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What is mascot horror?
A subgenre of horror, typically horror video games, aiming for and/or attracting a young audience through recognizable and often marketable characters, a theme of twisting something familiar or nostalgic, and ambiguous storytelling that is usually meant to keep the game and discussion around it relevant and viral.
I've been exposed to all kinds of mascot horror over the years, from Five Nights at Freddy's and Bendy and the Ink Machine, to Poppy Playtime and Garten of Banban!
mascot horror - video
Mascot horror - what is it?
aka "Kiddie Horror", or "Kiddypasta" Is a sub genre from internet horror, and has been around for quite some time, though it could be argued that FNAF pioneered the sub genre to popularity in 2015. It is used to describe either a game, movie, creepypasta, or horror franchise that pertains to younger audiences such as young Gen Z's and Alphas. Where as older generations wouldn't necessarily find them scary, rather seeing them as more edgy and cringeworthy, sometimes even laughably bad to the point where they wonder how some find this stuff creepy. This is because younger generations tend to be more emotionally susceptible to edgier content than others, and usually develop connections with them as part of brain development. In other words, they're retarded (with their emotions). Some examples of mascot horror such as FNAF, Bendy, Poppy Playtime, & Hello Neighbor usually contain content that is very recognizable and appealing towards these younger individuals mainly due to the cartoonish design of the characters, which is a crucial element in mascot horror. Other types of mascot horror such as Slender, Squid Games, and Siren Head weren't necessarily child friendly to begin with but as time went by, mainstream media has transformed these once horrifying icons so poorly to the point where they aren't even regarded as scary anymore. Despite the name, "mascot" refers to the fact that each mascot horror franchise contains a main notable character, whether it be good or bad.
Youtuber: Hey guys welcome to my 2 hour long video essay of why this mascot horror franchise is failing!
What does "mascot horror" mean?
A subgenre of horror that's often made to attract younger audiences, characterized by a recognizable (usually marketable) mascot. Games in this genre may rely on cheap jump scares and are likely to have extremely convoluted lore.
Examples of mascot horror include but are not limited to: Five Nights At Freddy's, Poppy Playtime, and Hello Neighbor.
"bro that new mascot horror game was terrible, the characters are funny though."