Hear the word zombies, and you probably instantly think of Day of the Dead, or, perhaps more recently, The Walking Dead! Zombies have been a part of popular culture for as long as we can remember, and they are a staple of horror movies. We have all had that conversation with friends about what we would do in the event of a zombie apocalypse – where we’d go, what we’d do, and who would be the bait!
In fact, you can even take classes on zombies, and learn about their cultural importance and significance. It seems zombies have made, and continue to make, a big comeback, and they are probably more popular than ever now. In order to prepare for the imminent zombie invasion (Shaun of the Dead style), we need to learn more about zombies so we can prepare! So here are a few of the things we know about them.
They are a global thing
It would be easy to assume that zombies are simply a creation of the Western world. But, actually, zombies exist in some form or another all across the world. Many different cultures have their own variations of what constitutes a zombie. The idea of the dead returning and walking the Earth is nothing new, and almost every culture has some variant of this. That shows how much zombies are a part of global culture, and that the idea of them is still scary no matter where you live.
They can be seen as a metaphor
In many depictions, zombies are seen to resemble humans, but much slower, and without sentient thought. They will basically eat any human beings who get too close – they are creatures that consume the living. In fact, many who study zombies and zombie mythology argue that they could be seen as a metaphor for consumption and consumerism. This is a pretty interesting metaphor, and also makes us think twice about what we want and need!
They don’t choose to attack the living
Another thing that we’ve discovered about zombies is that they don’t always mindlessly attack the living. Oh no, in some cultures, zombies are actually the equivalent of servants and follow the bidding of their host or master. That means that, if zombies are attacking you, it’s probably because they’ve been ordered to! So zombies are actually more like slaves or servants, which throws up all kinds of other questions.
They’ve become faster because the world has
Depictions of zombies have changed over the years, and, in movies like 28 Days Later, and Resident Evil, the zombies are much faster and more feral than they are in earlier depictions. This is largely because of the fact that the world has changed and become much faster and more chaotic. Zombies often serve as reflections of society and the world, and that’s why they have become faster in recent times.
As you can see, zombies play a big role in culture and entertainment, and they probably always will. They act as great metaphors for the human race, while they also provide us with plenty of food for thought. Plus, let’s be honest, zombie movies give us plenty of ideas for ways to prepare in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
