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It is difficult to comprehend the radical import of Dawn of the Dead without briefly considering the significance and history of its setting — the shopping mall. The dawn of the shopping mall age in the 1960s was met with widespread enthusiasm, and mass hysteria was even reported at several newly-opened malls (Morris 405). In recent decades, mall hysteria may be less common, but the shopping mall remains a cultural fascination in capitalist countries, while in cinema, malls have become a staple location for smart-ass American teen movies, like Amy Heckerling's Clueless (1995). It is easy to underestimate, therefore, the relative novelty, in 1978, of Romero's simple but inspired idea of setting Dawn of the Dead in a mall. According to Meaghan Morris, one of the most exciting and attractive aspects of the shopping mall is the contrast between its massive structural stability and the constantly shifting composition of its population (394). In this sense, a mall is like a theatre or a stage: a space demanding action and transformation. Romero certainly recognized the dramatic potential of the mall, which may be regarded as both the epitome of corporate capitalism and — for the same reason — a potential site of resistance to the forces that regulate consumerism. [Source]" Malls, even without approaching zombies, can be scary place. These shopping centers strewn across America provide a perfect showcase to the American way and its people; consumerism, ethnic mixing and segregation, and individual isolation. Larger malls are increasingly become a maze of socioeconomic influence likely to trap people as though created by Daedalus himself. To cut to the chase, I really hate malls. Nearly every time I go it's because someone in my party needs something. When I do go, it's the same experience over and over. Cookie cutter stores selling cookie cutter merchandise while cookie cutter people make them selves seen. Despite being a fan of architecture the design of many malls is more so a horror show than anything else. Bland as bland can get. Each mall is as bland as the next. Recently many stores have begun implementing creative storefronts which at least helps liven up the experience. Unfortunately at times you would be hard pressed to even reach them among the throng of people meandering from point to point with no objective. And god save your soul if you get lost in a Macy’s. Maybe they should build bigger stores than flooding ever inch of floor space with merchandise. I don’t care if the original is a cluster fuck of people year around, there’s no reason to carry that although it was a proud tradition. I strongly believe mall visits should not be made unless you’re completely unsure of what kind of clothing you want. Otherwise specialty shops (or even lower end places like Khol’s) often have more unique items for less. Small children are also an acceptable reason, if you prevent them from becoming a nuisance. If you’re there to try and show off, or are a teenager with nothing else to do, it’s time to reevaluate your life. Maybe I’m being a bit too harsh. I suppose that if you really feel the need for an over sized hat nothing can quite quench your thirst like a store dedicated to a style monstrosity. Perhaps you should do yourself a favor an swallow a shotgun. An experience like that is the only respectable reason to peruse their selection of sport theme brain bags. And let us not forget the recent introduction of Segways to the mall cop elite. I once saw a security guard powering his way around a mall filled with the stereotypical urban black population. Should something go down he would probably be the most useless person within the building. Less, of course, they start making armored Segways…
