Zombies have come to saturate our public imaginary. While they tend to be represented as nothing more than horror-inducing monsters, these creatures have great political significance, as they have become “an allegory for the larger societal self” (Kee 23). The Haitian heritage of the zombie gives it a racial element which must be acknowledged. As Chera Kee explains, zombies “operate within a discourse that maintain[s] whiteness as the norm and construct[s] those of colour as monstrous”  (14). Zombies serve as social commentary, highlighting the anxieties of xenophobia and the fear of contagion by the racialized Other. A method of representation, which is mirrored in the current refugee crisis, is the use of “faceless masses: a new means of robbing the Other of its individuality in order to keep it as the Other” (14). Zombies can be used to critique many instances of power asymmetry. A particularly noteworthy critique has been that of the capitalist system and its inherent exploitation. When these creatures are robbed of their humanity, they can be forced to work endless hours for their masters without repercussion. A similar dehumanizing technique is used to justify the deplorable working conditions of migrant workers.

A new phenomenon which has emerged in zombie culture has been the use of humour. The ‘zombie comedy’ is a new genre which has proven successful, occupying cultural space beyond that of the horror genre. Shaun of the Dead, a 2004 British film, markets itself as ‘romantic comedy with zombies’. Adhering to the typical zombie apocalypse plot devices, this zombie comedy also contains some elements of social commentary. A prevalent theme throughout the film is all-encompassing individualism — the protagonist does not even notice the initial presence of zombies because he is nursing a hangover and preoccupied with a breakup.  Another theme is the apathy of the capitalist working class, which makes their new zombie form comparable to their original state. At the film’s conclusion, the zombie outbreak has been controlled through the exploitation of these creatures for the benefit of the rest of society, as cheap labour and entertainment. This conclusion reveals that “while the zombie could thus be seen as a critique of empire, zombie films also [replay] a fantasy of empire” (17).

While humour can be an effective social justice tool, the rhetoric of ‘it’s just a joke’ can also undermine the political significance of representation. The insidious character of humour is the way it can be perceived as incompatible with political analysis. Zombie comedies  are an intriguing new genre, which can either provide a compelling critique of modern culture or can silence the racial and classed implications inherent in the use of the zombie.