ABC's 20/20 Exploits The Slender Man Atrocity For Halloween Ratings

 

Long time, no post creepers! Yes, I know it has been a LONG TIME, since I last published a blog on OMG, Anna! What's Going On?! However, that doesn't mean that I quit blogging.

Every so often, I have updated previously published blogs and published newer blogs on my website, It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. 

In fact, I celebrated my website's 6th anniversary in late September with the annual Q&A blog.

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns 6th Anniversary Q&A

Anyway, that is not why I am publishing today's blog. 

On October 25th, ABC's 20/20 premiered the 2-hour documentary about The Slender Man Case. This particular 20/20 Special was titled, The Wicked. Around YouTube, I had no luck finding The Wicked's promo. Although, ABC News did upload the 2-hour documentary. Here is Part 1 of The Wicked: 

ABC's 20/20: The Wicked Part 1 (2019)

Even though I am glad that ABC spent the last 5 years following The Slender Man atrocity, such a highly sensitive atrocity should've been aired either before, or after October. You may be wondering, "Anna, what difference did it make?"

Well, considering how horrific the atrocity was and still is 5 years later, ABC's marketers made the network look as if ABC was exploiting an adolescent girl's shankings for a Halloween ratings hike. 

Had ABC News uploaded their promo for The Wicked on YouTube, the video would've been evidence for my slight rant. The marketing was somewhat distasteful. Then again, that's probably why ABC News didn't upload their promo to YouTube.

Just because the reports about the shankings were horrific, it didn't give ABC the right to market the atrocity like it was going to be a Horror film specially released for Halloween. 

Of all the 12 months out the year, why October? Why Halloween Season? Why not on the anniversary of the atrocity?

More sympathy AND empathy should've been shown by ABC's marketers. 

It somewhat felt as if the network was exploiting Payton Leutner's shankings for Halloween ratings, while simultaneously TRYING to show their compassion for Payton's well-being. 

ABC MAY have had good intentions, but the network's timing and marketers should've been more empathetic and respectful.

The way ABC marketed and advertised said grisly atrocity made them look opportunistic as well as insensitive to Payton Leutner and her family's suffering. 

It was bad enough, that Sylvain White directed and David Birke wrote the script last year for the Horror film about The Slender Man. The movie was banned from theaters in Waukesha, WI out of respect for Payton.

Slender Man Trailer (2018)

Last year, Adult Swim's Robot Chicken did a spoof about The Slender Man, which was highly distasteful. 

Robot Chicken: Slender Man Spoof (2018)

Normally, I like watching Robot Chicken. Over the last decade, some of their episodes have been hits and misses. The scene above was definitely a miss as well as highly insensitive to Payton Leutner.

Despite all the distasteful flaws made by ABC, Sylvain White, David Birke, and Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, which were mentioned above, there is a silver lining.

Those of us, who watched The Wicked, had the chance to learn more details about this horrific Slender Man attack. In more ways than 1, the stabbings personally hit TOO close to home.

In 2014, I published a blog about The Slender Man attack on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. Call it an eerie coincidence, or a premonition in the form of a disturbing and painful dream. You can decide for yourself by reading my blog in the following link:

 

Pre-Teen Sociopaths Stab Friend, Then Blame Slender Man For It (2014)

You have no idea how BADLY  I wanted to skip from Milwaukee County to Waukesha County just to serve jury duty for The Slender Man Trial. 

Every sane viewer like yours truly, who watched The Wicked, had enough common sense and critical thinking skills to be outraged by Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's murderous attempts.

Meanwhile, we have bleeding hearts wearing rose-colored glasses here in WI showing sympathy for 2 lying, sociopathic, serial killers in the making. 

If I have to hear someone say, "They're just babies" 1 more time, I'll scream!

For several years, our local news reported about Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier conveniently sharing "schizophrenia." Their lawyers stalled their trial for YEARS.

Why did they do that?  

Because Morgan and Anissa would've faced adult charges for second-degree homicide. As their judge told them to their faces in court, what they did was "pure evil."

In addition, their lawyers like Morgan's lawyer (Anthony Cotton, for example) had a handful of psychiatrists cross-examine those 2 sociopathic killers. 

If none of Morgan and Anissa's psychiatrists justified their murderous attempts and validated their lies about "schizophrenia" in court, Morgan and Anissa's lawyers kept finding new psychiatrists, who would.

Almost everyone, who cross-examined Morgan and Anissa already KNEW, that Morgan and Anissa were sociopathic killers.

Our local news in WI FAILED to report over these last 5 years, that Morgan conducted personal research about HOW to get away with murder, while pretending to be schizophrenic for a lesser sentence, BEFORE attempting to murder her "best friend," Payton. 

Journalists also refused to report, that Creepypasta is a Horror Fan Fiction website meant for ADULTS 18 and older.

Hmm... Why is that? Talk about so-called "schizophrenic babies" trying to "game the system." Everything Morgan and Anissa did was premeditated.

Everyone else with critical thinking skills AND common sense continuously say, that Morgan and Anissa should've been charged for life rather than several decades inside mental institutions.

Yes, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier do have serious mental problems BUUUT... they are a LOT  more manipulative with their SOUND MINDS than what they pretend to be for the public. 

After their decades of being institutionalized are up, they will be back on the streets to re-offend. Thank their jury and lawyers in Waukesha, WI for such bullshit.

While Morgan and Anissa are petitioning for lesser time inside mental institutions, adults in WI SHOULD be petitioning for those 2 demon seeds to be charged for life. 

It's not like they will ever be any assets to society. If anything, they are menaces to it.

Because of Morgan and Anissa, their so-called "friend," who they brutally shanked nearly to death 19 TIMES, continues to sleep with a pair of scissors under her pillow for protection from them. That is highly abnormal. 

What kind of life is THAT for anyone to live?  

Regardless of what Payton Leutner says, her defenses are still up, mentally, physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

Payton may claim to be happier with her life, now that her "friends" are institutionalized, but she's not. The girl's mind and body are still traumatized from being attacked, 5 years later.

Continuing to sleep with a pair of scissors underneath her pillow JUST IN CASE Morgan and Anissa re-appear to kill her as she sleeps speaks louder than words. But that's okay everybody! Morgan and Anissa are now 17-year-old BABIES. (Did you catch the sarcasm just now?)

Who Are The Characters In Anna H's Short Stories?

How's it going lurkers? Is it just me, or does today's gif look creepy? Staring at the illustration of those hands typing and the texture of the hands somewhat make my skin crawl. 

It appears that I managed to creep myself out. 

Since I write New Adult Psychological Horror, Crime, and Psychological Thriller Short Stories, it would only be fitting to have a creepy-looking gif to help set the tone for this blog. 

Recently, I realized that I never published a character list for any of my short stories. 

You already know that I self-built my Horror/Thriller page with excerpts of my short stories and that I published blogs explaining about some of them. However, I have NEVER published a character list on here. At least, not to my recollection.

Before publishing today's blog, listing the characters for my Flash Fiction piece, "Across The Street" was impossible. 

How? How could I?

Feeling stumped, how could I POSSIBLY create a character list for the preceding Horror Flash Fiction piece that I originally wrote in 2005?

When I originally wrote the story, it was titled "Dolls" and mostly in homage to Octavio Paz's "The Blue Bouquet."  

At the time, it was astonishing to witness that my Creative Writing Professor enjoyed my horrifying version of the late author's Flash Fiction piece.

In "Across The Street," the characters are nameless. A young, female author is the narrator. 

After taking a break from writing on a dark and stormy night with torrential downpours, she goes to bed and begins to have what are called, "false awakenings."

False awakenings are dreams within a dream. 

In this particular situation, the narrator's dreams are nightmares within a nightmare.

Hearing a monstrous thunderclap and a domestic disturbance from across the street break her nightmare. 

Being an interloper, the narrator walks across the street to her neighbors' house only to discover a domestic murder.

The husband's mutilated corpse is found propped on the floor by the narrator, inside the garage, after he attempted to rape his deranged wife. The narrator is soon held hostage by the widow.

Aside from "Across The Street," the characters in my other short stories can be viewed as darker as well as more depraved and sadistic than in the preceding piece.

Some feedback was given about the characters in "Maliciousness," "The Bill Collector," and "Psycho Vs. Psycho," over the last year or 2.

I always considered those 3 short stories to be a "short story trilogy." According to a writing coach, "Maliciousness," "The Bill Collector," and "Psycho Vs. Psycho" would be considered a so-called "novel-in-short story."

So, why is that?

Well, all 3 short stories read like a fast pace novel and have the same recurring characters. 

Anyway, here are the lists of all the characters found in "Maliciousness," "The Bill Collector," and "Psycho Vs. Psycho."

Part 1: "Maliciousness" Character List

Terry- 1st person narrator/bully explaining about his 1-sided friendship with Alice

Alice- Victim with a past vendetta against Terry, Tiffany, Carrie, Drew, and Michael

Tiffany- Terry's ex-girlfriend, who he cheated on with Carrie

Carrie- Terry's former friend/one night stand

Drew- Terry's former friend and Carrie's ex-boyfriend, who she cheated on with Terry

Michael- Terry's former high school jock best friend and Alice's scumbag crush/prom date

Part 2: "The Bill Collector" Character List

Alice- 21-year-old petite, chunky blonde protagonist, who somewhat resembles Britney Spears and is a Capricorn

Damon- Alice's recently unemployed live-in boyfriend, who could pass as LL Cool J's young doppelganger and spoils her with expensive birthday gifts

Alexis- Alice's feisty, Rottweiler/Doberman Pinscher mutt that Damon buys as Alice's birthday present

Greg- Somewhat resembles actor/voice actor Seth Green and is Americana's clerk and a love-struck stalker with jaw dropping secrets

Gwendalyn- Americana's clerk and Greg's co-worker, who helps Alice and Damon with Alice's 21st birthday present

Part 3: "She's Their Obsession" Character List

Alice- 21-year-old protagonist being objectified and stalked by 3 scumbags

Damon- Alice's unemployed, live-in boyfriend, who rushes to her rescue with Alexis

Alexis- Alice's feisty, Rottweiler/Doberman Pinscher that Damon bought her as a birthday gift

Greg- Americana's clerk, Gwendalyn's co-worker, and a love-struck stalker going under the guise of "Larry" with jaw dropping secrets

Michael- Terry's former jock best friend and Alice's antagonistic, deranged, scumbag crush/prom date from the past

Tony Sausalito- Sleazy, opportunistic, Spanish American, security guard at the gas station, who is titillated by Alice

The preceding character lists are only lists for 3 of my 6 short stories. Have any thoughts regarding these 3 character lists? If so, let me know what you think!

Whatever You Do, Hemophobics, Don't Faint! It's Only Blood!

 

How's it going lurkers? In case you have not already guessed, today's blog is NOT  about hemophilia. It is about hemophobia. 

 

Hemophobia is the fear or phobia of blood.

The more I thought about hemophobia, I chose to conduct online research about it, hoping to find informative articles about the phobia. Low and behold, there are at least several.

Stumbling upon the website, FearOf.Net, I discovered that it is a website specifically dedicated to a plethora of phobias. 

When visiting FearOf.Net's main page, there is an Anxiety Test, as well as lists of the Top 10 and Top 100 Phobias. Of course, 4 of mine made the Top 10 List.

Don't be fooled. Just because I am a Horror fan and author, doesn't mean I don't have any phobias of my own. My biggest phobia made Number 1 and must be slayed every time I walk inside and outside the house, throughout spring, summer, and early fall.

To solve any confusions some might already have, being hemophobic is NOT  the same as being terrified of needles (trypanophobic).  

Trypanophobia is more common than hemophobia.

How many people do you know personally enjoy having blood work done and/or shots taken at hospitals/clinics?

Both shots and blood work can be extremely painful. This is especially if you have a ruthless nurse holding a needle in his/her hands just to brutally stab you with it.

Hemophobics typically experience symptoms such as anxiety (duh), nausea, increased heart rate, sweating, and trembling at the sight of blood.

Sudden drops in blood pressure and heart rate leading to pallor or weakness and fainting at the sight of blood are soon to follow.

Some have been caused to have a fear of blood due to traumatic and tragic experiences. Bloody images shown on TV and movies can also contribute to hemophobia.

It goes without saying that genres, sub-genres, and themes that are "near and dear to my heart," so to say (Horror, Thriller, Crime, serial killers, etc.) are mostly to blame for hemophobia. 

Well, the objective IS to frighten audiences after all. Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing our jobs.

Anyway, if you would like to participate in the poll taking, statistical data, and are more curious about hemophobia specifically, don't be too horrified to LEARN MORE.

So, did I happen to traumatize anyone with the display of blood?