In my second conversation with Dr. C on his ‘Office Hours with Dr. C’ podcast, I address an aspect of the mortuary archaeology of the future, reflecting on my blog-posts and ideas surrounding the TV show The Walking Dead.

In our conversation, we explore how fictional representations of the post-apocalyptic future are embedded in visions of the American frontier in the 19th century. We consider ‘mortuary and commemorative traditions’, the significance of ‘us/them’ definitions in treating the dead, and the significance of ‘graves’. I also addressed the distinction between inhumation and cremation, and the significance of ‘personal effects’ – from Rick’s hat to Lucille – on articulating the relationships between the living and the dead. We also considered the spiritual dialogues with those who have passed on.

Our chat focuses on The Walking Dead but also the spin-off Fear The Walking Dead.

The TV shows together help us to think in a sustained way about our mortality and we talk about the relationship between The Walking Dead and the COVID pandemic experience.

Check out the episode here:

The Rhetoric of Whiteness in Media – Office Hours with Dr. C

  1. The Rhetoric of Whiteness in Media
  2. The Articulated Other
  3. Himpathy and Fridging [recast]
  4. Southern Accents [recast]
  5. The Women of Game of Thrones w/ Shaylynn Lesinski [recast]