Written Analysis #4

Browne describes the pop culture formula to “be like a road map, it tells in general where one wants to go and what roads to use to make the journey.” The formula is the reason storylines and plots are re used but with different people and sometimes these storylines and plots are slightly modified (Browne, 2005, pg. 115). The formula doesn’t just apply to literature though; it is the carryover effect from the origins of pop culture that have remained the same including rituals, popular heroes, icons, mythological creatures, etc.  The theories that apply to zombie pop culture are the ritual theory and their ideal image.

            The ritual theory applies to zombies in pop culture because zombies have always been flesh eaters even since zombies were first introduced. Zombies being flesh eaters is a ritual because they regularly do it, in most cases it is a necessity such as food for humans. Just as we regularly eat food, zombies regularly eat flesh in my opinion this is an example of a ritual. Since zombies have always been thought of as flesh eaters it is a prime example of a formula in pop culture. The ideal image of a zombie has remained the same since zombies were introduced as well, zombies have always been slow, mindless, flesh eaters and have been a part of pop culture for entertainment purposes.

            The insights I have gained from applying these theories to zombies in pop culture are that origins of pop culture have remained the same for the most part. However some aspects of a particular topic may change, the base is still the same as it was when originally introduced. For example the appearance of a zombie has remained the same, the living dead, except in some movies or shows the personality may be a little different or tweaked from the original perception. Zombies have become more popular in later generations and are used for many types of entertainment including video games, movies, TV series, books and more.

References

Ray B. Browne. (2005). Profiles of Pop Culture. University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, Wisconsin.