Coda: The Chameleon
In a recent post about YA Paranormals, I questioned why a vampire (or anyone, really) would want to pose as an adolescent and attend high school forever. My reaction was that it was highly, highly unlikely that anyone would do this. Why endure high school multiple times if you don't have to?
That was before I heard about Frédéric Bourdin, a serial imposter nicknamed "The Chameleon."
I'm not sure how many identities he has assumed. One site says 39. Another says 38. Bourdin says 40. Most of them have been fictional, but on three occasions, he's taken on the identities of missing teens, actually posing as adolescents. And he's gotten away with it, at least for a while. From what I can tell, he doesn't do this for profit and he doesn't kill the people he cons; he simply insinuates his way into people's lives. Which, in my view, makes him more disturbing, not less so.
A movie about him came out in late June. Yes, the character is called "Frédéric Fortin" rather than "Frédéric Bourdin," but it's still about one of his exploits. Bourdin was even a consultant on the film.
So apparently it's quite possible for a much older person to take on the identity of a teenager and to be able to convince everyone, even those who should know better, that he's someone he's not.
...yeah. That's not disturbing at ALL.
***
That was before I heard about Frédéric Bourdin, a serial imposter nicknamed "The Chameleon."
I'm not sure how many identities he has assumed. One site says 39. Another says 38. Bourdin says 40. Most of them have been fictional, but on three occasions, he's taken on the identities of missing teens, actually posing as adolescents. And he's gotten away with it, at least for a while. From what I can tell, he doesn't do this for profit and he doesn't kill the people he cons; he simply insinuates his way into people's lives. Which, in my view, makes him more disturbing, not less so.
A movie about him came out in late June. Yes, the character is called "Frédéric Fortin" rather than "Frédéric Bourdin," but it's still about one of his exploits. Bourdin was even a consultant on the film.
So apparently it's quite possible for a much older person to take on the identity of a teenager and to be able to convince everyone, even those who should know better, that he's someone he's not.
...yeah. That's not disturbing at ALL.
***