Death Teddy
[2006-12-22 08:45]

Back in the 1990s when I worked for a non-profit AIDS organization, a couple of the more cynical staff coined the term "Death Teddy", which they used to refer to people who seemed to love to mourn. These were folk who would compulsively attend wakes/funerals/memorials for people who died, despite having no connection to the deceased. Maybe you know the type.

I suspect that there's some psychological basis for death teddiness: survivor's guilt; the need to be included, even in a tragedy; the desire for intimacy and human compassion; the drive to demonstrate ones own compassion; or perhaps the enjoyment of being consoled.

Anyway, the news coverage of those missing climbers last week reminded me of this behavior --not because they were covering the story, but because of the extent of the coverage and the faux remorse of the newscasters.

So, that led to me Googling for "Death Teddy", which resuled in some interesting finds.

First link is for a monster in MapleStory. I'm not much into MMORPGs so I'll pass, although it looks like a cute game (with a bewildering website).

Of greater amusement to me was the Sudden Infant Death Teddy Bear, which sounded like a grizzly who teleports unexpectedly into the cribs of pathologically mournful toddlers. But, alas, it's just a plush toy.

Finally, although this is just a jump-off point, death-teddy.net seems to have some intriguing content. I'll have to check it out in my copious spare time.