During my time on the internet, there have been many forms of uncanny media that have been done, from creepypastas (basically online horror stories) to analog horror (horror that tells its stories through VHS tapes to give it an uncanny yet nostalgic feeling). One part of this section of the internet that I find interesting yet weirded out by is the concept of liminal spaces. To most people it looks like this; a room with no people in it. Seems kind of odd, right? Why are people interested or obsessed with this? Well, there's more to it than meets the eye. What makes liminal spaces "creepy" is the fact that the pictures are of places that are usually filled to the brim with people, say like a school or a mall. These pictures get those locations and take them out of their desired context. Basically, imagine a mall at 4AM. Nobody is there, everything is quiet. It's eerie, looks unnatural, and feels otherworldly.
Besides showing a location at an odd time, they are also supposed to give the people looking at these images a sense of nostalgia and familiarity . Most of the pictures that are considered liminal spaces look like they were taken either from the 90s to the early 2000s. When I look at some of these pictures, for example, I feel like I've seen these places somewhere in the past (The mall on the top reminds me of when I went to Metro Center back when it was popular and when Sears still used their old logo). Even then, pictures of these liminal spaces are subjective. Some people might think they are unsettling and nostalgic, others might see it as just a room. Liminal spaces are just one of the many interesting pieces of internet media. They show how places that are normal to the human eye can be made unsettling and uncanny with the right conditions. The absence of people along with the obscure times makes it look like a location might be frozen in time, while giving off a nostalgic effect.
As weird as this sounds the last image seems comforting in a way. It brings me some nostalgia. Iv'e seen videos from creepypasta and i like them (despite it being terrifying) because it makes you visualize the area hes describing and not just show through videos. I have seen many images that kind of bring a sense of nostalgia and an eery feeling. It captures a great combination of emotions.
ReplyDeleteI’ve seen these types of pictures before, like on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, etc. But I never understood why they always made me feel so weird. I think you best describe why people can feel a variety of emotions toward these pictures and you helped me realize why I feel that way too (it is because of the emptiness of these normally crowded places).
ReplyDeleteYour four new entries look great, Aaron. Your writing flows well, you are developing your content, and you are working the concepts of rhetoric to connect to your audience and keep them engaged. Good visual appeal with images and layout. Bit of room at times to develop and discuss further. Nice work. Keep it up!
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