So what is the fascination with Zombies?

Zombies, because it could really happen, and vampires are lame. :p

They're popular for a wide range of reasons. Aside from entertainment value, they make a good analogy for the survival/preparedness minded. If one is ready for an all out zombie apocalypse they're prepared for just about anything the world could dish out.
 
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Politically Incorrect

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Politically Incorrect

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Politically Incorrect

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Politically Incorrect

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Politically incorrect

Each of these movies had a mild to obvious message of mainstream white supremacy. The Western European heros could always be counted on to defeat overwhelming odds through courage, cunning, discipline, and technology. The "natives" were nearly always portrayed as brutal mindless savages - much as the zombies are today. But, we can't make these kinds of movies anymore. At best we end up with something like Dances with Wolves. The only primitive mass of savages that the industry has left are Nazis, Orks, and Zombies; and Western European cultural pride has been deluted to humans vrs. non-humans. Somewhere in this is a commentary on our present cultural identity crisis. These were all fun movies in their day; today we watch the reruns and feel sorry for the indian that John Wayne just blasted off the stage coach....

n2s
 
It's You (and your family/friends) against the world. A common fantasy.

It provides a marvellous excuse to think and talk about using your guns, knives, backpacks etc.

[EDIT]

Zombies give red blooded men such as ourselves an opportunity to live out mass slaughter with sharp things/things that go boom, all the while not needing to worry about the consequences, be they legal (murder charges) moral (Oh noes, I killed some living breathing dude with a family!) Have no/better jobs (IT vs Zombie hunter?) and so on.

Indeed, the Zombie Apocalypse is where men can be men once again!


Quoted for truth. This is what I wanted to get accross, and Miasma said it better than I did.
 
Zombies give red blooded men such as ourselves an opportunity to live out mass slaughter with sharp things/things that go boom, all the while not needing to worry about the consequences, be they legal (murder charges) moral (Oh noes, I killed some living breathing dude with a family!) Have no/better jobs (IT vs Zombie hunter?) and so on.

Indeed, the Zombie Apocalypse is where men can be men once again!


Survival Fantasy = just another spin on the impending doom of the apocolypse :thumbup::)
a Survival "Red Dawn" type thing but fighting off the Dead all in fun unless you get eaten:eek:....
I think my Next AR build will be Zombie themed version....:D
I have alot of Zombie Books & DVD's !

i think its just total escapism from reality that appeals to a large part of the population. the fantasy of not being a mindless drone in society at large. being the small group of stronger and luckier people able to defend themselves in what many see as a stagnated and noneffective lives.

for me its just fun and most of the movies have moments of hilarity.

take it easy
cricket

All of these.

The Zombie phenomenon represents the "Worst Possible Scenario". If you're prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse, you're pretty much covered for everything.

The ZA also justifies the purchase of more gear that you might not necessarily need.

Also, it's a lot of fun.
 
not2sharp-

in essence, you've answered your question in your original post. IIRC, max brooks (author of world war z and the zombie survival guide), was interviewed in regards to his fascination of zombies. he likened zombies to apocalyptic events, both natural and manmade. merciless, emotionless, and if big enough, inescapable. romero has also used zombie movies as a social commentary. i however, would say that the survival community's interest in the zombie would be due to the former.

plus, as others have stated, blasting something to pieces with no need for remorse fulfills mankind's predisposition to violence (in my opinion).
 
All of these.

The Zombie phenomenon represents the "Worst Possible Scenario". If you're prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse, you're pretty much covered for everything.

The ZA also justifies the purchase of more gear that you might not necessarily need.

Also, it's a lot of fun.

I will +1 this.

It is just a fun thing that goes through our minds. If it happens, we are ready. If not.. we are still ready and having fun being ready. :thumbup:
 
Honestly I don't like having to get physical with people, and no its not the suppressed geeky guy turn kill happy in apocalyptic or disaster events kinda thing. I just think violence is necessary where it is, and other wise isn't a thing I want/like doing. I recently watched a japanese anime of horror genre, called High School of the Dead. Was oddly nice since most movies related are an hour or so in length, the anime series was a full season, so it felt like they addressed alot of things one would think about moral standing and behavior after such events occur, weapons and item procurement. And so on. I personally think I would freak out for a quick minute, than force myself to come to terms with whats going on. For those in here who've served, and have actually shot someone, I could never really remove that from my mind, and if Z day happened, I doubt I'd be able to get over the freaky back to life corpse thing, than also having to splatter their brains everywhere. I instead have thought about stuff like THE ROAD, happening, or in the anime series I just mentioned, an atomic weapon is used, and it causes an EMP which destroyed almost all electronic devices? Not alot of people can live without their smart phones, ps3's and such. I've over the past year because of the forums info, and wanting to change my life style have been pushing more and more away from relying or wanting/needing digital entertainment. Cause what if that stuff is all gone in an instant? US Power Grid I read recently in news is vulnerable. Hospitals, Markets, etc, things we take for granted, could go to sh*t. I am not so much thinking of zombies eating my brains or ripping a limb off, lol. But rather if other stuff happens can I plant and maintain sustainable vegetation for consumables? Hunting game, cleaning and preparing it, where and how to get water? Living away from main roads, cause in the movie THE ROAD alot of people ate each other. Thats a no no on my list lol. But thats stuff that could realistically happen. Opposed to bruce c. with a chain saw killing the undead. What I want to live out, is a simple life away from the cities loud noise, status of expensive cars and clothes, social whore pots. Want to be someday able to provide for myself mostly on my own. Was looking at Reuben's pictures of the blacksmith, I like that! Make my own tools and stuff...just a thought.
Zombies give red blooded men such as ourselves an opportunity to live out mass slaughter with sharp things/things that go boom, all the while not needing to worry about the consequences, be they legal (murder charges) moral (Oh noes, I killed some living breathing dude with a family!) Have no/better jobs (IT vs Zombie hunter?) and so on.

Indeed, the Zombie Apocalypse is where men can be men once again!


Haha. Oh lord... lol. I'd be scared honestly.
It's all fun and games until somebody get's their brain eaten... :-)


Holy Crap! Are those all yours? I'm trying to do the same with pmags for 223 and 308 rifles. Slow long process.
 
I think zombies come across as ultimate monster because they define the total collapse of society. Not some shark that eats a couple of swimmers or Godzilla destroying Tokyo or New York over and over again. The zombies are the end of the world.

While it is difficult to shot a Mayan prophecy you can do that with zombies. Besides if they were your neighbours it would be a fringe benefit.
 
I think Zombies are a good representation of our faceless and surging way of life. An endless pressing of individuality to join the collective.
Have you ever noticed that the zombies are never really the worst villains?There's always some douchbag person who's worse.Like the bald guy in the basement in Night of the living dead,the bikers in Dawn of the dead or the commander in Day of the dead.
 
Zombies aren't bad people, they just want to eat your brains which basically just makes them a bit socially inept.

My wife comes home from the store with some Chinese wrecking bar or railroad bar about three times a year "for the zombies".

Remember the rules

1) Cardio
4) Double Tap

http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_16631.html

You really have to see this if you haven't ;-)
 
Zombies give red blooded men such as ourselves an opportunity to live out mass slaughter with sharp things/things that go boom, all the while not needing to worry about the consequences, be they legal (murder charges) moral (Oh noes, I killed some living breathing dude with a family!) Have no/better jobs (IT vs Zombie hunter?) and so on.

Indeed, the Zombie Apocalypse is where men can be men once again!

I think that's a big part of it, along with Tony's "Red Dawn" theory. Also it gives all us gear hounds a great justification for picking up and stockpiling all the knives, weapons, ammo, and gear that we do.
 
To me it seems the fascination with Zombies is a combination of a few things.

It justifies massive blood shed without any moral hang ups. It is politically correct in every culture/race to kill Zombies, no one will object. Shoot them in the head, burn them, crush, slash, decapitate, it really doesn't matter, they're zombies.

It also plays to the survival scenario that so many of us on here can relate to. All you have to do is look at all the threads on here involving bug out bags, survival gear, and kits.

Then there is the other reason for the obsession with Zombies. I need a reason to justify to the wife owning multiple AR's, shorty shotguns, swords, clubs, masses of ammo, and other toys that are not good for much other than Zombie killing, and shooting up cash at the range, well and the impending doom of apocalypse/government take overs.

As for "The Road" it was a good book, and very interesting. Although I have to say it was slow... very slow at times. "the ash blows across the road... the ash was blowing across the road... He stared into the distance as the ash drifted across the road...." on and on with the ash on the road. I understand he was setting the tone for the characters, but it did get a bit old. Over all I thought it was a slow, great book.
 
I don't think zombie movies are about the zombies at all.
They're about people facing extreme hardships, and how they cope after their world is turned upside-down.

A prime example of this is the TV series "Jericho". It would have been the exact same thing had it been zombies instead of nukes.
 
Zombies aren't bad people, they just want to eat your brains which basically just makes them a bit socially inept.

My wife comes home from the store with some Chinese wrecking bar or railroad bar about three times a year "for the zombies".

Remember the rules

1) Cardio
4) Double Tap

http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_16631.html

You really have to see this if you haven't ;-)

I forget which rule # it was, but my favorite was "Don't be a hero." Words to live (and continue living) by right there.
 
There is a series of books by Brian Keene, which include The Rising and City of the Dead, in which the zombies possess all of the skills of their human hosts, including driving, running, shooting, and any knowledge they learned while being human. They are great books if you're into zombies.

Sounds more like a nightmare than a good read. Skilled, coordinated zombies:eek:OMGWTFBBQ!!!
 
Each of these movies had a mild to obvious message of mainstream white supremacy. The Western European heros could always be counted on to defeat overwhelming odds through courage, cunning, discipline, and technology. The "natives" were nearly always portrayed as brutal mindless savages - much as the zombies are today. But, we can't make these kinds of movies anymore. At best we end up with something like Dances with Wolves. The only primitive mass of savages that the industry has left are Nazis, Orks, and Zombies; and Western European cultural pride has been deluted to humans vrs. non-humans. Somewhere in this is a commentary on our present cultural identity crisis. These were all fun movies in their day; today we watch the reruns and feel sorry for the indian that John Wayne just blasted off the stage coach....

n2s

That's not entirely accurate. Ridley Scott adapted Mark Bowden's "Blackhawk Down" and I remember some time after it was released, I believe the NAACP "complained" about the carnage in the movie. When I heard about it, I was rather stunned. It's not like Magadishu had a bunch of Norwegians inhabiting it or something. I guess you just can't win sometimes. Africans oppressing and killing Africans and you step in with a few GE Miniguns and mow a bunch of morons down that are doing the oppressing and killing and you're still the bad guy. If you do nothing, you're also the bad guy. You just can't win sometimes.

You have a very interesting line of reasoning on it, however. :D
 
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