Friday, November 14, 2003

The Raven Thing

OK, I haven't said anything about this yet, 'cause I never read Raven's journal. In case you missed it, here's the background:
-Someone kept a journal here under the name of Raven.
-A few days ago, someone posted in Raven's journal that Raven had been killed in a car accident.
-People are now questioning whether Raven existed at all. Seems the photos used on Raven's site were shots of a model that were snagged from said model's site.
The whole story is over at Journal Enquirer.

Here's what I think:
1. When news of the death was first posted, I was oddly skeptical. Just because it seems weird that a friend would have Raven's password to log on to her account. Seemed a little convenient, but not impossible.
2. When info regarding the potential hoax was posted, I was also oddly skeptical. How on earth did someone just RANDOMLY come upon this model's website, scan through the photos, and then happen to recognize the photos as the ones on Raven's site? And they'd do that shortly after someone posted about her death? Suspicious. (In what way, though? It's almost as if someone *knows* it is a hoax and is now prodding the AOL Journalling community into discovering it.)

My conclusion:
One of two things is going on. Either:
1. Raven wasn't altogether honest with us, and was using someone else's pictures.
2. Raven didn't exist, and the whole thing was a hoax. Possibly one were are *supposed* to discover now.

I don't know which to believe, but I'll add the only thing that really matters to me right now:
The post by Raven's friend in her journal reads like someone seriously in pain, full of anger at the senseless death of her friend. Could it be bogus? Sure, it could. But if it's true, I can't imagine the extra levels of hell we are putting this woman through by challenging the truth of the journal and asking for proof of its legitimacy. If she is actually grieving right now -- and we still don't have actual proof that she isn't -- what we're doing to her is worlds more cruel than any possible hoax.

So, yeah, I have a great big question mark over the whole thing -- but, for now, I will give a grieving woman the benefit of the doubt.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting take on this situation. You are right, it is difficult to understand what the real story is behind it all. The best thing to do is just let it lie.

Anonymous said...

i read the journal & i cried cuz it was so sad & tragic, like a movie. then i thought 2 myself, gee what a great story this could make & then well, what if it was fake already? it sounded 2 perfect. their dates consisted of mountain hiking and log cabins. even how she met her luv was kinda quirky, both walking their dogs @ a park & their dogs were "in luv" i smell a disney cartoon here. in any case, i did believe it @ 1st, but now i'm not sure either.

Anonymous said...

p.s. they dated all of two weeks i think, not ever having sex, and when they finally did they die soon after. hmmmmm....