above statements seem to far fetched to be true, its because they are in fact false. Progesterex is not the perfect date rape drug. It is the subject of an urban legend. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term urban legend as “an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true”. Like most urban legends the rationale for its creation may never be known. The setting of the story is a nightclub or fraternity party. Such places are locations where women previously
We have all heard of strange and gory stories that are supposedly true, experienced by a friend of a friend. Whether true or not these so called "urban legends" tend to circulate throughout society thriving on each individual's fears and curiosity. What most people don't realize is, within these tales lies the attitudes and values of a community. These tales do not survive throughout the years solely on the basis of their entertainment level, but due to the fact that they reflect society's fears
Joel Beckwith Febuary 13, 2001 Urban Legends In this paper I will explain exactly what an urban legend is,and give some examples of very popular ones that have been passed by word of mouth for decades across the United States. 1 " An urban legend is a story that is so bizarre,horrifying,or unexplainable, that it makes something inside of us want to believe it." Urban Legends can have traced origins from other countries, universities, states, or people,that just decided to made up as incredible
Urban Legends The subject of this report focuses on the phenomenon known as Urban Legend. Urban Legend, henceforth referred to as UL, is well known in the arena of folklore and other sorts of stories passed down through generations; however, it is relatively new to the world of literary composition as a legitimate genre to be analyzed and studied in texts by experts of literature. In fact, if it had to be labeled, UL would be considered a sub-genre of folklore by many of the experts. These
their urban legends. One legend, often called “Lights Out,” was mentioned by just about all of the students I interviewed. Those who did not mention it on their own recognized it when I described it. I interviewed a 19-year-old male sophomore who anticipates getting into the School of Business. He transferred from Community College this past fall, and currently lives with a relative in a nearby off-campus home. He went to a small Catholic high school. He recalls first hearing this legend early
we all went to my friend’s basement and started telling scary stories. One of my friends told me that if I went into the bathroom without any lights and said “Bloody Mary” three times in front of a mirror, a bloody figure would appear. This urban legend was told by a nineteen year old woman at the University of Maryland who is originally from West Point, New York. She is currently a sophomore majoring in architecture. On the night of March 30, 2007, a group of friends and I got together in
The Boo Hag Background Urban legends survive through time by having three elements: “a strong basic story-appeal, a foundation in actual belief, and a meaningful message or ‘moral’” (Brunvand 10). These characteristics are not only inherent in the content of the story, but also in the performance of the story to an audience. Like an actor on stage, storytellers have the responsibility of keeping a story entertaining, yet believable, through their gestures and attitude while telling the story
Salisbury’s Pemberton Park in the Dark Since I come from the Eastern Shore of this state, I was surprised to hear a ghost story I was previously unaware of. The story takes place in a park in Salisbury. The person who told me the story is a 19-year-old sophomore at the University, and we spoke about it one evening after dinner. He believes it to be true, because one of his friend’s siblings has apparently experienced the ghost firsthand. I tape-recorded his narrative: In Pemberton Park
Humans Can Lick Too I collected the story on Saturday, October 9th in my dorm. It was late at night, which added to the effect of the story. The storyteller is a student at the University. He is 17 years old, is from Rockville, Maryland, and is Methodist. He is half Sri Lankan and a quarter Irish and Palestinian. His father is a diplomat and works for the state department, and his mother is a homemaker. The story, as told by the student, is as follows: There once was a girl who lived
According to Brunvard, urban legends can tell us a lot about the society in which we live. Brunvard explains that these stories are an indication of our own fears and issues, and by implanting them into stories, we give voice to them. For example, “The Boyfriend’s Death” tells the story of a young couple who had gone to the woods in the boy’s car, and they were making out. The boy then left the girl alone in the car and promised he would return but never did. She later saw his body hanging from
years) (The Internet Movie Database). This particular version of the popular urban legend of Bloody Mary originates locally from North Potomac, Maryland. The storyteller is a female 19-year-old Caucasian sophomore student, currently studying psychology at the University. The story was collected in the spring on the University campus. After dinner, in a one-on-one environment, she began the story of an urban legend from her childhood. I remember this from back in second grade. It scared me
Sterility Drug Progesterex Urban Legend The source for this urban legend is a 19 year old male of Palestinian descent who is currently studying engineering at Montgomery College. His father owns a heating and air conditioning company and his mother is manager for a high school cafeteria. This source first heard the story on the Internet when he received the story on an online Web group. He then spread the warning to all of his contacts. You should tell all the girls you know to be careful because
This E-Mail is an Urban Legend. Juicy Emails like these are simply for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken seriously. Like junk mail it should be emptied into the recycle bin. People assume if an E-mail is sent to them or if a friend mentioned the incident then it must be true. How could someone write something so mean and cruel and spread it through emails? Thomas Craughwell explains that “fear, paranoia, envy and suspicion of unfamiliar” are reasons why urban legends such as Tommy
insurance broker and his mother stays at home. This story was collected on March 18, 2006, at his residence. This is the story as he told it to me: I originally heard this from my brother when I was like ten years old. I also saw it in the movie Urban Legends. But I’ll tell you the version my brother told me. You have to go into a bathroom in your house. You turn off all of the lights and stand facing away from the mirror. You then spin around thirteen times and say ‘Bloody Mary’ thirteen times. After
Bloody Mary Legend has it that if you stand in front of a candlelit mirror and chant the words Bloody Mary thirteen times, a vengeful spirit will appear. However, there are also many other variations to this urban legend. There is no definitive answer as to Bloody Mary’s identity, but Mary could often be depicted as a witch, ghost or demon (Houston). Some accounts say that a young woman named Mary was supposedly in a terrible accident, which mutilated her face (Norder). There are other variations
Hitchhiker at Forty-Five. Long Beach: Western States Folklore Society, 1998. Brunvand, Jan Harold. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends & Their Meanings. New York: W. W. Norton, 1981. Littlejohn, Carol. "Urban Legends and Other Scary Stories." Unknown journal.15.2 (1996): 27-31. Okonowicz, Ed. Baltimore Ghosts: History, Mystery, Legends, and Lore. Elkton: Myst and Lace Publishing, 2004. Turetsky, Rita. Ghosts and Evil Spirits. Publication information unknown. Wilson,
The Clown Doll: An Urban Legend When my friends and I were younger, we loved to tell each other scary stories late at night at sleepovers. This memory resurfaced this past February as three friends and I exchanged tales late one night while on a trip in New Jersey. All of the stories were entertaining, but this purportedly “true” urban legend remained in my mind long after the other accounts. “The Clown Doll” was told by a twenty-year old, Christian female University biology major. She was
Losing Organs at a Party: The "Kidney Thieves" Legend and the Immigrant Experience My family, most being first generation immigrants, has at times a slightly negative view of American culture. Because of this, many of the family dinner conversations are about the differences between American and Iranian cultures and often how the Iranian culture is better in some ways. To support this theory many urban legends are brought up that show the “dark side” of the American culture. For example, when
The Kidney Thieves Urban legends are apocryphal stories involving incidents of the recent past, often including elements of humor and horror that spread quickly and are popularly believed to be true (1). They reflect society's deepest fears and anxieties. One urban legend can be retold with different settings and people, but the central theme or idea remains constant. The appeal of these legends is the possibility they can be true and that they bring out the listeners' deepest fears. The
The Backseat Murderer A good urban legend is like a good movie. It unfolds perfectly and it appeals to the audience’s hopes, fears, and anxieties. The urban legend I am about to describe was told by a first year female biology major at the University. She is of Indian descent and both her parents work in the biotechnology field. I collected this story on a Sunday night in the dorm. The fact that it was nighttime helped create the proper mood for the story. It was told in a dimly lit dorm room