
About this episode
Welcome to another installment of Digital Folklore Unplugged.
Unplugged episodes are all about stripping away the fancy production elements so that we can give you access to raw (or slightly edited) interviews with folklore experts.
This is part two of our interview with Dr. Lynne McNeill. If you’ve not yet listened to part 1, you can find it here… but that’s not really necessary to appreciate today’s discussion.
Lynne McNeill’s name is nearly synonymous with the study of Digital Folklore. Her work and her voice has been instrumental in helping people understand that our online world is just an extension of our lives… and it’s not only a place where folklore can arise… but thrive at a speed and scale previously unimaginable.
In this episode, Lynne shares her thoughts about the value of studying folklore academically, how digital platforms influence the types of folklore created on them, the concept of Poe's Law, examples of digital legend tripping, her favorite urban legends, and more… This is an action packed episode that you won't want to miss.
Ok, let’s get unplugged…
Guest:
Dr. Lynne McNeill (Twitter) (Website)
Videos:
Lynne's TEDx Talk: Folklore doesn't meme what you think it memes
And a great lecture by Lynne: CWG Brown Bag: Lynne McNeill
Paranormal Caught on Camera's Lynne S. McNeill + Sociologist Margee Kerr Talk FEAR & Modern FOLKLORE
Relevant Books (Amazon Associate Links):
Folklore Rules: A Fun, Quick, and Useful Introduction to the Field of Academic Folklore Studies, by Dr. Lynne S. McNeill
Slender Man Is Coming: Creepypasta and Contemporary Legends on the Internet, edited by Dr. Trevor Blank & Dr. Lynne S. McNeill
Legend Tripping: A Contemporary Legend Casebook (Contemporary Legend Casebook Series), edited by Lynne S. McNeill & Elizabeth Tucker
The Choking Doberman: And Other Urban Legends, by Jan Harold Brunvand
Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, by Jan Harold Brunvand
🗣 Join our Discord community
💁♀️ Support us on Patreon
🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm.
📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books
Find us on the socials:
Twitter: @digiFolklorePod
Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod
Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod
TikTok: digitalfolklore
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get every episode summarized
Each time Digital Folklore publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Digital Folklore

Artifacts of Deception (Deceptive Minds - issue #2)
Digital Folklore
Apr 29, 202511:24pending

Introducing: Deceptive Minds (the audio experience)
Digital Folklore
Apr 29, 20255:34pending

FAIK Miniseries (sneak peek) | Chapter 3: The Mindset and Tools of a Digital Man...
Digital Folklore
Oct 7, 202430:41pending

FAIK Miniseries (sneak peek) | Chapter 2: New Frontiers of Deception: AI and Syn...
Digital Folklore
Sep 30, 202432:12pending