Post-Modern American Horror Story: Part I

Since the end of Breaking Bad, I have been without hope for television. That Vince Gilligan epic was, without any doubt in my mind, the greatest thing to happen to television ever. Once it was over, I was naturally saddened by the possibility that I would never see its equal again. Still, you can find good TV on the screen today and American Horror Story is an interesting show that has piqued my interest for a number of different reasons.

So far, only six episodes in, neither the story nor the writing is anywhere near the caliber of what I saw in Breaking Bad, but that will be the last comparison between the two. Just as you can sit down and enjoy a good book without comparing it to the Bible or Shakespeare, I will try to do with all future TV shows and Breaking Bad. Nevertheless, there are several themes in this show that make it stand out and certainly make it worth watching.

Can We Believe in Ghosts Now?

American Horror Story revives the concept of a ghost story in 21^st century America and does it better than I have seen any film or franchise do previously. It appears difficult to pull off a ghost story today, when religious faith has seemingly declined and people are apparently much more interested in material aspects of their lives rather than ghosts.

In the 1970s, the US was not exactly a bulwark of faith but there was enough residual spirituality and, in particular, Catholicism present in society to make the Exorcist a moving tale for a large number of people. They may not have believed wholeheartedly in all the strictures of whatever religion that they professed but they believed in the Devil.

But do enough people believe in such things anymore to make a ghost story viable in the world of entertainment, especially when the program turns its attention directly to the Book of Revelations and the Anti-Christ after just a few episodes? It turns out that the answer is yes if you adapt the ghosts and the Devil to fit modern tastes.

Mental Problems Are for Ghosts, Too

The story is centered around a psychiatrist and his family, which is threatened with division like so many other families in this country. There are many predictable ways in which this family resembles other American families. The threats to its unity are also recognizable for the most part.

However, this television show is striking because the ghosts that plague the family are not simply good or evil. They have mental problems. They suffer from depression and memories blocked by trauma. They see therapists and even take anti-depressants.

The Other Side Looks A Lot Like This Side

The most striking aspects of the show all have to do with the way that modern American culture is reflected. However, all shows naturally do this, except perhaps for those that try to depict prior periods of history.

American Horror Story stands out, in particular, because even its ghosts are much like the rest of us. They are married, they are gay, they are bereaved, they take prescription drugs, they go to the beach and they even have sex occasionally. Most notably, they seem just as confused as the rest of us living souls about what life and death mean.