Pretend We’re Dead
Capitalist Monsters In American Pop Culture
Book Review
Zombos Says: Excellent
If you can read only one non-fiction horror genre book this year, first I strongly suggest you reexamine your priorities, then second, I highly recommend you pick up Annalee Newitz’ Pretend We’re Dead: Capitalist Monsters in American Pop Culture. Now I warn you, you will need to really think while reading this book, which is one of the necessities for discovering fresh insights into the inner workings of what makes horror go bump in the night.
Now mind you, I didn’t say you will need to agree with everything Annalee Newitz posits in this encompassing examination of sociological and economic forces pushing on our cinematic realizations of the undead (zombies), the indifferent (serial killers), and the insane (mad doctors); but if you disagree, you better be prepared to argue why as well as she does.
“I’m a zombie, you’re a zombie, we’re all zombies too”. Repeat these words over and over again to the tune of Dr. Pepper playing in your head. Now you’re ready.
If you work in a sterile corporate office you will embrace Newitz’ ideas: if you work in a dull gray cubicle world for a pittance allotted by CEOs who walk away with unjustified millions, you will understand her reasoning; if you’ve gone through the demeaning and demoralizing experience ironically called ‘the performance review,’ given by the-company-is-my-life, alienated and mostly clueless manager who (only funny in The Office) will quickly sell you out to sell themselves up that dubious corporate ladder, you will nod your head in agreement with her arguments.
For that dog biscuit reward most of us roll over and play dead for everyday, we do it in order to survive the dullness, the inanity, and the inherent humiliation of our daily work life. So is it any wonder the monsters we see on the golden screen are the products of our collective economic misery and aspirations? Or why they pursue their psychotic and body count careers with such workmanlike aplomb and enthusiasm?
…
Pretend We’re Dead
Capitalist Monsters In American Pop Culture
Book ReviewRead More »