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The Fridge / Why do people obsess about zombies?
« on: March 21, 2017, 09:47:33 PM »
Zombies offer us a unique kind of horror:
They're as close to people as one can get without having any personhood, or fundamental traits that make something a person.
This is why zombies can't simply be interchanged for some other kind of horrific beast: The ability to experience something that's resembles a person, yet has no moral code, and no ambitions or goals outside of committing a murderous rampage, is what gives zombies their unique place in horror.
Basically, the zombie fills a role similar to a sociopath or serial killer, but without the aspect of them legitimately being people. This means taking a shotgun or chainsaw to them feels less horrible and more rewarding than doing the same to a sociopath.
It's kind of the best of both worlds: You get a monster that's basically a human, but without any moral code and without any of the negative repercussions that come from killing one when you're threatened by it.
They're as close to people as one can get without having any personhood, or fundamental traits that make something a person.
This is why zombies can't simply be interchanged for some other kind of horrific beast: The ability to experience something that's resembles a person, yet has no moral code, and no ambitions or goals outside of committing a murderous rampage, is what gives zombies their unique place in horror.
Basically, the zombie fills a role similar to a sociopath or serial killer, but without the aspect of them legitimately being people. This means taking a shotgun or chainsaw to them feels less horrible and more rewarding than doing the same to a sociopath.
It's kind of the best of both worlds: You get a monster that's basically a human, but without any moral code and without any of the negative repercussions that come from killing one when you're threatened by it.