Content Warning!
The following work contains content and material that some may find shocking. Reader discretion is advised.
This article contains spoilers!
Please be advised that the following article contains spoilers for the screamer mentioned in the title or description. If you have not yet experienced the material and wish to avoid spoilers, we recommend that you proceed with caution or refrain from reading until you have done so.
Smile Dog is the main antagonist in the creepypasta narrative of the same name. Referred to as smile.jpg or smile.dog, this character gained notoriety within the creepypasta community after its emergence on the imageboard website4chan in 2008.[1]Smile Dog is characterized by its portrayal as a Siberian husky, featuring a disconcerting and eerily human-like grin. The true origin of the image, known as smile.jpg, remains an unsolved mystery. Individuals who claim to have encountered this image describe suffering from epileptic episodes and enduring profoundly disturbing nightmares involving Smile Dog. These nightmares typically involve the creature compelling them to share the image with others. Failure to comply within three days results in a "nightmarish" transformation of the image, making those who view it became even more distressed.
Smile Dog is often portrayed as a dog-like creature resembling a Siberian husky with a wide, eerie, and human-like grin, featuring sharp, white teeth. This unsettling image is typically illuminated by a sudden camera flash. In the background, a dimly lit room provides minimal details, focusing attention on the eerie grin. Additionally, many depictions include an outstretched, empty human hand emerging from the darkness on the left side of the frame, appearing to "beckon" the viewer and some have claimed it to be a hand of the devil.
Personality and abilities
Smile Dog possesses a range of many abilities. When individuals view its image, it induces severe psychological torment, leading to vivid and distressing nightmares. This compels victims to experience prolonged mental distress. Smile Dog can also compel victims to "spread the word" with intense pressure, pushing them to share its image via various means, creating an overwhelming urge to comply. Some versions suggest that Smile Dog can manifest in the real world, potentially causing physical harm or death if victims resist its commands. Smile Dog displays relentless persistence in tormenting victims in their dreams for extended periods, potentially leading to severe psychological consequences like suicide or sleep deprivation. Additionally, there are hints of a supernatural connection, with some versions suggesting a link to demons and Satanism.
History
The tale reveals that smile.jpg began its circulation on 4chan's /x/ board in 2008.[2][1] Entries about Smile Dog in the Urban Dictionary describe it as "one of the earliest instances of creepypasta chain letters" and note its notoriety for driving those who view it to madness. The earliest known entry on the site dates back to January 15, 2009. A prominent Smile Dog story emerged on April 27, 2010, eventually finding its way onto the Creepypasta Wiki on August 27, 2009. Additionally, the image made an appearance in SCP-450, a well-known YouTube screamer, where it was featured among a collection of frightening images in a slideshow.
Synopsis
NOTE: The following section contains spoilers!
Click Here to Show Spoilers
“
You try to tell yourself over and over, it’s just an image. Just a stupid picture of a stupid dog that someone has photoshopped teeth onto. It isn’t even scary, or at least it doesn’t scare you. Not one bit. How could it scare you? It’s just a picture. You tell …
”
The titular story.
Numerous stories attempt to shed light on the origin of the character. One prominent tale revolves around an amateur writer who crossed paths with an elderly woman named Mary E. back in 2007.[2] Mary claimed to have encountered the original image on a Chicago-based Bulletin Board System in 1992, an encounter that inflicted 15 years of sleepless nights upon her. In her chilling account, she revealed that the dog-like entity demanded her to "spread the word." Mary received a mysterious floppy disk containing the image, believing it was meant for her to share with someone else.
The writer, interested in Mary's account, decided to reach out to her to delve deeper into her story. Mary responded with a lengthy email, recounting her journey since encountering the original Smile Dog image.[2] Her narrative painted a picture of relentless torment, with the sinister creature repeatedly compelling her to "spread the word." The writer could sense Mary's fear and desperation through her words. She revealed that the entity had coerced her into showing the image to others, intensifying her suffering. In a desperate bid to escape the unending nightmare, Mary complied with Smile Dog's demands, propagating the image as instructed.
A week after adhering to these demands, Mary received a cryptic package in the mail—a single floppy disk containing the Smile Dog image. It seemed like a sinister reminder of her commitment to the malevolent entity's agenda. Presumably, the disk was intended for her to further the dissemination of Smile Dog. The writer continued his correspondence with Mary, uncovering the devastating toll the legend had exacted on its victims. Many users of the BBS community who had encountered the image had mysteriously ceased posting, and tragically, some had taken their own lives. Mary's husband, Terence, confirmed her story, providing further evidence of the tragedy that had befallen their online community.
In one notable incident, an anonymous hacker unleashed what was claimed to be the original smile.jpg on the discussion forum of the websiteSomething Awful. The consequences were dire, with forum users of the post purportedly experiencing madness and epileptic seizures. According to the legend, this image had its roots in the "mid-to-late 90s" when it was initially disseminated as a chain email, often accompanied by a hyperlink to the image.[citation needed]
Despite Mary's reluctance to share a copy of the floppy disk with the writer, he had never stopped questioning the truth behind Smile Dog. He believed that exposing the legend's origins might offer closure to its tormented victims. However, a month later, Terence informed that Mary had taken her own life. In a desperate attempt to sever any connection to the malevolent entity, Terence confessed to burning the floppy disk until it was a "stinking pile of blackened plastic". The writer's pursuit of answers had left him haunted by the legend. He asked the same choice that Mary had faced—whether to "spread the word" or to resist. As he stared at the photograph, an unsettling unease washed over him as if the image had already begun to exert its "dark magic." The writer ultimately concluded, "Could I spread the word? Yes. Yes, I could" as the photograph itself was displayed underneath.
References
↑ Jump up to: 1.01.1WarrenKeith, petslady.com/articles/horror_smile_dog_meme_60169 "The Horror Of The Smile Dog Meme"]. Petslady.com.
↑ Jump up to: 2.02.12.2Peters, L. (2016, January 16). [https://www.bustle.com/articles/135749-is-smile-dog-real-heres-the-truth-about-the-classic-creepypasta-its-terrifying-image-file "Is "Smile Dog" Real? Here's The Truth About The Classic Creepypasta & Its Terrifying Image File"]. Bustle.
Links
NOTE: The following link contains a screamer image!
The famous close recreation of Smile Dog: files.catbox.moe/wlxa8c.jpg
