The end of the world is trending. Why are we so obsessed with the apocalypse?
CBC
It's the end of the world as we know it, and Jay Baruchel feels fine. On the second season of his Crave series We're All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel), which launched last week, the host and namesake explores several possible apocalyptic scenarios, from insect extinction to a world ruled by artificial intelligence.
"I think we are all understandably anxious and constantly at odds with the world and civilization," Baruchel told CBC News recently. "And so when we get to, like, have a moment where we can go, 'Yeah, it's a garbage fire,' I think there is like a strange relief."
The Ottawa actor is not alone in his fascination with the end times, if streaming services and the box office are any indication.
Canadian director Caitlin Cronenberg released her debut feature film Humane on Friday, a dark comedy featuring Baruchel that imagines a not-so-distant future where overpopulation is addressed with human culls.
Alex Garland's dystopian Civil War has topped the box office two weekends in a row, while post-apocalyptic TV series Fallout, based on a popular video game, is No. 1 on Amazon Prime.
This comes on the heels of other massively successful apocalyptic shows like HBO's The Last of Us and Netflix movie Leave the World Behind, which featured stars Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali.
Chris Begley, an archaeologist and author of The Next Apocalypse: The Art and Science of Survival, says apocalyptic narratives in the media have always been a reflection of the times, going all the way back to ancient religious texts.
He suspects the current wave is driven by the anxiety people feel about issues such as climate change and political uncertainty.
"One thing is clear: apocalyptic narratives are more popular than ever," Begley said.
He says the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic were the closest thing many audiences have experienced to a potential apocalyptic scenario. Real-life events such as the pandemic, worsening wildfires and rising sea levels encourage us to imagine those futures.
And even if the overall messaging feels dark, the narratives contain aspects of life many people want.
"If you think about some of these apocalyptic narratives, it really is like resetting everything. You're getting rid of the baggage. You're able to start anew, or perhaps you're able to have this ideal future that mirrors in some ways the things you wish would happen," Begley said.
Coltan Scrivner, a behavioural scientist who studies horror, true crime and morbid curiosity, says while humans have always been drawn to apocalyptic tales, we now have more ways using modern special effects of telling those tales in compelling ways.
"That's part of it, just using new technology to tap into a very old desire," he said.
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