Zombie Research Society
History teaches us that the human threat encountered in the aftermath of a prolonged natural or man-made disaster is as real and immediate as any other external danger. But if this week’s episode of 
Discovery Channel’s post-apocalyptic reality show, The Colony, is any indication, most Americans remain completely in the dark about the realities of life in a chaotic environment.
One of the colonists living in a makeshift, food-deprived camp is kidnapped and held for ransom. After 24 hours she is returned peacefully in exchange for some canned food and gasoline. She isn’t harmed in any way, and in the end life in the compound goes back to normal. One word: Ridiculous!
In a real end-of-the-world scenario the kidnapped woman, a 22 year old model, would have likely been raped by her burly, violent male assailants, and then killed and eaten out of necessity. If she was lucky, she might have been sold to another group of survivors to be used as slave labor, but she would never have been returned to her group for a few scraps that could have as easily been taken by force.
When the dead rise and modern civilization collapses, desperate people without food or water will have no choice but to take what they can from the weak and vulnerable. There’s no shaking hands, or trusting another man’s word, or making new friends by campfire light in a zombie planet.
Survival in the animal kingdom is unflinchingly harsh. Once we are forced to stop clinging to the myths of civility, charity and rule of law, it will become painfully clear that we are animals just like any other.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Of course the people on this show are not acting as they truly would in this situation, be it for better or worse. My biggest problem with this article is the ending statement. When EVERYBODY gives up the “MYTHS” of civility, charity and rule of law/some type of moral code, then we have no society and have willingly given up everything that built society to beging with, effectivley making us worse than any of the lowest, most vicious, rabid animals because we chose to be that way. If that happens we should all stick the barrel in our mouth and pull the trigger because there is nothing left worth living for other than the fact we are just too cowardly to die.
That show was a complete joke. They can’t simulate that situation properly mostly because nobody is honestly willing to peer into how violent humans actually are. Civility is hanging by a tiny thread and if things hit the fan you would see some 1600s type shit.
Thank you ZRS for pointing out the biggest flaw in this show, the lack of violence and threat of violence. I like The Colony but a complete lack of consequences destroys any realism the show could have had.
…and the desperate acts of humankind in desperate times is news to some folks???????? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?…………..
Yeah, if you think that the wealthy and elite don’t have a backup plan for a worst case scenario such as this, your sadly mistaken. Some shit like this happens, I’m gunnin some trust fund baby motherfuckers down and hunkering in their cozy little bunkers and eating their food supply and watching movies and playing xbox and spending my last days comfortably.
Uh, not much to eat is there? And as for slave labor… who would buy her? Other than for the obvious reason. Were the colonists given a choice concerning whether to pay the ransom at all? I agree, lame sauce.
My friends and I watch the Colony every week, and When Becka was kidnapped, we said leave her! She was stupid enough to leave the house by herself, so what good can she really do for the other colonists? Last season’s colonist were much smarter then this season’s, and overall, this season is not giving too much useful information for an apocalyptic scenario.
Initially I didn’t know why they’d pay the ransom, but Becka does have value to the group via Reno’s attachment to her. He’s easily one of the hardest working people in the Colony, and had the group decided not to pay the ransom he could’ve easily had a fit and stopped working.
Honestly, for that episode I wouldn’t have traded anything for the model. As anybody who has watched this season knows, she is beyond useless. She just complains and doesn’t contribute at all. They really screwed the pooch on that one.
I will agree with all of that article, except the ridiculous part: they aren’t going to have a volunteer on a show get raped, the show will get sued. Big time. Other then that, you’re completely right.