Momo

Momo was a character commonly associated with a creepypasta.

Background

Momo's creator Keisuke Aiso holding the statue's mask.

Momo was not a fictional creation but an actual sculpture originally called Mother Bird. The sculpture was portrayed as a humanoid bird hybrid, featuring human-like breasts, a beak-shaped mouth, and haunting bulging eyes. The initial appearance of this sculpture on Instagram can be traced back to user nanaakooo, who shared images when it was exhibited at the Vanilla Gallery in Tokyo, Japan.

The artist initially associated with the creation of Momo, Midori Hayashi, denied any involvement or claim to the sculpture. After an extensive research, the true author of the sculpture was attributed to Keisuke Aiso, who worked for the special effects company Link Factory.

Due to the controversy surrounding the character itself (for more, see below), the creator Keisuke Aiso throw away the statue and said that "It doesn’t exist anymore, it was never meant to last. It was rotten and I threw it away. “The children can be reassured Momo is dead - she doesn’t exist and the curse is gone."

Momo challenge phenomenon

Momo has evolved into an urban legend within the Spanish community, notably associated with multiple phone numbers on WhatsApp. The YouTube commentator ReignBot extensively explored this urban legend, delving into the investigation of phone numbers linked to the Momo phenomenon. Over time, the narrative went even far as it became connected to the tragic suicide of a 12-year-old girl in Buenos Aires, Argentina, purportedly influenced by the so-called "Momo Game." This internet phenomenon has sparked discussions among commentators, alleging that it encourages self-harm among children. The Momo Challenge has been compared to the infamous Blue Whale Challenge, involving a format where someone posing as Momo instructs victims to carry out a series of tasks, with refusal met by malicious intent (see more in Appearance section). However, it is crucial to note that there is no concrete evidence linking the Momo Challenge directly to real cases of suicide. Instances of self-harm are often attributed to underlying mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Several incidents, including the suicide of a 10th-grade girl expressing discouragement with grades, a Madras engineering student, and a drug overdose case of an 11-year-old boy from the Philippines, have been loosely associated with the Momo Challenge. Authorities, however, have not confirmed the challenge's direct role in these cases. Doubt surrounds the belief that real harm has occurred, with suggestions that internet trolls exploit these challenges to torment vulnerable individuals rather than being authentic social media challenges.

Appearance

While establishing itself as an internet phenomenon, Momo has made screamer-like appearances in various random videos, most notably within children's cartoon Peppa Pig content. However, during the Peppa Pig episodes, an unexpected cut occurs, revealing an image or message from "Momo." Examples of these messages include singing with a young girl while threatening harm, screaming, or instructing the viewer to play hide and seek without informing their parents, under the threat of harm if they do. In one instance, a Garry's Mod video featuring YouTuber Filthy Frank, also known as Joji, includes a green screen segment where he provides instructions on self-harm with a knife.

However, YouTube has confirmed that material related to Momo is not present on a YouTube Kids app, though the platform allows news stories and videos aimed at raising awareness and educating against the “challenge,” according to a YouTube spokesperson. Contrary to press reports, YouTube asserts that it has not received any links to videos showcasing or endorsing the Momo challenge. Despite YouTube demonetizing videos related to Momo, warnings have been issued on some due to perceived inappropriate content, violating advertiser-friendly guidelines. As of September 2018, most phone numbers supposedly associated with "Momo" were out of service, following WhatsApp's encouragement for users to block and report such numbers. At this point, news coverage of the phenomenon has diminished.

Further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momo_Challenge_hoax
• web.archive.org/web/20190301183552/washingtonpost.com/amphtml/technology/2019/03/01/momo-challenge-isnt-viral-danger-children-online-it-sure-is-viral/
• https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8484645/youtube-kids-suicide-self-harm-cartoons-parents-warning/

See also

• Momo Chatline
• Jeff the Killer
• Smile Dog

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