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February 05, 2008
Politicization Infestation Nation
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| Image: Commission Impossible non-political
political analysis based entirely on zombies. I thought I'd give everyone a chance to escape from the Super Tuesday politics hype by writing about zombie infestations. I think the topic of my post might also provide subtle hints at how zombies have always been part of our political process. The 1968 zombie film Night of the Living Dead ends with protagonist Ben being the lone survivor of a zombie attack. Ben, who was held up in the basement of a farmhouse, hears a posse arrive and exits the basement expecting salvation. He is mistaken for a zombie and shot in the head. Some have suggested that this scene references racism in American society. I don't know about that, but it is clearly the origin of the anti-party ordinance movement in Chico. Consider a party where a bunch of people you don't know show up, get wasted, wreck the place, and start killing each other. That's a classic zombie infestation. Then the authorities show up and shoot the one guy that had nothing to do with it... I'm pretty sure that was allowed under the party ordinance! Maybe not. More recently I read Max Brooks' World War Z. Some of the plot lines could be used in a Hillary Clinton commercial. - How the Walking Plague was initially covered up by corrupt governments - Why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services downplayed the Great Panic - A zealous American President's mistake in putting his party's needs in an election year ahead of the safety of his people On the other hand one excerpt from World War Z might lead one to believe that zombie infestations reference labor unions from a more Mitt Romney'ish perspective. "The numbers [of zombies] are declining, thank heavens, but it doesn't mean people should let down their guard. We're still at war, and until every trace is sponged and purged and if need be, blasted from the surface of the earth, everybody's still gotta pitch in and do their job. Be nice if that was the lesson people took from all this misery. We're all in this together, so pitch in and do your job." A fun zombie film that I recently watched is the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. In this film survivors of a zombie outbreak seek shelter in a shopping mall surrounded by ravenous zombies. This is an interesting pro-capitalist twist, since normally it's the zombies that are in the mall, and the rest of us are outside. The Green Scene is also intruding on the zombie genre. In World War Z a number of pages are devoted to the environmental impact of a global zombie assault. Millions of zombies bobbing around in the ocean is one problem. Mass deforestation from non-zombie survivors who escaped population centers is another. If the zombies had also been carrying plastic grocery bags I think the entire planet would have been doomed. But the topic from that book that hit closest to home for me was the concept of "mega-swarms" of zombies. The zombie outbreaks in major urban areas like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco created swarms of millions of zombies that scoured surrounding communities chewing up their resources and properties. Sounds like growth in Chico. |
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CI Challenge: Can you guess what it is? Winner: Jason Bougie, powerful representative of the local Bureau of Indian Affairs. See comments below for the answer. |
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Posted by Lon at February 5, 2008 04:21 AM
Comments
One of our conservative constituents, Rob Zombie
Posted by: Jason Bougie at February 5, 2008 06:25 AM
Lon Zombie,
4:21 am? What are you doing up at your computer so early thinking about zombies?
Rob Zombie
Posted by: Gregg Payne at February 5, 2008 06:54 AM
Gregg,
I get up as early as I have to to make sure you've got the information you need to live your life. That's how deep my committment is to all 7 Commission Impossible readers.
Actually, I had a weird spell of insomnia. I believe it's part of my upcoming Britney Breakdown. Expect to see shaved heads, trips to Mexico with paparazzi, court ordered loss of children, and incarceration at Enloe. Norcal bloggers are just like mouseketeers. When we fall, we fall hard.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at February 5, 2008 07:11 AM
You could have snoozed in for another couple hours and still got your post in before your early birds. You were probably up thinking about how to integrate back-hoes and caterpillars into the fairways on the kid's disc golf course.
I can't wait to see the Dr Evil shaved head. Maybe sprout yourself a little Doc Holiday 'stache with a goatee to go with it.
When I looked up Rob Zombie's photo, it said his real name is Robert Cummings.
Posted by: Gregg Payne at February 5, 2008 09:08 AM
I just took the World War Z zombie survival risk calculator...
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/worldwarz/
I had a 41% chance of surviving a global zombie infestation. I think it's time to buy more guns and build a reinforced wall around my house.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at February 5, 2008 09:15 AM
I just took the test and only got a 36%. I believe that your military training had helped. And the fact that you have a secret cave leading to the pacific ocean. Where there is a boat waiting to take you to Greenland.
If only I had thought that far ahead. I to would have a chance to survive a zombie war.
Posted by: Steve B. at February 5, 2008 10:23 AM
Lon. Check my URL. It's kinda dead right now, but that's cuz i've been busy doin real world stuff.
Posted by: TrevHastings at February 5, 2008 12:44 PM
From Trevor's web site...
Even though Zombies are slow moving, they are a very serious threat to your health. DeStRes recommends keeping a 15 yard distance between yourself and your attacker(s) at any time.
Good advice...
Lon
Posted by: Lon at February 5, 2008 02:24 PM
Steve,
I think I could have scored quite a bit higher if the zombies were known to attack in tanks. I was trained to destroy tanks in the army. But really... zombies or Russians loaded up with vodka... what's the difference.
Lon
Posted by: Lon at February 5, 2008 02:27 PM