Okay. So I want to apologize to our subscribers. Not only have I not written an article in a while. Sorry, life happened! But also I’m about to go into a death-related rant. I apologize. On with the rant!

The Death Expert Is Back

Now, as our usual readers know, I am Gothic Bite Magazine‘s Death Expert, which means I write articles about death and whatnot. However, it has come to my attention that the media: television, movies, books, among other platforms, love to make anything related to death, evil. 

And, as a Death Positivity Advocate, this irritates me. These platforms and services are why people in this part of the world, i.e., Western society, have death anxiety. 

For those that don’t know, death anxiety is when the idea of death makes people nervous and uncontrollably scared. This phobia can cause someone to either live too dangerously or be too afraid to live their life. 

The Damage of Death Anxiety

Sometimes, this can cause someone to be suicidal or go through severe burnout for trying to live a little too hard. There’s a balance that needs reaching, and death anxiety makes this balance hard to achieve. 

I wrote an article about the importance of the Death Positivity Movement a while back. I talked about how its primary purpose is to help people understand the fear of death and how to live with it. 

The article is also about how to accept our inevitable end. It is also about how to handle it and what to do, that kind of thing. It’s an important topic. It’s something that has been proven to help people. And that’s what the movement does. But, the media doesn’t seem to understand that.

The Acceptance of Death

You see, in the old days—and I’m talking early days—people accepted death, they may not have worshipped the death-related Gods and Goddesses the way they did with the others, but they respected them. 

They never saw them as evil, maybe grumpy, but not evil. The thanatology comes after the God of Death, Thanatos. Thanatos is a grumpy God but quite kind.

So, I ask you, why are things that are related to death considered evil in the media? I don’t understand. Why must people who “raise the dead” be evil? In Voodoo, they commune with their ancestors, and sometimes they summon their spirit. 

Bringing Death Alive

Yet, when I read a book that has people that do any form of necromancy, they’re evil. Why is it that Hades is considered evil? Hades is the ultimate introvert, and his depiction as an evil character is a misconception. We have the same issue with Hel, from Norse mythology. Places that involve death are depicted as evil, as well. And I don’t know why.

Many cultures accept death, as it is, the end. In some African tribes, they laugh and celebrate the deceased’s life. In New Orleans, they will do a parade down the street, playing jazz and dancing. The Day of the Dead celebration, in Mexico, is another excellent example of celebrating life after death. 

These people don’t have death anxiety because they are raised in a culture where talking about death is a good thing. “Age-defying” skin cream commercials don’t bombard them, and anything death-related being evil. 

No, instead you have people, in other countries, who “sit up” with the dead, and others who either participate in the burial or cremation of their loved ones. They are there every step of the way. 

Turning Death Into Evil

I don’t understand. I want the media. I want writers and entertainers to stop causing people to have death anxiety. I’m not saying don’t be creative. I’m saying, please don’t cultivate death anxiety in your fans. 

This phobia and misconception are severe issues. I want people to talk about their fear of death. I want them to live a good, balanced life, and death anxiety stops that from happening. 

So, please, stop. Death isn’t evil. It’s sad, it’s scary, but it’s not evil. And we need to face the reality that everything must come to an end. 

Thank you.
L.A. Maciel