Page 2 | Why is zombie apocalypse a thing?

Orangade · 2022-02-23T13:36:11+00:00

Where did it come from? Why do we not talk about a werewolf apocalypse? Or a giant spider apocalypse? Or a man-eating lizard apocalypse?

ThatsNotMyGolem · 23/02/2022 18:49

I hate the whole zombie cultural phenomenon. People who get into it are pathetic.

FatFredsFriedEgg · 23/02/2022 18:44

You don't get a Zombie Apocalypse from a few voodoo zombies though. It has to be a zombie virus pandemic to qualify as a a Zombie Apocalypse.

AmadeustheAlpaca · 23/02/2022 18:40

@Ozanj that’s very interesting about ancient Hindu beliefs. I’d always thought that astronomy, science and maths developed in Sumerian and Babylonian times in the Middle East, though that could have been concurrent with developments in the Indian sub continent How did the caste system develop with some people born as untouchables? Regarding the zombie apocalypse Nostradamus predicted that the dead will rise in 2038. I’m getting on a bit but will hopefully be around to see what happens then.

Ozanj · 23/02/2022 18:28

@CoverYourselfInChocolateGlory

Didn't the zombie legend originate in Haiti as part of voodoo culture? I thought it was a specific concept from the experiences of enslaved African populations. It has its roots in ancient fears of being buried alive and the dead returning - much more powerful and central to the human experience than werewolves or giant spiders.

The concept of the reanimation of the dead is ancient in Africa and Asia. Far older than the origins of Europe and definitely European slavery. The concept of Zombies, voodoo etc, was brought to Haiti and then altered like many things were to fit the local population there. To give you a non-theological example: Jamaican roti vs North Indian paratha.

Ozanj · 23/02/2022 18:20

@Pedalpushers

We did a whole lecture at uni about how unrealistic the 28 days later zombie apocalypse was using examples of known viruses and their epidemiology. It was the most interesting thing in my whole degree!

Uni courses tend to underplay this sigificantly. The idea of the dead reanimated is unrealistic, sure. But we already have ‘zombie’ / monster type illnesses and their combinations - eg leprosy and rabies both had outbreaks seperately but it was also not unusual to see them together. Ancient diseases were brutal which is why many ancient religions focus(sed) on hygiene.

Ozanj · 23/02/2022 18:09

@Howeverdoyouneedme

I’d like to hear more about Hinduism and space travel.

Its based around the concept of Vimana. In ancient Hindu texts the advanced civilisation of Lanka had flying chariots and these were used to travel to another planet. The Vimana’s concept is similar to a spaceship right down to propulsion - so it seems in some parts of ancient India where what we now know as Hinduism was followed there was theoretical knowledge about how to fly even if they couldn’t actually do it. It makes sense considering that our foundational mathematical knowledge comes from what is now modern day India / Pakistan / Afghanistan.

Butteryflakycrust83 · 23/02/2022 16:32

@thegreenlight

I always think it’s an excuse to see massive violence perpetrated on other human beings with none of the associated guilt. They may look like people and their bodies react to weapons like people but they’re not actually people. They’re the baddies so it’s ok.

Dang....never looked at it like that

Thatsplentyjack · 23/02/2022 16:30

Werewolves only turn into werewolves when there's a full moon. Plus they turn back into humans with all their faculties so most people who knew they were werewolves would lock themselves up for the nights they would turn (well you would hope so).

CoverYourselfInChocolateGlory · 23/02/2022 16:28

Didn't the zombie legend originate in Haiti as part of voodoo culture? I thought it was a specific concept from the experiences of enslaved African populations. It has its roots in ancient fears of being buried alive and the dead returning - much more powerful and central to the human experience than werewolves or giant spiders.

StormTreader · 23/02/2022 16:18

Zombies were originally a metaphor for commercialism and capitalism, with hordes of mindless consumers all shambling about with no independent free will or thought, the original "sheeple" I guess.

The horror film genre that's most popular in any period is quite a good window into what the prevailing fears were at that time - you can see all the "asteroid / flood kills us all suddenly!" films really start to pick up around the millennium when the millennium bug and global warming were really starting to get a lot of air time.

Howeverdoyouneedme · 23/02/2022 16:18

I’d like to hear more about Hinduism and space travel.

Papyrus · 23/02/2022 16:15

Interestingly the modern concept of zombies started popping up in popular culture after the Spanish flu pandemic.

thegreenlight · 23/02/2022 16:13

I always think it’s an excuse to see massive violence perpetrated on other human beings with none of the associated guilt. They may look like people and their bodies react to weapons like people but they’re not actually people. They’re the baddies so it’s ok.

AbsentmindedWoman · 23/02/2022 16:04

FFS, the giant spider apocalypse I mean, quote didn't attach.

AbsentmindedWoman · 23/02/2022 16:04

Ugh, thanks for putting this monstrosity of an idea in my head OP

SometimesRavenSometimesParrot · 23/02/2022 16:01

Zombies are a more all occasions monster so I think they fit the apocalypse idea better.

A werewolf apocalypse wouldn’t work because you only have werewolves at full moons. Vampire apocalypse finishes at sun up every day and so on. Zombies are one of the few monsters who aren’t affected by anything like that.

The lizard idea wouldn’t work because we’ve hunted plenty of animals to extinction so we’d see ourselves as superior to a man eating lizard and therefore it’s not an apocalypse scenario. Plus the man eating lizard tropes sit in a different horror genre really, along with Jaws and Lake Placid.

Butteryflakycrust83 · 23/02/2022 15:59

@Pedalpushers

We did a whole lecture at uni about how unrealistic the 28 days later zombie apocalypse was using examples of known viruses and their epidemiology. It was the most interesting thing in my whole degree!

Oooh any titbits you can share? I love stuff like that!

cherryonthecakes · 23/02/2022 15:58

Horror films seem to have popularity cycles. Before zombies, we had vampire films (90s/early 00s) and before that we had werewolf films (80s)

Pedalpushers · 23/02/2022 15:58

We did a whole lecture at uni about how unrealistic the 28 days later zombie apocalypse was using examples of known viruses and their epidemiology. It was the most interesting thing in my whole degree!

Original poster

Orangade · 23/02/2022 15:46

“Not quite as scary as your mum trying to eat your brains while you hit her over the head with your brothers leg.“

hahaha yes I do now see the unique horror of zombies

Thanks!

OP posts:

Rubyupbeat · 23/02/2022 15:41

I love zombie films etc.....
The slow moving ones don't scare me, but the fast ones like in '28 days later' really do!

Snugglepumpkin · 23/02/2022 15:33

I think it's a lot cheaper for filmmakers to create zombie outfits than werewolf ones so loads more zombie films got made.

Plus most of the werewolf stories aren't about mindless ravening beasts; they are almost always unfeasibly attractive men who seem to lose their shirts a lot & only have to change at the full moon.

Not quite as scary as your mum trying to eat your brains while you hit her over the head with your brothers leg.

gamerchick · 23/02/2022 15:09

At least in reality they couldnt speed chase you like on the modern zombie films as their ankle ligaments would have rotted away

Yeah it's evolved into infected rather than Zombie. 4th gen zombie films grind my gears a bit. They aren't zombies.

Butteryflakycrust83 · 23/02/2022 14:27

Zombies go back for hundred of years, especially in places like Haiti.

I find it fascinating and terrifying.

At least in reality they couldnt speed chase you like on the modern zombie films as their ankle ligaments would have rotted away

RedToothBrush · 23/02/2022 14:17

The idea of the undead and the threat coming from those you care about and trust is much more abhorrent. Its about the sense of losing everything you hold dear and yes very much has its roots in real life.

Zombies = like me and mine
Whereas werewolves and other monsters = other and separate

Think about it this way - the prospect of killing a werewolf isn't as hard to deal with as the prospect of having to kill your own child or mother to protect yourself.