How to Interpret Urban Legends

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:InterpretUrbanLegends
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How to Interpret Urban Legends

Introduction

There's a rat in the take-out fried chicken. A man wakes up in bathtub filled with ice, minus one kidney. Urban legends are rampant in our culture, especially now that spreading them is as easy as clicking the "forward" button on your email program. Analyzing these tales can tell us a lot about our society, especially what we fear.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Steps

1

Step One

Check Snopes.com for a discussion of the urban legend you want to interpret. This website provides the origins of the legend as well as different versions of it that have circulated around the Internet. It also tells you whether there is any truth to it.
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Step Two

Learn how to interpret urban legends by watching the television show, "Mostly True Stories: Urban Legends Reveals" on TLC. This show not only re-enacts popular urban legends, but includes interviews with folklore experts analyzing the prevalence of the legends in our culture. Think like these experts and you can interpret urban legends too.
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Step Three

Consider what fears the urban legend might inspire or be in response to. The "deodorant causes cancer" legend captures our fear of chemicals; the legend about the Neiman-Marcus cookie recipe captures our fear of being swindled.
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Step Four

Compare your urban legend to others similar to it. Consider whether the other legends hit upon a similar societal anxiety.
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Step Five

Reflect upon current events. Wars, tragedies, depressions and highly publicized crimes can create widespread anxiety inspiring an urban legend. Analyze whether your urban legend connects to a major news headline.
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Step Six

Share your interpretation of the urban legend on the Snopes.com community page. Here you'll meet others who enjoy interpreting urban legends. They might have a few pointers for you.
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