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{{trope}}
{{quote box|[[File:shaun.gif|link=Shaun of the Dead|rightframe]]}}
 
When characters are facing the [[Zombie Apocalypse]] and need to get from point A to point B and the only way is through a mob of hungry undead, what is the proper thing to do? Act like a zombie! [[Zombie Gait|Shuffle and moan with your arms outstretched,]] and if you've got access to some cosmetics, give yourself a pasty makeover. After all, there are [[No Zombie Cannibals]] so you'll be safe, right? Just hope that the zombies don't see through your disguise by being able to detect your delicious living flesh in other ways!
 
Typically, this is a sign that a work is closer to the "comedy" end of the [[Sliding Scale of Comedy and Horror]], since most "serious" horror realizes this ploy is [[Paper -Thin Disguise|about as effective as putting a mustache on a hamburger]]. It may also be used in non-zombie-related contexts, such as situations where they are surrounded by people who have been [[Brainwashed]], [[Body Snatcher|body snatched]] or [[Assimilation Plot|assimilated]] into a [[Hive Mind]].
 
The [[Trope Namer]] is the song by [[L 7L7]], which was used in the trailer for ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'', despite the song having nothing to do with zombies. <ref>It's about [[Apathetic Citizens]].</ref>
Not to be confused with [[Faking the Dead]]. A [[Sub -Trope]] of [[Dressing Asas the Enemy]].
{{examples|Examples:}}▼
 
▲{{examples|Examples:}}
== Anime &and Manga ==
* In ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', Dia notes the Galactic mooks with their [[Hive Mind]] don't even notice him marching with them after he [[Mugged for Disguise|knocks out a stray one]] and [[Dressing Asas the Enemy|steals his uniform.]] His cover only gets blown after he stops a moment to plan his next move...thus showing that he isn't a brainless mook like the rest of them.
 
 
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* ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'' has the heroes pretending to be zombies in order to get to the pub. {{spoiler|Their cover is blown when Ed gets a phone call. [[Too Dumb to Live|And answers it.]]}}
* In the low-budget movie ''The Dead Hate the Living'', two characters even make themselves up with stage makeup to try and pass off as the undead.
* In ''[[Zombieland (Film)|Zombieland]]'', {{spoiler|Bill Murray}} pretends to be a zombie (complete with professional makeup) so that he can play golf, and he uses his disguise to scare and play around with the main characters. {{spoiler|His disguise ultimately works a little ''too'' well, as Columbus mistakes him for a zombie and shoots him.}} It's a little strange that the ploy works given the nature of the zombies involved...
** [[Rule of Funny]].
* Happens twice in ''Dance Of The Dead''... with poor results.
* In ''[[Serenity (Film)|Serenity]]'', the ship gets a Reaver makeover so it can pass through Reaver-infested space. In this case it works, until they deliberately blow their cover to draw the Reavers after them.
* In 1999's ''[[The Mummy 1999 (Film)Trilogy|The Mummy 1999]]'', Jonathan tries to blend in with the crowd of mind-controlled minions by walking in lockstep with them and chanting "Imhotep! Imhotep!" unconvincingly. It not only works, but even calms down their possessed rage somewhat.
* The '78, '93 and '07 versions of ''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]''. The alien pod people (who have killed and replaced many humans) never show any emotions. When the protagonists need to mingle with them, they act emotionless as well in order to blend in.
* In the second ''[[House of the Dead (Filmfilm)|House of the Dead]]'' film (which was [[Made for TV Movie|made for TV]], and [[Uwe Boll]] wasn't involved), zombies are revealed to hunt by scent. One of the main characters soaks his clothes in zombie blood to get rid of his scent, and then proceeds to walk slowly through a zombie filled room, trying not to do anything distinctly un-zombie.
* In the first ''[[Scooby-Doo (film)|''Scooby-Doo]]'' movie]], Shaggy and Scooby do this to blend in with the possessed tourists during a ritual.
* In ''[[Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 ADA.D.]]'', Tom the constable does a laughably-bad demonstration of this trope, trying to blend in with a group of Robomen who act in unison and constantly falling out of step. Luckily, the Robomen are so severely brainwashed by the Daleks that they don't notice.
* In the zombie romantic comedy (no, really) ''[[Warm Bodies (Film)|Warm Bodies]]'' (2013), R urges Julie to "act dead" when they are surrounded by other zombies who detect her presence. When she overdoes it, he then rasps, "Tooooo... muuuuuuch." He then quickly coaches her on how to do it right.
 
== Literature ==
* [[Can YouYOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?]] has a group of Zombie Walk participants disguise their smells and attempt to escape the city this way. {{spoiler|It seems to be working...at least until one person panics, runs, and gives them all away.}}
* In ''[[Cell]]'', a one-scene character tells the protagonists about witnessing an attempt by a "normal" to evade a group of "phoners" by trying to imitate their body language. Sadly for her, it doesn't work {{spoiler|because the phoners are a telepathic [[Hive Mind]] and apparently realized this individual wasn't part of the flock}}.
* In ''[[The Little Vampire]]'', Anton frequently disguises himself as a vampire to be able to attend the festivities of his vampire friends.
* Played straight and inverted in ''[[Warm Bodies]]'' where Julie pretends being a zombie while covered by zombie blood that covers her smell and when R the zombie has to pretend being alive inside a human settlement.
* Subverted in ''[[World War Z]]'', where [[Thethe Quisling|the Quislings]]s (people driven insane by the [[Zombie Apocalypse]] who have come to believe that they are zombies, and moan and shamble accordingly) are attacked by the zombies along with everyone else.
 
== Live Action TV ==
* The ''[[Degrassi the Next Generation|Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'' [[Halloween Episode|Halloween special]] ''Degrassi of the Dead'' has Peter and Manny doing this to get to a school bus.
* In one episode of ''[[So Weird]]'', the characters need to do this to keep their bodies from being claimed by the inhabitants of the town.
* Not actually zombies, but an episode of [[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]] had the Doctor and his companions pretending to be mind-controlled civilians to fool the Cybermen.
* ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]'' TV show plays out the scene from the comic, including [[Oh Crap|the inevitable rainstorm]].
* In ''[[Wednesday]]'', this is played for laughs. The heroine is snooping around in the Jericho town morgue, looking for clues as to the identity of the serial killer, when she hears the coroner and the sheriff coming. She hides in one of the lockers, pretending to be a corpse. The elderly coroner finds her, but is for some reason, fooled by this, and fortunately, seeing as he does realize she is not cold yet, decides to wait until the next day to conduct an autopsy. Hilariously, when Thing nudges her to remind her they still have a job to do, she says, [[Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant|“Give me 5 minutes I just got comfortable."]]
 
* In the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' episode "Help", Buffy, Xander, and Dawn sneak into a funeral home (to stake a vampire before she rises) by hiding in the coffins. Dawn is really upset because she had to use a child's coffin (it was cramped) and has a hard time getting out, wondering if they had child-proof lids. (Which ironically, in Sunnydale, might not be a bad idea...)
 
== Newspaper Comics ==
* Played with in ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]''. Calvin the Zombie is one of his many alter egos, this one created for the purpose that the undead don't need to do homework. Eventually, Hobbes decides to join in, saying "When in Rome..." Unfortunately, their game is ruined when [[Corpsing|they get the giggles by looking at each other.]]
 
 
== Video Games ==
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== WebcomicsWeb Comics ==
* In the webcomic ''[[Unlife Is Unfair]]'', a character caught by a zombie pretends to be a zombie herself and overdoes the charm a bit, ending up being stalked by the zombie for different reasons now.
* In ''[[OrderThe of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]'', Celia has to pose as a Necromancer, which involves Belkar switching from [[Faking the Dead|posing as a corpse]] to posing as a zombie.
 
 
== Western Animation ==
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' Treehouse of Horror III sketch "Dial Z for Zombie", Homer spots Barney eating an arm and exclaims "Barney, you're a zombie too!" to which Barney replies "Naah, but when in Rome..."
* A variant in ''[[Static Shock]]'': A Control Freak with [[Mind Control]] powers calls everyone out of their bed at midnight. Virgil, who wasn't affected due to his powers, follows them by acting like them.
* ''[[The Amazing World of Gumball]]'' episode "The Joy" is a parody of a [[Zombie Apocalypse]]. Miss Simian plays the role of the protagonist and invokes this trope at one time.
 
 
== Real Life ==
* Many cities stage annual "Zombie Walks" where people [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|walk like zombies]] across town.
* There are insects adapted to prey on ant larvae, which smell just like fellow colony-members to adult ants. This only works because an individual ant isn't much brighter than a zombie.
 
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[[Category:Tropes of the Living Dead]]
[[Category:Horror Tropes]]
[[Category:Pretend WereWe're Dead]]
[[Category:Trope]]
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