(BTW: it would be really nice if the “Comment on this answer” button actually sent you directly to the appropriate Post New Thread editor with a link to the article)
Anyway, I wanted to say that possibly the column takes the wrong tack. Instead of asking why zombies are such popular monsters, a better question might be why are zombie apocalypses such popular apocalypses? The basic premise of a post-apocalyptic scenario is understandable: a small band of survivors are freed from the constraints of civilization and live out their lives as barbarian heroes. For much of the Cold War the apocalypse was a nuclear war, with occasional exceptions such as pandemics or even asteroid impact. So the question then becomes why zombies?
We’ve discussed the pros and cons of zombie apocalypses before, but another idea occurred to me: maybe it’s because of video games. That is, a meme we’ve now grown up with for decades is the well-armed protagonist battling his way through hordes of anonymous enemies mindlessly bent on his destruction. Zombies are basically the live-action version, complete with literal respawning.
I think the popularity of zombies is that they are universally acceptable to kill with violence to the head. There is no moral squeamishness that is associated with killing actual real ‘enemies’ (insert nationality of your choice here). Everyone is ok with killing zombies.
The other reason is that its fun. THere are funny movies, there are more kudos for accurate shots (headshot!!), everyone can laugh and have a good time.
The last reason is a bit more socialogical. The increase in interest in preparing for the social and economic collapse of society is directly correlated to the interest in Zombies (no citation given). The (perceived) needed skillset, talents, and activities associated with the zombie apocalypse are virtually identical to those perceived to be needed to survive the economic/social apocalypse. Watch the zombie TV shows…they deal with issues that are identical to what the viewers believe to be issues of the impending economic collapse.
The zombie apocalypse is just a veiled allusion to the concerns of the economic/social apocalypse.
Note: I don’t claim to believe the economic/social apocalypse is at hand…or that it will play out like a zombie apocalypse. I’m just making the observation that there are those who believe the scenerio to be true and inevitable.
Also its more socially acceptable to be interested in these zombie scenerios than economic apocalypse scenerios. People won’t laugh at you or mock you if you show interest in the zombie apocalypse like they might if you show interest in the perceived reality of the economic apocalypse.
I think you’ve hit on the most important aspect, Lumpy. The appeal of zombies isn’t the monsters, per se, but rather the apocalypse scenario. Basically, while I know Cecil included it for humor, I actually agree with point #3:
[QUOTE=Cecil Adams]
“Zombie narrative presents us with a postcolonial consideration of identity and power, which allows us to challenge social and cultural hierarchies and power structures.” Please, professor, save it for the faculty lounge.
[/QUOTE]
I posit this with the assumption that these “postcolonial considerations” include exploring deserted cities, buildings, countryside, etc. Vampires and werewolves and witches don’t provide for that.
Zombies are popular because they make good PC enemies to be killed violently, especially shot in the head. They fit the “endless hoard of badguys” premise of videogames that have permeated society. The zombie apocalypse presents an apocalypse scenario that is on many people’s minds about an economic and social collapse, and provides for the post-apocalypse fantasy scenario.
Plus, zombies are the ultimate in horror, because they have your family and friends being converted and then coming after you, sometimes turning on you by surprise. Combines the horror of killing loved ones with the fear of betrayal and abandonment. Plus, there’s the inevitability of unending doom. It’s not about conquering or even surviving, merely lasting for as long as you can until they get you, too.
Note that vampires themselves seem to now come in two classes - the sexy brooding warriors, and the hideous vicious terrors that are basically fast zombies. That second group is essentially a “vampire apocalypse” scenario, with all the same themes. Note that some versions of zombies have been transformed from the slow shambling kind into “fast zombies”, e.g. the Resident Evil franchise starting with the third movie.
Signe I think you’ve nailed it on the head. (So to speak)
Anonymous “Beings” are not human and are O.K. to kill in unspeakable manners.
I think this is why, in WW 2, soldiers called the Germans “Krauts” and in Viet Nam the enemy were called “Gooks”, etc.
The reason being is that the names De-humanized the enemy so there wasn’t any guilt on the part of the soldiers when they killed.
Military Brainwashing? I think probably…
I think the apocalypse point has some merit to it. Most monsters don’t cause apocalypses: Vampires prefer for society to remain intact so they can be at the top of it; aliens (when they’re a threat) are usually somewhat similar; mummies and ghosts are usually a lot more personal, going after a few individuals; kaiju can wreak terrible havoc, but usually only on a fairly small geographic scale. It’s really only zombies, among monsters, that would transform an entire continent into a barren wasteland.
This also explains the rise in popularity recently. In the latter half of the twentieth century, we didn’t need zombies for our apocalypse scenarios: We had the very real Soviets. Nowadays, though, while we might still worry about terrorists or small rogue states somehow nuking a city, there’s no one who really has the capability and inclination to nuke us coast-to-coast, so some other threat has to take over for that role.
Another possibility is that, from a story-telling point of view, they make good antagonists. Aliens and immortal monsters normally create plot problems–any alien sophisticated to get here could wipe us off the planet (not that this stops Hollywood completely) and a horde of immortal monsters would be hard to overcome by a small band of survivors.
Post-apocalyptic stories are fun and using zombies gives the story-teller an easy source of hordes of bad guys that aren’t invincible.
Zombies are one of the only groups that has not been politically correctified or Hollywoodified into being perceived as a sympathetic group. Humans need to have a safe enemy which they can safely take their most savage tendencies out on. Zombies have become the last viable targets for human being’s desire to render their enemies inhuman.
NOTE FROM MODERATOR: This was originally a separate thread, I’ve merged it into the existing thread. No problem, Jahfre, just helps keep things together. And welcome to the Straight Dope! – Dex
Kudos, it’s indeed more about the economic apocalypse than about zombies themselves.
What’s left out is that since the bulk of these come from Hollywood, these movies are also quite retro-Westerns, in the sense that they romanticize the Simple Life Such As Our Forebears the Rugged Individualists Who Went Way Out West must have lived…
Also, it’s not just zombie movies which do this:
in Falling Skies it’s aliens. This has the slightly uncomfortable theme that there are technological superior aliens out there. John W. Campbell hated stories like that, according to Asimov.
There’s Revolution and Jericho, in which the baddies are Other People Just Like Us.
There’s The Road, a post apocalyptic novel which doesn’t explain the cause of the collapse or apocalypse at all. Hinted is that it “just happened.” This makes it palatable to both conservatives and progressives alike.
THIRD movie? More like seventh, or ninth movie, if you count the Japanese animated versions as well. Resident Evil - Wikipedia
And I guess the most well known fast zombies are from the 28 days, Weeks movies.
well this was worth a whole lot more than 2 cts, you really nailed it.
these are the people who buy all the guns, too.
They usually have a world view of America being surrounded by only enemies, a circle-the-wagons-against-the-Injuns scenario.
This allows them to be in a permanent state of martial law, so for them to give up all kinds of civil liberties is not a strange or illogical thing: The Attack is Imminent, after all.
Tim McVeigh subscribed to such a scenario and is reported to have been raised in such a culture
For normal people, zombie movies are just fun to watch. For Red Staters, they’re a more or less accurate description of what is to come.
Sorry, I’m only familiar with the Milla Jovavich set.
I think he means the supposed Millennium or Revelation or return of Jesus and the taking up of the holy and the left over masses fighting the last battle for good and evil, or whatever. You know, the kind of think like the Millerite Adventistsdid: give up everything and go wait on a hill for Jesus to return. The thing the Left Behind series is about.
