The document discusses the history and cultural origins of zombies. It traces the idea of zombies back to 8th century Haiti and how the concept was introduced through the slave trade. Voodoo folklore described how a bokor or priest could use black magic to resurrect the dead. The first depictions of zombies in popular culture like film appeared in the 1930s but were not flesh-eating. The modern flesh-eating zombie originated in 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Today, zombie films and stories act as a form of escapism and reflect contemporary fears of issues like loss of individuality, consumerism, and environmental issues.

1. ZOMBIES

2. 4:54
WHAT ARE THOUGHTS OF THESE ALLEGED
ZOMBIE ENCOUNTERS?

3. WHERE DO YOU
THINK THE IDEA OF
THE ZOMBIE CAME
FROM?

4. 3THE HISTORY OF ZOMBIES
IDEA OF A ZOMBIE
DATES TO THE
8TH CENTURY
IMPORTED TO HAITI
(AND ELSEWHERE)
THROUGH THE
SLAVE TRADE

5. 5:39
WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF VOODOO
AND THEIR PRACTICES?

6. 5THE CULTURAL ORIGINS OF ZOMBIES
VOODOO FOLKLORE
SAYS A BOKOR
(PRIEST) COULD USE
BLACK MAGIC TO
RESURRECT DEAD
WADE DAVIS
CLAIMED TO HAVE
“DISCOVERED” THE
POWDER USED TO
CREATE ZOMBIES
1980S

7. 2:44
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STORY TOLD
BY CLAIRVIUS NARCISSE?

8. 7ZOMBIES IN EARLY POPULAR CULTURE
ZOMBIES DIDN’T MAKE THEIR WAY INTO AMERICAN
POP-CULTURE UNTIL 1920S/30S...
BUT THE “ZOMBIE”
OF THE 1930S WERE
NOT CANNIBALISTIC
CREATURES...
WHITE ZOMBIE (1932)
WAS THE FIRST TIME A
“ZOMBIE” APPEARS IN A
FILM

9. 12:07
WHAT WERE ZOMBIES LIKE IN THE 1930S?

10. 9ZOMBIES IN MID-20TH CENTURY POPULAR CULTURE
ZOMBIE FILMS FROM THE
1930S-1960S DEPICT
HAITIAN CULTURE AS
DANGEROUS, MENACING,
AND SUPERSTITIOUS
FILMS ARE
AIMED AT A
PREDOMINANTLY
WHITE AUDIENCE
1968
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
IS THE “ORIGINAL” MODERN
ZOMBIE FILM AS IT’S THE
FIRST TO FEATURE A
FLESH-EATING ZOMBIE

11. 10:27
WHAT WERE ZOMBIES LIKE IN THE 1960S?

12. 11
TODAY, ZOMBIES ARE A POPULAR AND LUCRATIVE
PART OF AMERICAN POP-CULTURE...
IN PART, MODERN
ZOMBIE FILMS ACT AS
A FORM OF ESCAPISM
ZOMBIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

13. 0:00
WHY DO YOU THINK ZOMBIES ARE SO
POPULAR TODAY?

14. 13THE POPULARITY OF ZOMBIES
#1
#2
#3
LOSS OF INDIVIDUALITY
EXCESSES OF CONSUMER CAPITALISM
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
EXCESSES OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY#4
THE CONTEMPORARY ZOMBIE IS LARGELY A REFLECTION
OF CONTEMPORARY FEARS...
FEARS OF GLOBAL TERRORISM#5

15. WHICH EXPLANATION
FOR THE POPULARITY
OF ZOMBIES DO YOU
FIND MOST
CONVINCING?

16. NEXT CLASS:
BIGFOOT AND OTHER
HAIRY BIPEDS
HOMEWORK: NONE