Urban Legend Gail Collins\' Scorpion

Urban Legend

Gail Collins' "Scorpion Tongue" talks about how bizarre urban legends are in America. Specifically she has pointed out that urban legends in America are synonymous to gossips about America's political history. She has cited several examples of what has been followed and believed in the past, particularly in the country's government system. Some of her examples are (Collins, 1999 pp 529):

The idea that it is the media who affects the people into choosing which or which could better served as statesmen or stateswomen.

The several instances wherein the media created chaos over some people by announcing English scandals (which are either about sex or money)

The importance or unimportance of the role played by Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones and others in the past and present political situation of the U.S. government

The alleged sexual scandals as initiated by Jack Kennedy's predecessor "Honey" Fitzgerald and "Toodles" or about Senator Margaret Chase Smith and her Administrative Assistant

Collins is able to cite such 'urban legends' in a creative and comedic fashion. She is able to highlight that such urban legends have existed in the past and will continue to exist until now. She is also able to imply that the urban legends, she has used as examples, are proofs that people then and now are aware of what is happening in the country and to its government. However, even though the people are aware of the government and the country, they seemed to be more concerned about the little details about the people and about the system. These 'little details' are of no importance and cannot even enhance the growth of the country. More so, as Collins has implied, such concern of the people has turned them into creating gossips that circulates from and through them alone.

Indeed, urban legends are exactly the same as the gossips. The cited examples, according to Collins, are urban legends which in actual served as the gossips initiated by the people and for the people's ears alone. What she meant by this is the fact that all of these incidents do not have any strong evidence to prove that they really happened or existed.

Moreover, the purpose of such 'urban legends' is to create confusion among the people thereby initiating chaos and disorder, which is exactly the same purpose of the gossip. 'Urban legends' such as these are like gossips which pass from mouth to mouth and thy will be no journals, articles nor books that will show how true they are or if they really existed. Moreover, such urban legends will be hype in the media or in some communities for a certain time being, but it will also soon be forgotten. These are the qualities of gossips which are actually the qualities of the urban legends too. Having no difference at all, it can be easily inferred that 'urban legend' is equivalent to 'gossip'.

Some of other examples of urban legends that are circulating recently are:

Several people have been stuck with AIDS-infected needles while sitting in Movie Theater seats. Sometimes the trapped seats have a note on them welcoming the person to the world of AIDS" http://www.warphead.com/urbanlegends/antisocial.htm,2006 para 2).

This particular urban legend is particularly 'famous' when the issue on AIDS came into prominence. It was the time when the first cases of AIDS were shown in the media and sciences and medical professionals were admitting that this specific disease is incurable, and that precautionary measures should be done to prevent having inflicted with such disease. One of the precautionary measures stated before are having safe sex and making sure that the blood being transferred is not infected with such disease.

Having an idea that AIDS can be transferred via blood transfusion or through some needles (particularly in the syringe) which is infected by AIDS, an urban legend immediately circulated that there are planted syringes inside the movie houses. The fact that it is not curable added weight for the urban legend to circulate because people though that those who already have the disease would want to have more people to have such disease. This is to prompt the government and the scientist would exert extra effort in finding solutions to the illness.

It is very clear then that this particular 'urban legend' is very much the same as the gossips circulating around America. No proofs whatsoever, and the only purpose is to stir pandemonium among people.

A student at Oxford was sitting an exam when he called a supervisor and asked for his mug of ale and a plate of scones. Turns out there's rules dating back to medieval times - a few of which were never repealed. The ale and scones are duly brought. At his next exam, he's refused entry because he's not carrying his sword." http://www.warphead.com/urbanlegends/school.htm,2006 para 5)

This particular urban legend circulated among the students. This type of urban legend is not time bounded for the students can relate to this, may it be students from the past, or students of the present time. This particular urban legend is funny in a way and it stirs imagination among the students as to how life was in the medieval era. And like what Collins has pointed out, urban legends such as this, are like gossips which do not provide any positive impact to any concerned people who may have heard or may have initiated such idea. It is just a thought that is nice to be heard, but there's really nothing to learn from it.

A student in a very large auditorium-class didn't stop working on his exam when the professor called "time." When he went up to turn it in, the professor said he needn't bother, he'd already failed. The student looked at the large stack of exams on the desk and asked "Do you know who I am?" angrily. The professor replied that he didn't, and the student stuck his exam in the middle of the stack and said, "Good." http://www.warphead.com/urbanlegends/school.htm,2006 para 2)

Just like the second example of urban legend circulating in today's time, this third example is a kind of urban legend that may have sprouted from the school premises. There is a strong possibility that the students started it just to pass time or have something to talk about. This particular urban legend is also like a gossip that is famous in a specific setting, and that is in schools, for it is the students and the professors that can only relate to this. This is a thought that can serve as a source of laughter but there is really no moral values that can be learned from it.