So There's a New Article on Vice about Tulpas

[GuessWho]

It's Happening...

 

 

I'm referring to the OP in the context of previous threads we've had around here.

Somewhat of an inside joke, I guess.

 

[glitchthe3rd]

Fox News story when? I want to see that happen because they'll inevitably get every detail horribly wrong, which will paradoxically only increase public awareness about tulpas.

[GuessWho]

I don't think this will make it onto FOX News any time soon.

They already have their hands full covering all Obama's screw-ups.

[Guest amber5885]

The comments are funny. I get the feeling that te world is no where near ready for this idea.

[Argentum]

It's neither dangerous nor edgy, it's just embarassing, because a lot of what's in there is simply true. If you don't like that article - this is how most outsiders will see tulpas. Think about what you bring to the community and how it affects it's image.

 

you callin' me a roleplayer mate?

 

What do you mean Tess? A lot of that has happened, and to more than a few people, but its an unfair assessment of the community. They select the loudest and most ridiculous people's opinions to make the community sound like freaks. But that's probably just my bias, because I am a freak.

[sushi]

They select the loudest and most ridiculous people's opinions to make the community sound like freaks.

 

Oh trust me, if I were deliberately selecting the loudest and most ridiculous people in the community, Linkzelda would not make the list. I could do SO much worse.

 

All in all, I don't think the article is that bad. It paints us in a relatively positive light, considering. I mean, it could easily have been worse. Even some of the comments are more neutral than negative.

 

I certainly wouldn't have been brave enough to give my full name for this thing though. Just call me sushi.

[Redback Spino]

Speaking from the perspective of someone who wasn't really part of the tulpa scene when I first read this, this article doesn't really seem to paint it in that bad a light. The rather uncomfortable focus on tulpa-sex aside, it seemed pretty informative, neutral (Stating the straight facts rather than voicing the opinions of the writers), and did highlight some of the possible benefits of tulpamancy for companionship and even the possibility of using them for psychological therapy of some sort. And they did at least cite a fairly credible scientist for his thoughts on the matter.

[FF_CCSa1F]

I don't see why this article is getting painted in such a negative light. People that have spent months or years thinking about and making tulpas, seem to forget how fringe an idea they really are. In my opinion, the article does a reasonably good job at explaining such a very strange concept, in words that a Vice reader might understand (and even be interested in).

[Argentum]

If I were a Joe Public and read something like that, Joe would think that they were nuts. I would think that they are most likely either well meaning oddballs at best, and attention whores at worst. I was a Joe Public once, and I discovered tuppers on the strange side of the internet, like most people. They never mentioned a word about tupla sex, or anything except that they existed. Even the concept of making parallel consciousnesses seemed absolutely ridiculous to me. So that's why I wanted to see if it was real by trying it. The rest is history.

 

Now the reason I bring all that backstory up is because it can only bring bad by giving that sort of exposure of the tupla community to the broader public. If I saw that article when I was still Joe Public, I would think immediately that they are all crazy and never touch it, or worse avoid it like the plague.

 

It was nice that they mentioned they were beneficial for some people, and nice that they cited a SCIENTIST but still, it wasn't completely objective. They only picked the most dramatic tupla stories for the site, instead of what happens with most normal people. Im not particularly surprised or really indignant, as that was the article's real purpose (to entertain), but I mean, come on. It could have been worse, but it could have been better. Less entertaining, but more honest.

[SuchGrace]

Thousands of young men have taken to the tulpa community and started exploring their imaginations, populating private wonderlands with talking ponies that they may or may not have sex with. Is this really what our grandfathers went to war for?

...

 

Overall I feel the article misses the point of tulpamancy. Of course, considering the point of all of this is up for debate, that's an unfair criticism.

 

It's exposure, and weather or not it is good or bad exposure is largely irrelevant. The majority of vice readers are there to be entertained, those who are legitimately interested in exploring tulpamancy will find the truth for themselves.

 

But I agree, it could have been better. Less entertaining, and more honest.