<p>Here's some theory I've gathered:</p><p>I'm not very much of a philosopher but this will deal mostly in some farce of the subject. You see I think that creepypasta was never taken seriously.</p><p>Certainly at some point before that stabbing it was taken *more* seriously, but even before that it was not considered an art form by many, and after the stabbing (along with the reputation of the normal fanbase being ruined merely by association) how people looked at it as it was growing faltered.</p><p>
</p><p>Ever since the stabbing, creepypasta has basically been dead and we're the likes who try to present ourselves as a sort of middle road which still exists. While we are part of *that* part of the fandom in majority, most of us also presumably aren't insane, much like the kids who did what they did. But there are those people out there -- in Scotland just a year ago a young girl was raped and murdered by a teenage man in the name of our old pal Slendy -- and obviously that isn't what we stand for. We are functioning members of society. We're just fans of a very niche type of horror and we're being made guilty by association.</p><p>Association with who you ask?</p><p>While we represent the ones who are functioning, it is the likes of Tobyrogers22, the Scottish rapist, and the stabbing girls who bring us down as fans of this niche. The same can be said for anything which follows the same practical guidelines.</p><p>While this "Tobyrogers22" will likely not go on to commit a crime of any real importance (this isn't an invitation to do that, kid), their mindset is the equivalent of the stabbing girls, who will be the prime focus of this rambling essay of sorts.</p><p>While the stabbing girls are the main ones who ruined this thing which once had true potential in my opinion, the likes of them existed here before and after their lasting mark. Of course most of them never went on to do much in relation to this which could be considerably 'heinous' but regardless the image you get in your mind when you picture them are still the same: obnoxious, whiny emo fangirls who have horrible parental issues and you should feel so sorry for them because of that! True Jessi Slaughters in nature.</p><p>That is caused by the fact that they're mostly tweens who are acting out on a large scale. Of course I'm not one to invalidate someone's feelings or experiences, anyone who really knows me well enough knows that I'm a pretty caring person, and some of these people use creepypasta as a means of escapism. Don't get all Evangelion on me and my stances but I'd say escapism is okay as long as it's used in small doses if that makes any sense, and even escapism in the context of our lovely spooky spaghetti is acceptable as long as it does not intrude on a person's normal human functionality and all. Again, the same can be said of anything, which is why cringe culture is relatively awful even if I do find it particularly enjoyable personally, so long as it doesn't get on anybody's ass and just uses them as a standpoint of how not to make a fool of yourself publicly.</p><p>Which is exactly what the stabbing girls and people like Tobyrogers22 are doing. They deserve to be assblasted with derision for how ridiculous they're being if I'm anything to go by.</p><p>As you know though kids will grow up and they'll, with time, become less like that (I know this because I was just like them back when I was 8 and just got into creepypasta almost six years ago now at the time of writing). I think that the stabbing girls were a hugely unfortunate mistake, but a mistake made by chance. Nobody thought that people like Tobyrogers22 were capable of doing anything -- any living, breathing person is as capable of an atrocity as the next -- and although most of us will never do anything as bad as those kids did, it does call into question the mental stability of fans, much like you and I, in the public view.</p><p>
</p><p>Creepypasta is dead because of those kids but we're still around to haunt the internet and stay in our own little circle; remain unaccepted based purely on the assessment that just because two stupid kids almost killed an innocent kid, every single person well-endowed in the culture of this online horror subgenre must be the same way. Obviously that is far from the case, but nevertheless there is next to nothing we can do as people to salvage this. We will probably forever be looked at as a blemish on the face of the internet due in most part to the cancer that is the likes of Tobyrogers22, past, present, and future.</p><p>I dunno that's just a pessimist's thoughts.</p><p>Perhaps there is some way we might be able to fix everything, but if there is a way I don't know it. One that isn't outlandish. That's not my point anyways though. My point is that creepypasta was ruined by the very same people who share Tobyrogers22's mindset, and we're stuck with these people who believe that trying to make your fiction real with such vehemence that it may begin to distort your perception of reality and cause you to literally kill people is acceptable, or they're some naive kids. Most likely the latter.</p><p>Doesn't mean we can't point and laugh at them for how stupid they look unless they're a tulpamancer or some shit. Cheers.</p><p>
</p><p>Much love,</p><p>Alex Marki</p>