The Apocalypse is all the rage in popular entertainment these days. I mean, if you count foreign and independent films, there have been over a hundred films in the past decade that have zombies in them. And that's just one tiny segment of the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre in one form of popular entertainment. Heck even if you just stick to major Hollywood productions, there have been 97 movies since 2000 that were post-apocalyptic in nature. This apocalypse thing is a big money-maker, apparently.
But that begs the question. How are we making movies about the Apocalypse entertaining? According to our helpful friends over at the New Oxford American Dictionary, the Apocalypse is "the complete final destruction of the world." Here's the Apocalypse movie synopsis for you; five minutes of exposition telling how we led up to the Apocalyptic event, followed by two hours of a smoldering wasteland with no living being, because the entire planet was consumed by fire. OR; five minutes of exposition followed by a cataclysmic explosion as the planet blows up. OR; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
See, the very concept of post-apocalypse is silly, since the word means the utter destruction of our world, the survival of which would require you to not be ON this world. But yes, for all of you out there trying to yell at me through your smartphone screen (open the PHONE app. I know you never use it, but I promise this is exactly the situation it was intended for), okay fine, there is a second less pure definition.
"An event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale."
"Ha!" you shout, "There's your definition to justify the existence of our popular entertainment, mister language man!"
"Stop shouting," I reply, "I'm right here."
Also, it's Etymology Man, not Mister Language Man. But I digress. Yes, that definition, which is far newer than the original definition, does fit the bill for your popular entertainment. But there's a crucial difference. The apocalyptic event that this definition describes is not "the Apocalypse." The Apocalypse is the literal end of the world. Your zombie apocalypse is not. It's just a lot of destruction, and happens to be related to zombies. It might mark the end of society as we know it, but the world keeps on keepin' on regardless.
So what am I saying? Stop telling me that you saw this movie that was about "the Apocalypse." Because it's not. It's about an event that was apocalyptic in the scale of the destruction it caused, but it is not about the literal end of the planet.
As a personal favor. Thanks.
But that begs the question. How are we making movies about the Apocalypse entertaining? According to our helpful friends over at the New Oxford American Dictionary, the Apocalypse is "the complete final destruction of the world." Here's the Apocalypse movie synopsis for you; five minutes of exposition telling how we led up to the Apocalyptic event, followed by two hours of a smoldering wasteland with no living being, because the entire planet was consumed by fire. OR; five minutes of exposition followed by a cataclysmic explosion as the planet blows up. OR; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
See, the very concept of post-apocalypse is silly, since the word means the utter destruction of our world, the survival of which would require you to not be ON this world. But yes, for all of you out there trying to yell at me through your smartphone screen (open the PHONE app. I know you never use it, but I promise this is exactly the situation it was intended for), okay fine, there is a second less pure definition.
"An event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale."
"Ha!" you shout, "There's your definition to justify the existence of our popular entertainment, mister language man!"
"Stop shouting," I reply, "I'm right here."
Also, it's Etymology Man, not Mister Language Man. But I digress. Yes, that definition, which is far newer than the original definition, does fit the bill for your popular entertainment. But there's a crucial difference. The apocalyptic event that this definition describes is not "the Apocalypse." The Apocalypse is the literal end of the world. Your zombie apocalypse is not. It's just a lot of destruction, and happens to be related to zombies. It might mark the end of society as we know it, but the world keeps on keepin' on regardless.
So what am I saying? Stop telling me that you saw this movie that was about "the Apocalypse." Because it's not. It's about an event that was apocalyptic in the scale of the destruction it caused, but it is not about the literal end of the planet.
As a personal favor. Thanks.
My book is about the Apocalypse. It's mostly pre-apocalyptic.
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