[UA] Gaston's cryptophage

[Royal Minister of Stuff]

--- Gaston Phillips <gaston at math.sunysb.edu> wrote:
> on 6/28/01 12:52 PM, Royal Minister of Stuff at
> yokeltania at yahoo.com wrote:
> 
> > I think the Cryptophage should always talk in
> sound
> > bites and clips from nearby media.  He should
> never
> > appear "in person," only as an image on the TV or
> a
> > poster or a newspaper article.  You can get notes
> from
> > the Cryptophage, you can find personal ads from it
> > which are quite undeniably addressed to you
> -without
> > using your name.  You know the Cryptophage is
> there
> > and you know he's stalking you, growing stronger
> from
> > your secrets and, one day, he may even assume your
> > identity.  The Cryptophage takes every bad thing
> > you've done and reminds you why it HAS to remain a
> > secret, it tries to turn your entire existence
> into an
> > unknown and it gives you lots of reasons to do so.
> > Like a Con Artist in the Blow-Off stage, it keeps
> you
> > from going out, from contacting anyone who knows
> you,
> > from expressing your existence.
> > 
> > Then it eats you.
> > 
> 
> Ah, dude - hell, yeah.  If you've read _American
> Gods_, there's a similar
> scene... hell, I'll write it up in a few minutes.
> 
> I love the idea of a being that appears only as
> corrupted media - signs on
> the sides of buses, flashing highway information
> signs, overheard radio
> lyrics that are slightly wrong, and sitcoms whose
> plotlines just can't be
> right.
> 
> Yes - I absolutely like that.  But, also, shouldn't
> there be certain
> patterns that repeat?  Like "Time is on my side"
> from Fallen, or something -
> some tune or phrase or something that means it's the
> cryptophage and not
> someone/something else.
> 
Oh, most certainly.  That's a vital part of
identification, especially for a being with a
composite existence.  It's best if those patterns are
pretty common or only slightly askew.  Having
something talk directly to a player is only the last
stage, right before the
blender-which-is-really-a-hungry-mouth catches your
tie or the serial killer pops out from the closet and
ties you up.

Some immediate patterns that occur in US advertising
that scare the hell out of me are:

"AT&T will bring it to you"
or "and such-and-such company will be there."
or "Don't Let This Happen to You!"*
or "Call now!"
or something about a contest.

In fact, a promotional contest or some sort of survey
could be how the Cryptophage attaches itself to
victims.  Especially if the person who participates in
the survey or questionaire or contest LIES on the
application.  Then if would seem as if the contest
itself were getting revenge.

(Which is also why it's important for the Cryptophage
to talk only out of surrounding media.  The media is
supposed to be the opposite of secrecy, but, in fact,
generates its own kind of silence.  It's called
"Agenda Setting.")


*Like when Charlie asks Willie Wonka -in "Charlie and
the Great Glass Elevator" why the monsters on the
space station spell out SCRAM with their bodies when
they want people to stay and be eaten.  Wonka explains
that the monsters only know how to spell on word,
SCRAM and are very proud of it.
or "



=====
-- Rp Bowman, Royal Minister of Stuff
The Electronic Nation of Yokeltania:
http://www.geocities.com/yokeltania/

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