It seems like everywhere you look these days there’s zombie-based entertainment. Even one of my favorite journalists tried his hand at a zombie novel. He recently wrote an article for City Journal in which he attempts to explain why zombies have become such a part of the American–if not world–psyche:
With such cataclysms, man-made or natural, comes the risk of social breakdown that makes us so apprehensive. Shortly after Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast in 2012, residents in parts of New York City armed up with booby traps, baseball bats, and bows and arrows to protect themselves from potential looters. “Bow and arrow,” wrote Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic. “Think about that for a minute. In New York City. This is exactly the appeal of The Walking Dead. . . . A zombie invasion is simply a metaphor for any situation in which the government cannot protect its citizens.” World War Z author Brooks agrees: “Zombie stories give people the opportunity to witness the end of the world they’ve been secretly wondering about while, at the same time, allowing themselves to sleep at night because the catalyst in the end is fictional.” As it turned out, New Yorkers managed the aftermath of that storm, which tested the cohesion of some neighborhoods, with patience and lots of community spirit—but New Orleans during and immediately after Katrina was nearly up for grabs.
I hadn’t really thought of it that way, but it makes sense. I suspect most of us, in one way or another, believe the world is doomed.
Read the whole thing. As an added bonus, you get a quick summary of what “The Walking Dead” is all about without actually having to watch it.
Yeah, pretty much. Everyone wants to fantasize that if everything suddenly fell apart, they’d be one of the lucky few who could adapt and survive. Plus modern society kinda makes us feel like we’re all shuffling about moaning and wishing we had some brains.