Why Zombies?

     Do you recall science fiction movies from the 1950s?  My favorites were The Day the Earth Stood Still, Invaders From Mars, Creature From The Black Lagoon, and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.  These movies are now understood to reflect our fear about communism.  That is, the aliens and monsters represented a collective anxiety that godless invaders would sabotage the United States.  Which leads me to consider what fears might be reflected by current shows featuring the living dead, such as The Walking Dead, Resident Evil, Zombieland, or I am Legend.  Unlike disaster movies from a bygone era when the principal actors survived, everyone is destroyed as the shows progress bit by bite.

     Could modern horror films reflect internalized fear about violence from the irrational, confused and unstable?  Do we believe in an apocalyptic future where we become infected, unable to stem the monsters - who are us.  If  these films represent a mirror that reflects our anxiety, the cure might be listening to rational voices that speak to mental health intervention, gun control measures, and calling out gratuitous violence portrayed in our media.