A woman at work found a dead body in the dumpster enclosure (drug overdose probably) at the store, where I was Asst Manager. She definitely screamed. She was a tough cookie too. She lived in the drug and violence infested neighborhood that the store was in.
Thanks to urban renewal, there is now a Whole Foods there now.
I saw someone in a parking lot during summer, all their windows up and their head tilted back, mouth hanging open. I went on with some shopping and twenty minutes later on returning to my car, the person was still like that.
I drove away, but had second thoughts and returned to the scene. I went into the closest place, a tire/battery place and told he guy behind the counter. He walked out, returned shortly, and said, “looks like he’s dead”. I concurred.
The tire guy was unsure about what he should do, but a coworker called 911. I left before the police arrived, but in a way I hope the guy was dead, otherwise he must have been horribly embarrassed.
I suppose screaming is a good way to get help without having to put the situation into words.
“Help, there is a person lying here and I’m freaked out and I’m pretty sure they are dead, can somebody come over here?” Or “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” Screaming is easier and more effective.
I still remember the first time I saw it IRL. It was 1978, I’d been working as a paralegal for just a week or two at that point, and I was going over some stuff with the lawyer I reported to. We were in her office, it was early morning, and I was saying this or that about what I was working on, “and…a mouse.”
Her: “Excuse me, but I must’ve gotten fuzzy there. I thought you said ‘a mouse.’”
Me: “I did. It just went under that credenza.”
Her: “A MOUSE!!”
And in less time than it takes to type it, she was standing on a chair.
In the nursing profession we come across many dead bodies in the course of a career, Can you imagine if we screamed every time we saw one. Very unrealistic. I don’t get why they scream in movies other than to bring attention to the poor unfortunate…
I hate that screaming thing. As you say it is limited to women. Its sexist and misogynistic and I think it kind of trains women that that’s the appropriate response.
Me, i certainly have screamed, don’t get me wrong, but generally they have to train women to do that horrified scream. In real life it is usually just a loud gasp or a short quick yelp.
I can’t even remember *ever *screaming in response to fright or surprise. Maybe as a little kid? I’d probably just yell “Whoa!” or “Oh!” or something like that.
I’m a dude, but is this really a screaming situation for anyone? Personally, I’d be so pissed if I stumbled across a body. Like, Jesus Christ, there goes the rest of the day. I’ll be talking to cops and filling out stupid forms and who knows what else until the cows come home. I’d leave it for someone else to find, but A) it’s my basement so that’s unlikely, and B) it’s starting to stink down here.