My friend Becky sent along to me an urban legend chain e-mail she received recently. She does it because she knows I’m fascinated with them. This one was about women who died after inhaling tampered perfume samples they received in the mail. Of course, the e-mail (which had been forwarded so many times I had to open about six levels of attachments in order to read it) claimed that the government was hushing this up for fear of creating a panic.
Yeah, they’ve really been reassuring us up to now.
Again of course, the e-mail ended with a plea to “send this to all your friends and family members.” It also had someone’s official-sounding name and title below it, just for that added touch of authenticity. (It’s fun to e-mail and call these people, if only to hear the weary-voiced “if you’re calling about the e-mail….” phone message.) As you can tell, I have absolutely no sympathy for people whose names get attached to these e-mails, even if it’s just because their e-mail signature line got attached to it when they sent it on.
My question is, just how stupid are people who forward these things? Do they really believe this crap, or are they just interested in plugging up as many e-mail boxes as possible? When the “KFC is raising headless legless chicken blobs” e-mail went around a year or so ago, people actually argued with me, saying it was true.
Lack of common sense has reached epic proportions in America. What can we do to fix this problem?
I believe it was “Giant featherless, beakless mutant chickens with nutrient0conveying tubes” but who pays attention to the details really?
oh, i just think the internet makes it esier to see the silliness/stupidity/gullibiltiy in each other; I don’t think it’s increased. and it’s not like the government doesn’t do plenty of covering up/feet dragging! i.e. anthrax investigation – most folks still think it’s some “outsider” while chances are its another disgruntled freak/creep; but the military is not co-iperating with the investigation……. and how ’bout those Contras getting funding from selling drugs via CIA-owned planes in the 80’s?
Kill! No, not really. I’m stumped. That was my only good suggestion.
Mmmm… headless legless chicken blobs!
There is already a solution Bud Light + hunting season.
Or I like the Onions idea:death lotto.
Death Lotto? I like it — I never buy tickets anyway.
My blessed mother sends along every one of these she gets. She does it because (a) the world has gotten a tad complex, and general belief in the Badness of Stuff Going On has gotten a tad high, and (b) she honestly wants to warn people about it.
In other words, ignorance and goodness of heart.
I’ve made a concerted effort to debunk the ones she does pass along, and now she vets them past me first before alerting all her friends. So learning can occur.
In response to Phillip: Can you imagine the backlash if we started killing people who forwarded these kinds of mails? There would be forwards flying all over warning people that they would be killed if they forwarded hoax warnings! (I’m sure, knowing the community that circulates these things, they’d add some warning about e-mail trackers to identify the guilty.)