“Cursed“ is a pretty broad term. Normally, it’s used to describe something that annoys you in an angry way. Or, if you dabble in spirituality, it might mean experiencing bad luck caused by a magic curse.
But cursed images are their own beast entirely.
They can be funny. They can be creepy. Sometimes they’re a little gross. Almost always, they’re unsettling. Whether it’s the strange content, the poor quality, or a mix of both, these images share one trait: you can’t look away. No matter how weird or disgusting they get, they pull you in.
So why are we so obsessed with them?
When it comes to the disgusting and off-putting side of cursed content, there’s actually a logical explanation. But before we get to that, it helps to understand where the feeling of disgust comes from in the first place.
At its core, disgust is an emotion of avoidance. It tells us something might be harmful and pushes us to steer clear of it.
Dr Val Curtis, director of the Environmental Health Group (or “disgustologist,” as she likes to call herself) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explains that this response evolved as a survival mechanism. And yes—it’s that big of a deal.
Had our ancient ancestors not felt disgust, they would have eaten or touched things they shouldn’t have.
“It’s genetic in the sense that we all have these natural motives to avoid disgusting things, to avoid fearful things, and go towards good things such as food,” Dr Curtis told the BBC.
This instinct kept our ancestors safe from harmful bacteria in rotting food, toxic water, waste, and dead animals. Those with a strong sense of disgust not only lived longer but were considered better mates, passing those “disgust genes” on to future generations.
“Those who had a ‘healthy squeamishness’ would have gone on to have more children and practised good hygiene, and that would have protected their children,” said Dr Curtis. “Those who didn’t have that squeamishness would have simply died out.”
Over time, disgust grew beyond physical concepts.
As Scientific American reports, it also began regulating symbolic harms: violations of morals, cultural rules, and values.
That’s why people might say they’re “disgusted” by acts like racism. Because of this role, disgust is often called the “gatekeeper emotion,” the “exclusionary emotion,” or even the “body and soul emotion.”
