#internet myths
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### 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.
#dear david#adam ellis#twitter thread#haunting#ghost story#digital storytelling#horror#paranormal#creepy#modern myth#viral horror#social media#spooky#unexplained events#real life horror#interactive story#internet myths
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"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 [email protected]"
edit 2:
#hbomberguy#james somerton#illuminaughtii#internet historian#vice#ign etc have had issues with plaigarism before#this isnt just some youtuber scandal remember#even books can fall victim to this#kaz rowe's history vids exemplify this pretty well#i'd recommend the triboulet ass slapping myth one if you want a good breakdown#and somerton absolutely had problems with the way he discussed foreign media and anyone that wasnt a cis gay man#but considering most of his ideas werent his own that doesnt dismiss the original authors' work keep in mind
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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
#i think this is why a lot of people (including me) were initially shocked by the show being so explicitly queer too#bc i can't be the only one who didnt know much abt iwtv and assumed rice's issue with fanfic was the gay sex#and then during the promotions u had interviewers being like 'wow this a very queer interpretation! why is that!'#and poor iwtv fan club president sam reid has to be like well the books are already queer you buffoon#i feel like this is a weird internet myth that needs to be busted#i even remember seeing a hit post on here when s1 came out that was like 'did they have to wait for anne rice to die to make this'#when she's actually credited as an executive producer#LMAO#anyways#alex talks#interview with the vampire#iwtv#lestat de lioncourt#louis de pointe du lac#the vampire armand#the vampire claudia#daniel molloy#anne rice#.txt
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"Persephone is scary" Dionysus made mothers kill their own sons. Aphrodite cursed children to lust after their parents.
#This is no dig at my main girl it's about the People on the Internet#Persephone doesn't really do anything horrifying in mythology. Mortal characters fear her and show her reverence bc#she's the queen of the dead#'Ooough what if Persephone sends up the head of the Gorgon to scare meeee'#Do u know who consistently employs monsters in myth#That's right it's my other queen Hera#Persephone's rarely present in myth anyway. But when she does appear it's as a helpful; merciful figure#Like in one version she even allows Pirithous to go#That's my rant for the night goodbye
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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
#art#illustration#black and white#norse mythology#mythology#1900s#wolves#fenris#fenrir#h.a. guerber#dorothy hardy#internet archive#books#literature#myths and legends#fenrisúlfr#hróðvitnir#vánagandr#fenris wolf#the binding of fenris#ragnarök
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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.)
#people stop engaging with all fantasy religion like it’s the same as bigoted evangelical American Christianity challenge#oh also the ‘the gods are colonial invaders’ take is also super weird to me because that’s applying recent human history to what is#basically standard like Greek or Roman creation myth?#like a ton of European pagan lore has a ‘the gods we worship came from afar and tamed the wilds of nature’ narrative#it is a metaphor#cr discourse#legit saw someone this morning confidently posting ‘well Ludinus just is right though!’ and I wanted to close down the whole internet#critical role
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The downside of trying to write fics about Post-Python Apollo in exile is that he needs to move. Because he tours all of Ancient Greece. And Ancient Greece is A Mess ™️.
I'm not joking when I say that well labelled Myceanean maps have been a nightmare to find. Add that to the dynamic mythological timeline and the many, many small clashes/battles and it's impossible to work anything out.
Like no seriously, how far is the Vale of Tempe from Central Thessaly? Is Thessaly united or is it broken into small kingdoms and principalities?Can a merchant cart pass from Thessaly to Smyrna via Tempe? Is that a viable economic route? How do I even find that out, I suck at both history and geography. At this point I'm half tempted to just make him hunker down in one place and only shift for the Branchus kiss.
#this is unreal#I'm sure these are somewhere in the internet#but I have neither the time nor the patience nor the skill to do this type of research#and I can't even do it on feels like I do for my mahabharat fics because Idk what the acceptable mythological standards is#like come on#this is getting ridiculous#I'm going to go search for a nice youtube video that explains stuff to me like I'm five#maybe that will help#apollo fic#day 5? of trying to figure out the greeks#it's better than before#apollo#greek gods#greek myths#greek mythology
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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—
#just realized the twins would absoLUTELY play into the Lock Ness Monster myth#100%#the only online footage Donnie would not delete off the internet#asks#rottmnt#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles#rise of the tmnt#rise leo#rise donnie#COI au#curse of icarus
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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.
#jeff the killer#creepypasta#urban legends#urban legend#internet myths#scary stories#psychological horror#creepy pasta community#horror icon#horror stories
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Being someone who read a lot of myths & fairytales & also has existed on the internet from a young age, I don't think the leaked pokemon stories are that big of a deal
If anything I'm just annoyed because all I'm going to hear about for the next 3 months is typhlosion pedophile jokes
#which sucks cuz i like that pokemon#but generally i get kinda annoyed whenever i hear a lot of people yapping about pokemon outside of like talking about the games because its#just like . it always feels like a pain because of how large the fanbase is to the point there are whole other fandoms within the greater#pokemon fandom#like im still annoyed that vaporeon got turned into a sex joke & no one online seems to think abt anything else but that copypasta#but like its the internet so whatever idk what i really expected#ig im just annoyed because i dont really care about the leaked stories and i dont want to hear people be shocked that the fake monsters that#kinda resemble yokai are doing things you might expect in old yokai myths idk.#🐛: bree rants#nd also its like. not officially publizhed stories. this could be someones fanfic so who . carss#cares * i am not typing that again#okay rant over#im sorry for everyone who likes a pokemon that was featured in those leaks
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#siren eyes#siren#siren aesthetic#sirencore#siren girl#goth#goth fashion#goth aesthetic#menswear#witches#gothic#witch#goths#the addams family#witch aesthetic#alt#alternative music#alternative#alt aesthetic#aesthetic#beauty#greek mythology#mythical creatures#mythology#Greek myth#mythology and folklore#mythical#mermaid#goth guy#internet goth
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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.
#feanorianweek#fëanor#nerdanel#the man the myth the legends#three shinies#my trash#people sometimes fall in love i guess#lovers to enemies#/end classification tags#i'm still trying to learn how to draw girls#the internet isn't very helpful either because half of them would say her waist here is too thick and the other half would say the opposite#but! i feel like i'm learning!#nerdanel was harder to draw than aoratay though because aoratay had muscles#and like#i can do muscles#but just a slender and smooth arm?#how do?#cannot.#the end.
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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.(
#pokémon#tw: slurs#I wish they'd just go enjoy their game and leave us alone to enjoy ours 😭#I don't wanna see all the insults and fighting#I haven't even been playing Pokémon recently I've been playing Kirby 😭#All I wanted to do is look up some Pokémon art memes and plushies is that so bad?????#The saviour*redacted* thing is something that someone called me specifically 🙃#I can't remember what comment it was under#I think it was someone accusing Ogerpon of being a Pal ripoff and I pointed out that Ogerpon is inspired by a Japanese myth or something#From my very outside perspective it looks like Palworld is only popular because its fueled by internet rage#I wish people were this defensive about Yokai Watch when it came out. I love that game :(
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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"
#Thinking that a character is cishet is fine but as soon as I will headcanon them as anything else I'm “chronically online”#And I “don't know about human interactions”. I guess queer people are just an internet myth#Also if you think that being anything than cishet or white is “political” you have issues. It's just THE WAY PEOPLE ARE
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The Wolves Pursuing Sól and Máni, J.C. Dollman, 1909
Hati and Sköll chase the sun and the moon in H.A. (Hélène Adeline) Guerber's Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas.
#art#illustration#mythology#norse mythology#wolves#black and white#j.c. dollman#1900s#hati and sköll#sól and máni#sun and moon#h.a. guerber#myths of the norsemen#eddas and sagas#internet archive#books#icelandic literature#literature#myths#myths and legends
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