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Oscar Wilde And The Creation Of Celebrity Cancel Culture

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According to Dictionary.com, “Cancel culture refers to the shared attitudes and values within a particular segment of society that lead to such public rejection of particular people or groups.”

In recent years, we’ve seen celebrities fall from grace for everything from tone-deaf tweets to indecent behavior and political affiliations. While it seems like there’s a different celebrity getting “canceled” every other day, this is no new phenomenon.

Before social media turned Taylor Swift into a snake emoji or the Dixie Chicks criticized George W. Bush, there was Oscar Wilde: the Irish poet, playwright, and master of witticism, whose eccentricities, thirst for attention, and ultimate societal ousting set the stage for celebrity culture as we know it.

A Charmed Childhood

Born October 16, 1854, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde’s path to fame and success was already set by his Anglo-Irish parents, who were both independently prominent in Dublin society. His father, Sir William Wilde, was knighted for his work as one of Ireland’s most renowned surgeons and philanthropists. His mother, Jane, was an ardent Irish Nationalist who wrote poetry in support of Ireland’s 1848 uprising under the pseudonym “Speranza.” Wilde’s flair for exaggeration was no doubt inherited from his mother, who was known to make unsubstantiated claims of being a descendant of Dante.

Wilde was the second of three children, with an older brother named Willie and a younger sister, Isola, who died from meningitis at age nine. Jane had high hopes for both of her sons, but only Wilde fulfilled these expectations, while Willie, who was by all accounts apathetic and lazy, became a hack journalist constantly on the hunt for a woman to provide for him.

Sir William may have been a philanthropist, but he was also a known philanderer and had three children from two women out of wedlock. Sir William acknowledged Wilde’s half-siblings as his own—a rarity in the Victorian era—and supported them financially while having his relatives care for them.

The Wilde family home on Merrion Square || Photo by Pi3.124 via Wikimedia Commons

In 1855, the Wilde family moved from their home at 21 Westland Row—now the Oscar Wilde Centre at Trinity College—to No. 1 Merrion Square, where Wilde acquired a taste for high society through soirées hosted at the house.

The Scandal Before the Scandal

The family’s first real scandal took place while Wilde was away at school, decades before his personal downfall. In 1864, Mary Travers, a patient of Sir William, began writing pamphlets attacking the married couple. Allegedly, Mary and Sir William carried on an affair that Jane was fully aware of, and the accusations came after things went sour. In any case, Jane would not stand for these accusations and expressed her outrage in a letter to Travers’ father, who happened to be Sir William’s colleague. Travers then sued Lady Jane for libel.

The trial was the talk of the town due to the Wildes’ status. Travers’ legal team played toward public sympathy, ultimately winning the case when Sir William refused to stand witness. The disgraced Wildes quickly retreated to western Ireland.

Climbing Social Ranks Through Education

Wilde’s parents made sure their children had the best education available, sending him to Portora Royal School in Enniskillen for primary school, followed by Trinity College, where he flourished.

During his time at Trinity, Wilde climbed the social ladder through his association with scholars like Irish poets, Edward Dowden and Arthur Palmer, and established himself as an advocate for aestheticism and proponent of socialism as a vocal member of the University Philosophical Society.

However, the most influential person Wilde met during his studies was professor J.P. Mahaffy, whom he referred to as his “first and best teacher.” Mahaffy inspired Wilde’s passion for Greek literature, which would heavily influence his later works.

Wilde became an accomplished scholar and exceptional linguist with five languages under his belt, though he never learned a single word of Gaelic. His professors encouraged him to apply to Magdalen College at Oxford University, where he continued his studies while becoming further involved in social societies.

Oscar Wilde at Oxford University

The theatrics of a secret society appealed to Wilde’s eccentricities, leading him to join Apollo Masonic Lodge in his third year while also becoming fascinated by the Catholic Church. Though his interest in Freemasonry only lasted his time at Oxford, he remained invested in the Catholic Church until death.

Of his 1878 graduation from Oxford, Wilde wrote, “The dons are ‘astonied’ beyond words—the Bad Boy doing so well in the end!”

The Wilde World of Aestheticism

After completing his studies, Wilde returned to Dublin for a sting. Upon returning, he reconnected with his childhood crush, Florence Balcombe, whom he hoped to wed. When Balcombe instead opted to marry Dracula creator, Bram Stoker, Wilde left Ireland behind, only returning twice more in his life.

While living in London, Wilde used his inheritance from his father’s passing two years before to get himself situated as a bachelor in society. He utilized his network of aristocrats from Oxford to edge his way in, becoming known for his flamboyant fashion and penchant for carrying flowers around town. Often referred to as the first person to be “famous for being famous,” Wilde’s wit and good nature made everybody adore him long before contributing any literary works to the world.

Wilde was so well-liked, he inspired a character in Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1881 opera, Patience, a satire about the Aesthetic Movement that was gaining traction at the time for its premise of “art for art’s sake.” As a leading figure in the movement, Wilde’s life works are regarded as prime examples of aestheticism, full of contradictions about art and morality.

When the show was picked up to tour the United States in 1882, producer Richard D’Oyly Carte extended an offer for Wilde to hit the road with them. During the tour, the 26-year-old would give lectures before the show opposing Dickensian literature and the idea of writing needing a political or religious purpose.

Wilde loved being in the spotlight, offering autographed photos of himself anywhere he went and attending upward of 200 parties as an esteemed guest. He relished in rubbing elbows with the likes of Walt Whitman, Louisa May Alcott, Henry James, Jefferson Davis, and even Ulysses S. Grant, as he became a bona fide celebrity.

Love(rs) and Marriage

Before leaving for the States, Wilde was introduced to Constance Lloyd, a children’s writer and daughter of an Irish barrister. After two years of courtship, much of while he was away, Wilde proposed. The couple married in 1884 and had two sons in the following two years: Cyril and Vyvyan.

Around the time of Vyvyan’s birth, Wilde began his first affair with 17-year-old Canadian journalist, Robbie Ross. Wilde reportedly moved Ross into his family home, and the two remained friends until Wilde’s dying day.

The affair was a turning point for Wilde, who began openly enjoying the company of young men, causing a societal scandal with frequent displays of public affection. Though, how his wife felt about this lifestyle remains unclear.

During this time, Wilde worked as a reviewer for the Pall Mall Gazette before becoming editor of Woman’s World. In 1988, Lloyd released a book of children’s stories called There Was Once, while Wilde wrote and published a separate children’s book called The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

While writing the children’s stories was a huge step away from the aestheticism he was becoming famed for, he couldn’t resist mocking Victorian narcissism in one of his stories.

Bosie Douglas Was a Bad Decision

By 1891, Wilde was really hitting his stride as a successful writer with the release of a slew of projects, including the sequel to The Happy Prince and Other Tales, A House of Pomegranates, a collection of comic-murder stories called Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, a book of essays, Intentions, and his first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

In the same year, he found himself in the throws of passion with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, a 21-year-old Oxford student who became Wilde’s lover, muse, and eventual downfall. Douglas also happened to be the son of John Douglas, the ninth Marquess of Queensberry and creator of the Queensberry rules of boxing.

Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas in 1893

The four-year relationship was tumultuous, to say the least, rife with arguments, breakups, and reunions as Douglas used Wilde for his fame and fortune. Douglas was volatile, selfish, and reckless, but Wilde was in love.

By 1894, Queensberry had become suspicious of the relationship and confronted Wilde with the threat of, “If I catch you and my son again in any public restaurant, I will thrash you!” By far the wittier of the two men, Wilde responded nonchalantly with, “I don’t know what the Queensberry rules are, but the Oscar Wilde rule is to shoot on-site.”

Things came to a head in February 1895, at the height of Wilde’s career with the release of his play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Queensberry had continued his threats, once leaving Wilde a calling card that read “For Oscar Wilde posing as a somdomite” at London’s Albemarle Club—spelling wasn’t his strong suit.

The Marquess of Queensberry’s calling card with the handwritten offending inscription “For Oscar Wilde posing Somdomite [sic]”. The card was marked as exhibit ‘A’ in Wilde’s libel action.

In another attempt to end the relationship, the Queensberry planned to attend Wilde’s play to make his accusations public and do so while throwing rotten vegetables at him. Wilde got wind of the plan and denied him a ticket.

Wilde took a page from his family history and sued Queensberry for libel, which is not recommended if you’re guilty of an accusation.

As it goes, Wilde’s wit and charm proved to be no match for the copious evidence brought forth by Queensberry and his private investigators, including proof of Wilde hiring male prostitutes and bringing former lovers as witnesses. At one point, Wilde had to remind the court that he was the prosecutor.

Ultimately, Queensberry left the courtroom victorious, while Wilde left with a warrant out for his arrest. Talk about a plot twist.

Two Wilde-ly Public Trials

The defeated Wilde had a decision to make: would he follow his old friend Robbie Ross’ advice and flee to France before being arrested, or would he listen to his mother and face the music?

On April 6, 1895, Wilde was arrested and charged under the Labouchere Amendment, which criminalized same-sex acts until the 1960s. Ever the trendsetter, Wilde was the first famous person to be tried under the Amendment.

The first trial began 20 days later, with Wilde pleading not guilty. Over the next month, Wilde would be cross-examined about his affairs, as well as homoerotic undertones in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the line “the love that dare not speak its name,” from one of Douglas’ poems.

Despite receiving cheers for his response referring to the writings of Plato, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare, the trial resulted in an undecided jury. The idea was presented to drop the case, with some believing that Wilde was being treated horribly by both the press and the courts.

In the end, Solicitor General Frank Lockwood deemed the case too publicized to let it go, and Wilde was retried and given the maximum sentence of two years of hard labor at Pentonville Prison.

Wilde in the dock, from The Illustrated Police News, 4 May 1895.

The Imprisonment of Oscar Wilde

Wilde bounced around prisons, first leaving Pentonville for Wandsworth, before winding up at Reading Gaol by November 1985. During one of the transfers, he was spotted by someone on Clapham Junction’s platform and subjected to abuse as he was handcuffed to a warden. The experience was a stark contrast from the public adoration he had experienced just months prior.

Still married, Lloyd visited him in prison to tell him of his mother’s death and to inform him that she had changed both her last name and her sons’ to spare them from public scrutiny.

Spending up to 23 hours a day in his cell, Wilde had plenty of time to write while detained, penning letters to Douglas, who had fled the country fearing charges against him. In the last few months of his sentence, Wilde began writing a letter called De Profundis—or “from the depths” in Latin—which detailed his thoughts about Christianity. The letter was eventually released by Robbie Ross in 1905 and again by Wilde’s son Vyvyan in 1949.

Life and Death After Prison

Upon being released from prison in 1897, Wilde was a different person. Aside from having no money, his health was failing, having contracted meningitis during detainment.

He retreated to France, where he reunited with Douglas, but only for a brief time. Douglas had inherited his father’s wealth by this point and refused to give Wilde an allowance, even though he put Wilde in debt in the first place.

Wilde spent the rest of his life exiled in Paris under the name Sebastian Melmoth, after Saint Sebastian, a martyr, and the titular character of Charles Maturin’s novel, Melmoth the Wanderer. Though he was left with nothing, other than a financial stipend from his estranged wife, Wilde still had his famous wits about him.

His sole work, post-incarceration, was an essay called The Battle of Reading Gaol, a scathing criticism of the Victorian justice system originally released under his prisoner identification number. He is reported to have told a friend, “I can write, but have lost the joy of writing.”

Living alone and often suffering humiliation when recognized in public, Wilde’s health continued to deteriorate until November 30, 1900, when he died from meningitis at Hôtel d’Alsace in Paris. Surrounded by a few close friends, including Robbie Ross and a Catholic priest, who baptized him before his passing, Wilde’s final words were a perfectly on-brand one-liner, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has got to go.”

Naturally, Douglas stole the role of most tragically upset by Wilde’s death, even allegedly getting into a fight with the ever-faithful Robbie Ross at Wilde’s gravesite. It was Robbie, however, who commissioned Wilde’s tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, complete with a small compartment for his own ashes, which were added in 1950.

The tomb of Oscar Wilde in Père Lachaise Cemetery

A Legacy of Wit and Lit

Oscar Wilde once remarked, “I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my books.” A man of many talents who marched to the beat of his own drum, Wilde is now regarded as one of the most prolific Irish writers in history. His writings and cultural legacy continue to impress and empower those who are just a bit different from what society would like.

According to his grandson, Merlin Holland, Wilde could not be summed up as simply a writer, referring to him also as “a convict, a homosexual, a bankrupt… and a charismatic figure prepared to stand up for what he believed in.”

Though Wilde’s cancellation cannot be taken back, he, and over 50,000 other men convicted of homosexuality, were posthumously pardoned by the UK government in 2017.

Fortunately, quips were a core part of Wilde’s appeal, and he left us with one zinger of a quote: “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

We’re not sure if this sentiment applies in death, but if it does, Oscar Wilde is one happy ghost.

By Meghan Yani, contributor for Ripleys.com

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Source: Oscar Wilde And The Creation Of Celebrity Cancel Culture

CARTOON 02-25-2021

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Point Nemo: The Spacecraft Cemetery

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There’s a point in the mighty Pacific Ocean that’s so far from humanity, that the closest person to said point at any given moment is likely to be an astronaut cruising by in the International Space Station. Nicknamed “Point Nemo,” in honor of the character Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s classic tale 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this remote point in the Pacific Ocean is officially known as the “ocean point of inaccessibility.” Nestled between South America, Australia, and New Zealand, Point Nemo is 1,600 miles away from land.

But what makes Point Nemo really interesting? It’s the place where spacecraft go to die—we’re talking satellites, resupply crafts, and even multiple space stations. It’s estimated that anywhere between 250 and 300 spacecraft call this point their final resting place. But, why there? The last thing we need is the fiasco of multi-ton spacecraft crashing down into populated areas. So, scientists decided that the safest way to bring these spacecraft back to Earth was by crashing them into the most remote place possible: Point Nemo.

First utilized in 1971, Point Nemo is also the final resting home of the first manmade space station—the then Soviet Union’s MIR space station. Launched in 1986 and active through 2001, MIR was decommissioned and deorbited in 1999. Brought down in three stages, MIR would burn through the atmosphere with the remains of the craft crashing into Point Nemo in early 2001.

MIR in orbit around the Earth

Additionally, many other space vehicles call Point Nemo their final docking place, as well! More than 140 Russian resupply craft, six Russian Salyut space stations, six Japanese HTV cargo craft, and even a Space X rocket can all be found in the depths of this aquatic graveyard. Interestingly enough, China’s Tiangong-1 space station was hoped to be brought down to Point Nemo in 2018, after China lost control of the multi-billion-dollar orbital craft in 2016. Unfortunately, though, China was not able to direct the space station’s orbit from the ground, leaving scientists across the globe wondering where the craft might eventually crash.  As luck would have it, Tiangong-1 eventually crashed into the Pacific, several thousand miles from Point Nemo. Scientists hope to have better luck with the International Space Station (ISS), though. It’s expected to be brought down from orbit and tossed into good ol’ Point Nemo in 2028.

International Space Station

Before you get any bright ideas, it’s important to note that most of the spacecraft plummeting toward Point Nemo are significantly burned up during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Take the MIR, for instance. Weighing in at a massive 120 tons, nearly half of that was burned away during re-entry. Whatever’s left of the craft crashes into the ocean, sometimes, over the course of hundreds of miles. There’s probably not much in the way of valuable secrets in whatever’s left of the MIR.

Though many of Point Nemo’s inhabitants are documented and know, much mystery remains surrounding what else may be lurking down in its depths…

By Jesse Gormley, contributor for Ripleys.com

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Source: Point Nemo: The Spacecraft Cemetery

CARTOON 02-24-2021

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When The Predator Becomes Prey

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Lion eats antelope. Lion dies. Lion’s body becomes the grass. Antelope eats the grass. It’s the circle of life! But, sometimes, this circle spins in the opposite direction, and the hunters become the hunted.

Beetle Grubs’ Biting Behavior

When you think of the animal kingdom’s mightiest hunters, amphibians probably aren’t topping your list. But frogs and toads will eat just about any living thing that can fit in their mouths, and they do it quickly: a frog can snap its sticky tongue back into its mouth in less than fifteen one-hundredths of a second. Though, maybe they should consider taking our moms’ advice about slowing down when we eat into consideration.

Beetle grubs are a favorite snack of frogs and toads, but the Epomis ground beetle has turned the tables on their would-be predators. The beetle larva will trick a toad into launching one of its quick attacks, but at the last minute, will dodge out of the way and latch onto the toad with its spiked jaw. Try as it might, the frog can’t remove the grub, which is slowly sucking the toad dry, eventually reducing it to just a pile of bones. Even the adult beetles display this unusual behavior, biting, paralyzing, and eating amphibians much larger than themselves. Way to stick up for the little guy, Epomis ground beetles.

An All-You-Can-Eat Lobster Buffet

One of the most bizarre examples of predator-prey reversal happened in 1983 off the coast of South Africa on two islands separated by just two and a half miles of water. One island was inhabited by an influx of lobsters, and the competition for food was fierce. On the other lived whelks, a type of marine snail and a food source for lobsters. Scientists wondered: why didn’t the lobsters make the trip to the other island and feast on the seemingly defenseless and abundant whelks?

A group led by Amos Barkai, a graduate student at the time, gathered a thousand of the hungry crustaceans and set them free amongst the all-you-can-eat escargot buffet. What happened next was what Barkai described as “a horror movie.”

As soon as the lobsters were introduced, the whelks began to overtake them. Anytime the lobsters stopped moving, the snails climbed onto them, stuck to their legs, and began to feast. They penetrated the lobsters’ soft tissue around their eyes and joints, and then slurped up their insides. Within just 30 minutes, all one thousand lobsters were dead. Empty shells. No butter required.

The Tsavo Man-Eaters

While humans may be at the top of the food chain, making easy meals of lobsters, snails, frogs, and even bug larva, that hasn’t stopped us from becoming prey ourselves. Perhaps the most terrifying instance of this is the story of the Tsavo Man-Eaters.

In 1898, a railroad bridge was being built in Tsavo, Kenya, but soon after construction began, so did the killings. Striking in the night, a pair of lions with a seemingly insatiable appetite stalked the builders. Screams could be heard in the dead of night as these ferocious predators pulled men from their tents and into the wilderness.

Some accounts state that 135 people were eaten by the two lions that year, but company reports place the official figure closer to around 40. However, that figure doesn’t account for any nearby villagers that may have been killed by the lions, making the true number a mystery.

The lions were eventually killed after months of unsuccessful attempts, and upon their deaths, they were discovered to be maneless males, rogues without a pride. The reason for their killing spree is debated to this day. It’s possible they developed a taste for human flesh when dead slaves were left behind on nearby trading routes, or they might have had injuries that made it difficult for them to hunt their usual prey. Or perhaps even a combination of the two. Either way, the lions were taxidermied and can be seen today at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History.

The circle of life will keep turning no matter what direction it spins, and you never know when the tables could turn.

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Source: When The Predator Becomes Prey

CARTOON 02-23-2021

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The Not-So-Magical Mystery Of Stonehenge

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[February 15–February 22, 2021] A border collie inherits big bucks, frozen creatures discovered in Antarctica, and a twin connection—all round-up in this week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Border Collie Inherits Businessman’s Fortune

An eight-year-old border collie in Tennessee has a lot of cash on her paws after inheriting $5 million when her owner passed away.

Nashville businessman Bill Dorris made sure his girl Lulu was taken care of before he crossed the rainbow bridge late last year, naming the dog in his will.

Lulu may have access to all the treats and toys she’d like, but her spending will be monitored by their neighbor Martha Burton, 88, who Dorris named her conservator. Burton will receive “reasonable” reimbursement for monthly expenses in exchange for taking good care of this good girl.

As for why someone would leave such a large amount to their pet, Burton said, “He just really loved the dog.”

Golfing in a Winter Wonderland

All was not par for the course when Finnish artist Janne Pyykko and a crew of snowshoers gathered to create a golf course-sized snow sketch only visible from the sky.

Pyykko came up with the idea only two weeks ago but quickly got to work on social media, recruiting a snowshoeing group off Facebook to help him execute his big vision.

The snowshoe buffs completed Pyykko’s snowflake design on Sunday at Espoo’s Lofkulla Golf Course, but it won’t last long. Pyykko’s masterpiece is temporary by nature, as it will either be covered in fresh snow or melt soon enough.

This golf course’s huge piece of art was created by Finnish snowshoers https://t.co/8AL8vVnIKx pic.twitter.com/yUaPPUnhTO

— CTV News (@CTVNews) February 14, 2021

Scientists Discover Creatures from the Antarctic Beyond

The ocean is full of creepy creatures yet to be discovered, but this week scientists in Antarctica found some that flat out shouldn’t exist.

A study released in Frontiers in Marine Science this week revealed the first discovery of life below Antarctica’s ice sheets after taking a peek underneath the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf.

The expedition team lowered a camera through a hole drilled into the 2,950 feet thick slab of ice for observation, only to find sponges and barnacles sucking up phytoplankton like it was no big deal.

According to Huw Griffiths, one of the study’s authors, the phytoplankton shouldn’t even be able to exist in that setting, nevermind larger lifeforms.

“This is showing us that life is more resilient and more robust than we ever could have expected,” Griffiths said.

Accidental discovery of strange life forms on a boulder beneath the ice shelves of the #Antarctic has confounded scientists, @CNN reports…https://t.co/Nvbdf6gnA3@griffiths_huw @shelfyice @hotwateronice @morroghmax @post_alix @wavygk @GeoscienceAus @nuigalway @UCR_EP_Sci

— British Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News) February 16, 2021

Former Classmates Find Out They’re Twinning

Karen Warner and Mike Jackman, 51, reunited for the first time since high school after Warner, a grade-A internet sleuth, discovered that they’re twins!

Upon finding her biological mother’s name through unsealed adoption records a few years ago, Warner was taken by surprise to learn she also had a twin brother.

Armed with nothing but her birth date, Warner searched several adoption websites to no avail, eventually putting on her detective hat and scouring local voting records for her long-lost twin.

After coming across three names that matched, she was taken aback to see a name she recognized—Mike Jackman, her former high school classmate, with whom she happened to be Facebook friends.

She immediately reached out to Jackman to let him know about her discovery and the two decided to get DNA tests to compare and contrast.

Low and behold, it was a match. The siblings have become “peas in a pod,” chatting every day and hanging out frequently.

“It’s filled a void in my life I didn’t know was there,” said Jackman.

The Not-So-Magical Mystery of Stonehenge

Giants, Mycenaeans, Saxons, aliens—if you’ve heard one tall tale about the mysterious appearance of Stonehenge, you may think you’ve heard them all. But this week, a new study revealed that there could be some truth to one great Stonehenge legend, that of the wizard Merlin.

According to folklore, Merlin ordered giants to move the megalithic circle from Ireland and rebuild it in the west of England, where it stands today. While the stones may not have come from Ireland, new research reveals that, aside from giants and wizardry, this theory isn’t far off.

After discovering that many of Stonehenge’s bluestone rocks originated at a quarry in the Preseli Hills in Wales, University College London archaeologist Michael Parker Pearson and his team spent five years looking for context as to why anyone would “build a circle with stones from a quarry 140 miles away.”

Fast forward to this week, when the team released their latest study in the Antiquity journal, detailing their latest find: the original Stonehenge circle, built over 5,000 years ago.

The significant discovery offers evidence that Stonehenge’s first incarnation represented the ancestors of the Neolithic people who lived in the region, explaining why they would have put effort into transporting what may just seem like a bunch of rocks.

By Meghan Yani, contributor for Ripleys.com

EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!

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Source: The Not-So-Magical Mystery Of Stonehenge