#internet myths

[ladyeckland28]

### The Dear David Twitter Thread: A Modern Tale of Haunting

In the digital age, where much of our entertainment comes from screens and social media, Adam Ellis’s "Dear David" Twitter thread in 2017 brought an old genre into a new medium. Ellis, a cartoonist by profession, recounted his haunting experiences with a ghostly child named "Dear David." His narrative, rich with disturbing dreams, eerie photos, and unexplained events, captivated millions and redefined how we consume horror stories.

**A Modern Storyteller’s Medium**

Adam Ellis’s choice of Twitter, a platform known for its brevity and immediacy, was unconventional yet oddly fitting for a ghost story. Each tweet, limited by character count, heightened the suspense and left readers in a state of perpetual anticipation. This fragmented style of storytelling allowed for real-time engagement, making the audience feel as though they were part of the unfolding mystery. As Ellis shared photo evidence of strange occurrences in his apartment and recounted his vivid, unsettling dreams, the threads between reality and fiction blurred.

**The Eerie Allure of Dear David**

The story begins with Ellis dreaming of a young, deformed boy named David who appears at the foot of his bed. In his dreams, David can answer only two questions correctly; any deviation leads to a fatal encounter. These initial details cast a spell on readers, combining the innocence of a child with the terror of the supernatural. As Ellis's dreams become more vivid and his waking life begins to mirror the hauntings, the gripping narrative takes a dark turn. Eerie photographs and videos posted by Ellis show household objects moving on their own, odd shadows, and inexplicable phenomena, compelling readers to question their understanding of the paranormal.

**Crafting Viral Horror**

What sets the "Dear David" thread apart is not just the spine-chilling content, but Ellis’s adept use of social media to craft a viral horror sensation. His updates were strategically timed, creating periods of agonizing suspense between revelations. This method of storytelling transformed the thread into an interactive experience, with followers dissecting every post, analyzing photos, and speculating on upcoming events. The widespread sharing and engagement turned "Dear David" into a communal experience, fostering a shared sense of fear and curiosity.

**The Impact and Legacy**

The "Dear David" thread is more than just a sequence of ghostly events; it is a pioneering effort in the realm of digital storytelling. It underscores the potential of social media platforms to bring traditional genres into new light, offering immersive and interactive experiences. Additionally, the phenomenon reflects modern society’s insatiable appetite for horror, amplified by the internet’s ability to connect and engage audiences worldwide.

In essence, the "Dear David" Twitter thread is a testament to how storytelling has evolved in the digital age. By blending age-old ghost story elements with the immediacy and reach of social media, Adam Ellis created an unforgettable narrative that continues to haunt the imaginations of many. As we move further into the digital future, the legacy of "Dear David" will likely inspire new modes of storytelling that capitalize on the unique features of contemporary platforms.

[cursedgamerchild]

"internet historian's alt-right anyways" "great day to have never liked james somerton" "never even heard of illuminaughtii before this lol"

that's great buddy but don't go around thinking you're immune to this. if you're not looking for plagiarism, you likely won't notice it unless its egregiously obvious. hell, you've probably consumed plagiarized content without even realizing it. even hbomb pointed out that these people disguised what they presented pretty well as long as you didn't try and dig deeper. don't come away just thinking of this as a callout piece, take this as an important lesson about vetting your sources. if googling scripts in quotes was enough to expose the original, we should all start doing that shit!!

edit: it got a little too doomer-y a little too fast so one quick addition

this is hbomb's curated playlist of queer creators, many of whom were victims of plagiarism

this is producer kat on reddit calling for any more plagiarism discoveries and for queer content creators to be uplifted

please take some time to uplift these creators and recommend any you know! if you can help uncover more of the original creators whose work was lifted that would be great too :)

UPDATE- From Hbomb's twitter: "We're in the process of cataloguing everyone James Somerton plagiarised and finding their contact information. Which is quite a task, so to help us out: If you see this and happen to be one of the people Somerton stole from, please email us at contact@hbomb.zone"

edit 2:

[manichewitz]

i dont think yall understand how floored i was when i found out that the interview with the vampire books are actually incredibly erotically gay for real and not just light queercoding or fan's gay ships?? bc this changes everything. i had always assumed anne rice hated fanfic authors for making her male characters fuck, but no, she just wanted to be the only author making her male characters fuck

[amadryas]

"Persephone is scary" Dionysus made mothers kill their own sons. Aphrodite cursed children to lust after their parents.

[diana-andraste]

The Binding of Fenris, Dorothy Hardy, 1909

Fenrir, bound by the gods in H.A. (Hélène Adeline) Guerber's Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas

[luckthebard]

Genuinely confused as to how so much of the fandom watched the first 2 CR campaigns and Calamity and yet still ended up in a “Ludinus is right let’s kill all the gods” position. Like it’s baffling to me how much content/context people have just decided to completely forget? We had 2 full campaigns of very positive interactions with the gods and the moment there’s some hypothetical and interesting musing and speculation about their roles in the world from a more disconnected place we’re just throwing that out the window?*

Tbh the number of people who watched episode 4 of Calamity and still saw Asmodeus as sympathetic or having a legitimate point is unsettling to me, but while that’s a related issue it’s not quite the same conversation.

But like legitimately how did we so quickly make a hard turn from “The Stormlord teaches his barbarians to use the power of friendship, he’s a funny kindergarten teacher” memes to…this.

*(This is not, btw a comment on the characters having philosophical debates in-world because I think those are interesting and on-theme for the campaign and are also nearly always concluding with “our personal relationship to individual gods and feelings about them are irrelevant actually, the people trying to destroy them are doing wider harm and are in the wrong and must be stopped.” I’m actually loving the engagement with this by the characters in-universe but the fandom is exhausting me.)

[paintedkinzy-88]

Donnie's habit of placing tracking devices on his family certinally helps him figure out something is off.

Hmmm wonder if Donnie would consider asking Loe to go for a late night swim at some point around the time Leo usually does his falling/fake flying stunts... it could be interesting.

Gotta love his questionably immoral overprotectiveness. It DOES have its benefits with their lifestyle!

And he absolutely will at some point. If not for Leo, then for himself. As nice as it is to see the city from above, the cold, windy air up there tends to dry up his scales. He needs a good swim one of these days that isn’t just in their pool.

And now Leo can take him to nicer waters too. Which he absolutely will. Look out for serpent sightings in the Bahamas—

[strugglingnihilist]

[redbootsindoriath]

Fëanorian Week 2023, Day 7: Fëanor and Nerdanel

You can see I gave up on the barely-there draping and went for full clothes in this one, mostly because Nerdanel would require more of it to get past Tumblr guidelines and I didn’t want to deal with all that.

And yes, I know the pose is almost identical to that Gwindor-and-Finduilas drawing I did that one time.  I’m not very creative when it comes to romantic stuff in drawings so we just have to take what we can get.

So...yeah, that’s the end of Fëanorian Week.  No more updates and excuses and explanations!  Huzzah!  I shall now disappear again for an undetermined length of time.

[ladyeckland28]

Jeff the Killer is a prominent figure in the realm of creepypasta, a genre of user-generated horror stories and urban legends that have proliferated across the internet. Originating in the late 2000s, Jeff the Killer's story has captivated and terrified readers with its blend of psychological horror and grotesque imagery. The character is a testament to the power of internet folklore and the ways in which digital platforms can create modern myths.

Jeff the Killer's tale revolves around Jeff, a young boy who becomes disfigured after a brutal encounter with bullies. Following this incident, he undergoes a psychological transformation, driven by intense rage and a desire for vengeance. The most iconic element of Jeff's appearance is his disfigured face: pale skin, a permanent smile carved into his cheeks, and lidless eyes that stare unblinkingly. This haunting visage is often accompanied by the chilling phrase, "Go to sleep," which he utters to his victims before attacking them.

The story of Jeff the Killer delves into themes of bullying, trauma, and the loss of innocence. Jeff's descent into madness is precipitated by his inability to cope with the cruelty he experiences, leading him to embrace violence as a means of empowerment. This narrative arc reflects a broader societal concern with the impact of bullying on mental health and the potential for victims to become perpetrators of violence.

One of the most striking aspects of Jeff the Killer is the visual component of his legend. The infamous image associated with Jeff—a ghostly face with wide, hollow eyes and a sinister grin—has become a meme in its own right, circulating widely across forums, social media, and image boards. This image, along with the story, has inspired fan art, adaptations, and even video games, cementing Jeff the Killer's status as a cultural icon within the horror community.

The spread of Jeff the Killer's story exemplifies the participatory nature of creepypasta culture. As a form of digital folklore, creepypasta relies on the contributions of countless individuals who share, modify, and expand upon the narratives. This collaborative storytelling process allows characters like Jeff the Killer to evolve over time, incorporating new elements and interpretations that keep the legend alive and relevant.

Critically, Jeff the Killer's story also highlights the darker side of internet culture. The creation and propagation of such disturbing content can desensitize individuals to violence and horror, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Moreover, the anonymity of the internet allows for the dissemination of graphic and potentially harmful material without accountability.

In conclusion, Jeff the Killer is a prime example of how modern folklore is created and sustained in the digital age. His story, a blend of psychological horror and grotesque imagery, has resonated with audiences worldwide, becoming a staple of internet horror. Through the participatory culture of creepypasta, Jeff the Killer continues to evolve, reflecting both the creativity and the darker undercurrents of online communities. As a cultural phenomenon, Jeff the Killer serves as a reminder of the power of storytelling and the enduring appeal of horror in exploring the human psyche.

[melonthesprigatito]

Look, I'm not interested in playing Palworld and I've been actively avoiding the drama/controversy so I'd be perfectly happy with forgetting it's existence and moving on with my life if it weren't for just how obsessively UNHINGED the Palworld fandom is, barging in on EVERY. SINGLE. recent Pokémon post on multiple platforms just to pick fights and shill the hell out of their game to (most of the time) confused Pokémon fans who are wondering what Palworld is and where these people came from.

I saw this wonderful art of the Kamado battle in Legends Arceus and the Champion battle in Sun and Moon on Instagram and I shit you not, a good 70% of the comments are entirely Palworld people just ranting and yelling about how Pokémon sucks, Palworld is going to kill Pokémon, anybody who likes Pokémon is a bootlicker and are riding Pokémon's 🍆, how anyone who complains about Palworld is a (and I quote) """"saviourf*g""" for Nintendo etc

Like, I just wanted to share my nostalgia about Sun and Moon and so did a lot of other people considering that there were still people talking about it, but it was hard to find those comments because they were drowned out by the Pals Vs Pokémon warzone.

And the second someone says something a Pal fan doesn't like, it eventually devolves into the Pal fans throwing homophobic slurs around and calling the Pokémon fans neckbeards, and shills and basement dwellers and such.

I'm sure there's probably sane fans who are just happy going about and making their Pals break rocks or whatever, but a majority of the Palworld fans I've encountered so far are like edgy screaming 4Chan people. Like, holy shit I wish they would just go to their own Palworld fan pages instead of invading Pokémon and turning every comment section into the embodiment of this meme.

(And I just want to address the whole "Pokémon Company is posting a lot more often recently because they're obviously scared of Palworld, lmaoooo why else would they suddenly start actively posting after months of radio silence 😎" argument that I've seen dozens of times.

First of all, the Pokémon channel/profile is always posting random game/anime/art screenshots. There hasn't been a sudden drastic increase of posts.

Second of all, it's A MONTH UNTIL POKÉMON DAY. THEY DO THIS EVERY YEAR. The influx of Snorlax posts is a promotional thing for Pokémon Sleep. Pokémon's just carrying on with their regularly scheduled hype building/ promotional stuff and the Palworld fans think it has something to do with them.(

[lalagoona]

No 30 year old twitter conservatives, headcanoning characters as queer does not mean that I'm "chronically online" and "pushing the woke agenda onto you"

[slugass]

for the love of god why is the “war flashbacks” meme still a fucking thing to this day

(because people thrive on stereotypes about serious mental illnesses)

[citizenoftmrrwlnd]

fashion for : an internet angel with old web aesthetics and angel-related items

necklace | shoes | harness | earrings (+ converters) hat (patch1, pin, patch2) | bracelet | pants | shirt

[alchemisoul]

"People in the 90s, and people still today to some degree, although, in the 90s, it was more obvious were like, oh, we're building the World Soul as we all get network together. We'll see that we're all one and we'll have no choice, but to overcome our enmity and sort of become a global, a planetary civilization, which was a big Motif in New Age thinking - this sort of planetary Consciousness.

Um, and cool, groovy, you know. Like, "Uh, you know, we're all one", right? But, actually, The Global Village is a paranoid place. That was the thing that Marshall McCluhan talked about in the 60s. He said, yeah, we're moving towards a global village and people tended to think he meant sort of, you know, like in a kind of a Walt Disney way like, oh, it's a little village, and we're all happy and together.

No, no, that's not what he meant at all. He meant it was going to be a place where everyone was aware of everybody else's business. There's a lot of backbiting, envy, social tension. You know, so it's a mix - it's a deeply mixed bag.

And I was able to articulate in a way both the Utopian and, if you will, the Demonic side of this kind of global technology. But a more, I think a better figure rather than thinking of the sort of angel-demon tension is, the thing about technology, in particular, if it has a mythological identity - it's the trickster and the tricksters bring gifts. And they bring pranks.

They can be devilish, they can be celebratory and erotic. They can open the gates to the other dimensions, and they can fool you. So all of those kind of qualities from a mythological level, I think that's at play inside our technology and that this just hasn't changed since, you know, 25 years ago when I was writing Techgnosis - it manifests in different ways. There are different. balances."

- Erik Davis in an Interview on New Thinking Allowed with Jeffery Mishlove