What happens next? : contemporary urban legends and popular culture / Gail de Vos.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

De Vos, Gail, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Urban folklore.

Legends.

Mass media and folklore.

Literature and folklore.

Physical Description:

xxvii, 242 pages ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, [2012]

Summary:

"This fascinating book uncovers the history behind urban legends and explains how the contemporary iterations of familiar fictional tales provide a window into the modern concerns--and digital advancements--of our society. "-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Overview of Media Appearances of Contemporary Legends 1

Contemporary Legends in the Literary Arts 2

Horror Literature 4

Selected Examples of Literature Incorporating Contemporary Legends 5

Contemporary Legends in Film and Television 8

Televised and Filmic Contemporary Legends 10

Freaky Stories (Television Series) 11

Mythbusters (Television Series) 11

The Simpsons (Television Series) 12

Tales from the Golden Age (2009) 12

Horror Films 13

Supernatural, Occult and Ghost Films 15

Slasher Films 15

Making Their Own Horror Videos 17

Examples of Horror and Slasher Titles Incorporating Contemporary Legends 17

Campfire Tales (1997) 17

The Ring (Ringu) (1998) and The Ring (2002) 18

Supernatural (Television Series) 20

Trick 'r Treat (2009) 21

Urban Legend (1998) 22

Urban Legends (Television Series) 22

When a Stranger Calls (2006) 23

Darwin Awards 23

Debunking and Confirming Contemporary Legends 23

International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR) 26

References 26

2 Ostension, Legend Tripping and Commodification of Folklore 29

Definition of Terms 29

Commodification of Contemporary Legends 30

Examples of Ostension and Pseudo-Ostension 32

Bloody Mary 33

The Halloween Sadist 35

Ostensive Abuse 36

Mass-Mediated Ostension 37

Candyman (1992) 38

Urban Legends (1998) 38

The X-Files (1993-2002) 39

Most Haunted (2002-10) 39

Supernatural (2005-Present) 39

Blood Oath (2007) 40

Cropsey (2009) 40

Shoefiti 42

Rationales for Shoefiti 43

An Ostensive Leave Taking 43

Shoefiti as an Adapted Art Form 44

Shoe Trees 44

Shag or Sex Bracelets 45

Examples of Legend Tripping 45

San Antonio Ghost Tracks 49

Rehmeyer's Hollow 50

Stull Cemetery 52

Screaming Tunnel at Niagara Falls 53

Legend Tripping in College Tunnels 54

Cryptozoology and Legend Tripping 55

The Jersey Devil 55

Mothman 57

Commodification of Mothman 58

Selected Resources on the Mothman 58

Literary and Visual Adaptations 60

Legend Tripping 60

Bloody Mary 61

Halloween Sadism 62

Rehmeyer's Hollow 62

Mercy Brown: Vampire 62

San Antonio Ghost Tracks 64

Shoefiti 65

Tunnel Legends 65

"The Jersey Devil" 65

Mothman 67

Endnotes 68

References 68

3 Folklore and the Internet: Netlore 73

Definition of Terms 75

Types of Netlore and Newslore 76

Computer Legends, Viruses and Warnings 76

E-mail Hoaxes and Social Network Warnings 76

Types of E-mail Hoaxes 77

Virus Hoaxes 78

Giveaway Hoaxes 78

Charity Hoaxes or Sympathy Hoaxes 78

Current Examples of E-mail Hoaxes 78

Fake Amber Alerts 78

"Strawberry Quick" Panic 79

"Le-a" 80

"Nigerian Scam"/"Advance Fee Fraud"/"419 Fraud" 80

Interview with a "Scammer" 82

Selected Resources on the "Nigerian Scam" 84

Social Network Warnings 84

Chain Letters 85

Photographic Urban Legends 86

"Tourist Guy" 87

Photographic Parodies: "Roaming Gnomes" 88

Additional Netlore Examples 89

Contemporary Legends Reflecting Domestic or International Crisis 89

"The Grateful Stranger" 90

"Acid Rain Fallout" 90

Scarelore 91

"Bumping the Bumper" 92

"Burundanga" 92

"Dangerous Canola Oil" 93

"Egged Windshields" 93

"Gang Initiation" (Lights Out!) 94

"Halloween Gang Initiations" or "Red October" 95

"Infant Car Seat" 95

"Killer Clowns" 95

"UPS Uniforms and Terrorism" 96

Telephones and the Contemporary Legend 97

"Grandparent"/"Emergency" Scam 97

"Stolen Passport" Scam 99

Literary and Visual Adaptations 99

E-mail Hoaxes 100

"Gang Initiation" (Lights Out!) 100

"Killer Clowns" 100

"Roaming Gnomes" 101

References 101

4 Conspiracy Theories 105

Contemporary Conspiracies 105

World Trade Center, September 11, 2001 108

Chupacabra 111

Chupacabra and Other Contemporary Legends 113

Chupacabra and Conspiracy Theories 113

"The Fat Stealer" 114

Cryptozoology Connections 115

Grease "Yakas" or Devils in Sri Lanka 116

Organ-Theft Narratives: The Stolen Kidney 117

The Stolen Kidney 118

The Stolen Kidney and Conspiracy Theories 119

"Wendy's Chili" Hoax 120

H1N1 Pandemic 122

Doomsday Prophecies 123

2012 Mayan Prophecy 123

Comet Elenin 125

Debunking Conspiracy Theories 126

Conspiracy Theories in Popular Culture 127

Chupacabra in Popular Culture 128

The Stolen Kidney in Popular Culture 130

References 131

5 Ghostlore and Scary Stories 135

Ghostlore 136

Commodification of Ghostlore 138

Ghost Stories 138

Ghost Hunting 140

Ghost Tourism 141

Ghost Legends Revisited 146

"La Llorona" 147

"The Vanishing Hitchhiker" 150

"Resurrection Mary" 153

"Humans Can Lick Too" or "Doggie-Lick" 153

More Ghostlore 153

Phantom Vehicles and Haunted Roads 154

Haunted Houses 154

Haunted Bathroom Narratives and "Hanako-san" 155

"Kuchi-sake-onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman" 156

Campus Lore 158

"Smiley Gang" 159

"The Hook" 160

"The Suicide Rule" 161

Other "Lethal" Legends 162

A Contemporary Invention: "Slender Man" 163

Literary and Visual Adaptations 164

"La Llorona" 164

"The Vanishing Hitchhiker" 167

"Resurrection Mary" 168

"The Hook" 168

"Hanako, the Toilet Ghost" 169

"Kuchi-sake-onna" 170

Recommended Resources 171

References 173

6 A Meeting with the Devil at the Crossroads: A Contemporary Legend? 177

The Development of the Crossroads Meeting Legend 178

Historical Development of the Robert Johnson Variant 179

Antecedents to the Robert Johnson Variant 182

Should It Be Considered a Contemporary Legend? 185

Related Legends 188

"Pact with the Devil" 188

"Robert Johnson Curse" 190

"Club 27" or 'The Forever 27 Club" 191

"Two Guitars" 192

Commodification of the Meeting at the Crossroads 192

Legend Tripping and Pride of Place 193

Robert Johnson Blues Foundation Headquarters and Museum 196

"Hellhound on My Trail: Robert Johnson and the Blues" Conference (September 26, 1998) 197

Recordings 197

YouTube and Internet Presence 199

Reworkings of the "Meeting with the Devil at the Crossroads" 200

Allusions and Brief Mentions 201

Musical Allusions 201

Literary Allusions 202

Cinematic Allusions 204

Literary and Visual Adaptations 204

Novels 204

Short Stories 211

Poetry and Song Lyrics 214

Graphic Novels, Picture Books and Illustrated Books 215

Cinematic Reworkings: Movies and Television 217

Screenplays 220

Selected Reworkings of "The Pact with the Devil" 221

Online Lesson Plans and Education Resources 221

References 222.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781598846331

1598846337

OCLC:

749872858