An article about fake internet deaths in LA Weekly

[subbes]

The Life and Death of Jesse James: an Internet Love Mystery

Hope I haven't spoiled the punchline for y'all with the title of this post.
The story follows the usual fake death cadence, but the article is still worth a read. Plus, the last page includes a picture of "Janna St James," who I'm sure has explored LJ as well.

Comments

[glitterberrys]

I love this guy's writing style (though I can't say the same for his writing for film).

The blog continues. Now it’s chock-full of stuff like, “Today I saw a cloud that looked like a giraffe. Jesse would have loved it. Here’s a picture.” And then there’s a picture of a cloud. Ay yi yi.

Dying. Dyyyying.

The story itself, of course, is appalling, though really nothing new. Sigh. What the hell is wrong with people? How can they be so desperate for attention or entertainment that they have no qualms about hurting others?

[gdanzer13]

I agree. The fact that it was being presented as a revelation that people do this somewhat bothers me. If people only knew how often stuff like this really happens.

[shanalicious]

Apparently this is the video?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XmPDGZPnYl0

I can't watch it on the computer I'm using, so I'm not entirely sure...

[gdanzer13]

Huh. Really repentant, huh?

[birdiebrain]

This appears to be a blog run by the woman who was scammed.

[meowed]

how depressing for her to have all of that out like that for everyone to see. I'm glad she's strong enough to keep the dialog going. people need to know this shit happens all too frequently.

[paulownia]

Unlike what the writer portrays where the woman seems to not understand what she has done, I think she completely does. It's an addiction to fabricate a life to entertain yourself, an addition to power and control. YOU as the faker control the responses of another person. Because they're not real to you, it almost is like pulling the strings without having to deal with the consequences.

I also hope this woman isn't sitting somewhere on google getting her kicks out of reading the response to what she did. But part of me thinks that that too is part of how people who do this "get off." If she does read this, I Hope she realizes she needs help.

[meowed]

I think he hit the nail on the head when he said it's a lot like Munchhausen's by Proxy. It seems so much like the mental, internet version of that and people who have it never seem to understand, either, even with a mountain of evidence of their horror right in their faces.

[stopword]

It appears that Jenna herself is in the comments on the story, using "Audrey's" real name and talking about how unfair it is that the writer didn't cover "Jenna's" side.

[writerspleasure]

an archetypal story of the internet. thank you for it.