Woody Hates Zombies
So apparently Mr. Harrelson's defense in what will almost certainly be an assault case will be "I thought he was a zombie", the implication being that if the photographer was "only", a zombie, it would be okay to beat him up.
It will be interesting to see how this clearly bioist defense will play out should the case go to court.
Showing posts with label Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Media. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Numbers Game
I think it is very strange that we can't seem to get even a semi-accurate count of how many undead Americans there are. In the past three months I've seen two news articles that mentioned the zombie population, one of which estimated that there "may be as many as two thousand" zombies in the U.S.", and another which said that the figure was likely to be near ten thousand!
Quite a difference. What I'm wondering is, why such a discrepancy? Obviously, there are some factors that make an accurate count difficult--one being that in many states being undead is criminalized to the point where zombies need to go into hiding, and another would be that zombies are quite often destroyed within days after returning.
I'm wondering if this lack of accuracy with regards to a zombie census is a way for certain interests to keep the zombie community destabilized.
What do you think?
Quite a difference. What I'm wondering is, why such a discrepancy? Obviously, there are some factors that make an accurate count difficult--one being that in many states being undead is criminalized to the point where zombies need to go into hiding, and another would be that zombies are quite often destroyed within days after returning.
I'm wondering if this lack of accuracy with regards to a zombie census is a way for certain interests to keep the zombie community destabilized.
What do you think?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Death in the Family, Part 5
The final installment of the Dead in the Family transcripts, which features the second half of the interview with the "Utleys".
What was the hardest part about your son becoming a zombie?
Jeff: Everything about it was hard. Everything.
Rachael: It was difficult in so many ways.
Jeff: He wasn't allowed to attend school. We had friends--ha! "Friends" who ceased all contact with us immediately.
Rachael: It was painful, watching him struggle.
Jeff: I was harassed at work. Presents left on my desk. A dead squirrel draped on the hood of my car.
Rachael: (Looks at Jeff) I think the hardest thing of all was that his brothers were scared of him, at first.
They were scared of their brother?
Rachael: (Nods) And it hurt him, I know it did, even though he didn't show it. They were cruel about the way they treated him, not intentionally, but I knew they were avoiding him.
How did you help them get over their fear? Or could you?
Rachael: We were patient and didn't try to force acceptance. We tried to make it safe for them to talk about their feelings, while at the same time including Joshua in everything we did as a family. The interaction was helping Joshua regain some control, and as he "returned" in some ways, the boys were more comfortable being with him.
Jeff: The process fed itself.
Rachael: The boys had long talks with our rabbi as well, and that helped greatly. He has been incredibly supportive. It meant so much when others were turning us away.
Jeff: It's strange. Many people ran away, couldn't get away from us fast enough, but others stepped up. Neighbors. There was a petition to the school board to allow Joshua to attend school. And we won.
So Joshua is going back to school?
Rachael: We prefer to homeschool right now. (Looks at Jeff). We're considering moving to Connecticut.
Jeff: There's a program their with the Hunter Institute which fosters inclusion of differently biotic kids in public schools. We're considering it.
Do you have any advice for other families with differently biotic children?
Jeff: Read eveything you can on the subject. The bad and the good. Skip Slydell's books are great. (Laughs) But get the bad stuff at the library; don't give any of those jerks money.
Rachael: Forming a support group with other families with differently biotic children can be very powerful. We have two other families that we meet with on a regular basis in each other's homes, and we correspond with many others on the Internet.
Jeff: (Looks at Rachael, smiles) Rachael contributes to a parenting blogring where she writes about raising a differently biotic kid.
Rachael: I think the most important thing is to love your child. Never stop loving your child. No matter what he or she does, no matter what happens, he or she is still your child. They need your love and approval. Never forget that.
What was the hardest part about your son becoming a zombie?
Jeff: Everything about it was hard. Everything.
Rachael: It was difficult in so many ways.
Jeff: He wasn't allowed to attend school. We had friends--ha! "Friends" who ceased all contact with us immediately.
Rachael: It was painful, watching him struggle.
Jeff: I was harassed at work. Presents left on my desk. A dead squirrel draped on the hood of my car.
Rachael: (Looks at Jeff) I think the hardest thing of all was that his brothers were scared of him, at first.
They were scared of their brother?
Rachael: (Nods) And it hurt him, I know it did, even though he didn't show it. They were cruel about the way they treated him, not intentionally, but I knew they were avoiding him.
How did you help them get over their fear? Or could you?
Rachael: We were patient and didn't try to force acceptance. We tried to make it safe for them to talk about their feelings, while at the same time including Joshua in everything we did as a family. The interaction was helping Joshua regain some control, and as he "returned" in some ways, the boys were more comfortable being with him.
Jeff: The process fed itself.
Rachael: The boys had long talks with our rabbi as well, and that helped greatly. He has been incredibly supportive. It meant so much when others were turning us away.
Jeff: It's strange. Many people ran away, couldn't get away from us fast enough, but others stepped up. Neighbors. There was a petition to the school board to allow Joshua to attend school. And we won.
So Joshua is going back to school?
Rachael: We prefer to homeschool right now. (Looks at Jeff). We're considering moving to Connecticut.
Jeff: There's a program their with the Hunter Institute which fosters inclusion of differently biotic kids in public schools. We're considering it.
Do you have any advice for other families with differently biotic children?
Jeff: Read eveything you can on the subject. The bad and the good. Skip Slydell's books are great. (Laughs) But get the bad stuff at the library; don't give any of those jerks money.
Rachael: Forming a support group with other families with differently biotic children can be very powerful. We have two other families that we meet with on a regular basis in each other's homes, and we correspond with many others on the Internet.
Jeff: (Looks at Rachael, smiles) Rachael contributes to a parenting blogring where she writes about raising a differently biotic kid.
Rachael: I think the most important thing is to love your child. Never stop loving your child. No matter what he or she does, no matter what happens, he or she is still your child. They need your love and approval. Never forget that.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Dead in the Family, Part 4
Today's excerpt from the Dead in the Family features an interview with the "Utleys" (not their real name) Jeff and Rachael. Unlike the parents interviewed in the previous segments, the Utleys have taken their zombie son Joshua back in. They have two older boys, Albert and Paul.
How did your son die?
Jeff: Joshua died in an accident at summer camp. He died in a fall from a tree.
Did he become a zombie immediately?
Jeff: He came back a little over two days after his death.
That must have been difficult, waiting to see if he would return.
Rachael: It was awful. They wouldn't release his body from the hospital.
Jeff: Five days. They will wait five days now. The longest until rising is five days.
How did they notify you?
Rachael: A doctor came to the waiting room to tell me.
You were at the hospital?
Rachael: One of us was there the entire time they held him there. Jeff had just left to check on the boys.
What was going through your mind when the doctor told you? Were you happy?
Rachael: Overjoyed!
Really?
Rachael: Of course I was.
What did you think when you saw him?
Rachael: (tearing) All I could think was how lucky I was that I was able to tell my son how much I loved him again, so that was what I did.
Did he look any differently to you?
Jeff: (handing tissues to his wife) Of course he did. He couldn't talk, and he could barely walk. It was like the left side of his body had been paralysed at first. He didn't blink. And he had terrible wounds on his chest and abdomen. (Smiles). But who cares how he looked? Or that he was slow? He was back, that was all that mattered.
Rachael: He was smiling again in two months.
Jeff: Two months! Some differently biotic kids are lucky if they are expressing themselves within a year after their deaths.
So you didn't have any reservations about taking Joshua back in? No question about whether he was really your son?
Jeff: (waves hand) None whatsoever. Look, I'm not going to say it wasn't difficult. But the difficulties we had to deal with were societal--many of our neighbors were not thrilled about Joshua coming home. As though we were supposed to turn him out of our home just because he was different!
Rachael: It was hard seeing him that way. It was hard knowing that he was going to have a much different...time with things now that he was dead. He would get frustrated. He missed his friends, many of whom were forbidden to play with him now. And I'd watch him as he watched his brothers playing basketball in the driveway. They would include him, but it wasn't the same. He used to be quite the player.
Jeff: But to answer your initial question--what I think you were questioning, anyhow--there was no question that he was our son. I've read everything that's come out on the topic and I really have to wonder what is going on in the heads of parents who deny their children when they become differently biotic. It really makes me wonder about people in general.
I'll post more of the interview with the Utleys in a few days.
How did your son die?
Jeff: Joshua died in an accident at summer camp. He died in a fall from a tree.
Did he become a zombie immediately?
Jeff: He came back a little over two days after his death.
That must have been difficult, waiting to see if he would return.
Rachael: It was awful. They wouldn't release his body from the hospital.
Jeff: Five days. They will wait five days now. The longest until rising is five days.
How did they notify you?
Rachael: A doctor came to the waiting room to tell me.
You were at the hospital?
Rachael: One of us was there the entire time they held him there. Jeff had just left to check on the boys.
What was going through your mind when the doctor told you? Were you happy?
Rachael: Overjoyed!
Really?
Rachael: Of course I was.
What did you think when you saw him?
Rachael: (tearing) All I could think was how lucky I was that I was able to tell my son how much I loved him again, so that was what I did.
Did he look any differently to you?
Jeff: (handing tissues to his wife) Of course he did. He couldn't talk, and he could barely walk. It was like the left side of his body had been paralysed at first. He didn't blink. And he had terrible wounds on his chest and abdomen. (Smiles). But who cares how he looked? Or that he was slow? He was back, that was all that mattered.
Rachael: He was smiling again in two months.
Jeff: Two months! Some differently biotic kids are lucky if they are expressing themselves within a year after their deaths.
So you didn't have any reservations about taking Joshua back in? No question about whether he was really your son?
Jeff: (waves hand) None whatsoever. Look, I'm not going to say it wasn't difficult. But the difficulties we had to deal with were societal--many of our neighbors were not thrilled about Joshua coming home. As though we were supposed to turn him out of our home just because he was different!
Rachael: It was hard seeing him that way. It was hard knowing that he was going to have a much different...time with things now that he was dead. He would get frustrated. He missed his friends, many of whom were forbidden to play with him now. And I'd watch him as he watched his brothers playing basketball in the driveway. They would include him, but it wasn't the same. He used to be quite the player.
Jeff: But to answer your initial question--what I think you were questioning, anyhow--there was no question that he was our son. I've read everything that's come out on the topic and I really have to wonder what is going on in the heads of parents who deny their children when they become differently biotic. It really makes me wonder about people in general.
I'll post more of the interview with the Utleys in a few days.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Horde-ing Friends
450 people up on the wall, some living, some zombies. Thank you for your support.
I'll post the third and final interview transcript from Dead in the Family in a couple days. I promise you a more positive experience than the previous excerpts.
I'll post the third and final interview transcript from Dead in the Family in a couple days. I promise you a more positive experience than the previous excerpts.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Dead in the Family, Part 3
This continues my excerpting a program that ran a few weeks ago on television entitled Dead in the Family, where parents from three families were interviewed about their zombie children.
The following interview was with "Mrs. Smith". I'll warn you that this is perhaps the most shocking and horrifying of the three interviews, so please if you are sensitive or susceptible to nightmares you might want to skip this one and wait for the interview with the Utleys later in the week.
Mrs. Smith is seated on a bright couch with a floral pattern. She is a husky woman with soft features, except for her lips, which are compressed as though she is perpetually holding back something she wants to say. She looks to be in her early fifties, and we are told that Mr. Smith died soon after her only daughter Amber was born. Her hair is short and the lenses of her glasses often reflect the light and hide her eyes from view. She has made tea for herself and the interviewer. Vapor rises from the china pot.
How did you daughter die?
Mrs. Smith: Amber had fallen in with the wrong sort of people. Her death was not an accident.
How, then, did she die?
Mrs. Smith: I prefer not to go into the details. They are both embarrassing and painful for me.
I can understand that. Can you talk about when your daughter returned?
Mrs. Smith: My daughter never returned.
What do you mean?
Mrs. Smith: It was a demon wearing my daughter's flesh.
A demon?
Mrs. Smith: (pouring tea) Yes. Reverend Mathers is quite clear, and correct, on the subject. You are familiar with Reverend Mathers and One Life ministries?
I...
Mrs. Smith: If not, you should read his book And the Graves Gave Up Their Dead. He illustrates the situation in an easily understandable way, even for more, shall we say, secular people.
By demon, do you mean...
Mrs. Smith: My personal belief is that my daughter let the demon inside of her heart when she was still alive. When she died, it was already there. The Reverend writes that the climate of the times is such that even the righteous may have their bodies usurped, but I am not so sure. I am beginning to think that all of the things that you call zombies were teens who allowed demons inside of them while they were still alive. (Smiles) You haven't touched your tea!
What...what did you do when you saw your...when you saw the demon?
Mrs. Smith: Did you see my gardens outside?
Excuse me?
Mrs. Smith: Please tell me saw my gardens! I spend so much time on them. The flowers along the walkway. I know your cameraman saw them; he was very careful when I asked him to mind my flowers.
I saw them. they are very nice. (Pauses) When the demon...
Mrs. Smith: Sometimes the blossoms on the flowers fade and die. I'm very careful to attend to my flowers when the blossoms die, because if left unattended the flowers would begin self-seeding. And they look terrible! I have garden snips that I sometimes use for deadheading. That's what you call it when you remove a spent blossom. "Deadheading." Sometimes I don't use the snips. I often just pinch the dead blooms between my thumb and forefinger. My hands are quite strong, you know, from all the years of gardening. When Paul died I really threw myself into my gardening. But sometimes I work with plants where my hands or the snips are not sufficient. I have many tools in my little shed. Did you see it? Gardening shears, an electric hedge trimmer. A spade and a trowel for digging out stubborn roots.
(sips tea)
Gardening has been such a comfort to me. I think it says a lot about a person, how they maintain their garden.
Are you...are you saying...
Mrs. Smith: Your tea is getting cold. (Pauses). I think that this interview is over, don't you?
The following interview was with "Mrs. Smith". I'll warn you that this is perhaps the most shocking and horrifying of the three interviews, so please if you are sensitive or susceptible to nightmares you might want to skip this one and wait for the interview with the Utleys later in the week.
Mrs. Smith is seated on a bright couch with a floral pattern. She is a husky woman with soft features, except for her lips, which are compressed as though she is perpetually holding back something she wants to say. She looks to be in her early fifties, and we are told that Mr. Smith died soon after her only daughter Amber was born. Her hair is short and the lenses of her glasses often reflect the light and hide her eyes from view. She has made tea for herself and the interviewer. Vapor rises from the china pot.
How did you daughter die?
Mrs. Smith: Amber had fallen in with the wrong sort of people. Her death was not an accident.
How, then, did she die?
Mrs. Smith: I prefer not to go into the details. They are both embarrassing and painful for me.
I can understand that. Can you talk about when your daughter returned?
Mrs. Smith: My daughter never returned.
What do you mean?
Mrs. Smith: It was a demon wearing my daughter's flesh.
A demon?
Mrs. Smith: (pouring tea) Yes. Reverend Mathers is quite clear, and correct, on the subject. You are familiar with Reverend Mathers and One Life ministries?
I...
Mrs. Smith: If not, you should read his book And the Graves Gave Up Their Dead. He illustrates the situation in an easily understandable way, even for more, shall we say, secular people.
By demon, do you mean...
Mrs. Smith: My personal belief is that my daughter let the demon inside of her heart when she was still alive. When she died, it was already there. The Reverend writes that the climate of the times is such that even the righteous may have their bodies usurped, but I am not so sure. I am beginning to think that all of the things that you call zombies were teens who allowed demons inside of them while they were still alive. (Smiles) You haven't touched your tea!
What...what did you do when you saw your...when you saw the demon?
Mrs. Smith: Did you see my gardens outside?
Excuse me?
Mrs. Smith: Please tell me saw my gardens! I spend so much time on them. The flowers along the walkway. I know your cameraman saw them; he was very careful when I asked him to mind my flowers.
I saw them. they are very nice. (Pauses) When the demon...
Mrs. Smith: Sometimes the blossoms on the flowers fade and die. I'm very careful to attend to my flowers when the blossoms die, because if left unattended the flowers would begin self-seeding. And they look terrible! I have garden snips that I sometimes use for deadheading. That's what you call it when you remove a spent blossom. "Deadheading." Sometimes I don't use the snips. I often just pinch the dead blooms between my thumb and forefinger. My hands are quite strong, you know, from all the years of gardening. When Paul died I really threw myself into my gardening. But sometimes I work with plants where my hands or the snips are not sufficient. I have many tools in my little shed. Did you see it? Gardening shears, an electric hedge trimmer. A spade and a trowel for digging out stubborn roots.
(sips tea)
Gardening has been such a comfort to me. I think it says a lot about a person, how they maintain their garden.
Are you...are you saying...
Mrs. Smith: Your tea is getting cold. (Pauses). I think that this interview is over, don't you?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Dead in the Family, Part 2
Here is the second part of the Dead in the Family transcripts. You can read the first part HERE
What do you mean when you say he wasn't your son?
Steve: Just that. It was his body, but it wasn't him.
Erin: We could tell.
Steve: His eyes. They were flat, like there wasn't any intelligence behind them at all. There was nothing there at all.
Erin: He'd been such a funny boy. A happy boy.
Steve: The zombie was moving the way they do, staggering, like--and he reached for me. I thought he was going for my throat. (Pauses). It wasn't him.
Do you consider yourself to be religious people?
Steve: I know my son is in heaven, if that is what you are asking. But I don't know if that thing has anything to do with religion.
Many people believe...
Steve:That they are demons, signs of the apocalypse or whatever. i know. I don't know anything about that.
What happened after you saw your son? The zombie?
Steve: We told the hospital that he wasn't our son, and we left.
Have you had any contact with the zombie afterwards?
Steve: No.
Erin: He was staying with one of the other families that lost a boy in the crash.
They took in their son? And yours?
Steve:(angry) They took in zombies.
The interview was terminated almost immediately after this comment. The film crew leaves the camera on as they exit the house, and the cameraman turns towards the boy playing with his dog in the backyard. One gets the impression that the boy desperately wants to say something, but in the end he turns away.
In a few days I'll post excerpts from interview #2
What do you mean when you say he wasn't your son?
Steve: Just that. It was his body, but it wasn't him.
Erin: We could tell.
Steve: His eyes. They were flat, like there wasn't any intelligence behind them at all. There was nothing there at all.
Erin: He'd been such a funny boy. A happy boy.
Steve: The zombie was moving the way they do, staggering, like--and he reached for me. I thought he was going for my throat. (Pauses). It wasn't him.
Do you consider yourself to be religious people?
Steve: I know my son is in heaven, if that is what you are asking. But I don't know if that thing has anything to do with religion.
Many people believe...
Steve:That they are demons, signs of the apocalypse or whatever. i know. I don't know anything about that.
What happened after you saw your son? The zombie?
Steve: We told the hospital that he wasn't our son, and we left.
Have you had any contact with the zombie afterwards?
Steve: No.
Erin: He was staying with one of the other families that lost a boy in the crash.
They took in their son? And yours?
Steve:(angry) They took in zombies.
The interview was terminated almost immediately after this comment. The film crew leaves the camera on as they exit the house, and the cameraman turns towards the boy playing with his dog in the backyard. One gets the impression that the boy desperately wants to say something, but in the end he turns away.
In a few days I'll post excerpts from interview #2
Friday, January 30, 2009
Fueling the Fire
I know I promised more excerpts from Dead in the Family, but I thought it was important to share a breaking news article with you, which you can click HERE.
"Zombies! Run for your lives!"? Bad enough. "Nazi zombies", much, much worse.
We have friends in Austin. The message for them should be "Zombies, run for your lives!", as this attempt to further demonize us will no doubt lead to even more anti-zombie violence in Texas. Notice how the article talks about the crime of vandalizing the road sign, but makes no mention of the message being an anti-zombie hate crime? That's because--guess what--there's no such thing as a hate crime against zombies!
I received an email stating that there was a white van parked about a half mile down from the road sign, but I have no way of verifying whether or not that story is true.
"Zombies! Run for your lives!"? Bad enough. "Nazi zombies", much, much worse.
We have friends in Austin. The message for them should be "Zombies, run for your lives!", as this attempt to further demonize us will no doubt lead to even more anti-zombie violence in Texas. Notice how the article talks about the crime of vandalizing the road sign, but makes no mention of the message being an anti-zombie hate crime? That's because--guess what--there's no such thing as a hate crime against zombies!
I received an email stating that there was a white van parked about a half mile down from the road sign, but I have no way of verifying whether or not that story is true.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Dead in the Family
Another fifty people have joined the Wall in the past week...we've got enough for a zombie walk!
Did anyone catch the program Dead in the Family that ran on one of the news networks the other night? It was a profile of three families with who have dealt with the death and return of a child. Two of the families did not take their zombie child back while the third did. The program was fairly well done, and I think there was a lot to be learned from one the people profiled had to say, no matter which side of the issue you come down on.
I'm going to transcribe excerpts from the interviews over the next few days.
Dead in the Family, Excerpt One
The first excerpt was conducted with the "Joneses", "Steve" and "Erin" (not their real name), from Verona, Wisconsin. The Joneses look to be in their early forties, moderately well off (He has an IT job in Madison, she has a local state job). Their sixteen year old son "Rick" was killed in a car crash and returned as a zombie the next day. The interview is conducted in their house, which looks to be a comfortable upper middle class suburban home. They have another boy, "Steven Jr.", age 13. The camera occasionally pans to show him tossing a ball with a large golden retriever in the back yard. The woman conducting the interview is never shown and the camera remains fixed on the couple except for these few shots of the boy and his dog.
How did your son die?
Steve: Rick was killed in a car accident, along with two other boys, his best friends. They were on their way to a party. (pauses). Alcohol was involved.
Was Rick driving?
Steve: No, one of the other boys was. Josh. All three were drinking, though. (Pauses)He and Rick were co-captains of the school's wrestling team.
(His wife, Erin has begun to cry)
When did Rick come back?
Steve:(With irritation) That's the wrong term. I hate it when people use that term.
I'm sorry. What word do you mean?
Steve: "Come back." Rick didn't "come back". Rick left the moment he and his friends hit the parked car.
I'm not sure I understand.
Steve: Look, there's no such thing as "coming back". When someone dies, they die. Whatever those...those...zombies are, it isn't someone's deceased child returning from the dead. It is something else entirely. I think you people have to stop planting this false hope in people's minds.
Something else? What?
Steve: (Folds arms. Erin is drying her eyes with tissues) I've got no idea. All I know is that it isn't our children. And when you say "coming back", it makes us out to be the monsters, like we abandoned our children or something. But that thing was not our son.
Erin: We knew as soon as we saw him.
Could you tell us about the first time you saw him after the car crash?
Steve: It was the day after the crash. The call we'd been dreading came from the hospital the day after the crash, and the woman that called us said the same thing you said; "Your son has come back". Like we were supposed to be happy about it, or something. They told us to come down to get him. So we...
Excuse me. We?
Steve: Yes. Erin and I.
You didn't bring your other son. Steven Jr.?
Steve: No. Why would we?
Erin: He...the body had been damaged in the accident.
Steve: We didn't want our son to have nightmares for the rest of his life. Which he'll probably have, anyway. When we got to the hospital they brought us to this room in the basement. The zombie was there. They'd put a hospital gown on it.
Erin: His arm was broken. And his face...
Steve: They'd cleaned the body up some, but not entirely. (Pauses) I think it is disgraceful, what these people put us through. Bad enough that we have to live through the trauma of our son's death--now they want us to have to see that...that mockery of him? And they barely even clean it up first? It isn't right. It isn't right at all. (Pauses). They're lucky we don't sue them. I'm thinking that we should.
What went through your mind when you saw the zombie?
Steve: That it wasn't my son. That it wasn't my son at all.
I'll post the second part of the excerpt with "The Jones" in a few days.
Did anyone catch the program Dead in the Family that ran on one of the news networks the other night? It was a profile of three families with who have dealt with the death and return of a child. Two of the families did not take their zombie child back while the third did. The program was fairly well done, and I think there was a lot to be learned from one the people profiled had to say, no matter which side of the issue you come down on.
I'm going to transcribe excerpts from the interviews over the next few days.
Dead in the Family, Excerpt One
The first excerpt was conducted with the "Joneses", "Steve" and "Erin" (not their real name), from Verona, Wisconsin. The Joneses look to be in their early forties, moderately well off (He has an IT job in Madison, she has a local state job). Their sixteen year old son "Rick" was killed in a car crash and returned as a zombie the next day. The interview is conducted in their house, which looks to be a comfortable upper middle class suburban home. They have another boy, "Steven Jr.", age 13. The camera occasionally pans to show him tossing a ball with a large golden retriever in the back yard. The woman conducting the interview is never shown and the camera remains fixed on the couple except for these few shots of the boy and his dog.
How did your son die?
Steve: Rick was killed in a car accident, along with two other boys, his best friends. They were on their way to a party. (pauses). Alcohol was involved.
Was Rick driving?
Steve: No, one of the other boys was. Josh. All three were drinking, though. (Pauses)He and Rick were co-captains of the school's wrestling team.
(His wife, Erin has begun to cry)
When did Rick come back?
Steve:(With irritation) That's the wrong term. I hate it when people use that term.
I'm sorry. What word do you mean?
Steve: "Come back." Rick didn't "come back". Rick left the moment he and his friends hit the parked car.
I'm not sure I understand.
Steve: Look, there's no such thing as "coming back". When someone dies, they die. Whatever those...those...zombies are, it isn't someone's deceased child returning from the dead. It is something else entirely. I think you people have to stop planting this false hope in people's minds.
Something else? What?
Steve: (Folds arms. Erin is drying her eyes with tissues) I've got no idea. All I know is that it isn't our children. And when you say "coming back", it makes us out to be the monsters, like we abandoned our children or something. But that thing was not our son.
Erin: We knew as soon as we saw him.
Could you tell us about the first time you saw him after the car crash?
Steve: It was the day after the crash. The call we'd been dreading came from the hospital the day after the crash, and the woman that called us said the same thing you said; "Your son has come back". Like we were supposed to be happy about it, or something. They told us to come down to get him. So we...
Excuse me. We?
Steve: Yes. Erin and I.
You didn't bring your other son. Steven Jr.?
Steve: No. Why would we?
Erin: He...the body had been damaged in the accident.
Steve: We didn't want our son to have nightmares for the rest of his life. Which he'll probably have, anyway. When we got to the hospital they brought us to this room in the basement. The zombie was there. They'd put a hospital gown on it.
Erin: His arm was broken. And his face...
Steve: They'd cleaned the body up some, but not entirely. (Pauses) I think it is disgraceful, what these people put us through. Bad enough that we have to live through the trauma of our son's death--now they want us to have to see that...that mockery of him? And they barely even clean it up first? It isn't right. It isn't right at all. (Pauses). They're lucky we don't sue them. I'm thinking that we should.
What went through your mind when you saw the zombie?
Steve: That it wasn't my son. That it wasn't my son at all.
I'll post the second part of the excerpt with "The Jones" in a few days.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sticks and Stones
A comment Annette (and why aren't you on the Wall with the 352 other zombies and friends of zombies, Annette? Join us...join us...) made the other day on the yeti blog reminded me of a blog topic I wanted to write about.
Why is it whenever there is a stofy about zombies on a television show, that the newscaster always wants to make some smarmy joke at the end of the story? I realize that they have to put a bow-tie on their stories (how else would we have closure?) but do they have to be so coindescending and insulting?
Here are a few I've written down in the past few weeks You can imagine the air quotes over the appropriate words:
After a story about a zombie-fronted punk band: "Well, Jane, I guess I'm surprised they are such fans of live music."
After a story a group of teens who cast a zombie in their youtube video serial: "That won't be making the jump to the Lifetime network.
After a story a group of teens who who created Zombie Zine, a magazine about zombie culture: "Would you call that a lifestyle magazine, Marianne?"
Look, I like a good joke or pun as much as the next dead guy. If Karen or Phoebe or someone said one of these, I'd probably laugh. I just can't stand these fake plastic people, most of whom probably couldn't stand to be in the same room as a zombie.
And then there's this comment, the absolute worst, that ran on a local news station after a story about two zombies hunted down and reterminated in Pennsylvania(their murderers have yet to be identified): "That's life!"
As a great man once said, common sense isn't so common.
Why is it whenever there is a stofy about zombies on a television show, that the newscaster always wants to make some smarmy joke at the end of the story? I realize that they have to put a bow-tie on their stories (how else would we have closure?) but do they have to be so coindescending and insulting?
Here are a few I've written down in the past few weeks You can imagine the air quotes over the appropriate words:
After a story about a zombie-fronted punk band: "Well, Jane, I guess I'm surprised they are such fans of live music."
After a story a group of teens who cast a zombie in their youtube video serial: "That won't be making the jump to the Lifetime network.
After a story a group of teens who who created Zombie Zine, a magazine about zombie culture: "Would you call that a lifestyle magazine, Marianne?"
Look, I like a good joke or pun as much as the next dead guy. If Karen or Phoebe or someone said one of these, I'd probably laugh. I just can't stand these fake plastic people, most of whom probably couldn't stand to be in the same room as a zombie.
And then there's this comment, the absolute worst, that ran on a local news station after a story about two zombies hunted down and reterminated in Pennsylvania(their murderers have yet to be identified): "That's life!"
As a great man once said, common sense isn't so common.
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