Scary games. Predatory flocks of vultures: a real threat
Most people think that zombies don't exist, but it all depends on what exactly is meant when the word is used. Today, the word “zombie” really has two meanings, and not everyone knows about it.
The term "zombie" comes from the Voodoo cult, originating in western Africa, and does not mean a person who wants to eat human brains. According to followers of these beliefs, now living primarily in Haiti, the southern United States, and West African countries, A zombie is a heavily enslaved human who unknowingly works for the person controlling him. These beliefs, of course, persist to this day, despite the fact that the first film with completely different, bloodthirsty zombies, called Night of the Living Dead, was released in 1968. Today, many films and video games have been released featuring this type of zombie and depicting dead people rising from their graves and walking around looking for food in the form of human flesh. This type of zombie has become popular in popular culture, although it has little in common with voodoo.
How zombies appear
What about real, real zombies? Where did zombies come from?? According to numerous reports, voodoo priests prepare a white, powdery compound called zombie powder. This powder contains ingredients that can turn a person into a zombie. In 1980, Harvard ethnobotanist Wade Davis traveled to Haiti to investigate. According to him, each voodoo priest uses different ingredients to create this powder, but the common ingredient is fragmented animal remains (mostly bones) containing a highly toxic tetrodotoxin(in small doses it has a paralyzing effect on the human nervous system); This ingredient is obtained by drying and obtaining powder from dried pufferfish.
Davis believed that a person exposed to a certain amount of zombie powder containing tetrodotoxin could fall into a vegetative state resembling death.
Another ingredient that is dangerous for the human body is Jimson herb (datura). Shortly after a person is buried, his body may be removed by a voodoo priest, who gains control of it by continuously injecting psychoactive compounds found in Jimson's weed. Drugs based on such compounds cause delirium and confusion, and the person becomes unable to function normally.
Zombie Man
According to a publication by the American Chemical Society, in 1962, a man named Clairvius Narcissus was admitted to the Albert Hospital in Port-au-Prince with serious respiratory problems. He ended up in a coma and was pronounced dead by hospital doctors after some time. Soon he was buried. After 18 years, this man suddenly appeared on the outskirts of his hometown in a state of shock. The investigation revealed that after his medical death, he was buried, but was brought out of his coma by a voodoo priest with the help of powerful drugs. He became a slave to his master, who forced him, along with many other slaves - also zombies - to work on a sugar plantation until the master died.
Without the zombie powder, Clairvious Narcissus finally regained his sanity and returned to his family after many years, unlike many other zombies who suffered permanent brain damage.
This real story about a zombie man made a splash abroad, which contributed to people's interest in the cult of voodoo and the theme of zombies, which, in turn, caused the popularization of this theme in cinema, although in a very distorted form. Real zombies are not dead people, who, under the influence of potent substances, are turned by the so-called masters (voodoo priests) into obedient slaves, fulfilling the will of the masters.
Zombification
Recently, in the intellectual community there has been more and more talk about zombification of people by the media, television, propaganda, and, paying attention to the state of society, for example, in North Korea, it is difficult not to agree with such talk or, at least, to find it close to reality.
For fans of the horror genre, horror games will be a real find. But don't think that such a neutral name suits the style of the game. Not at all! Flash horror games are truly creepy plots, blood-slowing music and constant excitement for the nerves.
The choice of options for “what to play” is quite large.
All the scariest games are divided into three categories:
- shooter - combat operations to destroy monsters, zombies, ghosts and evil spirits;
- indie horror - atmospheric stories in real and fictional apocalypse;
- survival - a complete set of everything you can imagine from the horror genre.
Creepy “flash drives” will not leave a single moment for relaxation - fear begins to constrain you from the first minutes of the game and remains a long trail after turning off the computer. Everything contributes to this: oppressive music, dark design, sharp attacks, terrifying monsters, a constant heavy atmosphere and “surprises” around every corner.
It is better to start playing such games at school age, since their stories will only be appreciated by an adult audience. Which will be able to see the originality and fascination of the chosen genre behind the creepy design.
From television films you already know every detail. Human existence turns into a daily struggle for survival. You will have to stock up on water, food, medicine and weapons. Moreover, in this case, revolvers and rifles will never be superfluous. If people want to survive, they must flee away from densely populated areas. Ideally, you need to find a secret bunker that protects you from the invasion of a wandering and ever-hungry horde. Legions of zombies are increasing their ranks at cosmic speed. They hunt for any person they meet along the path of a destroyed civilization. This is how television projects describe the zombie apocalypse.
Fortunately for us, from a biological point of view, the invasion of infected evil spirits on the planet is impossible, and here's why.
1. Weather conditions: hell
In tropical latitudes, the month of August becomes unbearably stuffy. On the other hand, January in northern latitudes can pass for a freezer. Staying outdoors without protection in extreme conditions is simply not realistic. Earth's unforgiving weather worsens the conditions for rotting flesh. High heat and humidity allow insects and bacteria to thrive. The hot desert air will turn zombies into husks in a few hours. In winter, even the slightest blow will cause the skeletal system of the walking dead to completely collapse under the influence of its own weight. And we haven't even mentioned ultraviolet radiation, hurricanes, torrential rain and hail, and blizzards!
2. Central nervous system: failure
Our organisms are complex mechanisms, where each system is interconnected with each other. Muscles, tendons, skeleton and internal organs are controlled by the brain. When one element of a well-functioning system fails, everything goes awry. In real life, a person risks being practically immobilized. This fact makes mysterious the numerous stories about modern zombies, which can move at the speed of a meteor, even having lost half of their flesh. They move, no matter what, they are not embarrassed by the lack of brains, broken bones, atrophied muscles, rotting internal organs. Well, since many screen zombies suffer from extensive cranial wounds, their central nervous system must be completely paralyzed.
3. Immunity: none
Viruses, fungi and bacteria have plagued humanity since the beginning of the world. They shorten life expectancy and make us unhappy. Recently, the world has become aware of its most dangerous biological enemies: smallpox and HIV. Only the immune system makes us stay afloat and resist the invasion of microscopic invaders. People with weakened immune systems inevitably face problems. Zombies have completely no immunity, so any bacteria that penetrates inside them will instantly eat them from the inside.
4. Metabolism: crisis
People eat food, so they convert chemical energy into activity. This is how we live and breathe. Metabolism supports these processes. This term is all-encompassing and covers all chemical reactions that occur in the body. In theory, zombies feed on human brains, because they also need to function somehow. There is only one problem: these creatures are not living, which is why they do not have any metabolic capabilities. Therefore, if zombies lack metabolic processes, they will not be able to transform tasty brains into energy.
5. Predatory flocks of vultures: a real threat
There are too many vultures and carrion-eating animals in nature - hyenas, wolves, bears, coyotes, foxes and packs of vicious feral dogs. If a zombie apocalypse were to strike, the remaining people would fear not only walking monsters, but also hungry wild predators. Even small animals like rats, raccoons and possums will enjoy going out hunting. They are only afraid of healthy people. But as soon as they smell the carrion, they will immediately rush to attack. So what awaits the walking dead when they meet the vultures? The answer suggests itself.
6. Sensory organs have become unusable
Sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell - all senses are key to our survival. Without these five possibilities, a person will wander around the world, consume poisonous plants, bang his head against doorways, and spill boiling water on his body. But since zombies undergo a constant process of decay, it is unclear how they manage to remain sighted and perform any of the vital activities in order to feast on human brains. When the rotting process starts, the eyes immediately suffer. The collapsed soft tissue would leave the zombies blind. Then the eardrums become deformed. How can a deaf and blind monster hunt its victims?
7. Spread of the virus: doubtful
Nature has developed some terrifying ways for germs to spread. Take, for example, bird flu or measles, which is spread by coughing and sneezing. 90 percent of people who come into contact with an infected person become ill. But how do the walking dead spread the infection? Everything we are shown in horror films is completely ineffective. Somehow the corpse must grab the person and then deliver a devastating bite. Well, if the creature is missing some limbs, this is too cruel a proposal. In order to overtake and bite a victim, it is necessary to expend colossal energy. And, as we already know, zombies have no internal resources. And finally: do you really think that a healthy, alert person cannot cope with a decomposing corpse in close physical contact? Cold-blooded and slow zombies will always lose in a fight with their warm-blooded “brothers”.
8. Wounds: Never Heal
Before the invention of antibiotics, simple abrasions and cuts could have been fatal to a person. If dirt and germs penetrated a cut, they instantly spread into the internal tissues. But now we know well what personal hygiene and first aid are. We are familiar with soap, iodine and brilliant green. In addition, our tissues have a unique ability to regenerate and restore. Fortunately, these options are completely closed to zombies. Their wounds, regardless of the depth of the damage, never heal. Imagine what will happen to a sheet of paper from which a piece is cut off every day. Sooner or later he will be gone.
9. Digestive System: Gaping Holes
The human stomach is a muscular sac that can be filled with approximately 850 grams of food and drink per meal. Of course, eating more on a regular basis can stretch this internal organ. Now imagine what will happen to the stomach of a monster that is ready to stuff itself with human brains without a break. In addition, if some zombie systems do not function, then food may simply fall into thin air. Gaping holes along the esophagus-intestine route will take care of this. Well, what will happen if undigested lunch begins to accumulate in the intestines? Imagine for yourself.
10. Teeth: worn out
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in our bodies. This hard shell helps us chew food. But without proper dental care, teeth quickly become unusable. Zombies never brush their teeth, their gums rot, and enamel cracks quickly turn into holes. No one will give them prosthetics. In the end, efforts to bite seem completely pointless. Only in films do the teeth of the dead look like formidable weapons.
Conclusion
So, we found out that today not a single virus, not a single fungal infection or radiation leak will lead to a zombie apocalypse from a biological point of view. This means that we will be spared from escaping from the tenacious clutches of hundreds of maddened monsters. They do not pose a real threat to humanity.
Zombies are one of the most popular characters in popular culture. However, they are also an interesting metaphor that directors use for social criticism.
The emergence of zombies
Stories of zombies entered Western culture through tales of voodoo practices among Caribbean islanders. One of the main sources of these stories for a general audience was the 1929 book The Island of Magic, although stories about zombies began to circulate before its appearance. The book was written by the famous New York Times reporter William Seabrook, and one of the chapters was devoted to voodoo magic and the practice of zombification. It provoked a sharp surge of interest in zombies in the United States, and already in 1932 the first film on this topic called “White Zombie” was released, telling the story of a sorcerer who subjugates people to his power.
Until George Romero released the film Rise of the Living Dead in 1968, zombies remained living victims, subject to the power of a voodoo magician. Romero rethought the concept of zombies, turning them into the dead who have risen for some unknown reason. Since then, zombies have come to be understood primarily as the living dead. Romero became the main trendsetter of the genre. At the same time, being an independent director, he put political subtext into each of his films, raising problems of xenophobia, classism, feminism, consumerism, etc.
By the beginning of the 21st century, the zombie genre, oversaturated with cheap imitations made in the wake of the popularity of Romero's films, began to fade away. However, at the beginning of the new century, a real zombie renaissance began. The living dead have moved into books, comics, computer games, TV series and scientific works.
What did zombies symbolize at different times?
Zombies have been a metaphor for what people have been afraid of since their inception in culture. Thus, in Haitian culture, where they were discovered by Europeans, zombies reflected the locals' fear of colonialism and slavery. It is no coincidence that zombies were controlled puppets, which were generated by sorcerers who possessed secret knowledge.
Romero, as already mentioned, turned them into a metaphor for racism, consumerism, etc. People in his films usually represent privileged groups, while zombies are those who lack privilege but want to gain it. For example, in one of his films, people lock themselves in a store and consume the abundant food there, while hungry zombies are forced to watch from outside.
In the early 2000s, with a new surge of interest in the genre, zombies began to be used to express fear of corporations and governments. At this time, the walking dead most often appear as a result of their activities and are controlled by them. Suffice it to recall the most famous franchise of this time - “Resident Evil”, where zombies were created by the Umbrella corporation so that its leaders could clear the earth of unnecessary people and establish their own power over the whole world.
In the 2010s, in contrast, zombies began to serve to overcome fear of stigmatized groups. At this time, films and TV series appear in which the story is told from the perspective of zombies. It is typical that in such films the zombie apocalypse was not completed, the zombies were in some sense defeated, and some of them are looking for ways to coexist with the living.
People and Zombies: Friend and Alien
Zombies turned out to be a very flexible metaphor, covering a very wide range of people and phenomena. So wide that anyone can become a zombie. Anyone can become a zombie or, on the contrary, a so-called survivor. To do this, you don’t need to have any special qualities, you don’t need to be either a superhero or a “little person.” Thanks to this fact, the viewer easily identifies himself with the heroes of works about zombies, which may also affect the popularity of the genre.
However, few people would like to identify themselves with zombies. This is basically almost impossible, because zombies do not have the individuality that each of us has. The living dead are a hostile, but at the same time homogeneous, gray and faceless mass. They, with some exceptions, are not personalized in any way. It is quite easy to draw a parallel between a faceless crowd of zombies and an impersonal industrial urbanized community. Zombies also serve as a metaphor for office workers exploited by corporations and filling cities.
They reflect the fear of this crowd of people alienated from each other and the fear of being swallowed up by it. This is the crowd we don't want to be part of. However, as city dwellers and corporate workers, we are at the same time inevitably part of this human mass. Since zombies represent those (or, rather, everyone) who constantly surround us, but from whom we find ourselves alienated, with whom we do not want to identify, then zombies can be interpreted as a metaphor for the Other, who we are not, who is different from us who are not our own.
The contradiction of not wanting to identify with what we are a part of contributes to the aforementioned openness of the zombie genre, and naturally this was reflected in the genre works themselves. So, in the series “The Walking Dead” at some point it turns out that zombies do not infect the living. The living are already initially infected and will inevitably become zombies after death. Additionally, the series has a story arc in which one of the groups of survivors survives by doing what zombies do: eating other survivors. There are also many episodes in which the living imitate the dead in order to stay alive. That is, the heroes become like Others in order to remain themselves. However, this preservation of self-identity sometimes leads to a blurring of the line between self and Other.
In the Resident Evil film series, the main character is the only one who survives throughout the franchise. However, her survival and separation from the homogeneous crowd of Others is ensured by her own, increasingly intensifying as the plot develops, difference from other survivors. This difference itself, in turn, is generated by her “involvement” in the world of zombies. She is the carrier of a virus that reanimates the dead and makes them desire the flesh of the living, but she is the only one who was able to subjugate the virus to herself without undergoing physical changes.
This duality of hers is complemented by her ambiguous attitude towards the corporation that created the virus (and fear of corporations is the leitmotif of “Resident Evil”). On the one hand, she belongs to the corporation as an employee (she worked in the security service), but on the other hand, she is a double agent and works there precisely to harm the company. In this case, maintaining identity with oneself also consists in the constant ambivalence of the position of the heroine, who turns out to be simultaneously identical and non-identical with her own and others.
Mastering the Alien
This ambivalent position of the heroes of works about the living dead between zombies and survivors is typical mainly for the 2000s. Before this, zombies and survivors were clearly separated, and what was happening was available to the viewer exclusively from one point of view - the point of view of the living. In recent years, quite a lot of works have been created that attempt to “normalize” zombies, that is, return them to a human state, or even recognize their state as normal. The closest to the latter option were “I Am Legend” and “Pride, Prejudice and Zombies,” where some zombies became partially intelligent. However, the full implementation of such a scenario has not yet occurred.
The first option is most fully realized in the film “The Warmth of Our Bodies” and the TV series “In the Flesh.” This also includes the French TV series “At the Call of Sorrow,” although the living dead in it cannot be called zombies in the full sense of the word, since they are not animated decaying bodies, but rather, more like material ghosts. Typically, in all three versions the narration is told from the point of view of the living dead. What is also important is that in all cases of "normalization" of zombies, the walking dead begin to acquire a language that the zombies in all other films do not possess.