Urban Folklore, Suburban Folklore, myths, legends, whatever...

resources to debunk 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
FaceBook is not going to start charging users in July to have a profile on the site
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.
A mystery man did not stop dozens of motorists from continuing down the highway that a few seconds later collapsed following some famous Earthquake or infrastructure failure or whatever, 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 email or repost that status message that is warning you about some awful thing, or sounds too good to be true, visit the web sites below, where you will probably find out that whatever the email says is actually UNTRUE (and forward that URL that debunks the myth to your friends who send you this stuff, so they will start thinking before forwarding):

Attention journalists (particularly TV "journalists"): BEFORE you report that someone is dead (because someone sent you a text message that says so), 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 from 1995, to make sure you aren't about to make a total fool out of yourself by reporting inaccurate information. It should be required reading in journalism training programs.

Conspiracy theories, which I consider folklore, also offer insights into our wacky way of thinking. Read Xavier Poez's excellent FAQ on the subject. It includes an overview of various conspiracies through 1997 (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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