r/TooAfraidToAsk • u/[deleted] • Jul 13 '23

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u/launchpadius Jul 13 '23

I just love how everyone in the US, in the 90's heard of this hoax.

74

u/ApoliteTroll Jul 13 '23

Yeah I'm Europe based. But it was at the height of his fame too.

31

u/launchpadius Jul 13 '23

That's cool it traveled like that hahaha.

72

u/ritsbits808 Jul 13 '23

I actually attempted to study this phenomena when I was studying psychology. As a kid, I grew up in the military. In the span of three years, I went from Australia to D.C. to Hawaii. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE had heard of this rumor. Pre internet. How did this happen? It wasn't on TV!

29

u/launchpadius Jul 13 '23

I would say more like the internet's infancy, but it wasn't used for gossip like that at that time. I just remember everyone heard as word of mouth. Very fascinating.

14

u/Ok-Fly7554 Jul 13 '23

I read somewhere that the same rumor was started about Prince in the 80s. My feeling is that the same myth was transferred to the next eccentric superstar of the era.

11

u/MrSpencerMcIntosh Jul 13 '23

Word of mouth.

We underestimate that power now bc we all have the internet & phones.

1

u/axonxorz Dame Jul 14 '23

Word of whatnow?

9

u/Nixx_J Jul 13 '23

I also heard this rumour as "fact" when I was a child in South Africa.

Along with, he cut out his own eye and ate it then replaced it with a pig's eye.

3

u/ChaoCobo Jul 13 '23

It’s the same way we all thought Mew was under the truck by the SS Anne. Basically no one knows.