns, other subjects featured in "Monstrum" include:

* La Llorona. The "Weeping Woman in White" centers on the Latin legend of a married woman who drowns her two children in a fit of rage after seeing her husband with another woman. Overcome by guilt, she drowns herself but is not allowed to enter the afterlife, instead forced to walk the earth until she finds her children.

* La Lechuza. Another Latin legend about the "Owl-Witch" murdered by townspeople for practicing the devil's magic. To exact revenge, she returns as a shapeshifter who can appear as a witch during the day and a giant bird with a woman's face at night, killing those she encounters.

* The Yokai. Supernatural spirits or entities in Japanese folklore that can be either evil or helpful to humans. Strongly revered, they can appear in the form of humans, animals, plants, buildings or other inanimate objects.

Through nontraditional exhibits such as "Monstrum," Ferreira hopes to entice both students and area residents to check out what's going on at the Logan.

"We're an academic museum, and we're dedicated to teaching students," he said. "But we don't want to get stuck in the academia. It's important to recognize fun and to be accessible, too. What I want to do is to blend the two."