BS: zombies

Subject: BS: zombies
From: ollaimh
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 01:26 PM

i take from the popularity of zombie movies and tv shows that americans have subconscious realization that they are the walking dead. a civikization withoiut moral or spiritual content, completely unconscious to its place and actions on the world and destroting everything in its path. a civilization where the only answer is the gun and all the heros are killers. its kinda like what gunter grass saw in german civilization just before and under the nazis.

for those interested in self awareness i recomend john roulston sauls' book of lectures called "unconscious civilization", and his book voltaires bastards". chris hedges "empire of illusion" and |the deasth of the liberal class" as well as "american fascism" are very good as well.

zobie films are the ultimate in racism. "the other" is completely dehumanized and therefor it becomes virtous to kill, much like "the other" is demonized by americans. as liberals, terrorists, extremist muslims etc, and therefore it is virtous to kill.

this is the oideology of meaningless consumption and endless war in other peoples countries.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 01:33 PM

I don't think one can assume the mindset of an entire nation on the basis of a film genre popular with only a small proportion of its population. One might as well say, judging by the plethora of TV programmes on the subjects, that the British are obsessed with restaurants and ballroom dancing, and determined to kill all those not either eating out or waltzing.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 01:34 PM

That civilisation had also been idolised by the Bond books - all heroes are killers and all women whores (at least for the hero). It is not solely American. Europe follows the same path.

It might be argued that these things show a lust for a spiritual dimension not elsewhere found.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 01:39 PM

I view all film genres as nothing more sinister than pure escapism. Only a few rather unbalanced folk take them seriously or let them influence their real lives.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 01:39 PM

Zombies are hip.
(:-( ))=

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 01:41 PM

I think zombies ate Facebook.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 02:14 PM

That's a very interesting take, ollaimh. I think you're right.

Richard, it's not a lust for a spiritual dimension...it's a lust for the very opposite of a spiritual dimension that is driving the mainstream culture....unless you mean a demonic spiritual dimension.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 02:15 PM

The popularity of zombie movies?

I, personally, am not acquainted with anyone who gives a hoot about zombie movies, so I don't know where this idea came from.

The only "zombie" movie I have ever seen was the 1943 "I Walked with a Zombie," and that only because my sister and I were taking in the Saturday matinees at our local movie theater, which offered a double feature, newsreel, cartoon, and a thirteen or fifteen chapter movie serial (cliff-hanger ending, so you had to come back next week to see how the hero got out of whatever fix he or she was in).

I was twelve years old. My sister was eight.

I saw the movie years later, on late night television, and subsequently learned that the plot was very loosely based on the plot of Charlotte Bronté's Jane Eyre (!!).

The setting was an island in the Caribbean, and the song, "Shame and Scandal" was sung in the movie by calypso singer Sir Lancelot. Decades later, the song was recorded by Odetta.

Zombie movies seem to be popular, currently, with the quite young, mostly some teen agers. This is the same demographic that, years ago, was into surfing movies complete with Annette Funicello running around in a bikini.

I don't quite know what great sociological and political insights one can draw from the popularity of surfer movies.

When the next teen-age fad came in, surfing movies vanished from sight.

The popularity of zombie movies? Popular with whom?

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 03:10 PM

Zombies are cyclically popular with the pre-teens- interesting to me in the 1930s, along with Tarzan, horse operas and the Marx brothers.

Stuff for the immature.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 03:18 PM

A real zombie can be cured/killed by putting salt into its mouth. See the literature.

It's a fad, just like the "Twilight" vampire thing is a fad.

However, some politicians might be zombies. Get your local politician to taste some salt and see.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: gnu
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 03:22 PM

I drank a few Zombies one night. They work.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 03:29 PM

Margaritas were invented to tell the humans from the zombies.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 03:43 PM

The REAL zombies are people like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and Ann Coulter.

Brain-dead themselves, if you let them, they WILL eat your brain!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: gnu
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 03:54 PM

The real zombies are their listeners/readres/viewers who pay their salaries. Dollar and media whores, yes. Makin $$$, yes. Don't care a fig about... ya know... yes.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 04:12 PM

gnu has something there- Limbaugh et al. exist only because they have an audience. Without that audience, no media would give air time to their rantings.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 04:17 PM

Zombies rock! He's coming to get you, Barbara!
Get you Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 04:50 PM

All too true, gnu and Q!

(Hey! I think I made a poem!)

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 04:52 PM

You and Q and a dog named gnu
(:-( ))=

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 05:03 PM

I have gnus for you, Krinkle.

CLICKY.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 05:05 PM

I imagine movies with Jewish zombies would have been pretty well regarded in Germany in the thirties...

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 06:21 PM

Three of the the most popular recent zombie movies, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later and Shawn of the Dead were English. Zombie movies are popular world wide.   

So I guess we are not the only "civikization withoiut moral or spiritual content, completely unconscious to its place and actions on the world and destroting everything in its path."

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 06:28 PM

The "civiisation" involved is surely rather wider than what I imagine Jack the Sailor measn by "we".

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 06:33 PM

No McGrath not at all. "americans have subconscious realization that they are the walking dead." ollaimh was clearly referring to the USA only. I was answering that accusation. If it is bad that American kids watch Zombie movies then most of the rest of the world is just as bad.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 06:48 PM

I think people are confusing zombies, which are indigenous to Haiti and other Caribbean countries, New Orleans and possibly Africa with ghūls, aswangs, manananggals, penanggalans, and similar "undead" beings and demons.

It sends a frisson of horror down the spine while knowing that you are actually safe from such (barring certain psychiatric cases).

See more here.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 07:15 PM

I forgot to add Baobhan Sith, Black Annis, the Sluagh, Leanan Sidhe, Dearg Due, Bean-Nighe, Morrigan, Macha, Cailleach Bheur, Fear Dorcha, puca, far dorocha, Marbh Bheo, Canrig Bwt, Korrigans, and Bean Sidhe.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 08:23 PM

As an American I've always loved being pigeonholed by focusing on one tiny bit of our culture to the exclusion of everything else. Especially by an original poster who can't be bothered to spell correctly.

Highly recommended: World War Z by Max Brooks. The son of Mel Brooks.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 04:22 PM

Zombies are politically savvy

Zombies are not stupid

Zombies are even sexy

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 04:40 PM

Hey, now, got to get that Zombie Strippers!
The cartoon might make a good Christmas card. Who dunit?

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 04:42 PM

Those attempting to apply deeply seated psychological motives to adolescent fads should at least use spell-checkers so they don't come out looking dumber than the fads themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 05:13 PM

There are probably deep psychological reasons behind virtually every common social phenomenon, Bee-dub...not just the zombie fad. There may even be some behind your last post, for example. ;-D

There has indeed been an enormous popularity worldwide in the last few years for zombie films, probably moreso than ever in the past, although it's happened before. The majority of those films do emanate from the USA, and the USA culture is the biggest cultural influence in the world in our era, spreading itself through popular music, movies, marketing, war, and advertising...so to ascribe the zombie film phenomenon primarily to USA culture is probably accurate, which is not to say that it wouldn't be getting popular elsewhere too...like other things emanating from USA culture.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 06:16 PM

I don't think the kids are into zombies. It's vampires that are the supernatural-of-the-month. And evidently contemporary vampires are much more sexy and personable than the vampires of old.

However, I haven't watched a show or read a book to check this out.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 07:30 PM

Its all of the above. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, fairies, elves, aliens, robots & Republicans all of the above.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 08:09 PM

And commies and anarchists and- but I liked Dr. Fu Manchu.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 08:46 PM

I think the commies and anarchists are the mythical monsters that the Republicans fear.

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 09:49 PM

And Chimpanzees!

Subject: RE: BS: zombies
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 09 Oct 12 - 10:25 PM

Nobody is scared of anthropomorphic chimps.