One of the main things that nerd culture thrives on, especially in the 21st century, is rumors and speculation.
Vast subcultures across the Internet are devoted to rumors and speculation. They feast on information, be it the smallest tidbit or the juiciest tip.
Blogs, social networks, message boards and other forms of digital communication across the World Wide Web all rely on news, and news-hungry users wait rather impatiently for the next big rumor to hit the web.
If you”ve been paying attention for the past week or so, then you know about the latest rumor that has nerds everywhere talking and typing: The zombies are coming.
A naked man in Florida attacked a homeless man, ripped flesh off his face and ate it.
A student in Maryland killed his roommate and then ate his brains and heart.
A New Jersey man stabbed himself 50 times in the heart, ripped out his intestines and threw them at police. He was pepper sprayed but not easily subdued by police.
The impending zombie apocalypse may be nearer than we nerds think.
The word “zombie” comes from the Haitian Creole language as a term for a corpse that is reanimated by means of witchcraft or other forms of mysticism or magic. Much like other mystical creatures, such as vampires, werewolves or ghosts, zombies are a feared supernatural entity preserved in fiction for quite some time.
The modern and nerdy fascination with zombies can be traced to the cult classic film “Night of the Living Dead,” from director George A. Romero. “Night” came out in 1968 on a $114,000 budget. The film”s images of dead bodies rising from graves, slowly stalking the living and feasting on human flesh terrified viewers and has become the stuff of legends. It went on to gross more than $12 million.
Since “Night,” Romero released “Dawn of the Dead” in 1978, “Day of the Dead” in 1985, “Land of the Dead” in 2005, “Diary of the Dead” in 2007 and “Survival of the Dead” in 2010. His empire, coupled with remakes and homage films such as “Shaun of the Dead,” have firmly planted the idea of zombies into nerd culture.
Needless to say, when news of the Florida incident hit the ”Net on May 26, anyone remotely fascinated with zombies went into full-blown rumor-spreading mode like a tech-savvy Paul Revere: The zombies are coming.
When the other two incidents hit within days of the first incident, talk of zombies and an impending zombie apocalypse hit levels so high that the giants of the news media couldn”t help but address it. Numerous articles appeared on the incidents and the hysteria that followed. News blog the Daily Beast created a map of incidents related to the coming zombie apocalypse. The head of the Center for Disease Control answered questions on the Huffington Post.
Of course, it should come as no surprise that all these incidents are not zombie-related but rather related to overconsumption of a drug dubbed “bath salts,” an extremely potent cocktail of chemicals that produce powerful psychoactive effects, similar to those associated with PCP and LSD. These men were simply out of their minds, which caused them to behave, as many have said, “like a zombie.”
For better or worse for nerds, zombies do not exist. The possibility of a zombie apocalypse, however, pumps billions into our economy each year. Stores both online and physical market to those who believe zombie attacks are imminent. It is a hilariously fascinating culture to watch. I remain a passive participant, intrigued by the culture and postings but not drawn in to the more serious elements of it, such as the gathering of weapons and food for survival.
Rumors fly every day online, be they about the iPhone 5 receiving a release date, who Ashton Kutcher is sleeping with now or the latest possibility of a zombie apocalypse.
I will continue to treat them as I treat any piece of information: I will remain interested but skeptical until I see facts or proof.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14. Twitter @KevinNHume.
