Pseuicide
| Synonyms: | pseudocide, pseudicide |
| See also: | sockpuppet, wank, fandom flounce, online exit, Münchausen by Internet |
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Pseuicide is a homonymic pun used primarily in fandom to mean a fake death. Another version, more commonly used on the internet at large, is pseudocide,[1] which also avoids confusion when pronounced out loud. It can refer to the faked death of a sockpuppet, or of one's online persona. Sometimes used to refer to a suicide attempt or suicide threat using less-fatal methods, aka a "cry for help." Pseuicide (or pseudicide) in fandom relates to the use of a pseudonym (or pseud), a practice prevalent in fandom.
Pseuicides may be sudden -- car accidents, aneurysms -- or lengthy affairs with textbook-perfect (or vague and random) disease symptoms, described in detail (from a hospital bed, via never-fail internet connections, while the patient is at death's door, or by a relative). Extremes of this behavior are often called Munchausen by Internet,[2] where the "cry for help" is literally a solicitation for sympathetic attention by use of dramatic lying. However, in most cases, pseuicides are merely convenient methods for retiring a persona which has come under unwanted attention and/or wank.
Origin
According to Fancyclopedia, the term refers to a 1941 hoax in which Oliver King Smith falsely claimed that his roommate, Earl Singleton, had committed suicide.[3] In the original context, pseuicide or pseudocide is a shortening of pseudo + suicide and has nothing to do with pseudonyms.
Examples
- Ann Carver (Star Trek)
- Victoria Bitter (Lord of the Rings)
- Jani Hicks (Star Wars)
- Svmaria (Smallville)
- limeybean (Harry Potter) [4]
Additional Reading
- Establishing one's fandom bona fides ; archive link page 1, archive link page 2 (December 2006)
- Tragic-ish Death of Limeybean (2006)
- The Wank to End All Wanks, Archived version by Christy Corr (June 2006)
- Sep and Snacky's Guide to Pseuicide: How to Fake Your Death In Fandom for the Fun and Enjoyment of All, with help from Ms. Ann Larimer Md. Phd. Esq.; WebCite (December 2006)
- Pseuicide: the painless way to become a source of lasting inspiration on the internet! (2006)
- Pseudonym Sunday: How to Disappear Completely and Make Sure Everyone Knows About It, Archived version (April 2015)
- "410 Gone": Infocide in Open Content Communities by Joseph Reagle, posted 5.2012, accessed 5.2012
References
- ^ Urban Dictionary definition of pseudocide
- ^ Munchausen by Internet at Wikipedia, published December 9, 2006, accessed October 10, 2008.
- ^ Pseuicide - Fancyclopedia 3, Archived version (accessed 1 October 2018)
- ^ After Harry Potter fan Limeybean's pseuicide on LiveJournal in 2006, the phenomenon was first dubbed "Limeybean's Disease" and then "Munchausen by Proxy Server" on JournalFen's Jurisimprudence community by the combined power of isntitironic and sparkly_stuff. -- Somebody Had To. July 13, 2006. Fandom Wank mods Sep and Snacky later wrote a comical guide to pseuicide. --Fandom Wank entry, December 9, 2006, accessed October 10, 2008, which explains several of the cultural touchstones of this phenomenon. Also see I pulled a Peter Pettigrew Pseuicide Wank!.