Ep. 88: Slender Man, Pt. 1 - The Origins

Is it possible for an online meme-turned-urban legend to become...real? That's the question we ask this week as we investigate the origins of Slender Man, an eerie, faceless monster known to have been created on the Something Awful forums in June 2009. While Slender Man's origins are traceable, his reach has extended much further than even his long limbs and tentacles could have possibly ever expected. Do some people really believe in Slender Man? Have those beliefs been powerful enough to turn this viral creature into a "tulpa" strong enough to bend those in reality to its will? And even if not...does it even matter? Here in part one we chart the origin of the Slender Man mythos, and prepare for next week's dive into the reality of the horror with the 2014 Slender Man Stabbing. ________________________________________ Connect with us on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/aintitscary Twitter: @aintitscary Instagram: @aintitscary Patreon: www.patreon.com/aintitscary ___________________________________________ Thank you to our sponsors: BetterHelp - Special offer for Ain’t it Scary? listeners: Get 10% off your first month at www.betterhelp.com/aintitscary Audible - Get a FREE audiobook and 30-Day Free Trial at www.audibletrial.com/aintitscary BarkBox - Enjoy a FREE month of BarkBox on us when you sign up for a 6 or 12-month BarkBox subscription! Visit www.barkbox.com/aintitscary for more details Hunt a Killer - Receive 20% off your first Hunt a Killer subscription box at www.huntakiller.com with the code SCARYSQUAD at checkout! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices