As an English minor I needed to fulfill 100 level classes and when I saw Z is for Zombies, I thought it was a good way to fulfill that requirement and also take a class that was extremely unique. Academia is so often molded by what is accepted and expected and a course on Zombies isn’t either of those things and is rare to find. With that said, a class on Zombies allows us to look at literacy through a different lens and grasp a better understanding of the Zombie phenomena.
Through our mass culture Zombies have become very pertinent and have been popularized through the likes of books, shows (Walking Dead) and movies (Zombieland). There are many reasons why Zombies have been popularized and why our society has been inclined to engage in knowing and understanding them.
The Zombie culture is not unlike the vampire culture. We use zombies to strike our sense of fear as we do vampires. However vampires are often portrayed as elegant and romanticized creatures. Zombies possess a different aura. Zombies are flesh eating, brain dead monsters that are viewed solely as harmful to societies. A horde of zombies represents a force of nature similar of a natural disaster. This past semester, I took a sociology class on disasters and there are many similarities between dealing with Zombies and a disaster. Like a disaster dealing with zombies is often broken into three parts. The pre zombie time where preparation is essential, the “eye” of the disaster where survival is key and the aftermath of the disaster which causes individuals to ask “what do I do now, and where do I go.” These three stages are the pieces that make up these stories/movies and is what is the key to survival in these Zombie societies
Another part of zombies that have interested me is the fact that there is not a model for what a zombie is. This fact is important because it allows for variation and different portrayals in different novels and movies. For example In Shaun of the dead they are seen as dumb and slow. Yet in Resident Evil: After Life they are fast and smart. This is interesting because as we have never had a serious threat of a zombie attack, we will never know what the creature will actually be like and this causes us to fear more as we fear the unknown.
Lastly, I would just like to discuss something that we discussed in our group, which is what would be the first thing we would do if a zombie apoclopyse did occur. I found the array of answers to be very interesting as their was a diverse set of thoughts. The answers varied from calling their loved ones all the way to drinking and doing drugs. I found this hypothetical question to be very intruiging as it forcs one to think what they would do in a time of chaos and fear. I personally would make sure the people closest to me were safe, and go from their. With that said, I understand people deal with situations differently and therefor I feel what you would choose to do first is on an indivualistic level.
That flowchart is an excellent reference. Good post.
Vampires are highly romanticized and have definitely lost the scare factor over the years. I think it started with those anne rice novels. Zombies however....nothing scarier than a smart, fast moving nazi zombie. I thought witches lost their edge too, until I saw Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters 3D. The witches were demonic and horrifying creatures.
1) Agree with Brendan, the flow chart is a great visual for the categories we've been discussing in class
2) I read this post right after I read Peter Swenson's (two posts up) and I see a lot of interesting areas of overlap. For instance, Brendan says:
"But if [zombies]...exhibit behavior that hints that they remember their past lives, it becomes much more complicated. And not only for the fact that it is much harder to kill someone you love than it is to kill a stranger. It gives added legitimacy to the fear of becoming a zombie yourself. If zombies are mindless shells, it lessens the pain of knowing that when you die, you will do your best to kill everyone around you because you at least won’t be aware of it. But if, for example, you know you will be trapped inside, cognizant but unable to act on the thoughts, it makes the thought of turning into a zombie that much worse."
I was thinking about that issue of agency, and the fear it can instill in us on a personal level (what if I get trapped in a zombie's body?), and I was interested in how that would change or play into the three stages of disaster response that you discuss. How would awareness of this issue change our preparation? Would it change the aftermath? Or would it change our behavior in the aftermath?
I, too, must agree. That flow chart is awesome!
Great post! I liked the point you brought up regarding the portrayal of zombies versus vampires. Also, I feel that your chart nicely emphasizes the idea that zombies are much more complex and shouldn't be lumped into one category. Prior to this class, I've viewed zombies as being slow moving and mindless. But as your chart and the article "Your Zombie and You" describes, zombies can be extremely smart (and fast) as well.
The question of "What Would You Do In A Zombie Apocalypse?" has been on my mind lately, especially by playing the Choose Your Own Adventure games. Personally, I don't think we'll ever know what we'd actually do in a Zombie Apocalypse until the situation actually occurs (and hopefully, it never does).
Great post, and that flowchart is AWESOME! It is really cool to see all the zombie movies stacked up against each other and even classified. Going off your last statement, I too ask myself what my first move or thought would be if there was a zombie apocalypse. I feel that its such a hard question to ask because our actions would probably be drastically different if it did actually happen. I honestly think that an overwhelming amount of fear and terror would set in, making us over-think and analyze every action or plan we have.
I'm diggin all the flowchart love in this thread guys.