Zombies on Sesame Street

 I’ve noticed in the last few years people have become obsessed with books and movies about dystopian societies.

Why? Maybe because we’re already living in a dystopian society controlled by those who destroy the very world that gives us life, for short-term profit and power.  Worse than that, we let them.

The Walking Dead is a mainstream hit, a soap opera about a post-apocalyptic world where people are being ripped apart by zombies, fighting each other, and still finding time for romance. It’s more about the people, their interactions, what they will do under horrible situations, etc., the zombies are just to make it different than an actual soap opera, well, sort of.

In George A. Romero’s original vision of zombies they were an allegory about consumerism run amok; they’re about each of us consuming each other by over-consuming.

We find them fascinating because we see ourselves in them, the darkness inside, the monster within, a ravenous beast who lives only to consume, to devour, to munch through or chomp down.

There is something strangely admirable about zombies, they are who they are. No lying, no cheating, no deception, no manipulation – they want to tear your flesh apart and eat it and they make no bones about it. Are they even the bad guys or is it the humans who terrorize and torture each other?

Let me sum this up by a quote from the man that started it all, George A Romero –

“I expect a zombie to show up on ‘Sesame Street‘ soon, teaching kids to count”.

His point being, that’s how mainstream they’ve become in our attempt to accept and somehow justify our insane consumerism.

Not saying I don’t like this show, it is so well-crafted it’s impossible not to view and enjoy.

The Walking Dead (in Black and White)

B&W adds a whole other dimension to this series and of course, is reminiscent of Romero’s independent 1968 B&W unique horror standard, Night of the Living Dead. It’s also a great way to sell more DVDs. I really love the B&W version, it’s spookier, moodier, creepier and what real horror is about. Hey, I just love B&W.

In the meantime, check out the graphic novels, much grittier, but quite interesting.