The Walking Dead and Nazi Ethics
Last night’s episode of The Walking Dead titled “I Ain’t a Judas,” continued its incorporation of ethical themes for those interested in finding them and exploring their meanings. It surfaced in two ways in this episode, and both with reference to ethical considerations surrounding (believe it or not) Nazi Germany. In the first instance we [...]
The Walking Dead Season 3: Social and Cultural Reflections
Last night AMC aired the mid-season finale for The Walking Dead until the series resumes in February of 2013. In light of the break I thought I’d share some reflections that came to mind as a result of the last few episodes. One of the interesting plot elements that connect The Walking Dead to previous [...]
Emory University Conference on Neuroscience, Zombies, and ‘Zombethics’
I am amazed at the opportunities and invitations that have come my way since I extended my academic work into the area of religion and popular culture. This has included writing for publications like Religion Dispatches, where among other things I have written on the intersection between zombies in popular culture and theology. In that [...]
Call for Papers: The Walking Dead and the Problem of Meaning in the New Millennium of the Dead
Dawn Keetley of Lehigh University has issued a call for papers through Popular Culture and American Culture Associations. It is for an anthology volume titled “Dead Inside: The Walking Dead and the Problem of Meaning in the New Millennium of the Dead.” Keetley is seeking essays for a scholarly collection that will explore the complexities [...]
April Launch of “AMC The Walking Dead Social Game”
I will be a periodic contributor to a website aimed at fans of The Walking Dead called The Talking Walking Dead. My first post is a news item that discusses the forthcoming “AMC The Walking Dead Social Game” on Facebook. That news item can be found here.
The Walking Dead: “18 Miles Out” Raises Suicide Awareness
Sunday night’s episode of The Walking Dead titled “18 Miles Out” saw conflict among group members come to a head, with a brawl between Rick and Shane as the best illustration of the tensions that run throughout the group. But it would be a mistake to focus on such issues of drama and positive soap [...]
The Walking Dead Continues to Wrestle with Darabont’s Ethical Concerns
After Frank Darabont’s unexpected and sudden departure from The Walking Dead at the beginning of production for Season 2 many fans wondered and worried whether the quality of the writing for the program would be compromised. Although some have expressed concerns about the allegedly slow pacing of this season in contrast with the first (a [...]
The Walking Dead, Albert Camus, and the Fundamental Question of Philosophy
Last week The Walking Dead intersected with religion in wrestling the big questions of life in the face of apocalypse and life as the seemingly absurd. Tonight, with the episode “Save the Last One,” it not only raised questions about God’s existence,but also perfectly illustrated an existential question from twentieth century philosopher Albert Camus. In [...]
The Walking Dead Goes to Church: The Search for the Divine in “What Lies Ahead”
Last Sunday night AMC aired the premiere episode for season 2 of The Walking Dead. In the process the series set new records: The 90-minute episode drew 7.3 million total viewers, becoming the strongest telecast for any drama in basic cable history among two key demos. The zombie drama based on Robert Kirkman’s long-running comics [...]
The Walking Dead: Beware of Product Placement
An item from the mail online in the UK caught my attention as it describes the understandably negative reaction when an ad agency put an advertisement for The Walking Dead on the side of The co-Operative Funeralcare building. The article quotes someone from a nearby hospice saying the following: Mrs Jones said grieving families could [...]
