ZOMBIES: THE DISCRIMINATORY UNDEAD
The movie premiered early 2018 on Disney Channel
On February 16, 2018, Disney Channel premiered the sing and dance musical Zombies, which focuses on the integration of teenage zombies into the pastel perfect Seabrook High. Milo Manheim portrays Zed, a green-haired, grey-skinned zombie who wants nothing more than to be on Seabrook’s football team. His determined spirit is shared by Addison - a bubbly, cheerful girl whose main goal is to be on the Seabrook High cheer squad. Apparently the passion for extracurricular athletics is stronger than it lets on, because these two somehow fall in love. But the young romance is faced with problems - the main one being that zombies are hated and the town of Seabrook would never accept the dating duo. Despite the over-the-top dance numbers and Romeo-and-Juliet-esque love story, Zombies is nothing short of masterful in its depiction of segregation and intolerance in an ignorant community. This post will include the following:
An analysis of the town and social structure of Seabrook
An in-depth character study of Zed and Addison
An examination and explanation of the “physical villain”
Examination of certain song lyrics
SYMBOLISM IN THE TOWN OF SEABROOK
The town of Seabrook is sickeningly perfect. The color palette of pastel pinks, greens, blues and greys is shoved down the throat of the viewer to display the cohesiveness of the citizens. Such uniformity is instrumental in showing the shared ideals and viewpoints of the people of Seabrook - the coordinated appearance is more than physical. Overall, it is clear to younger viewers that the people of Seabrook firmly embrace sameness. On the outskirts lies “Zombietown”, the dark, gloomy community where the people of Seabrook have forced the creatures of difference to reside. The history is controversial - zombies were created in freak accident, changing regular citizens into flesh eating creatures of the night. It is not sure whether or not a war had ensued but it can assumed that altercations did occur - characters mentions that their grandfather’s ear was bitten off by a zombie and all zombies now have an unexplained fear of fire. While the body count is unknown, one thing is clear, zombies are feared and ostracized. This immense fear has caused institutionalized discrimination - zombies are regulated by the government and not allowed in public spaces. Such laws only hint at historical instances of racism and discrimination in the real world. In America, African-Americans faced heavy discrimination based on the unwarranted accusations of being savage, uncivilized, and undeserving. Similar to the zombies in Zombietown, laws were enforced that banned blacks from public spaces such as water fountains, schools and churches. When schools were finally desegregated, there was a large outcry from the white community, similar to the response of Seabrook citizens when zombie students are integrated into Seabrook High School. Once there, the zombie students are subjected to inferior classroom conditions and hate speech sprayed on the walls, just like black students who were allowed to attend majority-white institutions. But the similarities don't just apply to African Americans, Zombies are also comparable to Asian-Americans. A certain laws restricts zombies from owning pets out of fear that they will eat them - somewhat of an allegory to the racist stereotype of Asian-Americans consuming domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Zombies are also regulated by Z-Bands, an unremovable metal wrist band that delivers electromagnetic pulses that reduces their urge for brains. This draws unmistakable similarity to abusive tactics employed in gay conversion therapy. There are countless stories of those in conversion therapy who found themself with “an elastic band around the wrist” that delivered electric shocks in order to dissuade the individual’s desire for the same-sex (NCLRIGHTS.ORG). With the Z-Band, the amount of electromagnetic pulses can alter the creature entirely. Too much is a heavily painful experience, but allows them to appear “normal”, while too little causes them to return to their natural state as brain-eating animals. For the electric-shock wristband, it can be determined that a similar concept applies: too much would prove to be near fatal despite its probable effectiveness, and too little would cause the person to remain as they are - in an unnatural state.
So, behind it’s pleasing color aesthetic, Seabrook is nothing but a symbol of an ugly history of misunderstanding.
Milo Manheim plays the titular role of Zed, a teenage zombie
At a glance: The main zombie in the movie is Zed Necrodopolous (“necro” being an humorous hint towards zombies’ relations to bodies and death), a teenage boy who wastes no time giving us the breakdown of zombie life in Seabrook. Not only are zombies cast to live inside a barricade known as “Zombietown”, the creatures are also banned from owning pets, and must wear government-issued overalls and Z-Bands. Despite the setbacks, Zed has found a way to make the best of the situation. He customizes his overalls, downloads games on his Z-Band, and pretends to be a dog for his little sister, Zoey, who really wants one. This “roll-with-the-punches”, humble attitude is what makes Zed so likeable. And this is crucial to younger viewers who instantly need to see past Zed’s skin/hair color and existence as a zombie. His personality must shine through: he’s shown to be goofy, sweet, a fan of football, and a good brother and son. Exempt from greasy hair and bad acne, Zed is a normal teenage boy - but in order to deliver the metaphor for racism, the viewer must remember that simply because his skin is a pale grey and his hair is an electric green, he is not.
A human Zed takes Addison out for frozen yogurt
In relation to Addison: Many believe Zeddison’s first encounter to be in the Seabrook Zombie Safe Room when Addison reacts to Zed’s appearance as a zombie with fear and defensively punches him in the face. However, the couple’s first encounter happens long before - as soon as the movie’s first musical number (“My Year”) ends, Zed notices Addison and is instantly smitten. Perhaps this is why when he realizes it is her who has socked him in the face, he’s able to shrug it off. He doesn’t let his friends dissuade him from liking her either - he wants to believe she’s one of the better humans. While this hope is diminished when he finds Addison planning to egg his house for cheer initiation, it’s soon restored when she apologizes and invites him and his friends to the pep rally. There, he heroically catches a falling Addison after a cheer stunt gone wrong and in perfect Disney fashion, the romance is solidified as they gaze into one another’s eyes. After this incident, the two interact like a true couple, with Zed even taking Addison to Zombietown to see his way of life which she enthusiastically embraces (“BAMM!”). The night nearly ends with a Zeddison kiss, but is interrupted by the Zombie Patrol Squad, who intercept Addison. It seems to be the end for the pair - Addison’s parents insist of meeting their daughter’s mystery boy before she can engage in any more outside activities - but Zed’s smart thinking saves them. By upping the dosage from his Z-Band, Zed is able to appear human, a painful sacrifice he’s willing to make to save their relationship. However, the action deeply saddens Addison and she consistently reminds Zed that he doesn’t need to change - the institution does. Whenever Zed feels insecure about his status as a zombie, Addison is there to give him the confidence to be proud of himself. She’s a good fit for Zed, she wants truly wants the best for him and all of the zombies.
In his natural state, Zed is on the loose
Personal Sacrifice: Now Zed is not without fault. In fact, his main fault seems to be his overwhelming desire to be normal. He wants to be accepted and have a good high school experience. He has a lot to offer, but as a zombie is often turned away. This is perfectly illustrated through Zed’s struggles with the Seabrook football team. At the tryouts, he’s the only one to not make the team, on clear grounds that it is strictly because he’s a zombie. After a glitch with his Z-Band causes him to display his strength he’s allowed to walk-on, but will be kicked off unless the team wins. His best effort proves futile - in the first game, his team members play against him and make any type of winning outcome difficult. He’s purposely targeted and singled-out, made to wear a special jersey with no number, just the letter ‘Z’. At halftime, his coach orders him to use his Z-Band and Zed obliges, ignoring warnings from best friend Eliza about the dangers. With Zed’s zombie strength the team comes out on top with the first win for Seabrook football in a long time. Zed is now a force to be reckoned with and immediately uses this power to better the lives of zombie students at Seabrook. “No more classrooms in a dingy basement,” he tells the Principal, “and full integration for zombie students in the cafeteria.” And while the principal allows zombie students to sit in a corner of the cafeteria, she won’t see about better classroom conditions until Zed continues to win games. That’s right - Zed is carrying the burden of all zombie students at Seabrook on his back - or rather, in his Z-Band. He’s also getting what he desired - acceptance. As the football team deepens their winning streak, Zed is heartily embraced by Seabrook students. At one point, life is pretty dang good for the zombie boy. He’s the star of the football team, is dating a pretty cheerleader, and has gotten his friends involved in clubs of their interest at school. But just as quickly as it started, the good life comes crashing down. In the championship game, Zed’s Z-Band is hacked by mischievous cheerleaders, causing him to go full-zombie. His friends are hacked too and chaos ensues as people quickly flee for their lives in panic.
Zombie Patrol eventually captures and calms the creatures to the relief of the crowd who berate zombies, fueling the hatred that kept Zed’s kind out of public schools, off of football teams, and inside the barricade. It is here where Addison steps in and reprimands the townspeople for placing expectations of normalcy on Zed that caused him to endanger his life, rather than simply accept him for who he was.
Which brings us to our next character...
Meg Donnelly portrays Addison, Zed’s love interest in the movie
At a glance: If anyone in this movie is more than they appear, it’s Addison. As far as first impressions go, she’s off to an awful start - her peppiness is made obvious from the start as she performs a corny cheer about starting freshman year before “noticing” the viewer. It’s an instant thumbs down...until she reveals to the viewer a secret. In the perfect town of Seabrook, where anything different is discouraged, Addison wears a blonde wig to cover her real hair - an awfully layered, stark white mess. The viewer is left intrigued - this girl is obviously more than she appears. But Addison knows acceptance for her hair is a long way out. Her family is filled with success - her cousin Bucky is captain of the undefeated cheer team at Seabrook High, her father is chief of the police force (more specifically a subdivision dubbed “Zombie Patrol Squad”), and her mother is mayor of the town. To reveal her real hair would bring shame not only to her, but to her family, and destroy their positions of successful authority within the town. So she wears the blonde wig in compliance with Seabrook’s expectations, but deep down, Addison yearns for a change in the town social norms - a change that would allow people like her to be accepted as themselves. Perhaps this is why when zombies are integrated into Seabrook High, she is excited.
Addison worriedly asks Zed about his Z-Band during a timeout
In relation to Zed: Now, her first impression of Zed is surface-level: he’s a zombie and zombies are bad. A misunderstanding in a dark room causes Addison to punch the poor creature once the lights turn on and his true form is revealed, but she quickly apologizes after noticing how he is “not hideous.” If anything is surface-level, it would be that - feeling sorry for assaulting someone because of their attractiveness - but how else will younger viewers understand a crush? Sigh. Anyways, it’s fair to say Addison’s colorblindness towards Zed is what truly helps propel their romance forward throughout the movie. Before the physical assault, the two had held a conversation about their respective tryouts that day: football for Zed and cheer for Addison. As aforementioned, the passion for after-school athletics is a strong one, because Addison soon finds herself quite smitten for the tall zombie boy. Her goal is to make him and his kind feel accepted - she invites Zed and his friends to the school pep rallies, welcomes them to the cafeteria and apologizes for the actions of discrimination they face at the hands of Seabrook students. She knows things need to change and tries her best to do what she can, but it’s not until her relationship with Zed deepens that she grows angry at the institutionalized discrimination.
Donning her natural hair, Addison sings to the crowd with confidence
Personal Sacrifice: Addison likes Zed - she really likes him. She sees him as so much more than a zombie - he may not be a human, but he is definitely a being. She meets his friends and family, she goes to see his “side of the tracks”, she tries to learn his language, and she loudly cheers for him during football games. Despite how these actions may seem normal for someone in a relationship, they break all the rules she’s been told. But the rebellion of being with Zed is thrilling to her. She reveals her secret to him with ease, it helps him understand she wants a change not just for zombies, but herself too. However, Addison is soon forced to show that she is not just talk. When the hacking of his Z-Band causes Zed to return to his instincts, Addison abandons her wig to the repulsed townspeople and heavily reprimands them for their intolerance of difference. Her hair remains in its natural state for the rest of the movie, and her relationship with the zombies is stronger than ever - she is seemingly disowned by her parents following the discarding of her wig but she doesn’t care. By the end it is clear: Addison is ready to do what is right and will sacrifice all she has known because she loves Zed. Or more specifically, she “gar gar ga zas” him.
BUCKY, THE “PHYSICAL VILLAIN”
Trevor Tordjman portrays the egotistical male cheerleader
It is rare that a children’s movie does not have a villain. Kids are impressionable and “good” and “evil” must clearly be defined or seen. It is simply not enough to have the prejudice against zombies act as the the antagonist (despite being strong enough). That prejudice must take a physical form into something the viewers can see and blame. Thus, racism is embodied in a narcissistic cheerleader named Bucky.
Bucky taunts the new Zombie students through a fence
But Bucky is not allowed to be one-dimensional, which can only be appreciated by older viewers. He has a clear connection to our characters - a literal bloodline connection - being Addison’s older cousin. He knows her secret of wearing a wig, so one would assume he would despise the rules of perfection that keeps one his family members in hiding. Instead, Bucky fully embraces the social norms, and in turn, they embrace him.
Bucky is extremely popular, quite literally the face of Seabrook cheer, and thrives in the spotlight. He happily signs autographs for those who adore him and he is consistently accompanied by three cheerleaders (the Aceys) who are of his service. When zombies arrive at Seabrook, Bucky sees that his perfect world is under threat and thus uses his influence to spread hatred. He orders new cheerleaders to egg zombie houses in Zombietown, has cheerleaders perform with fire sticks to exploit zombies’ fear of fire, and removes anyone who embraces zombie culture off the squad. The thought of tolerating zombies is incomprehensible to Bucky, despite Addison’s persistent pleas that he try to embrace them.
In genuine confusion, Bucky listens to Addison defend cheering for Zed
Now, Bucky is smart and he is certainly not stupid. He’s on to his cousin’s crush for Zed, and does his best to put a stop to it. Now, THIS is where Bucky gets interesting because he wavers on behaving more like a bad ex-boyfriend than a concerned family member. He harshly removes Addison from her interactions with Zed and criticizes her for associating with zombies. One would think Bucky would pull out all the stops to end Zeddison, but unfortunately, the boy is too busy preparing for the cheer championship. Speaking of cheer, this is where viewers are really able to see Bucky’s bullying nature. His dislike is not solely for zombies, but a lack of perfection. During cheer tryouts, he is seen shoving those who are imperfect out of the way, as well as ripping the tryout numbers of those who make a mistake (“Fired Up”). He reluctantly allows Bree, a curvy African-American girl, on the cheer team at the insistence of Addison despite his initial argument of her clearly not looking the part he wants Seabrook cheer to put forward.
A determined Addison and a worried Bree at cheer tryouts
And if it isn’t lack of perfection, then it’s being upstaged that clearly drives Bucky to do bad. When it becomes clear that Zed has stolen Bucky’s adoring student audience, he sends the Aceys to sabotage him, leading to the Z-Band hack. The action ultimately backfires as a rogue Zed nearly kills him and Bucky is forced to face the monster he drew out. By the cheer championship, Bucky is in deep conflict. He still can’t swallow fully accepting zombies, but ultimately agrees to co-exist. This is a powerful message to convey, especially to young children. You don’t have to love everyone who’s different, but at the end of the day, they still deserve respect. Thus, Bucky as a physical villain is useful in pushing the racism agenda forward because as the personification of discrimination and hate, Bucky is able to show the problems that come with being completely one-minded.
Bucky angrily watches Zombie students sit in the cafeteria
The opening number of the movie is bright and peppy, providing character introductions and coordinated dance numbers. A few key lyrics:
“On this side we can all keep winning, if we just try to fit in” (Addison)
On this side (Seabrook), trying to fit in and be perfect means success.
“But, it ain’t so bad on this side of the tracks” (Zed)
particularly impoverished (and usually dangerous or undesirable as a result). "Tracks" refers to railroad tracks, which are sometimes thought of as demarcating different economic areas of a town.
“Yeah, you got a point, but today’s an improvement/ ‘Cause baby steps is still movement” (Zed)
Zed adopts a MLK view, accepting the small victories for zombies while his friend Eliza is more Malcolm X, calling for radical action against the establishment
Someday is a duet in which Zed and Addison dream of a time where they will be allowed to openly be together. Key lyrics:
“I know it might be crazy
But did you hear the story?” (Zed)
“I think I heard it vaguely
A girl and a zombie” (Addison)
Zed and Addison jokingly pretend to be in the future, believing that their relationship goes down in history and is now a story that is told amongst everyone.
If you get to know me” (Addison)
While Zed sings of her perfection, Addison teasingly hints at being more than she appears
This could be, this could be ordinary” (Both)
A relationship like theirs would not turn heads and cause scrutiny
“You and me side by side (yeah, yeah)
Out in the broad daylight” (Both)
The two would be able to take their relationship public and not sneak around. Any discouragement will be met with confidence of them one day being accepted.
“If different was a super power
We'd be so flawless” (Addison)
The two know a relationship like theirs is different and breaks all kinds of rules. If being different was expected, then they’d be perfect.
In Zombietown, Addison is introduced to zombie culture through a hip-hop dance routine and song mainly delivered by Zed.
“We're the same, but different
Just like you, I got hopes and wishes
Itchin' to show the world what they're missing” (Zed)
Zed wishes for the humans to see that they are more similar to zombies than they think. Zombies have goals and desires, and Zed wants to show humans what they are missing out on.
Following the arrest of Zed and his friends, Addison internally processes the conflict of doing what is right and going against everything she knows.
“No some things are different than we thought
There's more to life than what we're taught” (Addison)
Addison knows the ideology of Seabrook is problematic and wrong. She knows it is beneficial to embrace new ways of life and cultures.
“How can I just forget all the things in my head?
Just stand, oh, you just stand
And if I stand, will I fall?
Trying to knock down these walls
What if I don't know where I stand?” (Addison and Bucky)
Internally conflicted on whether or not to stand tall and speak in support of zombies, Bucky sings about going against what he knows and the risks that come with it. Addison encourages him to take the leap, but in the end, Bucky decides he is undecided on the matter.
With the barrier broken down, Zed and Addison happily embrace
In conclusion, Zombies is one of the decade’s best allegories of racism through its expert portrayal of interracial relationships, institutionalized discrimination, and the danger of groupthink. To some it may appear as nothing but a love story, and to others, just another Disney musical, but it is nothing but an example of how to simplify and personify controversial themes and explain them to younger viewers in a skilled manner. When compared to the catalogue of other Disney Channel Original Movies, Zombies stands out. We need more movies like this one - it would be impertinent to deprive the upcoming youth of themes that are prevalent in life. Zombies is set apart because its “good vs. evil” applies to real-world problems, oppression and racism - and is not just cut and dry “good vs. evil”.
Because, let’s be honest, rarely are people evil for no reason. There is always an underlying motivation and in the history of humanity we have seen that the stem of most evil has come from fear - a theme that Zombies shows perfectly.
