English 1C

English 1C18 March 2013Melissa GunbyBy PresenterMedia.comClass Discussion: Reading homework: Slacker Bites Back and Zombie Splatter ComedySlacker Bites BackIts not so much that Shauns generation is selfish or shallowrather its that they assume they cant change the world. News is what happens to other people, important people. Clerks and the unemployed just dont feel empowered enough to be part of the world. pg 167Slacker Bites BackAs Mapes notes, Shaun also makes the point that many of the lower-paid workers in Western cities are practically zombies anyway. Demeaning, unimportant jobs leave them numb, and all some employers want is a body without a soul or a brain to get in the way of work, work, work. This images of the enslaved zombie worker, while new to the Romero zombie audience, is actually a return to the image that captured the publics imagination in the early twentieth century. pg 168Slacker Bites BackEd, who has spent most of his life playing violent video games, no amuses himself by hitting pedestrian zombies as he drives, pretending to score points with each it. By the end of the film, however, there are a number of zombies saved rather than destroyed by the living. Ultimately, Pegg and Wright are not interested in merely eradicating zombies; they seek to examine how productive members of society already resemble zombies, and how we might compartmentalize those aspects of modern life that deadens us and nourish the more playful aspects that will allows us to, in Lizs words, live a little. pg 169For Discussion

Do you see yourself as part of the generation protrayed in the film and article? Do you feel like you should be connected to the world through current evetns, etc? Why or why not? The eco in eco-zombie does not merely stand for eco-criticism: rarely do zombie narratives overtly further an environmentalist stance by arguing for more protections for the planet. It also stands for eco-phobia, an increasingly pervasive attitude fearful of Natures power, to which Ecocriticism is just beginning to turn serious attention. pg 59What is visible in the eco-zombie is at once the transition from a fear of nature to a fear of humanity (as science becomes the bogeyman responsible, in some way, for the unleashing of the zombie) and, simultaneously, a return to a mythic enchantment of nature (wherein it is ultimately nature, or the natural order, that brings about the zombie as a result of mans tampering).Essay 3Reflections on the American Psyche: Advertising and Pop Culture

This ad was never intended to air, and was condemned by the very Organization it represents as tasteless and offensive.The article on Eco-Zombie is an example of what Im looking for in your essay, only instead of addressing zombie culture specifically, I want you to instead turn your attention to the way that advertising and pop culture in America reflect the fears and anxieties of American citizens.Weve had some conversations about advertising in class already. A lot of the ads we see today play off the insecurities of Americans in order to get us to buy things to make us feel more secure, whether home security systems, make-up, weight-loss plans, or the new iPhone.With this assignment, I want to go beyond the exploration as zombie media being a reflection on societys fears and anxieties and look at how popular culture in general functions as this kind of pressure valve to allow American society to vent some of these fears and anxieties. You may, though, also bring in some of the narrative examples we have been looking at through the semester so far to elaborate on your point.

Some ideas to consider:

Does advertising calm or inflame the anxieties/fears of consumers?Why are these tactics effective (or are they)?Why do we get pairs of movies or television shows in a season (Armageddon and Deep Impact in the same summer, Playboy Club and Pan Am this fall on TV)?Why do we get so many remakes of the same movies/shows (Battlestar Galactica was revamped, there have been two or three Hulk franchises, and dont forget about Batman)?You can consider focusing on a particular product or brand and looking at the history of that industry in advertising (cigarettes or alcohol, or your favorite brand of shoes or makeup, or a genre of video game, etc.).

Questions about the essay assignment?

An example of an advertisement that preys on the fears and anxieties of Americans, as well as appealing to those who traditionally ignore government agencies.World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie WarWarnings and BlameUnlike the other narratives weve examined so far (Day by Day: Armageddon, Shaun of the Dead, The Walking Dead), this text acts as a retrospective, interviewing subjects who were involved in the Z-War after the war has been declared over. What significance does that have in our understanding or interpretation of the text?Why China?Two of our texts now have singled out China as being the source of the zombie outbreak. Why do you think this is a popular move by writers?Warnings: Secondary InfectionThis text raises the question of not only direct transmission of the virus, but also secondary infection through black market organs, eggs and sperm, etc. Does that change your perspective on how a massive outbreak of any kind could be spread or go uncontained?Warnings/Blame: Additional ConsequencesOne of the things I find interesting about this text is that we get all of the side information that doesnt really come up in the 1st person direct experience narratives that weve looked at so far. There will be more that come up, but who would have expected an Israeli Civil War to feature in a zombie narrative? And as a significant political event, at that.Blame: PhalanxIn the context of our current essay assignment, I want to take a look at the passage on page 68-74, where the author talks to a businessman responsible for creating a vaccine for the outbreak.How does this relate to our discussion of the essay assignment, and what is your general response to this passage? Blame: Troy, MichiganDo you think the design of the new city of Troy, Michigan (pg 79-80) is a case of too little, too late? Why or why not? What could be the benefit of designing communities like this now? Why dont we build reinforced communities like this now?ActivityThe Zombie War has ended, and humanity has survived. However, society as we know it no longer exists.

In small groups, your task is to rebuild society. World Re-BuildingGovernmentSocial safety networksWhat to do with remaining zombiesEconomic structureSchool/educationTaxes

Consider all of the things that go into making society work.Ultimate taskOn Wednesday, you will present your completed plan for restructuring society to the rest of the class. Your group needs to be able to clearly articulate your goals for the society you rebuild, as well as defend your choices in what you have designed. You do not need to do a formal presentation (i.e., no powerpoint is required), but if you want to, you may.

You have all of the remaining time today, and about half of class on Wednesday to work on this project.