ADVICE: My Biggest Hang-Up with Folklore and Scare Tactics
Hopefully, people are getting much smarter about this, but I'll throw in my two cents worth when it comes to these things that are circulating around MySpace and the Web.
While it's true that people should be careful with their information and that there are a lot of sickos, pervs, and stalkers, I don't approve of using scare tactics that will give people nightmares or where they'll be constantly paranoid.
It makes the world a scarier and more unfriendly place. It's because of continued messages like this that actually breed stalkers, psychos, and pervs that are rejected by society. So it becomes a vicious circle where it's creating the very people that the story warns people about.
When you treat people like scary stalkers, they sometimes will turn into those people. THe one thing about this is that it results in stereotyping. In this particular story, it says it was a bald man.
Some child reading this will remember this story and if it impacts him or her strongly enough, she'll associate stalkers with bald men. She'll be subconsciously programmed to mistrust bald men and she won't remember where she developed that opinion.
There were all kinds of stories about dangerous situations that were fostered by adults to keep their children in line and fear tactics were a common resort. You had the Boogeyman in the clost and the monster under the bed that will snatch you up if you keep getting up at night.
Scaring children may be a short-term remedy, but it's harmful in the long run because they will have unconscious fears of things. That fear that they develop radiates from them and makes them prime targets for abduction and rape.
Sexual predators go after victims whose body language gives off those signals of weakness and where they wouldn't put up a fight because they'd be paralyzed by fear. That's what they're counting on when they pull an unfortunate victim into an alley or into a car.
Sexual predators know how to avoid people who would make noise and create a scene. So they always go after the quiet ones that would comply.
When you pass around stories like this, some of the people who read them will swallow it hook, line, and sinker. They'll go around afraid of people and taking chances.
I took an American Folklore class in college and we discussed folklore, urban legends, and stories that have circulated in society. If you have any questions about folklore, you can E-mail Michael Anderson at magician@u.washington.edu. He's very knowledgeable and can answer any question even better than I can.
Truman Capote wrote stories about all these terrible things that happened when you picked up hitchhikers. So people stopped picking up hitchhikers.
Another story that was made to scare young teens was about a boy and girl making out in a car and the radio said a dangerous convict with a hook for a hand had escaped prison and was in the area.
While the guy was trying to make out with the girl, she was uncomfortable and begged to be taken home. The boy was upset because he wanted to get some, but abided by her wishes and drove her home.
When walked around to her passenger door to open it for her, there was a bloody hook latched on the door knob.
It's supposed to indicate how if the girl hadn't returned home and where they had both made out and had sex, they could've been killed. That's a story circulated by parents and adults to scare teens from having sex. It's designed to scare people not to do things.
Are there incidents that happen? Sure. in a population of 6 billion people and over a span of 60 years, I'm sure all urban legends COULD have happened. However, we're talking about a less than 1% chance of it happening.
That's also under the assumption that people don't take precautions. Obviously, if you're going to go and make out with someone in a dark secluded area out in the woods with the doors unlocked near a penitentiary that's a mile away, well duh. Probably. The chances of it happening go up.
However, realistically, the chances of it happening are very rare or slim. When it comes to stories like this about stalkers that show up at people's doors and schools, there is some risk. It shouldn't necessarily be written off, but as long as you know what precautions to take, those things don't happen.
There is one point that can be made where you don't have to scare people senseless to drive the point home. Don't give out private information about yourself.
I've seen messages on MySpace where they say, "Hey, bitch, you're a skank! Come call me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX so I can curse you out. First of all, they're not very bright. Secondly, how do you know it's not just a lure or trap to harass some other individual that the person trying to instigate conflict doesn't like?
There are some NASTY people out there that won't like someone, know what their phone number is, and then go antagonize other people and then give the phone number of the individual they don't like so that these angry people on MySpace that got harassed will go call that number and curse out an innocent person who knew nothing about it.
All the while, the person who gave out the number is laughing her ass off. There are some mean people out there that will do that to others. It's like the movie "Mean Girls" with Lindsay Lohan. There was even an article that was about a study done on girls showing that girls can be really mean to other girls.
So be careful in what you buy into or read into.
Rod
one day a 14 year old girl made a myspace. She had many pretty pictures and her friends left many comments. On her about me she wrote the exact school she went to,her age, and her full name. She wrote everything about her and even her screen name. Then one after noon she recieved a friend request. It was a guy called: HELLOOo!
The girl accepted the friend as he commented her pics saying: "You are so beautiful." and "I wish you were mine."
The girl was happy to see thses comments and didnt suspect a thing.
The next day at school the girl`s friend saw a bald man that was behind the girl and was staring at her.
friend: uhmm lets go over here." she said suspiciously.
girl: okay....whatever.
The man then tapped her on the shoulder
man: excuse me beautiful, whats your name?" he asked
friend: i dont know whats wrong with you but stay away from us!
girl: whats the matter?" she turned to the man "my names---"
But before she could answer her friend pulled her away.
After school, the girl went home and startedtalking to her friends on the computer. Then she wentto check her myspace and found 46 unread messages all from: HELLOOo!
Each of them said: "i want to talk to you. i keep thinking about you. Your driving me crazy your amazing! Will you meet me? Your breathtaking and i want you."
But the 5 last said: "You FUCKING WHORE! WHY ARENT YOU RETURNNG MY MESSAGES?! I HATE YOU AND I`M COMMING TO GET YOU. I WILL RAPE YOU AND KILL YOU HANG YOUR BODY IN MY BEDROOM.IM COMMI FOR Y0U!.ACTUALLY IM RIGHT BEHIND YOU.i never LIE"
The girl was terrifed and had the chills. when all of the sudden she heard a footstep. She looked behind her back and saw the same man from her school.
girl: what the fuck are you doing in my house?!"
man: i never lie. im right here andim going to do exaclty what i told you i was going to do." he smirked and grabbed her. He then raped her and killed her and hung her body in his bedroom.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU DONT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU THEN POST THIS TO WARN EVERYONE ABOUT THIS MAN. HE WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DONT.POST THIS IN 20 SECONDS OR SUFFER
BULLSHiT
While it's true that people should be careful with their information and that there are a lot of sickos, pervs, and stalkers, I don't approve of using scare tactics that will give people nightmares or where they'll be constantly paranoid.
It makes the world a scarier and more unfriendly place. It's because of continued messages like this that actually breed stalkers, psychos, and pervs that are rejected by society. So it becomes a vicious circle where it's creating the very people that the story warns people about.
When you treat people like scary stalkers, they sometimes will turn into those people. THe one thing about this is that it results in stereotyping. In this particular story, it says it was a bald man.
Some child reading this will remember this story and if it impacts him or her strongly enough, she'll associate stalkers with bald men. She'll be subconsciously programmed to mistrust bald men and she won't remember where she developed that opinion.
There were all kinds of stories about dangerous situations that were fostered by adults to keep their children in line and fear tactics were a common resort. You had the Boogeyman in the clost and the monster under the bed that will snatch you up if you keep getting up at night.
Scaring children may be a short-term remedy, but it's harmful in the long run because they will have unconscious fears of things. That fear that they develop radiates from them and makes them prime targets for abduction and rape.
Sexual predators go after victims whose body language gives off those signals of weakness and where they wouldn't put up a fight because they'd be paralyzed by fear. That's what they're counting on when they pull an unfortunate victim into an alley or into a car.
Sexual predators know how to avoid people who would make noise and create a scene. So they always go after the quiet ones that would comply.
When you pass around stories like this, some of the people who read them will swallow it hook, line, and sinker. They'll go around afraid of people and taking chances.
I took an American Folklore class in college and we discussed folklore, urban legends, and stories that have circulated in society. If you have any questions about folklore, you can E-mail Michael Anderson at magician@u.washington.edu. He's very knowledgeable and can answer any question even better than I can.
Truman Capote wrote stories about all these terrible things that happened when you picked up hitchhikers. So people stopped picking up hitchhikers.
Another story that was made to scare young teens was about a boy and girl making out in a car and the radio said a dangerous convict with a hook for a hand had escaped prison and was in the area.
While the guy was trying to make out with the girl, she was uncomfortable and begged to be taken home. The boy was upset because he wanted to get some, but abided by her wishes and drove her home.
When walked around to her passenger door to open it for her, there was a bloody hook latched on the door knob.
It's supposed to indicate how if the girl hadn't returned home and where they had both made out and had sex, they could've been killed. That's a story circulated by parents and adults to scare teens from having sex. It's designed to scare people not to do things.
Are there incidents that happen? Sure. in a population of 6 billion people and over a span of 60 years, I'm sure all urban legends COULD have happened. However, we're talking about a less than 1% chance of it happening.
That's also under the assumption that people don't take precautions. Obviously, if you're going to go and make out with someone in a dark secluded area out in the woods with the doors unlocked near a penitentiary that's a mile away, well duh. Probably. The chances of it happening go up.
However, realistically, the chances of it happening are very rare or slim. When it comes to stories like this about stalkers that show up at people's doors and schools, there is some risk. It shouldn't necessarily be written off, but as long as you know what precautions to take, those things don't happen.
There is one point that can be made where you don't have to scare people senseless to drive the point home. Don't give out private information about yourself.
I've seen messages on MySpace where they say, "Hey, bitch, you're a skank! Come call me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX so I can curse you out. First of all, they're not very bright. Secondly, how do you know it's not just a lure or trap to harass some other individual that the person trying to instigate conflict doesn't like?
There are some NASTY people out there that won't like someone, know what their phone number is, and then go antagonize other people and then give the phone number of the individual they don't like so that these angry people on MySpace that got harassed will go call that number and curse out an innocent person who knew nothing about it.
All the while, the person who gave out the number is laughing her ass off. There are some mean people out there that will do that to others. It's like the movie "Mean Girls" with Lindsay Lohan. There was even an article that was about a study done on girls showing that girls can be really mean to other girls.
So be careful in what you buy into or read into.
Rod
one day a 14 year old girl made a myspace. She had many pretty pictures and her friends left many comments. On her about me she wrote the exact school she went to,her age, and her full name. She wrote everything about her and even her screen name. Then one after noon she recieved a friend request. It was a guy called: HELLOOo!
The girl accepted the friend as he commented her pics saying: "You are so beautiful." and "I wish you were mine."
The girl was happy to see thses comments and didnt suspect a thing.
The next day at school the girl`s friend saw a bald man that was behind the girl and was staring at her.
friend: uhmm lets go over here." she said suspiciously.
girl: okay....whatever.
The man then tapped her on the shoulder
man: excuse me beautiful, whats your name?" he asked
friend: i dont know whats wrong with you but stay away from us!
girl: whats the matter?" she turned to the man "my names---"
But before she could answer her friend pulled her away.
After school, the girl went home and startedtalking to her friends on the computer. Then she wentto check her myspace and found 46 unread messages all from: HELLOOo!
Each of them said: "i want to talk to you. i keep thinking about you. Your driving me crazy your amazing! Will you meet me? Your breathtaking and i want you."
But the 5 last said: "You FUCKING WHORE! WHY ARENT YOU RETURNNG MY MESSAGES?! I HATE YOU AND I`M COMMING TO GET YOU. I WILL RAPE YOU AND KILL YOU HANG YOUR BODY IN MY BEDROOM.IM COMMI FOR Y0U!.ACTUALLY IM RIGHT BEHIND YOU.i never LIE"
The girl was terrifed and had the chills. when all of the sudden she heard a footstep. She looked behind her back and saw the same man from her school.
girl: what the fuck are you doing in my house?!"
man: i never lie. im right here andim going to do exaclty what i told you i was going to do." he smirked and grabbed her. He then raped her and killed her and hung her body in his bedroom.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU DONT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU THEN POST THIS TO WARN EVERYONE ABOUT THIS MAN. HE WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DONT.POST THIS IN 20 SECONDS OR SUFFER
BULLSHiT