Urban Legends Essay -- essays research papers

Joel Beckwith Febuary 13, 2001urban Leg repealsIn this paper I volition explain exactly what an urban story is,and give some examples of real popular ones that have been passed byword of mouth for decades across the fall in States.1 " An urban legend is a romance that is so bizarre,horrifying,or unexplainable, that it makes something interior of us want to believeit." Urban Legends finish have traced origins from opposite countries,universities, states, or people,that just decided to made up as astounding story and pass it on to their friends and family members.Many of these legends were started in the sixties and seventies,and stillness continue to be passed on to this day. A good example, is the horrifying jut Rocks death. 2"In the seventies ,school kids passed on the rumor that if Pop Rocks glaze was eaten with any kind of soda,the persons insides would explode". A legend that eventually compel the candy company company to prove as untrue. Most urban l egends be began with "friend of a friend", which is a key in realizing that what you ar going to hear is probably untrue.When I was in second handst grade, a famous legend was passed to me, the story of the well to Hell. Reportedly, down in Mexico, a group of men were drilling holes in the ground looking for oil. These holes were thousands of feet deep, and the men heard horrifyingscreams coming from the depths below. Supposedly these these terrible sounds were coming from Hell. This story causedmuch debate among the Christian community, and was repeatingin news letters, and radio receiver talk shows around the country. Eventually,an urban legend investigator traced the story to a school teacher who admitted that she made the whole thing up.As legends are passed from person to person the stories aremodified and changed until several versions of the story reallyexist.A good example of a mixed story is the stainless urban legendof the vanishing plosive consonant hiker. M ost versions of the story are told of a tall thin hitch hiker walking down the route until he gets picked up.As the stranger is in the car he stays calm and doesnt speak until he says The end is near and disappears right before the drivers eyes.Other versions are told of a young girl who does the same thing some clocks the hitch hiker claims Jesus is coming again rightbefor... ...hich is which and who is who", we see the Wicked Witch of the western United States looking at the dead feet of the Wicked Witch of the East. For "up..up..up", the Witch is on top of a ramp on "down..down.. down..", she is walking down. "And in the end", the dead Witch disappears. "Out..out..out", Good Witch Glynda exits in a bubble. The air "Brain Damage" is played as the scarecrow sings "If I unaccompanied Had a Brain." The heartbeat heard at the end of the album coincides with Dorothy auditory modality to the Tin Mans heart. (These similarities ar e found at http//turnerclassicmovies.com)Urban legends and their history can be a real interesting thing to devote your time to. The library has many good books on urban legends, one of the outflank is "Too Good to be True The Colossal Book of Urban Legends" by Jan Harold Brunvand. Jan Harold Brunvard has written other good books as urban legend references,including "The Baby Train" and "The Mexican Pet".Overall I enjoyed indite this report and I have found urban legends to be very interesting and I hope to explore them moreas a personal hobby.