Bloody Mary, Essay Example

Urban legends are similar to folklores’ and methodologies. It is a story that is believed to be true by their tellers and continues to circulate, changing variations perhaps but gaining credibility as it circulates. They are popular because of the horror that typically coincides with it. “This one guys drank soda, and ate pop rocks at the same time and his head exploded.” There is an intrigue of the possibility that it’s real, and that helps keeps it in circulation. Urban legends are spread in just about every possible way. There are some that go out in emails, chain letter, text, word-of-mouth, and television.

A very commonly known urban legend is Bloody Mary. In 1978, Janet Langlois published an essay on this, making it as well known as it is today. The origin, prior to this time, has not been able to be traced. This urban legend states that any person who stands in front of a mirror and chants “bloody Mary” three times will call an evil spirit. After the person chants, it is rumored that she would kill the person, claw their eyes out, or pull them back into the mirror with her. This is a popular story, and dare, for slumber parties for both boys and girls. The only real variation to the story is how Mary died. Depending on the part of the world, some believe she was a witch and was killed by witchcraft. Others say she died in a car crash. Regardless, this myth has continued circulation for decades. It continues to spread by word-of-mouth, movie remakes, and emails.

The belief of an evil spirit is scary as well as fascinating to many people. That is why horror movies make as much money as they do people like to be scared. The possibility of saying “bloody Mary” three times in a mirror and an evil spirit coming out is not likely. But, to challenge it takes the very small minuscule possibility that it is real, and that makes it thrilling. There are absolutely no verifiable details that can show this urban legend ever held validity. Bloody Mary is its own myth and is not linked to other legends, other than by category. Even though it is believed to be most appealing to a younger crowd, it does not address any specifics of a certain age group, gender, faith, or nation. Not knowing the details of Mary, there is no warning, lesson, or moral epiphany that can be gained as a result of the story.

Bloody Mary is a very appealing urban legend. The mere potential that this could really happen, no matter how disproved it has been, is intriguing to many. This legend has been carried on from generation to generation for decades and still probably one of the best-known stories to date. Movies have made millions of dollars by implementing this legend. The story of bloody Mary will continue to spread because of its appeal, its suspense. There is no harm in telling this story, slumber parties would not be the same without it. Mary was a character that Janet Langlois published, and it has lived on since. No one knows if Janet based this off of some type of reality, or if it was just a creative writer who brought this legend to life. It holds no stereotype, or negative association, other than an evil spirit who jumps out of a mirror and harms whoever calls out for her three times. Until there is a better Urban Legend created, or until bloody Mary actually comes true, I think this will carry on for many more generations.