I’ve recently joined Lemmy and was reminded of this old fact I used to hear about all the time that lemmings will commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs when they migrate (lemmings being the namesake of Lemmy, I think?).
Do lemmings actually do this? Because I think it would be funny if a social media software was named after an animal that’s literally known for mass hysteria / mob mentality.
No they don’t. That was a stunt for a film where they pushed thgrm off a cliff. Will find source and edit it in.
Edit:it was disney, of course. https://www.britannica.com/story/do-lemmings-really-commit-mass-suicide
What in the world was Disney doing making a nature documentary?? Not surprised, though.
It was part of True Life Adventures.
What psychopath put this in the script? Did they go on to become a serial killer?
Why did people go along with it? Didn’t anybody say “hey, guys, this is kinda fucked up”?
A guy named James R Simon.
It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, either. The lemmings were brought from Manitoba to Alberta and put on turntables and repeatedly thrown off the cliff.
It’s super messed up and weird.
Removed by mod
Bad bot