shock value
Noun
Meaning
English Wikipedia has an article on:shock valueWikipedia
shock value (uncountable)
The potential of an image, action, etc. to provoke a sharp reaction, typically of a negative emotion.
Examples
In horror, character development is often pushed aside in favor of the shock value. The best genre movies to me are movies like The Shining. You had a connection to the characters in that film.
My reasons for declaring a sexual preference had to do less with the pursuit of personal freedom than with the lust for pure shock value.
I've been on shows that go for shock value.
Young kids should be doing music that has shock value. They'll grow out of it.
I've always been really dark, and drawn to darker humor. Nothing has been forced, and I don't say anything for shock value.
Beauty is always the result of an accident. Of a violent lapse between acquired habits and those yet to be acquired. It baffles and disgusts. It may even horrify. Once the new habit has been acquired, the accident ceases to be an accident. It becomes classical and loses its shock value.