Posted on 03/16/2013 8:06:16 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
PROFESSOR: Zombies Are Popular Because People Have Given Up Hope
Zombie popularity is a surefire indicator of national mental health, says Clemson University professor Sarah Lauro.
Lauro, an English teacher who studied zombies while working on her doctorate, told the Associated Press that the rise of the "Zombie Walk," specifically, illustrates citizens' dissatisfaction with governments and life in general.
"We are more interested in the zombie at times when as a culture we feel disempowered," Lauro told the AP. "And the facts are there that, when we are experiencing economic crises, the vast population is feeling disempowered. ... Either playing dead themselves ... or watching a show like 'Walking Dead' provides a great variety of outlets for people."
A zombie walk is almost like a flash mob, except with zombies. Organizers send out flyers and advertisements listing the date and time to meet up, and then a whole group of people dressed as and behaving like zombies will go on a mass "walk" — more often than not in public areas.
The idea started in Toronto in 2002 and, like the dead, is on the rise.
From the AP report:
As of last year, Lauro said, zombie walks had been documented in 20 countries. The largest gathering drew more than 4,000 participants at the New Jersey Zombie Walk in Asbury Park, N.J., in October 2010, according to Guinness World Records.
Along with walks, as Lauro points out, there are several other popular venues which zombies appear. There's movies, and TV shows like The Walking Dead (which, consequently, has broken longstanding television records). There's even a whole string of fitness obstacle courses on the rise that center around zombie themes.
It's no surprise that America has jumped on to the trend —
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
OK, let’s admit it. The Zombie Apocalypse Meme is just the politically correct means of discussing the fear of what happens when the Welfare Checks Stop, and the Eaters come boiling out of the cities to raid the suburbs. . .
Exactly! I don’t know what it says about me, but I’ve always liked the zombie genre of horror movies.... I think because I look around and too few know what’s really going on or seem to even react much anymore. Especially here in the People’s Republic of Tucson. And it gets worse by the day (too many video games/electronic toys, too much toxicity in the sky/water/food, and so on doesn’t help).
>>OK, let’s admit it. The Zombie Apocalypse Meme is just the politically correct means of discussing the fear of what happens when the Welfare Checks Stop, and the Eaters come boiling out of the cities to raid the suburbs. . .
Yep. That’s what I’ve been saying for a couple years. I knew it when I saw that first SEIU rent-a-mob during the 2008 elections.
The money shot was this quote from the dingbat professor:
"It was a way that the population was getting to exercise the fact that they felt like they hadn't been listened to by the Bush administration," Lauro said. "Nobody really wanted that war, and yet we were going to war anyway."
ZOMBIES ARE BUSH'S FAULT!©
From a freeper perspective I think you are correct...from a broader cultural perspective I think it is reflective of a culture obsessed with death and the occult ( look at the popularity of vampires too.)
OK, let’s admit it. The Zombie Apocalypse Meme is just the politically correct means of discussing the fear of what happens when the Welfare Checks Stop, and the Eaters come boiling out of the cities to raid the suburbs. . .
I agree with you and the other posters. In addition the Zombie apocalypse IS the ultimate us vs.them scenario. Continuing on with the Zombie theme, zombies “recruit” their membership through infection, ie. Bites, scratches or blood contamination of any sort.
We see the same thing occurring metaphorically when “conservative” politicians go to Washington or the various state houses. They get contaminated and eventually become what they went there in the first place to oppose.
You are correct....nice euphemism for a zonked out Obama Citizen.
Targets of Opportunity.
I read that as "studied with zombies while working on her doctorate." It describes the grad school or university ambiance pretty well.
Of course "experts" can always give a reason why some science fiction or fantastic or horror theme becomes popular -- scifi and horror took off in the 1950s because of the Cold War, the Bomb, and McCarthy -- but that ignores the business aspect of show business.
Somebody is always trying to make money out of something. If it isn't zombies it's vampires, and when people get tired of zombies and vampires, there's always werewolves and mummies.
Sure, vampires represent aristocratic longings and sexual fears, and zombies incarnate fear of the unwashed, uneducated, inarticulate masses. But beyond all that, they're established franchises with a known appeal to the public.
Mummies, though, don't really get a fair shake in show business.
Not since Abbot and Costello, anyway.
I saw a poster that said that “you know there are brain dead around you, you are just waiting for an official apocalypse to be allowed to do something about it”.
For your zombie ping list?
Thanks DogByte6RER.
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