The Content Analysis

Name of the Program: Zombieland
Medium: Film
Genre: Comedy, Dark Humor, Drama



Conclusion:


This movie doesn’t have a lot of stereotypes. The character of Columbus, he is a nerdy guy who plays a lot of computer and stays isolated from everyone for most of the time. He talks to a few people. He is shown to cry and whine and say abusive words. He doesn’t like violence in real life, meaning he doesn’t like shooting guns, not even zombies. And he freaks out very easily, meaning that he is not very tough. Like a lot of ‘nerds’ he stands by rules which help him survive zombies and he is thin and has a low confidence level. To some extent the nerdy content of the character is stereotyped but he does break it by the end of the movie by being heroic. I think the main thing we were supposed to be shown is that a nerd has a low confidence level. If they had shown a fit, attractive looking guy with low confidence level, the character won’t be as believable as the present Columbus.

Tallahassee, the tough guy of the movie, is shown as ‘Redneck’ with a SUV. He doesn’t hesitate to kill zombies with his guns. In fact he loves killing, it is like a sport for him. He wears leather jackets, boots and a hat. He is very adventurous. But, the problem is he is not a Redneck. And he doesn’t have a southern accent. He was just a grand father who lost his grandson to an epidemic and therefore he dawns this avatar to look for adventure and forget his sorrow. So, it shows the audience, one way of looking tough is by wearing the right clothes. He again breaks the stereotype by being a father figure to the other characters, and also by crying for his grandson. He doesn’t mock Columbus for being not ‘tough’.



The girl characters Wichita and Little Rock were not at all stereotyped. They were just sisters on the run for survival. The age difference between them made the characters more believable. So, nothing in the movie was completely stereotyped, apart from the zombies, there was blood dripping from each one’s mouth, they ate humans, they did die if they were hit hard enough and they were attracted to light. Nothing in the movie was as stereotyped as much as the zombies.

Tallahassee
Male
Skilled/unemployed
Main
HS
White
Widowed
36-50
1 Child
Attractive
Buffed Up
Tough, Humorous, Emotional-cries, self dependent, sarcastic, straightforward, Nurturing, Intelligent, Comedic Character
Positive Impact

Columbus
Male
Unemployed
Main
College
White
Single
19-25
0
Average
Thin
Emotional-whines, cries, self-dependent, Intelligent, Object of Humor, Intelligent
Hero
Positive Impact

Wichita
Female
Unemployed
supporting
HS
White
Single
19-25
0 Child
Attractive
Slender
Self Dependent, Flirtatious, In control of situation, Abrupt, Passive, Intelligent, Sexual
Romantic figure/villain
Positive Impact

Little Rock
Female
Unemployed
supporting
HS
White
Single
13-18
0
Average
Average
Dependent, straight forward. Sarcastic, Humorous
Supporting character
Positive Impact

406, Columbus's neighbor
Female
Unemployed
minor
?
White
Widowed
51-65
?
Average
Thin
Humorous
Comedic Character
None

Gas Station Owner
Male
Employed
minor
HS
White
Affair
36-50
?
Average
Thin
Sexual, Slow- witted, Flirtacious
?
None

Zombies
Both
NA
supporting
NA
White
NA
All
NA
Disfigured
All
Aggressive, hungry all the time
Comedic
Negative