What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Difference between revisions

* [[The Undead|Undead]] beings like [[Dem Bones|skeletons]], [[Zombie Apocalypse|zombies, ghouls]], and victims of certain strains of [[The Virus]] do not blip ''at all'' in this value (despite still being Homo Sapiens). There's hardly any controversy about it either,probably because they're trying to kill you. In fact, killing one is seen as only helping along a [[Undeath Always Ends|natural process]].

** There are some exceptions in the very, very rare works where the zombies are not entirely mindless and retain a bit more personality and/or self-control. One example of this (albeit one that some viewers found ridiculous) is the 2008 remake of ''Day of the Dead''. It is eventually revealed that certain zombies not only don't eat people, but are completely non-violent. Because of this, multiple characters argue over whether or not it's okay to kill them. They ''are'' [[Carnivore Confusion|zombies]], but they aren't hurting anyone. More on this in the Film section.

* Vampires, while they are technically among the undead, have variable ranges simply because they usually have more personality. Most characters can kill them anyway even if they're [[Technical Pacifist]]s. Certain depictions of [[Batman]] and King Graham from ''[[King's Quest]]'' have killed off [[Dracula]] with favorable karmic results, even when killing ''anything'' is anathema to them. The idea here, as well as with the other undead mentioned above, may be "Well, technically, they're ''already'' dead, so it's okay! And anyway, Vampires are [[Exclusively Evil]]!"

** Expect that last detail to [[Van Helsing Hate Crimes|make things awkward]] in fiction where there are [[Friendly Neighborhood Vampires|good vampires]], or vampires who aren't evil, [[Carnivore Confusion|just hungry]], operating in the same world.

** Special mention must be made of [[Beta Baddie]]s as they are often on the same level as vampires on this scale (and more than a few vampires have been Beta Baddies). These are characters who ''would'' be considered normal people were it not for a [[Uncanny Valley|few very strange differences]]. The troubling part is this: even though they often look like normal people, even if they go on and on about how [[I Just Want to Be Normal|they wish they were normal people]] (and they often gain the audience's sympathy in the process), '''none''' of the heroes seem to take any of this into consideration and dispatch them with clean consciences. Eerily, some fiction in which Beta Baddies appear even [[Lampshade Hanging|acknowledges]] how twisted this is—and let the good guys blithely kill then off anyway. (Hi, [[Kingdom Hearts|Sora]].)

* On to living things. The value of the life of a non-human [[Animal Motifs|animal]] in fiction, distressingly, tends to relate directly to how much humans like said animal. Thus dogs are protected by [[Infant Immortality]] but [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent|snakes]], spiders and [[Bug War|insects]] are trampled without a second thought. Sadly, this is [[Truth in Television]]. To paraphrase an old Dennis Leary routine about the Endangered Species Act, "You ''know'' how this is going to end! Eventually, [[Humans Are Bastards|only the cute and cool animals will get to live!"]]

* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?/Comic Books|Comic Books]]

* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?/Fairytales|Fairytales]]

* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?/Film|Film]]

* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?/Literature|Literature]]