History Main / PretendWereDead

* The ''DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' [[HalloweenEpisode Halloween special]] ''Degrassi of the Dead'' has Peter and Manny doing this to get to a school bus.

* In the film [[TheFilmOfTheBook adaptation]] of ''WarmBodies'', lead character R, a zombie, tells his love interest Julie to do this while escaping their hideout. You can see it in the trailer [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM here]].

[[quoteright:305:[[ShaunOfTheDead http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shaun.gif]]]]

The TropeNamer is the song by {{L7}}, which was used in the trailer for ''ShaunOfTheDead'', despite the song having nothing to do with zombies. [[hottip:*:It's about ApatheticCitizens.]]

* ''ShaunOfTheDead'' 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. [[TooDumbToLive And answers it.]]]]

* In ''DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD'', 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.

* ''TheWalkingDead'' is a rare example of this trope being used seriously. Rick and Glenn cover themselves in zombie muck to smell like zombies, effectively becoming invisible to them. They manage to clear out a gun store in the middle of a horde using the tactic. But then [[OhCrap it starts raining and washing the scent off]].

* In the ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "A Canterlot Wedding Part 2", Fluttershy is approached by a gang of evil duplicates of herself (actually a group of [[VoluntaryShapeshifting changelings]]) and blends in by mimicking their aggressive behavior.

* In the webcomic ''UnlifeIsUnfair'', 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 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 the second ''Film/HouseOfTheDead'' film (which was [[MadeForTVMovie made for TV]], and UweBoll 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.

* CanYouSurviveTheZombieApocalypse 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.]]

* Not actually zombies, but an episode of Series/DoctorWho had the Doctor and his companions pretending to be mind-controlled civilians to fool the Cybermen.
* ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' TV show plays out the scene from the comic, including [[OhCrap the inevitable rainstorm]].

* In the first ''ScoobyDoo'' movie, Shaggy and Scooby do this to blend in with the possessed tourists during a ritual.

* Ghouls in ''{{Fallout 3}}'' are actually pretty spry, and some are just as lucid as normal humans, so the Lone Wander doesn't even have to act any differently than usual when wearing the Ghoul Mask to fool feral ghouls.

Typically, this is a sign that a work is closer to the "comedy" end of the SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror, since most "serious" horror realizes this ploy is [[PaperThinDisguise 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 snatche|r}}d or [[AssimilationPlot assimilated]] into a {{hive mind}}.

* In ''TheLittleVampire'', Anton frequently disguises himself as a vampire to be able to attend the festivities of his vampire friends.

* The ''[[DegrassiTheNextGeneration Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'' [[HalloweenEpisode Halloween special]] ''Degrassi of the Dead'' has Peter and Manny doing this to get to a school bus.

* Ghouls in ''{{Fallout 3}}'' are actually pretty spry, and some are just as lucid as normal humans, so the Lone Wander doesn't even have to act any differently than usual when wearing the Ghoul Mask to fool feral ghouls.

* In ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick'', Celia has to pose as a Necromancer, which involves Belkar switching from [[FakingTheDead posing as a corpse]] to posing as a zombie.

* 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.

* In ''TheMummy'', 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.

* Played straight and inverted in ''WarmBodies'' 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.[[folder:Literature]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Subverted in ''WorldWarZ'', where {{the Quisling}}s (people driven insane by the ZombieApocalypse who have come to believe that they are zombies, and moan and shamble accordingly) are attacked by the zombies along with everyone else.

* Played straight and inverted in WarmBodies 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.
* CanYouSurviveTheZombieApocalypse 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.]]

* ''ShaunOfTheDead'' 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. [[TooDumbToLive ''And answers it.'']]]]

* ''ShaunOfTheDead'' 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. ''And answers it.'']]

* ''ShaunOfTheDead'' has the heroes pretending to be zombies in order to get to the pub. [[spoiler:Their cover is blown when Ed picks up a call on his cell.]]

* In ''Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150'', a 1966 ''DoctorWho'' spinoff feature, 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.

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