Monday 24 October 2011

A Symposium on the shedding of blood, death and resurrection

Yes, a most important event for your calendar and it's at the prestigious University of Winchester (formerly known as King Alfred's College) and here you really have to see Left Footer's post, click here.

Dreaming spires, oak panelled studies
 and....blood on tap!
Now, as Catholics we are familiar with the phrases 'shedding of blood' and 'death and resurrection' - they are clear and unequivocal as far as we are concerned but, down in gentrified, leafy Hampshire they have a different meaning.

In Winchester those phrases mean......zombies! Yes, you read correctly, zombies, the living dead. I am not, of course referring to the inhabitants of that beautiful city or to Catholics of a certain westerly leaning but to a learned convention, a symposium no less that is due to be held on 28th October, but what the University authorities cleverly call a "Zombosium".
 I do love academic wit.

Here are the first two paras of the University's blurb on this learned event:

“Zombies now feature widely in film, television, new and social media, gaming, comics and literary texts,” said Dr Marcus Leaning, Lecturer in the School of Media and Film at the University of Winchester, who is organising the conference. “Our Zombosium has attracted more than 17 speakers from across the world, all anxious to share their research into this huge phenomenon.”

The keynote speaker at Zombosium is Dr Ian Conrich, Editor of the Journal of British Cinema and Television and a leading authority on contemporary horror cinema. Dr Conrich has written over 16 books and contributed to more than 50 books and journals. He will present a talk at the event titled An Infected Population: Zombie Culture and the Modern Monstrous.

end/................

Really, from reading this c**p one might almost believe that zombies exist.
There is really only one way to find out for certain.....attend the zombosium.

And my prediction for curriculum development at Winchester University.....remember you read it here first...a BSc in Zombie Studies!

2 comments:

  1. Says so much about English 'culture'!

    And thanks for the link.

    Chris Wright

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  2. Yep! I listened to this on Saturday on Radio 4.
    A study on the subject revealed that throngs of young were attracted to the "living dead" subject. 14 year olds played computor Games that were 18 rated. Jubilation over the killing of beings!!
    To my dismay, I recently learned that one of my daughters has a weakness for films and books about Vampires.
    The Study came up with the notion that in the 50's-60's it was Aliens everyone was worried about. Everyone believed if you worked hard did your best you and your offspring could do well for yourself but that ended in the 80's. Now, there is a general sense of hopelessness for the future, a dead end feeling.
    Not surprising really! A fully practicing Catholic/Christian most likely does not have pulls towards this form of entertainment.
    I think our Lord hinself refered to the "living dead".
    Could this be a window on the soul of our society? Brighton after all, has a reputation for being the capital of a lifestyle not campatible for getting to Heaven (Fatima) Do they reveal their future (afterlife) by this gathering.
    Just look at the Tattooed Man (Daily Mail. Thursday.) who was used as an advert for a covering cosmetic! Fatalistic?

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