Of Monsters and Men: Flipping the Script on Masculinity and Monstrosity

• In Event: Abject Assemblages: Grotesque Women, Rednecks, and the Undead

Abstract

Romero’s original Dead trilogy developed the social protest nature of the modern zombie film as an agent for dismantling conventional representations of men and monsters. This presentation unearths the limitations of Romero’s original ghouls, examines the roles individuality and gender play in the construction of the zombie, then exposes the radical readings the undead provoke as this monster evolves over time. The revolutionary impulses of the humanized zombie will be exposed, as will the sociopolitical implications of undermining white hegemony, heteronormativity, patriarchy and late capitalism when the discussion turns to the dismantling of the conventional male hero.

Presenter

• Elizabeth Aiossa, College of Lake County