Opinion: Walking Dead vs Fox News

They have Rupert Murdoch. We have Daryl & Glenn.

Foxnews.com recently published a piece entitled America's Obsession with "The Walking Dead" is hurting our society.

Let's take a closer look, shall we? Excerpts from the article will be in italics.

"there is one common theme that is pervasive in American pop culture today: violence."

And?

Violence has been a theme in all forms of entertainment since we crawled down from the trees and started living in caves.

Just last night I was watching Henry V and a key scene involved the king telling a small French town to surrender or his soldiers would rape all the women and throw the babies on spikes. Why are you not criticizing Shakespeare then?

Or, how about a book that is rife with torture, genocide, slaughter of the innocent and the stoning of women? Check out the Old Testament. You're not being critical of that either.

Violence exists in the world. It will be reflected in media and entertainment.

You'll only get my "Walking Dead" when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

"We also see this zombie obsession in many video games.  Even more disturbingly, these games create environments for young children, in which they are exposed to an imaginary world where they get to play with firearms and place themselves in dangerous situations that they find exciting."

Although you mention it later in the same paragraph, all these zombie games are rated "M for Mature." Are you suggesting that such games not be made or sold? We should probably stop making and releasing all movies that are rated "R" as well. And the world of opera is actually rife with adult themes such as murder, suicide and adultery. We should probably shut down The Met.

Zombies are not being snuck into episodes of Little Einstein or Sesame Street. They are in games and movies created by adults, intended for adults. If a parent raises their child properly, and pays the appropriate levels of attention to what's actually going on in their offspring's world, zombie games and movies would not be a concern. 

"And studies have shown that these videogames can sometimes condition people, especially young children, to be apathetic towards violence."

What studies? Can you give sources? Or are we just supposed to take your word on it? Scientists are learning that gaming has benefits and that there's no proven causal links to real world violence. And here's a study from Harvard that indicates that while teen use of video games has dramatically increased over the past few decades, teen violence in society has declined.

"The concept of zombies has been around for decades, and their mythology has even been studied by scientists to prove that such an outbreak can never occur."

Scientists were studying mythology? What scientists? From what university or sanctioned organization? And what type of zombies were they "studying?" Fast zombies? Slow zombies? Zombies created from a man-made virus? A naturally occurring virus? A virus originating from off planet? Or was it zombies that were re-animated from voodoo?

Here's something to think about: ZOMBIES AREN'T REAL. Saying that scientists have "studied zombies" is like saying "Scientists have studied gnomes and elves."

First, they took my zombies and I did nothing. Then, they came for my gnomes.

"Even scientists at the National Institutes of Health have spent time creating an apocalyptic how-to guide on dealing with a zombie outbreak."

Yes. Yes they did. And because of that, they are awesome.

One rainy, miserable Monday morning, someone sitting in their cubicle at NIH/CDC was given the task to ensure that the average U.S. citizen is prepared for major disasters such as flooding or forest fires. Rather than create and release a news article entitled "Emergency Preparedness Check List" that no one would read, they added the words "For Zombie Apocalypse" and the goal was achieved.

"As a doctor and scientist, I know one thing for sure: When you’re dead, you’re dead."

Yeah! All those years of study learned ya something there doc!

Also, your area of expertise is OB-GYN. If there's ever a show entitled Walking Dead: Maternity Ward we'll be sure to give you a call.

"Our brains should be less focused on imaginary zombie hoards and more focused on harnessing the tools that we need in order to enhance our lives, whether it be music, education, science or the classics."

All of those areas of study are the first things cut from state and federal funding by the politicians that Fox News actively promotes.

"Entertainment should help us soothe our brains so that we can ease our minds of some of the stress from our daily lives."

Oh. You mean like Sleepy Hollow on the Fox network? A show about demons and undead creatures intent on the destruction of humankind? Where on a weekly basis gruesome acts of violence are routinely on display? That has absolutely nothing in common with The Walking Dead. Nope. Not at all.

"With this country heading towards a socialized system of government, in which officials don’t want you to think or focus on what is important for your own personal growth, I’m sure they’re more than happy to let you obsess over something as stupid as zombies."

You're trying to make a connection between zombies in modern media with Socialism? Ah, yes...I remember. In Das Kapital by Karl Marx, there was that chapter entitled "Subversion der kapitalistischen Regierungen durch die Verwendung von Bildern Zombie" (trans: "Subversion of Capitalist Governments Through Use of Zombie Imagery.")

Karl Marx, (1818-1883). HUGE fan of "The Walking Dead."

If you have an economics column, feel free to bring up Socialism. But please stop trying to connect that system to every single thing that you see wrong with society. The average U.S. citizen would have difficulty even defining the word.

"Stop obsessing over eating brains, and focus on cultivating your own."

Ah. You mean cultivating our brains by watching shows on Fox like Glee and American Idol? Or watching Fox News where right-wing views are the only views presented? Or by reading your articles which are clearly based on opinions lacking real-world validity, peer review and empirical data?

According to Fox, the average American is supposed to be afraid of: terrorists in the Middle East, terrorists on our own soil, women in the work force, African Americans, Latinos, teens that play video games, immigrants, Socialism, Communism, families on welfare, the LGBT population, hippies, solar power, wind power, environmentalists, Democrats and anyone who's not Christian.

And now you're going after zombies?

Thanks, but no thanks.

The real zombies are the ones that only follow one news channel and consume its ideological driven content without questioning its sources, intent or financial backers.

The thoughts and views expressed in this article are strictly those of Stephen Sumner and do not necessarily reflect those of Action A Go Go's management, editorial staff or writers. He can be followed on Twitter at Sumner@vierlights or on the Tumblr machine at NX01Sumner.