Creator Of Smokeshow 'Momo' Sculpture Destroys It After Viral Hoax
In the right lighting with a precise amount of hangover, I’m sure there’s times I’ve looked like that.
Anyways, I don’t have kids to look out for & I largely stick to Barstool, military & poop humor Twitter genres, but now it’s hard to ignore “The Momo Challenge” & the parent-generated panic surrounding it.
The whole thing started with artist Keisuke Aisawa & his sculpture “Mother Bird”, which is undoubtedly nightmare fuel, but was created without any intention for the scary sensation it became. Apparently Aisawa was horrified when he found out Mother Bird’s image was being used to terrify little kids…
Advertisement
He announced this week that he has now destroyed the sculpture & said, “Momo is dead.”
VOX explained how the art was used to mess with people & why they think it went viral worldwide:
Images of a demonic chicken lady are stoking panic across the globe, with warnings of a dangerous “suicide game” that targets children on social media. But behind the hysteria linked to the so-called “Momo challenge” is an issue far more revealing: This urban legend is likely little more than a hoax fueled by media reports and parents’ fears about their kids’ online activity.
According to lore, the Momo challenge is a viral game shared on messaging services like WhatsApp that goads young children into violence or even suicide. Images of the devilish bird-lady supposedly pop up with creepy messages and commands that are said to escalate to extreme violence and horror.
Overall though, very few children had actually been exposed to it until adults started freaking out about it. A quick search on Twitter revealed plenty of schools issuing statements & warnings.
South East Cornerstone Public School Division, Saskatchewan, Canada
St. Jean Brebeuf Catholic School, Calgary, Canada
Advertisement
Palm Beach County School District, Florida
A high school in the Philippines going all out as their director, CSupt. Gilbert Cruz, says they made the ‘Momo’ effigy to erase the fear of students and empower them instead
Even YouTube has addressed the issue.
I’m not sure how this hoax will change now that the OG Momo is no more, but as the day goes on I’m seeing more variations & memes popping up on my own timelines. Maybe she’s not so bad, the kids will move on, & a new challenge for adults will pop up altogether.