The Contemporary Gothic: Why We Need It by Steven Bruhm

A report on The contemporary Gothic: why we need it by STEVEN BRUHM

The subconscious beings humans are best explain why contemporary gothic media affect us so. Vampires, Zombies, Aliens, all convoke a sense of belongingness in their traits, however so distant from our reality. With the Vampire archetype, we extrapolate our desire for immortality, no matter what the cost, and this frightens us when we see the murderous acts needed in order to do so. Romero created the modern Zombie archetype as a means to create social commentary on consumer culture, and how this in turn creates a society of mindless drones bent on the consumption of the world. Aliens, being the classic example, as in Giger’s creations, always have a humanoid aspect to them; we as human beings don’t actually have the capacity to determine what an alien looks like. With this explained, I do agree with Bruhm that we desperately need contemporary gothic in our lives today. As in the above, most of these archetypes presented a familiar yet foreign aspect of the human psyche. We project our innermost desires and fears into fictional media. In short, to be aware of the social commentary that is a result of our fiction, we are able to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves as a human society. One of the best works that intertwines social commentary and these subconscious fears and desires, was Max Brook’s World War Z, which I found to be riveting. He talks about the militarization of America, the global issues of climate change, as well as the otaku culture of Japan, alongside more pressing issues such as the isolationist regime of North Korea, mixed with the consuming tide of brainless dead. I think Brooks said it best when he said the human race needed most in it’s time of need: Hope.