What "The Walking Dead" Taught Me About Humanity
April 7, 2014 Shenanigans 17 comments gleclair14
Since last year, I got addicted to “The Walking Dead” after a bout with boredom and the realization I don’t like anything on TV. Animal Planet is all about humans (fitting the motto “surprisingly human” too well. I once tweeted to the AP show “Mud Lovin’ Rednecks” asking why they’re on that channel, they used the motto, and I simply replied with “I know.”), Spongebob’s humor never gets old but his laugh does, and those investigative shows just don’t fit right with me. However, The Walking Dead fit the bill; it’s a violent post-apocalyptic series based on a comic with the same name with guns’n’crossbows’n’zombies’n’such. But, beneath the violent screen, we can find something kind’ve frightening; Humanity.
I should warn that there are spoilers following up soon, for anybody watching the series or interested in doing so. My first example of what I’m talking about is from season two, where one character, Shane, an ex-cop, sacrifices a slower man in order to save himself (Other people depending on Shane as well) by injuring him and leaving him for zombie bait. Would we sacrifice someone’s life to save the many? Would we sacrifice someone to save one other person? Different people are likely to answer that question differently, and it’s just a bad coincidence that the man killed went with Shane. Had he gone with a man more just, he may have lived (or maybe died too, who knows).
In season three, we’re approached with Woodbury, a town created and run by a man called the Governor who bears a remarkable resemblance to Liam Neeson. He takes nearly any outside humans as a threat, and even kills military for weapons and supplies through sneaky tactics, often playing it up as someone friendly. It rarely ever ends well for anyone on his bad side, due to the fact that his extreme greed has stockpiled him with supplies and other greedy humans in their continuous conquest for more. They even bring this to the prison, where our main characters have been living for the season, threatening to destroy their home and end up with their death. Thankfully, it ends up the other way around, but with plenty cost. Essentially, I feel the Governor represented greed, and greed lost.
Zombies themselves seem greedy. All they ever want is food, no matter what that creepy little ten year old girl says about them having feelings or wanting friends.
In fact, greed and selfishness seems to be the driving force behind a lot of the “villains” in the show. Humans become more feared than the zombies themselves, because though both humans and zombies have some representative of greed, whether in hunger or in lust or selfish survival, humans are capable of thinking and acting independently. If you run, a zombie will chase you, but a human will plan and plot on you. Humans want more than just food. They have more motivation to kill in the show than any zombie should. We only see the “good” humans being those who aren’t greedy, our protagonists, whom seem to lend helping hands rather than smiting those who ask for help. Anybody from sophomore English will remember after reading “Lord of the Flies”, humanity isn’t pretty deep down, and in a case of survival and lawlessness, it really shows. Come the zombie apocalypse, I highly recommend sticking with friends and family, it would definitely be the wrong time to accept a candy offer from a stranger. Humans are just greedy creatures, don’t fall into that trap.
17 Comments
I don’t watch the Walking Dead, but I wouldn’t have to to get the message in your piece! I find this to be a very interesting concept. In some ways it makes me wish our antagonists were simple minded creatures with one goal in mind and one way to pursue it. As you said though, the villains of our world are humans with nasty schemes and a complete lack of compassion. That being said not all people are evil, and many in our world lead on as shining examples of what we should become in order to create a happier place. Your piece does not deny this, it simply goes without mentioning it. Overall though, a very thought provoking piece and a lovely concept.
thenkz zech, I think that after doing the film-work with zombies we can agree they are very greedy (and clumsy…)
I completely agree with you. There are so many things I learned by watching that show. I love it!
Probably the best show on TV, right?
Very solid piece Greg I love it. Although I do not watch “The Walking Dead” I did read “Lord of the Flies” and I completely agree that when push comes to shove humans can and will be heartless bastards plain and simple. Keep writing these excellent pieces Greg!!
Thanks Rid, will do! It’s a little late now as the fourth season just ended, but it’s never too late to pick up watching it ;D
I just started watching this show and it is one of my favorites ! People really go to extreme measures to protect their loved ones, even if it means killing others in the group or making sacrifices.
This piece is very well written. The style is unique and attention getting. You are spot on about the representation of the true colors of humanity within The Walking Dead. I am an active view of this show, and it seems to teach me a small life lesson every time I watch an episode. Overall, this is a great piece of writing although some of your creative transitions threw me for a refreshingly confusing loop.
I have never seen the show but your explanation and analysis of the Walking Dead makes me feel like I have. I think most action shows or movies have become more about fighting against the negative aspects of humanity than anything. Look at the antagonists in shows like GoT, Revolution, Breaking Bad, or Walking Dead. They are all about corruption in society.
I absolutely love the Walking Dead. I must say amidst the action and cliffhangers of nearly every episode, I didn’t pick up on what this is actually teaching us. I agree with you completely, underneath it all, there are negative aspects towards humanity. This is a very well written piece, that gave a new perspective to the show. I wonder what the next season will bring!
The walking dead does in fact reflect on society. People are selfish and cruel and will do anything to save themselves. I also like how you took something popular in today’s society, something that many people can relate to. Sometimes people don’t see things for what they are, and need to see them in a different format, exactly what you did. You provided a different concept for society. Nice job!
Woah. I have never seen The Walking Dead but I have certainly heard of it enough. I never would have thought that their was actual valuable life lessons within the show (other than shoot for their head). That’s really cool that you could find all of this in the show, great job! I have seen messages in other shows that I didn’t expect but never Walking Dead, great article!
This is a very nice piece. It has a lot of insight and meaning. I learned from your post and the show. I love how you thought of this because it has been on my mind for a while. I’ve seen that people kind of suck in the show when they want something because it usually ends bad for the nice people. This is a great article.
This is a great piece! As a fan of the show, I never really paid attention to the underlying messages. However, thinking about it, when it comes down to life threatening situations it seems to be every man for himself. Reading this helped me realize that I don’t know who is scarier, the humans or the walkers.
This is such and interesting concept! It really makes me think about what humans are really capable of. One great point you made was in the paragraph about how humans are more feared in the show as the series goes on than zombies are. I believe you are correct also because killing zombies to the characters in the show is okay with them because they see them as mindless killing machines but killing people is much more complicated than that because they can think and feel. Super interesting, I’m going to be thinking about this points all day now. Awesome! 🙂
I’ve been watching this show for years and I never noticed this before, your article really introduced that and now that I think back the show really does teach us about humanity. The show really brings forth what humanity is really capable of doing. This was a great article, it really makes you realize that humans really are more feared than the zombies are.
I learned alot from Walking Dead, that we can all get along when the time is running out. We all can get along for the most part but we would do inhuman things in desperate timing. Everything is about staying alive in the show try to make another life sense there’s got taken. Everything happens for a reason life goes on.