The POV of a scaredy-cat…

Janelle Chavira

I think the “MoMo Challenge” is not of a joking matter. We’ve seen these internet trends come and go, but something about Momo’s appearance is creepy and weird. I understand that when most kids see it, they don’t react by doing what it says, but when it pops up on Youtube while watching a kid-friendly video, it makes me very worried.

The whole thing gives off major Salad Finger vibes, however, this one targets helpless children into watching something that is not something they’d willingly look up themselves.

Whoever thought it’d be funny to make these stupid, reckless videos needs to chill out because it’s not cool. This type of thing could be more harmful than any scary tale told to kids.

The POV of a skeptic…

Avenlea Russian

I think the overhyped hysteria of a hoax “challenge” is quite funny and unbelievable. According to ABC First Coast News, “our VERIFY team finds the claims [of kids pursuing the challenge] are not backed by evidence.” Do we even know if it’s caused any real damage besides plagiarism and rumors?

It is so silly these types of things start. We have real things to worry about. We have better memes than Momo and hoaxes like this happen all the time. Remember the killer clowns roaming the nation? Tide Pods anyone? Just a bunch of baloney.

Kids like things that are scary and creepy. They also like getting attention from mass media and to see parents get hysterical. Parents and adults are the only ones who actually believe it. Like really? What kid watched that and was like, “Oh ya, I’ll do that.” I didn’t even find out about the challenge at school or from a kid, but at work by an adult. Come on.

The Momo Challenge is a viral challenge shared on messaging services where a character tells adolescents and young adults to do extreme and violent acts, such as cutting and suicide, according to Vox. Vox described the creepy character who gives these directions as “the possessed-looking chicken lady.”

The “chicken lady” behind Momo is actually part of a sculpture from Japanese artist based in Tokyo — Keisuke Aiso. The actual name of the sculpture is “Mother Bird” and has been destroyed. Aiso specializes in making props for television shows, according the The Japan Times. The full sculpture from Aiso was the head from the Momo Challenge, along with breasts and bird feet.

Aiso based this piece on the ubume or yokai, a supernatural creature. In Japanese and Chinese folklore, it is the ghost of a woman who died in pregnancy or an alleged “creature with feathers that croaks at and harms children.”