There’s a Zombie in my Living Room
It’s official, the dead are bigger then the living. I was having a conversation with my father late last night, my mother was in the living room watching “The Walking Dead,” and my brother was asleep. My father, having just put my younger brother to bed, made a phenomenal observation: “His generation is growing up with zombies.”
It’s true, zombies are everywhere. "The Walking Dead" has taken over Facebook, Twitter and BuzzFeed. Brad Pitt will soon be starring in "World War Z," based on the post-apocalyptic book of the same name. Even I can be found on many a toilet with “The Zombie Survival Guide.”
So where did they come from? Don’t say the ground. I don’t have the patience for that zombie humor. Sure, zombies have been huge among horror movie fans since Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” We can see living corpses in both Haitian and African folklore. But it wasn’t until the past few years that we saw Zombies skyrocket to new fame. From graphic novels to television to the big screen, I can’t go a day without seeing a reanimated corpse.
Maybe it’s the lack of Vampires. Remember when you couldn’t go a day with having to pick Team Edward or Team Jacob? But now that the very successful Twilight franchise has calmed down after their last movie (staring a CGI baby) was released, have we used zombies to fill the void?
I was never fond of vampires (with the exception of the occasional "True Blood" marathon) but I can’t say I like zombies that much better. I do such a bad job of hopping on trend wagons, I’m still dressing up like wizards for Halloween. Zombies are now even appearing as romantic leads, like in the film "Warm Bodies," based on a book of the same name. What’s next, a zombie baby?
When did we become so disinterested with our own species? Has the human experience grown boring? Is a love story not interesting unless someone is constantly battling against their not-so-human nature to kill you? I’m begging you, America. Go pick up a book that deals with human beings dealing with human problems. Try The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Too lazy to read a book? Watch a human-based movie, like A Streetcar Named Desire, Annie Hall or Singing in the Rain. If you must absolutely dabble in the non-human spectrum of entertainment, try Doctor Who, Star Wars or Star Trek.
Tonight Wagner will be hosting a Zombies vs. Humans event and I am really rooting for the human race — not just tonight, but in the years to come. Humanity screws up a lot, but we have so much to be proud of. So turn off that TV, put down Breaking Dawn, and go outside. Look at all the people and the amazing things they get to do. I feel lucky and proud to be a member of humanity. Maybe you can join me and root for the home team.
