As we’ve watched the zombie apocalypse unfold in “The Walking Dead,” one thing that has become obvious is that the apocalypse is no respecter of persons. Men and women are given equal standing during the end of the world. Have you noticed?
How often have we seen movies and television shows that present women as the weaker sex and men as the protectors who are always strong? In “The Walking Dead,” all of those norms have been thrown out the window.
Our expectation is that when a group is assembled to go out scouting or even to prepare for a fight, the women and children are ushered into a safe room while the men prepare to do the dirty work. Not on “The Walking Dead.”
We continue to see that women stand up for the task of fighting and doing the dirty work. Remember how Carol dispatched the sick people in an effort to stop the spread of the illness? How about when she took out Lizzie? Those are things you would expect a man to “take care of.”
Michonne wields a kitana with ease and takes out enemies — alive or dead — without a second thought and the other characters expect her to be a protector.
On the flip side, we have seen men cower and take on roles that are afraid to fight. Think about Father Gabriel and Eugene.
What is refreshing about “The Walking Dead” is that you don’t hear characters saying “We need the men to do this and the women to do that.” Nope. Men and women are treated equally and all have an opportunity to step up and take on leadership roles as well as step into the roles that best fit their personalities.
No one really dissed Tyreese because he no longer wanted to fight or hurt people. The others accepted his choice and the role he had stepped into. No one batted an eye about Michonne being the formidable warrior she has turned out to be. There was no “You’re a guy — man up,” or “You’re a woman, let the men handle it.”
Why are we seeing this gender equality? In the reality of an apocalyptic situation, it would be all hands on deck, no doubt. There would be no room for any thought of pigeonholing men or women. In truth, each man, woman, and even children who are old enough to help, would be needed to help everyone survive.
In such a situation, survival is the most important thing and it would require every person to pitch in and settle into a role that helps support this survival mode. If the role of nurturer is the best for one man while warrior is best for one woman, then that is what will happen. “The Walking Dead” portrays this scenario quite well. We see men, women, and yes, children, taking on roles that have traditionally been held by others.
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