Summary
As weird as it may sound, oneAmerican Horror Storyseason connection proved that a major fault with the series exists in-universe, too. Long before the divisive reception ofDahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, showrunner Ryan Murphy had been accused of exploiting real-life crimes for television drama. Almostevery season ofAmerican Horror Storyfeatures at least one real-life figure among its cast list. Sometimes, these figures are as historically distant as the inhabitants of the lost Roanoke colony. Sometimes, they are living people like Mia Farrow or Roman Polanski, both of whom appear in season 12.
WhileAmerican Horror Storyseason 12’s finalewas divisive, it was the preceding episode that implied Farrow was the victim of an age-old cult while shootingRosemary’s Baby. This was more than a little strange since the real-life Farrow recently collaborated with Murphy onThe Watcherand even rejected a role inAmerican Horror Story’s first season. The uneasy relationship betweenAmerican Horror Story’s real-life charactersand their actual experiences has always run the risk of seeming creepy or exploitative. However, season 7,Cult, proved thatAmerican Horror Storydoes at least acknowledge this fact in-universe.
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Cult’s Twisty the Clown Cameo Mocks American Horror Story’s Real-Life Characters
American Horror Story Often Depict Real-Life Figures
In one peculiar scene,Cultconfirmed thatAmerican Horror Story’s tacky treatment of real-life characters extends into the show’s universe. Throughout its seasons,American Horror Storyhas depicted fictionalized versions of real-life figures such as John Wayne Gary, Richard Ramirez, Valerie Solanas, Polanski, and Delphine LaLaurie among many, many more. Similarly, a comic book inCultdepicts the killing spree of Twisty the Clown even though, within the show’s universe, he is a real-life serial killer with real victims.American Horror Story’s many wild twistsmean it can be tough to get a handle on the show’s version of reality.
Fortunately, the story of Twisty the Clown is fairly straightforward. The clown was a popular circus attraction until a group of jealous colleagues falsely accused him of endangering children. Twisty lost his job and became destitute, eventually losing his lower jaw to a gruesome accident. He then became a deranged serial killer who kidnapped children in an attempt to protect them from the horrors of adult life.Twisty the Clown’s killing spree was so famous that it spawned a comic,Twisty: the Clown Chronicles, as revealed inCult. This proves thatAmerican Horror Story’s characters aren’t averse to potentially exploitative media.
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The Show’s Depictions Of Real-Life People Can Seem Exploitative
It makes sense for Twisty the Clown’s crimes to be immortalized in media within the world ofAmerican Horror Story, since the show frequently features real-life murderers among its characters.1984’s Richard Ramirez was the most questionable example of this, as many viewers complainedAmerican Horror Storyromanticized and glamorized the real-life serial killer. The fact that1984was almost as broad and campy asRyan Murphy’sScream Queensdidn’t help, but there are also a few earlier instances of this. This might be whyCultprovedAmerican Horror Story’s in-universe characters have the same ghoulish taste in media.
