zombiepocalypse and the real world

[lagilman]

When I first heard about this, I laughed. I wasn't sure how far it would spread, or how many people would get caught in the hoax (a lot, surprisingly), and if people would be pissed off (a few, reportedly).

What I hadn't thought about, until I made my first post, was how it would hit me as a participant.

Almost six years ago, I was sitting in my office in NYC, blogging to the outside world as my own world was forever changed through violence even more horrific -- and less understandable -- than zombies.

This wasn't the same experience, obviously. But even as I was laughing, and collaborating with others in the growing hoaxweb... there was a frission of discomfort in my spine. Because it was just enough the same - to 9/11, to things happening today all over the world - to make it real.

And maybe that's why it worked so well, and why people got so caught up in it for a day.

And we all had a bit of fun.

Which is the ultimate act of ownership of pain/fear, innit? To itch the scab, and laugh, however ruefully?


But back to the real world today. I''d rather zombies were on the front page, myself.

Comments

[nycdeb.livejournal.com]

though I didn't participate - I had a great time watching it come to life and spread out. It did occur to me at one point that it all had a "Gosh I've been here before" element to it but as you say, there was fun had with it. You grab the monster under the bed by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. What could be more fun than that?

[tina-jens.livejournal.com]

I was wishing I had known about it earlier. I would love to have played more. But even knowing, I might not have been able to. Worked yesterday from 10 AM until the following 2 AM to complete an editorial job that was due this morning. I have handed it in, and am now wishing that today was zombie day instead of yesterday.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Yes, that was my immediate reaction to your first post: OMG, what's happening in New Haven? But when I called up the Boston Globe, there was nothing frightening going on in NE, unless you count the constitutional Convention in MA. So I figured it was a joke.

Some TV/radio in Belgium ran a fake story about a month ago concerning the Flemish part of Belgium ceding from the union and it spread widely and was believed. Which of course led to discussions of how the media "manipulated" people (like that was news!). People were very angry.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

S'funny, I hit a point where I found the whole thing very soothing. If there were something happening (that conveniently didn't knock out our internet :p), we'd get that information to each other fast. We'd be able to stay in touch and keep tabs on each other. Distance isn't what it used to be, even phone distance.

[mt-yvr.livejournal.com]

I had a looong series of talks about this last night with friends. I ended up with a phone call from one friend early in the day and then a friend of a friend called (after reading my journal) to find out what was up. So I know I caught some people.

But what interested me was the truth I had spliced into my story. That I'd rather come here to lj than go googling or onto one of the online news sites. Why? Because I'd rather hear from the people directly involved than some media outlet. (shrug)

And as another of your posters commented... we tend to have this instant network of people who cross check our lives to be sure we're all doing ok. I remember sitting in this same office during 911 and panicing about you and others. I remember the hundreds of messages around the net in the places I visit and we all were checking in with info faster and more accurately.

It, again to steal, soothes to know even in a hoax.. we're watching out for each other.

Besides, I got to TOTALLY do an Orwell moment and if you think I'm not clutching THAT to my chest and gleefully giggling, you don't know me at all. :P (heh heh)

Being more of an SF writer than I'd like to admit --

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

-- when I read your post, I had a momentary OMG moment, and then saw KateELliot's post and knew it was some silliness.

I thought it brave of you to post. I hope that makes you feel like you are healing, rearranging that history in your heart and carrying it on as you rush to the future.

[hutch0.livejournal.com]

My immediate, and I presume default, reaction, was to wander about like an idiot asking people what was going on. The grim possibility that I would react the same way to any disaster, up to and including a zombiepocalypse, cannot be discounted.

[lagilman]

"But why is all the people gone?"