American Horror Story. One of the most iconic television shows of our time is more than just gory entertainment. This show has taught us many lessons throughout its seasons, which will make you want to go re-watch it all!
1. Some of the meanest people are hurting the most on the inside.
We see that many "bitchy" characters throughout the seasons actually have heart wrenching backstories. For Example, Elsa Mars was quite the unsympathetic queen bee in Freak Show (season 4), but she had an incredibly scarring past with getting her legs surprisingly and illegally cut off. Another character, The Countess from Hotel (season 5), was mean, murderous, and seemingly heartless. When we finally learn her backstory, we see all of the pain she has been through. When the love/s of your life are seemingly dead and then reappear just to disappear again, your heart tends to ache...especially after searching for them for a century. Though a person may be mean on the outside, they may be trying to cover up their hurt and insecurities by building up a wall and putting on a stronger facade.
2. Sometimes the person we love isn't healthy for us.
As we see in AHS Murder House (season 1), Violet Harmon falls in love with Tate Langdon, who is actually a murderous ghost who shot up his school in 1997. As the season goes on, they fall in love. She finally finds out what he is and eventually has to leave him. It is obvious that she still loves him, but she has to let him go for her own good. Sometimes the person you love is more toxic than a vat of acid and needs to be distanced to make your life seem more normal.
3. LISTEN TO YOUR HEART!
As we see in Hotel (season 5), Liz Taylor and Tristan Duffy fall madly in love for each other. One problem...he's the Countess's temporary plaything. She ends up getting jealous and kills Tristan right in front of Liz. She tells Liz that Tristan never even loved her. Liz never stopped loving him and even tried to contact through a medium. Once she dies, Tristan reveals himself to her and confesses his love once more. Don't ever let someone tell you how you should feel towards someone else. Listen to your heart and make your own decisions.
4. Don't judge a book by its cover.
One of the most misunderstood characters in American Horror Story is Pepper who appears in Asylum (season 2) and Freak Show (season 4). Pepper is a physically and mentally disfigured "pinhead" woman who is admitted into a very corrupt insane asylum. She is treated as if she killed a baby because that is what she was originally admitted for. We learn her actual story towards the end of Freak Show. She goes to live with her sister and brother-in-law. They have a disfigured baby and end up despising the infant for its looks. They treat Pepper badly and end up killing the baby and framing her. She is then convicted of murder and sent to the asylum. This poor woman was completely innocent, but people's judgement shadowed over her innocence. Don't ever assume someone's story if you don't know all the facts.
5. Love can make you do crazy things.
One of the weirdest characters, Spalding, is introduced to us in Coven (season 3). This man is the gross looking, doll obsessed, mute butler at the witch academy. Spalding falls in love with Fiona Goode, who murders the upcoming supreme witch. He watches her do this, but keeps his mouth shut. Fiona's enemy, Myrtle Snow, enchants his tongue so he can not tell a lie. He confesses his love to Fiona through a note and then cuts off his tongue with a razor blade to save her life. Love can make anyone do some crazy things, just be careful not to go too terribly far!
These lessons are all easily related to everyday life and are repeated throughout the series. American Horror Story, one of the biggest TV series of all time, is definitely just more than blood, guts, and sex...but an intriguing collection of stories teaching us all how to get through life.
