And far from simply being used to talk about the cult horror film during the spooky season, the “Ghostface” mask has become a sex symbol and a fantasy for some female users.
Behind this particular trend lies a soft-erotic novel, “Scream for Us” by Molly Doyle.
On TikTok, the author has found success with her sultry story involving a woman locked in a house with three male characters wearing the masks of cult killers from the legendary horror films “Scream,” “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween.”
The hashtag #screamforus has racked up 21.3 million views on TikTok, while #screamforusaudiobook reached 173,500. The “Scream for Us” audiobook takes advantage of the trend for erotic audio content, which is taking off on social networks.
Popular with the BookTok community, the realm of literary fans on the platform, the book was the subject of comments shared by many users, who admitted that while the story wasn’t elaborate, the lascivious scenes kept them on the edge of their seats.
And it’s precisely this aspect that has prompted users to launch a “trend” involving their partners. It consists of asking their partner to wear the “Scream” mask before leaning lasciviously over her.
And while it may be mostly women who are participating in this trend, some men are also riding the wave.
Posing provocatively shirtless, with sexy music in the background, in videos or photos, content creators have decided to wear the mask, and it’s working.
Some videos are reaching the million-view mark, generating substantial monetization.
However, this trend raises another question: should we really sexualise toxic characters and even worse, bloodthirsty killers?
The trend took a turn when users recreated disturbing scenes in which a woman played the role of a victim abused by the masked man from “Scream.” And some users even responded rather positively.
Another, however, recognised the problematic side of enjoying this kind of content glorifying aggression: “I need to contact my therapist again.”
While the trend gained momentum at the end of October, the “Scream” mask was already buzzing back in 2022.