Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus sit down with cultural historian Dr. Kelly J. Baker to explore America’s enduring obsession with a zombie apocalypse. What does our fascination with the undead reveal about our fears, values, and survival instincts? And how do imagined apocalyptic scenarios shape—or reflect—our responses to real-world crises? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia Description: Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus sit down with cultural historian Dr. Kelly J. Baker to explore America’s enduring obsession with a zombie apocalypse. What does our fascination with the undead reveal about our fears, values, and survival instincts? And how do imagined apocalyptic scenarios shape—or reflect—our responses to real-world crises? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 1:25 - How did you get into zombies? 8:06 - Zombies in American culture 13:32 - Moralism in the horror genre 16:48 - How does a zombie apocalypse compare to historical, real life apocalypses 27:47 - What is a luxury morality, where do we go once that’s gone? 33:05 - Is this an American phenomena and why is it so popular? 37:40 - Racism and misogyny in the genre - who survives? 45:31 - How have the winds changed in the last 5 years? 49:17 - Why should we take zombie preppers seriously? 52:48 - What is Kelly’s favorite zombie flick? 54:10 - What can we learn from zombies? 56:05 - Where to learn more about zombies and Kelly EPISODE LINKS: Dr. Kelly J. Baker - https://www.kellyjbaker.com/ The Zombies Are Coming: The Realities of the Zombie Apocalypse in American Culture - https://www.kellyjbaker.com/writing/the-zombies-are-coming/ Anabaptists - https://amnetwork.uk/resource/anabaptist-common-practices/ Zombie Doomsday Preppers - https://fithops.com/blogs/learning-center/plan-to-survive-zombie-outbreak#:~:text=Essential%20Zombie%20Survival%20Gear,Kit%20for%20Durability%20and%20Efficiency Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic - https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/6023 Kingdom - https://www.netflix.com/title/81095387 Warm Bodies - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588173/ Halloween Horror Nights - https://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/ PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: 2c4hpod.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-complicated-4-history/id1664183536 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3svQpZfxhVQnYJMESpp842?si=514780ada34d4aab Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX2x56DEw1y7EYWxfufgfSR951RrdsXet&si=TuDcpAjaeQx-vjkH SOCIAL: - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2c4hPodcast - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2c4h_podcast To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices