Zombie Movies’ Realistic Reflections

The 1990s were a big decade for many things: low rise jeans, choker necklaces, alternative rock, and presidential infidelity scandals. One of the biggest actors of the 90s however, was the zombie takeover of Hollywood. No, there were no zombies staggering West down Ventura Boulevard, but there were zombies moving waywardly onto the big screen. It is no secret that zombies are a symbolic manifestation of societal fears, meaning they often mirror the climate of the times. This then begs the question: what were we so afraid of, aside from acid wash denim of course, in the 90s, and still today? The 90s were a time of massive social change. A shift was taking place, a shift towards diversity, as record numbers of immigrants entered the country. With the expansion of American diversity however, came the expansion of American conservatism; as fundamentalists became fearful that these newcomers would threaten their traditions. This fear ultimately resulted in a lack of communication between demographics. And, because our fears translate into what we consume, it manifested in the media, with portrayals of the fearsome as zombies. This fear of others, and the zombie movies that portray it, have not gone away. In fact, the divide has only deepened, and the fear has only grown, slowly tearing at the very fibers which unite this country. A tear which, if unattended to, will kill America from the inside out. 

Many things in the 90s were new and fresh, including the people. Due to a Bush era initiative entitled The Immigration Act of 1990, the 90s saw a massive uptick in immigration to America. The introduction of this act paired with failing Latin American markets and deteriorating governments, and the dissipation of the Soviet Union made for thousands of asylum seekers and people wanting to start anew. In fact, the 2000 census reflects that 6.5 million people arrived in America in the 90s alone. This influx increased the percentage of foreign-born Americans from 7.9% in 1990 to 11.1% by 1999. With this growth, however, came a fear from within conservative circles that this new wave of immigrants would threaten their way of life. As a result, an air of fear began to form within conservative fundamentalist circles with regards to “outsiders”. This fear from within caused hateful rhetoric to spew out. This, in turn, created fear among those whom the fundamentalists deemed “outsiders”, and their allies. The reality is that immigrants posed no threat to Christianity or what fundamentalists deemed “American values”. However, the fear that existed between the groups resulted in minimal communication or effort to understand one another. This supercharged the nation and left both groups unable to truly understand that it was fear, born out of a lack of understanding for one another, that caused the overabundance of animosity.

 Ironically, or not so ironically considering the great symbolism that zombie movies carry, it was during this tumultuous time that Hollywood began to explode. Zombies rocketed onto the scene in movies such as “Night of the Living Dead”, “The Boneyard”, “Demon Knight”, and “Army of Darkness”, among others. Many of which projected fear of a powerful majority through the trope of the violent and mindless zombie. These movies often represented the powerful majority as a unit: mindless, and out for blood. This depiction allowed for the interpretation of a violent aggressive majority. Which, as we’ve discussed, directly mirrored the political and social climate of the 90s. To immigrants, the powerful majority was the ever menacing and politically influential Christian fundamentalists. To the Christian fundamentalists, the majority was the tradition-threatening immigrant population. Hollywood was speaking directly to this conflict through the trope of the zombie. Because they were so symbolic and relevant, the movies were highly resonant. And, through avid consumption of such media, there was a perpetuation of fear and reinforcement of an already festering conflict within society. 

The growth in violent rhetoric associated with Middle Eastern, Latinx, and Eastern European immigrants in the last 30 years has been astronomical. These groups, deemed “outsiders” by Americas overwhelming white Christian population, have been degraded in an attempt to suppress and rob them of any opportunity to “take over”. We are watching our country be torn apart through violent rhetoric born of fear. If we continue on this path with no intervention, we are likely to see irreparable damages. We are 30 years out from the passage of the Immigration Act of 1990, and ideologies in this country have only grown further apart. It is time, we must find a way to sit down with one another and mend our ever-deepening wounds, to begin healing our nation. And, as much as we all like a good zombie movie, perhaps detach our real world from the zombie dystopias which have been hitting a bit too close to home. 

Just to be clear, we’ve now established that the 90s were far more than just patent leather and small sunglasses. It was a time of rapid American growth and diversity, but also a time of great fear. Fear that manifested in, and then was ultimately perpetuated by, the horror movies we produced. Since the 90s, we have only seen animosity towards outsiders grow. Accompanying this growth has been an ever-reliable stream of zombie movies, many with similar messages: that outsiders and mindless majorities are dangerous. And, because the fear of outsiders is ever present, we connect with the message. We feel, as a nation, as if these stories speak to our real-life situation, because they do. It is this feeling that has kept zombie movies in the mainstream. It is this fear that we see in America, which has manifested in our gothic media, that is tearing our country apart. Creating a divide that, if left unattended, will cause America to implode.