Just got back from the 2004-2005 circuit assembly here are a few thoughts. (page 3)

Forscher

The literature as good or better than college level books? Well, when I think of all the blame American hegmony yahduh, yahduh, for all of Latin America's problems in my history of Latin America textbook and the radical left politics that were pushed in some of my other textbooks (the social science ones), he may have a point there!

By the way, my history professor, an Argentinian, apologized to us for his selection of a history book on Latin America. It had been recommended by a coleaugue of note as a good book. But in his opinion it was so full of radical left political tripe as to be almost useless (he really did say that !). :-)

NeonMadman

I still think someone needs to create a Snopes-like site just for these types of JW urban legends. That site would be hilarious.

Well, it's not on the level of Snopes, but there is this page on Randy Watters' site.

xjw_b12

Thanks PA for that synopsis.

HEAD MAN AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY.

Head of what?

JustTickledPink

The story about AIDS is so stupid, I can't believe anyone would swallow that chit.

It reminds me of when I was 18 and working as a waittress and got impitego roseacea (sp?) I got all these red bumps all over my body, my mother freaked and told me it was an STD because I had kissed some boy. First of all, you can't get an STD from the kissing I did... and roseacea is NOT an STD. It's a fungal infection you get from working with people, handling their food, dirty dishes, etc... I was near people and caught it just like you catch chicken pox. She went on and on and took me to the elders too, as if the red spots were evidence of fornication. I hadn't done ANYTHING! It pissed me off and we went to a dermatologist MD who told my mother that it has NOTHING to do with kissing. She still spouted off her illogical crap.

blondie

Snopes like site:

Like those stories in the early days of AIDS, where
someone would sleep with a stranger and wake up to find
the message ?Welcome to the wonderful world of AIDS!?
scrawled on the bathroom mirror in lipstick or delivered
in a tiny gift-wrapped coffin.

http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1355&page=1

or

http://users.aber.ac.uk/mikstaff/ftn5455.htm

Gender Shifts in Contemporary Legend

Elissa R. Henken

English, University of Georgia

[email protected]

While certain contemporary legends appear to be gender neutral (both men and women have eaten Kentucky-fried rat) and many are well established with one gender as the constant protagonist/victim (women are the vulnerable main characters in their cars and dorm rooms; men figure as scuba divers dropped into forest fires and surf the air currents to safety from the World Trade Center), still other legends demonstrate various forms of gender shift. The gender shift may present itself in one basic legend taking different forms depending on the gender fo the protagonist, as in the case of the vacationer who is welcomed to the wonderful world of AIDS: the woman enjoys a romantic interlude and receives her message in a gift-wrapped coffin; the man has a one-night-stand and receives his message scrawled on the mirror. The two forms provide the same warnings about the dangers of infection but they reflect different expectation is of appropriate contexts for sexual activity. Another type of gender shift, however, occurs with legends which start out being told about one gender and then, either on rare occasions or thoroughly over time, switch to the other gender.

JustTickledPink

Does anyone watch MYTHBUSTERS? They are hilarious... they take urban legends and use science experiements to either prove or disprove them.

I wish there was a mythbusters for JWs, every quote would be held up to the test of PROVING IT. You can't go to University and cite stories or examples without a reference that can be checked factually. Even the Inquirer and trash tabloids check their facts and stories better then the WTS when it comes to these obscure assembly stories.

ValiantBoy

Blondie...I always enjoy your intelligent and well thought out posts.

I have heard several versions of this "Welcome to the World of AIDS" story---all urban legends. A few years back a sister in our cong in Texarkana spread one about people sitting on hypodermic needles that had been left in seats in movie theaters. Attached to the needles were notes reading..get ready..that's right.."Welcome to the world of AIDS." And of course her point was that we should avoid seeing worldly movies because it could endanger our life.

And while I have known a few fairly educated people who enjoyed witness literature (or perhaps read it out of morbid curiosity or just for laughs), that story still sounds like something that has been embellished as it's been passed through the Witness experience/bs/ rumor mill. I have no doubt that the retelling told on here was exactly what was told at the Assembly, but even DO's pass on inaccurate or exaggerated experiences.

catchthis

The "AIDS Harry" version (man infects woman) usually features a romance of some duration taking place in a faraway place. The depraved infector passes along his good news by way of a gift, which he asks his victim to unwrap once she's on the plane home. Depending upon where you hear this story, the gift will be a minature coffin (ceramic or wooden) or a coffee mug. Whichever item it is, it will invariably be emblazoned with the message "WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AIDS."

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/aidsmary.htm

Well this just goes to show that the WTS will go to any lengths necessary to scare the dubbies into submission. Interesting to see that they are not very original in coming up with new "stories" these days about bad things happening to careless witnesses. I would suspect that many of the other JW legends could be found on Snopes in one form or another. Probably just the ones where something bad happens....so and so meeting a famous person and leaving them literature which leads to a shortlived study are obviously not going to be recorded.

jaredg

i think the moral of that story is ti USE A FREAKING CONDOM!!

RunningMan

the HEAD MAN AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY.

Meaning, of course, that he cleaned the "head".

Thanks for the update.

Just got back from the 2004-2005 circuit assembly here are a few thoughts.

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