Why Zombies, why now?  I want to know.  Because I’m obsessed, and I think many people are too.  I read somewhere that the proliferation of alien and UFO themed movies and shows from the 1960’s developed from our fear of the cold war.  In this way, the threat of an atomic winter translated to a cultural preponderance of little green men.

I believe this. I think we act out through art and culture so as to better understand the world around us.  Which leads me to zombies… what is it that we are responding to now? For example, Zombie by Fela Kuti was a political criticism of the Nigerian government.  But what about our zombies? What does the zombie apocalypse examine for us?
zombie bracelet by nitebyrd

To the question: I don’t know. I can relate to the examination of the world through zombies but on a very small personal level. I want my dead loved ones to come back to me. Every day I’m dealing with the grief from the loss of my dad, knowing I would want him back no matter what. I could easily be the Governor caring for Penny. I’d wear this eye patch from GothFoxDesigns on Etsy. (Be careful, the link is SFW but don’t click on the other images.) However, my zombie love predates this awful period of my life.

If I were in school still, I’d sign up for Zombies and the American Culture 101.  Is it our baby boomers coming to terms with mortality? Is it a means to question ourselves, in this very comfortable world where survival skills are no longer necessary? You see the signs of our spoiled comforts everywhere, like this bone bracelet from VMT Los Angeles, though lovely, is a jaw dropping $2175 I looked at it and thought “Are you kidding me? But it is attractive… and if money were no object I would buy it myself.”

Do zombies tap into that same vein as the Tuff Mudders, the Ultra-marathons and the Survival Man TV shows? Are we as a culture searching to prove ourselves on a very fundamental level?

What do you think? Do you zombie? How would you survive? I’d probably put my knitting skills to use and barter warm sweaters for food. Also, I throw a good punch. And what do you think of Z nation, you watch it yet?