In today’s culture, we have many genres of entertainment and for each of those we have yet even more sub-genres to further define them. One of the sub-genres that appear to be gaining quite a bit of popularity is the Zombie movie. From Night of the Living Dead the film to The Walking Dead comic book series, zombies seem to be every where and it doesn’t seem like they are going away any time soon. I can’t help but wonder what exactly makes this particular subject so appealing to people, so I will dissect my own love of the idea of zombies and why I think it’s so entertaining. What is interesting about a lot of Zombie movies and stories is that usually the zombies are not the primary focus; rather they represent a nearly insurmountable obstacle for the protagonists of the given story. It’s not necessarily that zombies are badass, but that they bring out the best and worst in the people they encounter. Depending on who’s version of zombie’s you follow, you may be dealing with the slow, shuffling type i.e. The Walking Dead zombies or you may be dealing with the explosively fast 28 Days Later zombies,but no matter which one you choose, the base still remains the same—they are both undead.
I think part of the essence of these movies is having an enemy which is nearly limitless in its numbers but decidedly simplistic in its attacks. Whereby in some stories the villain may not always be cut and dry a bad person, with zombies there is little doubt. To kill a zombie is almost equivalent to putting someone out of their misery, thus, the idea of killing something is no longer vicious but merciful. What film or story of this genre would be complete without shot gun blasts to the head, decapitations, and indiscriminately driving throw crowds of the infested? Though many people can argue the point, it’s safe to say people are in general fairly violent in nature. We are all not killers, not by a long shot, but I think the seeds are there within all of us. Are we inherently bad as a species? Of course not, but we must be dynamic because there come times in a persons life when they may have to fight for their life or worst yet, have to take another in defense.
Zombie movies not only give us a morally safe reason to kill other things, but they also show us how corruptible we all are in the end. Most of the movies possess the same logic in that if you are bitten by a zombie, you get turned into one, assuming you are not completely devoured in the process. That makes a fight with a zombie quite an intense one because its not like a fist fight where you can take a punch or two and come back with a surge of adrenaline, no, one bite and its over—well, maybe you can avoid the infestation by hacking off the affected limb. Rarely is there just one of them, but instead, you have to contend with crowds of them. It’s almost as if the zombie infestation is an analogy for the opinions and views of the masses—be an individual with your rifle on top of a roof or join the crowd below in the search for fresh meat. When you really think about it, zombies are not that evil in the sense that they have some diabolical plan to take the world over…no, they are just hungry.
Going further on the subject of analogies, aren’t we all sort of zombies to some degree to somebody on this earth? Does not each one of us represent a single-mindedness which threatens the livelihood and existence of some other person or being? Are not the followers of pop music like zombies to those of us who like more obscure independent artists? Aren’t the followers of the opposing political side much like the hoards of undead walking aimlessly along fictitious streets? Underneath all the reasons for zombies being there is the fact that the survivors left want tostay alive.
The things people will do to stay alive are often times more horrific than what any crowd of zombies are capable of doing themselves. I think most of the good stories involving zombies focus on this premise and this is the reason why I happen to love The Walking Dead so much. Even amidst half decomposed ambling undead cannibals, people can still be decidedly sicker andwicked. The zombie world shows us that when all the shackles of society are removed and we are left to manage ourselves, the resulting world is filled with killers, rapists, and people hungry with power. We often times take for granted the luxuries our society has bestowed upon us because most people have never known any different. This doesn’t ring true for every country, obviously, as some regions of the world are war torn and poverty stricken.
So in conclusion, I think the idea of zombies is appealing because as far fetched as it is, ideologically, it’s still very plausible. People can be very easily reduced down to their most basic of emotions and urges. Need proof? Go to a Justin Bieber concert, strip club, or any kind of political rally, but don’t bring a shotgun with you—please. I think another reason for the rise in popularity of this genre is the way the world is changing. As we become more aware of others, we find weare either a part of something or against it. Couple this with our inherent drive to live and succeed at nearly any cost and you have got yourself a subject which nearly any person can ultimately find appealing.
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