LogFAQs > #892231202

6. Jack the Ripper (27 points)
Nominated by: Shonen_Bat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRAACe6KEsw

Importance: 10
Fear: 9
Snake: 8

Arguably the most infamous and notorious serial killer of all time, as well as the most famous unsolved case of all time, Jack the Ripper continues to astound modern audiences, historians, and investigators to this day. He has become a legend, an almost revered historical figure, who's story has become a mixture of fact, folklore, pseudo-history, and fiction. We still don't know his true identity, and with over 100 theories put forth, it doesn't seem like we ever will. If you've seen the crime scene photos, you know how messed up Jack the Ripper truly was, with horrific mutilations done to his canonical five victims, all women and all prostitutes, often found with their organs missing. There are an additional six victims that some believe are connected to Jack the Ripper as well.

The case of Jack the Ripper was one of the first media frenzies to gain traction, generation a previously unseen level of hysteria and fear at that time. Sales of periodicals and newspapers were increased by the murders; we can still see a similar effect in news reports about mass shootings and murderers as well. These stories were often rushed and untrue, creating sensationalism and muddling the truth of the murders even further. The media also helped name Jack, creating a trend we see in later serial killers like the Boston Strangler or the Zodiac Killer.

As the Ripper has no real image or face, many sources have combined to create an image of what he would've likely looked at the time, including many fictional stories in the horror genre. Particularly, Jack is associated with Dracula and the vampire myth, with a cloaked look being prominent and the idea of sucking out one's blood being the biggest factors taken from that source. Jack has also been associated with high society and the look of a well-to-do British gentlemen is also a popular image of the Ripper. He has been used as a symbol of high society's corruption and wickedness towards the common population. Another thing to note is Jack's connection to Spring-Heeled Jack, another devilish and vicious attacker that was prominent at the time.

Despite Jack's overwhelming "popularity" and infamy, we should do well to never forget the truly horrific murders he has committed. Yet, there's no denying the draw of the case, and it definitely has become something even bigger than it was at the time. As always, it's our natural inclination to be drawn to the dark and terrible, and as such, Jack the Ripper remains one of the biggest influences on horror culture due to the intense mystery and intrigue surrounding the figure.
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The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself.
http://tinyurl.com/zqwzc9a - http://i.imgur.com/e6kIv3X.png - https://i.imgur.com/ecJSilM.png