Urban Folklore, Suburban Folklore, whatever...

resources on urban folklore, legends and myths

Studying folklore and urban legends tells us a lot about what we fear most and what we want to believe. It also reveals that a lot of things you thought were true are actually myths:

Neiman Marcus does not charge hundreds of dollars for its cookie recipe
Disneyland doesn't give away free tickets in return for forwarding an email
No company gives away free stock over the Internet
Microsoft doesn't send out virus warnings via e-mail
No one has ever awoken in a hotel room after being drugged by a stranger with "welcome to the wonderful world of AIDS" written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, etc.
There is no GOOD TIMES computer virus
A mystery man did not stop dozens of motorists from continuing down the highway that a few seconds later collapsed during the Northridge Earthquake, and it wasn't reported on CNN or on Oprah
NO ONE has been admitted to an emergency room to get a gerbil removed from his anal area
Hookman DID NOT live in the woods near your house.
But there IS a Santa Claus.

BEFORE you forward an e-mail that supports some petition or offers some Disney-related something or is a supposed stock giveaway or is supposed to support the National Endowment for the Arts, National Public Radio, women in Afghanistan, WHATEVER, visit the web sites below, where you will probably find out that whatever promise this e-mail makes is UNTRUE (and forward that URL to your friends who send you this stuff).

A great place to find out the truth about the latest warning email you've gotten, visit the Urban Legend Zeitgeist. Unlike another popular urban legend site that shall remain nameless, the Urban Legend Zeitgeist doesn't have a right-wing political slant.

Another good place to check to see if something is a hoax is:
urbanlegends.miningco.com/

Attention journalists (particularly TV "journalists"): BEFORE you report on an Internet virus, pornography in cyberspace, religious cults on the Internet, or other sensational Internet-related story, check out this journalist net guide, at mit.edu/activities/safe/humor/journalist-net-guide, to make sure you aren't about to make a total fool out of yourself by reporting inaccurate information. It's from 1995 and still utterly relevant.

Conspiracy theories, which I consider folklore, also offer insights into our wacky way of thinking. Read Xavier Poez's excellent FAQ on the subject by going to archive.org and cutting and pasting this URL into the Wayback Machine:
http://www9.pair.com/xpoez/
This site, archived at the Wayback Machine, includes an overview of various conspiracies (secret societies, United Nations/NWO, media manipulation, world bankers, Federal Reserve bank, IRS, assassinations, US government, US military, AIDS, aliens/UFOs, etc.), an overview of how conspiracies work (pyramid structure, pawns & dupes), aspects of human nature that lead to conspiracies, and much, much more.

Also see this web site on how myths and rumors interfere with aid, relief and development efforts, and ways to counter and prevent such.

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This information posted by J. Cravens. The personal opinions expressed on this page are solely the opinion of Ms. Cravens, unless otherwise noted.

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