Another Zombie Apocalypse - Jan 15 2023

 

Another Zombie Apocalypse

Jan 15 2023

Another film

about zombies, apocalypse

and wandering bands

of desperate survivors.

Dystopian visions are rampant

armageddon is in the air.

It seems we're all feeling anxious

about the future of humanity;

about climate, democracy, inequality,

the private suffering

of lonely people

searching for meaning

and never finding it.

A cultural moment

or a true intuition?

It wasn't always like this.

I grew up

when anything was possible.

When we reached for the moon

and problems seemed solvable.

When progress

was never in question

and nature an afterthought.

When humankind

was the apple of God's eye,

not warring bands

in the smoking ruins

of a lost civilization.

Perhaps next year

it will be musicals, fantasies

and happy fever dreams

featured on the big screen.

So we will at least go down

distracted, deluded

and refusing to see

the impending disaster

we have made for ourselves.

Frankly, I don't know which is better.

Contending with reality

or determined denial?

Will we give ourselves a chance

no matter how improbable?

Wallow in self-pity

and pointless regret?

Or be simply content

distracting ourselves to death?

Or are we secretly thrilled

by the zombie apocalypse?

Will we throw up our hands

and let anarchy rule;

revelling

with hedonistic zeal

as order fragments,

and life as we know it

comes to an end?

I recently programmed my PVR for the latest HBO drama, The Last of Us. But reluctantly, because despite the tempting imprimatur of HBO (almost always beautifully done), I generally dislike fantasy, violence, paranormal stuff, and speculative fiction. Never gave a moment's thought to watching something like The Walking Dead, for example, despite its massive popularity. Which are all hard to avoid these days, because themes of dystopia and armageddon are rampant in popular culture: it would seem an immediate and telling artistic response to our moment in time.

I wonder where the true pleasure lies in watching these things. Is it the hope we will be spurred into action? is it licking our wounds: rueful regret we allowed things to end up this way? Or is it secret anticipation: thrilled by the prospect of untrammelled licence in the breakdown of order and the rule of law?

In the penultimate stanza, I originally had in mind Neil Postman's critique of media. I would never presume to claim credit myself. But when I googled “distracting ourselves to death” in order to acknowledge him , I realized he actually wrote “amusing ourselves ...”. Apparently, someone named Rehan Khan wrote a book called Distracting Ourselves to Death. So I will credit them both, since I suspect Khan was also inspired by Postman's clever phrase.