Zombies!?!

Today a guest post by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of certification for geriatric nursing:

In January 2009, pranksters hacked into warning signs in Austin, Texas, cautioning drivers about “zombies ahead.” While there was actually no plague of the undead in the capitol city of the Lone Star State, this occurrence brings some interesting issues to light regarding zombies and popular culture.

In the movies, zombies bring people of various races, cultures, and creeds together for one purpose: to kill the zombies that are after them. Zombies represent not only death and the possibility of an afterlife, but the unknown as well. When zombies begin to appear in movies, people move through the stages of grief. Denying the evidence right in front of them, the characters wait until there is a full-on epidemic before doing anything at all to remedy the situation. But when that time comes, the characters work together to defeat a common enemy. They shed their prejudices and differences and operate as a cohesive unit for the sole purpose of eradicating the zombies and restoring order in the world. Just when things look as bad as they can be, someone steps in and helps make things right again.

Is it really any wonder that zombie movies have maintained their popularity over time? Even with the same plot and scenario, they remain relevant to viewers over the years. Looking in context at their rise in popularity, it is easy to see the parallel between zombie films and the state of the society that produced them. Looking back at the caution sign in Austin, perhaps it was a wake-up call to people in that town, urging them not to become part of the undead, but to once again think and feel as individuals. There is always time to prey on the flesh of the living later...