In 2018, social media fragility and the internalization of fears keep people trapped, much like the subjects of George A. Romero\u2019s Night of the Living Dead<\/i> (1968) are trapped as they sift through media information while the unthinkable threatens their safety. Even though Night of the Living Dead\u2019s<\/i> characters can\u2019t fully understand why <\/i>they\u2019re being attacked, they can indeed learn lessons from each other about the most logical approach for survival.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think you complain to just to hear yourself talk.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Early on in Night of the Living Dead,<\/i> poor Johnny\u2019s self-serving logic and self-righteousness seem to make complete sense. Like many overconfident people, he\u2019s cocksure in conversation and wants what he wants. \u201cTHIS is how the world works,\u201d he seems to be communicating to his sister Barbra, shortly before he\u2019s attacked by an elderly zombie wearing dirty suit pants split on the backside. Suddenly, the comedic tone turns awkward, then scary, then disturbing as Johnny face plants into a gravestone. Cue the credits sequence, right? Naw, Romero keeps going. In fact, it\u2019s the zombie that pushes forward and pounds away on Barbra\u2019s vehicle with her inside. From a 2018 perspective, this image is at once terrifying and reflective of how a base fear turns into a crippling fear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fifty years after its release, Night of the Living Dead\u2019s<\/i> racial component remains entirely relevant. The final sequence alone is worth further examination from a 2018 perspective, yet it\u2019s important to note that Duane Jones\u2019 Ben \u2014 the black character \u2014 doesn\u2019t necessarily experience a \u201chero\u2019s journey.\u201d After Barbra escapes from the elderly zombie during the introductory sequence, she meets Ben and, later, some cellar-dwelling white folk, Harry and Helen Cooper. Ultimately, Ben punches Barbara square in the face during a physical confrontation. This narrative moment \u2014 full of racial, gender, and narrative implications \u2014 can\u2019t be ignored, and the fact remains that Ben is not a \u201chero\u201d \u2014 he\u2019s a survivor with flaws that must be addressed.<\/span><\/p>\n In pop culture, Night of the Living Dead\u2019s<\/i> legacy is secure. But what else can we learn about ourselves and how we behave under adversity?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThose people aren\u2019t our enemies.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Ben lashes out because of his internalized fear. The same goes for Harry Cooper. One man uses logic and the available media information to strategize an escape while the other avoids new information altogether. Harry locks his wife and daughter Karen in the cellar, thus internalizing his own fears even more. And while this concept \u2014 staying true to a core belief no matter what \u2014 may remind some of far-right conservatives in 2018, promoting one\u2019s progressive ideals and logical approach doesn\u2019t always mean one will act appropriately under pressure. For example, it\u2019s not hard to find far-left liberals telling people to \u201cf**k off and die\u201d on Twitter, all the while pushing the same \u201cend of days\u201d narrative that really accomplishes nothing, aside from internalizing their fear, day after day, week after week. This is unhealthy behavior. With that said, it\u2019s become normal behavior, and it\u2019s a \u201ctell\u201d for people looking to manipulate those they consider weak. <\/span><\/p>\n Imagine that crazy Nicolas Cage performance from The Wicker Man<\/i> remake (\u201cNot the bees!\u201d), and now think about people running from slow-ass zombies. No, not the zombies! In horror movies, the narrative ends badly when the protagonists lose focus and internalize their fears.<\/span><\/p>\n When internalized fears keep one obsessively focused on how the world should<\/i> be, it\u2019s easy to dismiss the practical decisions made by others who seem to represent completely different ideals. As a die-easy liberal surrounded by many loyal conservatives in Fargo, North Dakota, I can definitely relate to Tom\u2019s telling line of dialogue in Night of the Living Dead<\/i>: \u201cWell, the television said that\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201d Then again, I can also relate to Harry Cooper\u2019s preference to make what he thinks is the best decision for this family. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMass hysteria? What do they think \u2014 we\u2019re imagining all of this?\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The ultimate tragedy in Night of the Living Dead<\/i> is the cocksure nature of people with power \u2014 whether it\u2019s emotional, physical, or legal \u2014 and that the vulnerable suffer because they aren\u2019t taken seriously; there\u2019s no middle ground to explore or discuss.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes the vulnerable are people who do the best they can with the available resources; sometimes the vulnerable are people who find temporary comfort via online bonding with people who also think the world is an awful place, and that we all must fight against one central villain.<\/span><\/p>\n As Night of the Living Dead <\/i>suggests, there are villains everywhere, and you can\u2019t always spot them when you\u2019re stuck in the cellar or pointing a finger at the obvious baddie. When we\u2019re all zombies, going through the same routine, the only thing left to do is sit in the dark and wait, I guess. We\u2019re going to need a bigger cellar. And who\u2019s going to tell our story then?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2018, social media fragility and the internalization of fears keep people trapped, much like the subjects of George A. 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