Zombie Mania

Currently Zombies are in the zeitgeist of American culture. Not really mainstream culture, I guess, but on the edges of geek culture that bleeds over into mainstream. I never thought I would see a really gross graphic zombie show on television, but there it is; The Walking Dead.

I was curious about the show even though I don't like horror movies. I find the torture porn of the Saw movies and Hostel movies very wrong and without redeeming qualities. I don't like horror movies. If I want to scare the piss out of me I'll go risk my life jumping off of things. I don't need demons, serial killers, or monsters...

The Walking Dead shocked me with how graphic the effects were. Certain things I found quite predictable. Guy rides a horse into a town overrun with zombies. The horse will be eaten by zombies. Duh. Guy hides in place where there is a corpse; the corpse is alive and just taking a rest. Duh. One thing that was a surprise and repulsive; they were trying to figure out how the dead knew the people weren't dead. Smell. They didn't smell like rotting flesh. So they cut up a dead body and smeared themselves with with the offal. Brilliant plan and it worked, but EWWWW!

I don't know if you have ever smelled anything dead, like maybe a dead rat in the walls, the odor is repulsively distinct and very powerful. I described it here in Um, Not a Fucking Chance. So my stomach was turning when I saw this technique.

There's also another side to my thinking. I want to know how it works. What has happened to the world that Zombieism is a real workable option? Some sort of super virus? Genetic engineering of a bioweapon? You would think that with all the zombie movies beginning with Night of the Living Dead, scientists would know better than to try such a thing. It never turns out well.

What process is capable of reanimating a dead body? Because once you are dead, very bad things start happening to your body. There are all sorts of things living in your body which are kept at bay by the process of you being alive. Once that spark of life it gone, you are a meal... The politic worms come later after you are in the ground.

I liked the vampire zeitgeist thing. Vampires could at least be sexy and have a conversation. Zombies are rather poor in the brains department unless they are eating them. Vampires are a bit played out right now. I blame Twilight for homogenizing and making them broody eyebrow acting caricatures of something cool. The pendulum will swing the other way when zombies are played out and there will be something new and supernatural which will be all the rage in the media.

Bottom line? I watched 2 episodes in a row, and I had nightmares all night long after going to bed. Fuckin' zombies chasing me...