What Becomes a Legend Most
by Jacob Ward

Originally published in Wired 5.12, December 1997

Test your gullible friends' rational investigation skills by referring them to the Urban Legends Reference Pages. David Mikkelson, self-proclaimed public affairs officer for the mythical San Fernando Valley Folklore Society, and his wife, Barbara, have created an enormous storehouse of the rumors we've all heard: alligators roam the sewers of New York; Richard Gere has a peculiar affinity for gerbils; pull tabs from aluminum cans are redeemable for sex or kidney dialysis. Four categories separate fact from fiction (true, false, unverifiable, and untraceable); any rumor worthy of more than a few lines receives full academic treatment, complete with a formal bibliography. Incidentally, Walt Disney did not put himself in cryogenic deep freeze: his death certificate proves it.

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