It occurs each few years. A particular phenomenon spreads on social media, sweeping away numerous individuals (particularly younger individuals) and even endangering their lives. For instance, in recent times we’ve got heard of younger individuals who have been injured after trying to find unusual Pokémon in public areas as a part of the sport “Pokémon Go”; the “Superman” problem during which younger individuals tried to “fly” within the air whereas their pals have been purported to catch them, however sadly many fell and acquired harm; A problem that made younger individuals in New York climb on shifting trains (!), like within the recreation “Subway Surfers”; or the Blue Whale Problem from 2016, which was primarily well-liked in Russia, during which members needed to undergo varied self-harm duties for 50 days, the final of which was suicide. Or the Momo Problem, which we’ll concentrate on within the following article.
At this level, the dad or mum in me, as the daddy of daughters who just lately acquired their first pill, ought to say one thing about right this moment’s youth, the significance of controlling the content material your children watch, and different sentences that ought to make me really feel previous. However I’m not right here as a dad or mum, however as a part of an internet site that presents you with scary myths from around the globe – particularly if it has creepy dolls or no matter it’s purported to be.
In about 2018, the world was loopy in regards to the Momo doll, which additionally supposedly gave beginning to a suicide recreation. As within the case of the Huggy Wuggy storm, we heard experiences of kids being bodily or mentally harmed, mother and father pleading to watch the content material our youngsters see, interviews with schooling specialists who describe the potential harms, and we even have particular references in horror movies.
A couple of years later, we should ask what was the Momo doll, what’s the Momo Problem story, why that is so unhealthy, and what impression it has on the lives of our youngsters on the present time limit?
It All Began As A Statue: Who Was Behind The Momo Problem?
The story of Momo the doll begins even earlier than it grew to become a disturbing community phenomenon and, some would say, a suicide recreation. Momo is mostly a innocent however unusual statue that appears like it comes out of horror mythology. As with mythological creatures in several folklores, we get a mix of human beings and animals.
Particularly, Momo’s physique is half girl and half chicken, with breasts like an everyday lady but additionally claws as an alternative of legs. Momo has pale pores and skin, a distorted face, giant however lidless eyes, and a reasonably huge mouth with a disturbing smile. The unique look appears prefer it got here straight out of the catalog of films like “Smile,” “Reality or Dare,“ or every other horror movie whose worry issue is predicated on individuals smiling eerily earlier than doing one thing horrible to themselves or others.
The sculpture, named “Mom Chook,“ was created in 2006 by a Japanese artist named Kisuke Aiso, head of a particular results firm known as “Hyperlink Manufacturing facility.“ The “Mom Chook“ sculpture, created from rubber and some pure oils, was a part of an exhibition of horror-themed figures. Aiso acquired inspiration from the legend of Ubume, a venomous and harmful determine of a venomous chicken that kidnaps kids in line with Japanese folklore.
Who Began The Momo Problem?
After the sculpture was displayed in a gallery in Tokyo, a number of Spanish-speaking customers discovered the pictures and turned them into the inspiration for an city legend, initially in Spanish. They linked the determine to a mysterious cellphone quantity and malicious messages, the extremes of which encourage kids to kill themselves.
From there, it began to unfold like a foolish TikTok problem. Everywhere in the world, we obtained experiences of kids and youngsters being harassed on varied platforms by a consumer who answered the arbitrary identify “Momo“ with a consultant profile image of the threatening character. That consumer allegedly urged them to hold out harmful duties, corresponding to violently harming others, self-harm, and even suicide. In any other case, they might be bewitched terribly.
The artist himself stated that he had obtained demise threats, as had one other artist who was mistakenly linked to the creation of the statue. Aiso solemnly introduced that following the guilt he felt for the actions attributable to the character he created, should you consider the tales, he had thrown the statue within the trash to “take away the curse.” “It doesn’t exist anymore; it was by no means meant to final,“ he described in an interview.” “It was rotten, and I threw it away. The kids will be reassured Momo is useless – she doesn’t exist, and the curse is gone.”
“On one hand, they’ve triggered me nothing however hassle,“ he added. “However then again, as an artist, I’ve a bit of sense of appreciation that my artwork piece has been seen internationally.“
Time Has Confirmed: The Monster Is Not That Horrible
An ideal panic was created across the Momo suicide problem, with claims that the phenomenon had reached world proportions, which prompted the intervention of schooling and well being specialists. As a part of the panic, we heard the phenomenon had reached younger ones throughout the globe, for instance, by ads in apps or well-known movies they noticed throughout “Peppa Pig,” “Fortnite,“ and others. The worry was of publicity to tens of 1000’s of kids, a few of whom would hurt others or themselves. Kids are naturally curious, and within the months after the story acquired its first headlines, we encountered fairly a number of younger individuals asking, for instance, what the Momo phone quantity was or tips on how to play The Momo Problem, maybe as a result of they might be glad to obtain a message from the creature at night time.
One of many most important accusers of spreading the Momo fantasy is Kim Kardashian, who shared an image of Momo together with her 145 million followers. Kardashian warned the mother and father amongst them (estimated: there have been fairly a number of males there) that there have been messages and bulletins from Momo hidden within the content material accessible on YouTube, a declare that the world’s largest video website denied.
Very quickly, information started to appear within the press about “kids who dedicated suicide due to a WhatsApp problem,” some faculties banned kids from approaching Halloween with a Momo costume, and specialists tried to elucidate the phenomenon (or not less than publicize themselves). It appeared, for a second, that Momo would take over the world.
Is The Momo Problem Actual, Or A Hoax?
On reflection, with out underestimating the adversarial results or risks of on-line challenges, that is in all probability a typical case of an web city legend or perhaps a hoax that doesn’t attain the monstrous proportions offered. We don’t understand how many individuals died from The Momo Problem, if any.
In line with experiences, the variety of complaints in regards to the Momo recreation was minimal, and most legislation enforcement businesses worldwide couldn’t affirm that the sport instantly harmed an individual.
Though it’s troublesome to be 100% certain about this, that is one other basic case that acquired out of proportion. One of many causes is wrong experiences revealed within the media and social networks worldwide, or in different phrases, rumors or pretend information, as an alternative of documented circumstances. This case proves as soon as once more that fact shouldn’t be too essential within the age of social media.
The Momo Problem (Or One thing Comparable) Is Changing into A Cultural Phenomenon
Luckily, we’ve got not but had a horror movie during which the primary villain is Momo, nor one which depicts the relatively unusual story that’s going down right here: that is in distinction, for instance, to the menacing character of Slenderman, that tremendous skinny and tall creature with extraordinarily lengthy arms, a white head however no facial options or hair, who, in line with Web city legend (“Creepypasta”) kidnaps kids and harms them. Slenderman was born in an Web discussion board, however from there, he got here to movies, horror video games, and a horrible film starring Joey King.
Momo Brief Horror Films
Most motion pictures that attempted to trip on Momo’s virality have been quick, however some have been impressively profitable, with thousands and thousands and generally even thousands and thousands of views.
Right here, for instance, is a seven-minute video by the horror shorties “Alexanderthetitan,” which has obtained about 15 million views. The video reveals a younger lady who encounters a girl within the bathe after which within the bed room, however when the girl turns round, we notice that her face, you’ve in all probability guessed, is Momo’s. So it’s true that this film isn’t horrifying and even fairly ridiculous, not less than for my part (for instance, the scene the place Momo tries to enter the room by the door however by some means leads to the closet to get out of it after which out the door, to get again in by the door and doubtless out by the window). Nonetheless, just like the city legend – you possibly can’t argue with virality.
Would you like one other instance, even stranger? Please! We additionally discovered a shorter horror film on-line (about three and a half minutes), named “Momo – The Pool”. It was launched lower than a 12 months in the past and managed to get, for some motive, about 8.5 million views. Within the video, we see a man who sees one thing that appears like Momo’s head in his pool however, for some motive, has hassle getting it out. When he will get the web, the mysterious head disappears, seems for a second among the many bushes, and in a pipe, heaven forbid. This leads us to the second Momo emerges from the pool as if she have been Samara in “The Ring” and does horrible issues to the hero.
This movie was removed from good even in comparison with the earlier one (particularly the illustration of Momo, which appears too amateurish right here), however who am I to argue with a number of million viewers using on a viral character?
A fast search on YouTube discovered a number of variations of quick Momo movies: on Halloween, within the bathe, taking part in hide-and-seek, and extra. Possibly there are some porn motion pictures of Momo, however I’m too afraid to ask Google as a result of it’s too bizarre, so Google would assume I’m bizarre and recommend advertisements of unusual stuff.
Anyway, you already perceive the precept, don’t you? What pursuits us extra are full-length horror movies, which can naturally be extra invested and significant.
Horror Movies About The Momo Doll
Nonetheless, we are able to depend on extra vital horror movies that can attempt to trip the viral wave and current villain characters who’re very harking back to Momo, even when we are able to depend them on the fingers of 1 hand.
The issue is that, besides for an additional movie that corresponds to Momo’s story however doesn’t current it instantly, the opposite initiatives have been in improvement for a number of years, and it’s unclear once we will get to see them on the massive or small display screen.
The worry is that after they come out, the mythology surrounding the Momo suicide recreation could also be a lot much less spectacular than it was a number of years in the past, so maybe the creators missed the prepare right here. Alternatively, we could get respectable movies right here, not simply ones made in a number of days to capitalize on the excitement round one thing (sure, we imply you, the Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse horror movies).
Grimcutty (2022)
In 2022, we acquired “Grimcutty,” a median horror movie from Hulu, which instantly corresponds to Momo’s story. The movie is about an web meme that resembles Momo in look, though not in a big method as a result of our Momo could have copyright.
Grimcutty is an evil creature that seems on kids’s telephones and causes them to harm themselves and others, corresponding to one of many kids stabbing his mom to demise. Unsurprisingly, such circumstances create panic locally, particularly when the creepy character comes off the screens and begins to harm these uncovered to her. At first, a woman named Ash (Sarah Wolfkind) encounters Grimkati in actual life, however in fact, it’s a horror film during which nobody believes her till the our bodies begin piling up, blah, blah, blah.
“Grimcutty” is much from good, and I’m being very mild right here. It has numerous flaws within the plot, and it’s troublesome to say that it’s too scary, together with the problematic design of the monstrous villain. Nonetheless, for followers of horror movies primarily based on city legends, even when they don’t seem to be good (oops), it’s gratifying sufficient to get by one thing like an hour and a half.
Untitled Momo Horror Movie (TBA)
In 2019, we heard that Orion Photos – the veteran American manufacturing and distribution firm liable for movies corresponding to “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Amadeus,” “Platoon,” “Dancing with Wolves,” “Terminator“ and “The Addams Household“ (1991) – would collaborate with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Leisure and producer Takashige (Taka) Ichise to develop a horror movie primarily based on Momo.
These names could not inform you a lot, however it’s essential to keep in mind that the collaboration between Lee and Ichishe gave rise to the movies “The Grudge” and “The Ring.” Lee additionally made “It” movies, a number of the most worthwhile movies in cinema historical past. Sadly, we haven’t obtained a lot new details about the challenge since that preliminary announcement.
Getaway (TBA)
One other movie within the manufacturing course of is “Getaway,” which can also be influenced by the Momo problem. On the middle of the plot here’s a group of younger individuals who discover themselves coping with horrifying occasions throughout their keep in an remoted cabin within the woods, the final summer season earlier than summer season – occasions which can be in all probability associated to a narrative that certainly one of them tells in regards to the city legend of Momo and the truth that these younger individuals will in all probability behave in an idiotic method, whereas they disappear and die.
This movie is in a extra superior stage than the earlier one as a result of it already has a director (Lilton Stewart II) and a younger and never very well-known solid, which consists primarily of younger women and men with relatively prolonged names that look good.
It has not but been introduced when and on which platform the movie shall be launched.
What Can We Study From The Momo Hoax?
The Momo Hoax is one other instance of web legends which can be getting a bit of out of hand, with a typical denominator for a few of these myths: a distorted human determine, distribution by way of the web (with the potential to go viral like wildfire), and a connection to kids or youngsters, which will be dangerous. The case reveals how social fears can unfold shortly within the digital age, for higher and for worse.
Even when the monster right here might not be that horrible, and its results are much less uncommon than marketed, this is a wonderful alternative for fogeys to watch the content material that their kids watch, speak to them about on-line exercise and its risks, and create an environment that encourages sharing. After all, all these monitoring and coaching measures, corresponding to putting in content material filtering software program, controlling the apps kids obtain to their units, and limiting display screen time, may also help.
So, the priority surrounding Momo subsided till the movies in query would attain the massive or small display screen. Till that occurs, we’re already ready for the subsequent problem that can drive the youth loopy – hoping that it will likely be much less harmful, on paper or in actuality.
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