Well, sure, but the kind of key thing about zombies is that they they are resurrected, not just that they're dead. So I don't see a real parallel for Memorial Day.
I think a key thing about zombies is that they're dead. And often that they are gorily, messily dead, decaying, with worms poking out of their ears and all the rest of it. A resurrected dead person might look like a perfectly spry, healthy 20-year-old in a business suit. BSG, for example, was full of resurrected dead people on this model. But we're not inclined to call them zombies.
I think that if someone did a Zombie March that paralleled a Walk for Breast Cancer, a lot of breast cancer survivors (and relatives of non-survivors) would be offended.
I think that if someone organized a group of made-up zombies to go hang out at a Stroke Survivors conference I was attending, I'd likely burst into tears.
More generally, I think that events like the Zombie March take death lightly. And I think that's great; I think sometimes it's a good thing to take death lightly, to have fun with it.
But if you point the event symbolically at some group of dead people, then you'll be understood as making light of their death, specifically. And, well, their mourners may not take kindly to that.
Neither of those assertions is entirely clear to me. But perhaps you're right; I don't know. Among the many things I know very little about is how people who observe Easter experience the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.
Of course, mourning isn't necessarily the only strong emotion that's relevant. I don't know that I'm mourning anything with respect to my stroke, but I'd probably nevertheless be hurt if I perceived some group as mocking it.
But perhaps Easter is not associated with any other strong emotions about the Slain and Risen Savior that believers would prefer not to have made light of, either. Again, I don't really know, and I don't claim to be definitive.
I'm not Catholic, though I did grow up around them and often joined in Easter celebrations. My perception* is that it is a day of joy, celebration, and fun. The Catholics I hung out with would've probably busted a gut laughing at a bunch of zombies lurching past their picnic.
I'd personally be much more offended by a zombie march on Ash Wednesday, for example.
[* I mostly knew Italian Catholics. In HS, I knew a lot more Greek Orthodox folks, and their practices were often different. But Easter was also a different day, so it might not apply here.]
My guess is that Good Friday would be a worse time for a zombie event than Easter, since it is a sad occasion (the crucifixion rather than the resurrection)
Why? What's so significant about Ash Wednesday, other than marking the beginning of Lent? If I saw a bunch of zombies marching past on Ash Wednesday, I'd probably think they were holdovers from the previous night's Mardi Gras celebrations and think nothing more of it.
no, but easter is an occasion where many people think about their lost loved ones. easter is the day where people hope to see them again and that they live in eternal rest and comfort.
[edit: i am agreeing with all of this, not to sound argumentative xD]
no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 07:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 08:13 pm (UTC)I think a key thing about zombies is that they're dead.
And often that they are gorily, messily dead, decaying, with worms poking out of their ears and all the rest of it.
A resurrected dead person might look like a perfectly spry, healthy 20-year-old in a business suit. BSG, for example, was full of resurrected dead people on this model. But we're not inclined to call them zombies.
I think that if someone did a Zombie March that paralleled a Walk for Breast Cancer, a lot of breast cancer survivors (and relatives of non-survivors) would be offended.
I think that if someone organized a group of made-up zombies to go hang out at a Stroke Survivors conference I was attending, I'd likely burst into tears.
More generally, I think that events like the Zombie March take death lightly. And I think that's great; I think sometimes it's a good thing to take death lightly, to have fun with it.
But if you point the event symbolically at some group of dead people, then you'll be understood as making light of their death, specifically. And, well, their mourners may not take kindly to that.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 08:19 pm (UTC)[ETA: Oops, I thought this was in response to my other comment.]
no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 08:25 pm (UTC)Of course, mourning isn't necessarily the only strong emotion that's relevant. I don't know that I'm mourning anything with respect to my stroke, but I'd probably nevertheless be hurt if I perceived some group as mocking it.
But perhaps Easter is not associated with any other strong emotions about the Slain and Risen Savior that believers would prefer not to have made light of, either. Again, I don't really know, and I don't claim to be definitive.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 08:38 pm (UTC)I'd personally be much more offended by a zombie march on Ash Wednesday, for example.
[* I mostly knew Italian Catholics. In HS, I knew a lot more Greek Orthodox folks, and their practices were often different. But Easter was also a different day, so it might not apply here.]
no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 11:22 pm (UTC)I picked a holiday that isn't full of people being joyous and celebrating and eating chocolate and such.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-24 08:30 pm (UTC)[edit: i am agreeing with all of this, not to sound argumentative xD]