Studying Horror

I started my PhD in September. I really have to learn to sound a bit more serious and not so apologetic when I'm asked what I'm studying:

"Ummm ... well ... Horror films ... (growing silence; tumble weed; cue the sound of crickets chirping) ... from France."

Boomph - you can see something shift. The smiles become too fixed, the lights dull slightly in the eyes. They hope someone will shout over to them, their phones will ring, or a fire alarm will go off somewhere:

"Really? Horror? That's ... interesting."