Zombie Culture and Our Disconnect From Death

Here in North America, we live in an era where death is often sanitized, occurring behind hospital curtains and mortuary walls, yet the undead continue to captivate our imaginations. Zombie culture has skyrocketed in popularity, prevalent in our movies, TV shows and video games. While the undead may seem like harmless fictional creatures, I think the rise of this phenomenon actually speaks to a deeper societal issue: our increasing detachment from the care of our own deceased loved ones and a desensitization to the concept of death itself.

So why do zombies persist in a society so disconnected from the realities of death and what are the effects?

One of the most troubling aspects of zombie culture is how it desensitizes us to violence and death. It’s not uncommon to witness grotesque scenes of human flesh being torn apart or people being ruthlessly slaughtered. We watch hordes of the undead being mowed down without a second thought, often forgetting that death is a natural part of life. This desensitization not only dulls our empathy towards the suffering of others but also distances us from our own mortality. My city hosts a Zombie Walk downtown and I once saw the most realistic makeup depicting a missing cheek and the teeth visible right through the face. It stopped me in my tracks – he looked so incredibly similar to a body I took care of that had been in the ocean for 2 weeks and all the flesh of the face eaten off my sea creatures. What I found so unsettling was how unaware this person was as they jokingly jumped out and scared people.

Does Zombie culture show a loss of respect for the dead?

Zombie culture often portrays the dead as mindless, soulless creatures, devoid of the dignity and humanity they once possessed. This portrayal suggests a notion that once a person dies, they are no longer deserving of respect, care, or remembrance. It diminishes the importance of honouring our deceased loved ones and recognizing the impact they had on our lives. The lack of meaningful engagement with death care can have profound social and psychological implications, leaving us unprepared to cope with the realities of mortality when they inevitably touch our lives. There is nothing scary about a dead body – it is the shell of a person that loved and was loved, but whose heart has stopped beating.

Immersing ourselves in zombie fiction provides a form of escapism.

It allows us to temporarily step outside the confines of our daily lives and engage with a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping narrative. The act of witnessing characters face death head-on can offer a cathartic release for pent-up anxieties. Zombie culture allows us to confront death in a controlled and fictional setting, offering a safe distance from the genuine emotions and complexities surrounding mortality. While this can be a form of catharsis, it’s essential to remember that real-life death is a profound and transformative experience that deserves our acknowledgment, not avoidance.

I don’t think the popularity of zombie culture is inherently harmful, but it does serve as a stark reminder of our society’s growing disconnect from death, grieving, and the care of our deceased loved ones. By recognizing this issue, we can begin to reclaim our relationship with mortality, honouring the dead and maybe even seek ritual and ceremony like those that have guided humanity for centuries.

For example, Day of the Dead in Mexico is a holiday to remember deceased loved ones by making their favourite foods and decorating their grave. This keeps their memory alive and maintain a relationship beyond death. Many other cultures consider it important to tidy and maintain the burial place of their dead and have a specific day to do so annually. In Madagascar, Famadihana means “the turning of the bones”. The tombs of their dead are opened every few years and the deceased rewrapped in fresh burial clothes. Each time the dead get a fresh wrapping, the people do a dance to push the spirit of the dead toward the afterlife.

While many of these traditions may seem extreme to our western norms, I think there is a middle ground. Let’s move beyond the realm of the undead and embrace a more thoughtful, compassionate approach to death and dying.