Devilbunnies
Encyclopedia
The fictional Devilbunnies are the focus of a shared universe
story-writing group based on the Usenet
newsgroup
alt.devilbunnies.
.
While devilbunnies are equipped with lethally sharp claws and fangs, this war is just as often fought by means of social engineering
. In the world of alt.devilbunnies, bunny propaganda has been blamed for the appearance of many icons of cuteness - including, but not limited to, Barney the Dinosaur
, Hello Kitty
, and Teletubbies
(which prominently features many large rabbits on-set). A popular entertainment amongst alt.devilbunnies writers is using real-world news articles as a starting point for conspiracy theory
stories set in the world of alt.devilbunnies.
). Originally the Fudds were centrally organized, much like a regular army; since then, disagreements on the conduct of the war and the destruction of their primary base in Colorado have seen this turn into a loose alliance of semi-independent groups.
Humans who support the devilbunny cause are referred to as 'symps' (short for 'sympathizers'). Some symps are powerful humans, often in the media and entertainment industries (devilbunnies writers accuse Michael Eisner
of symphood) but most are treated poorly by their bunny masters. SPAM is rumored to stand for 'Symp Processed After Mission'.
The bunnies created intelligent squirrel
s as a slave race; many have since escaped and taken up arms against their oppressors, frequently adopting quasi-Bolshevik
ideologies. Squirrels are unreliable allies due to their short attention spans and erratic thought processes, but their courage and fast breeding rate make them popular as scouts and test pilots.
'Wyrmbunnies' are twisted, anti-cute mockeries of bunnies, descendants of a bunny genetic experiment that went wrong. While the wyrmbunnies are among the most fanatical foes of normal devilbunnies, that same fanaticism makes Fudds reluctant to ally with them. Most wyrmbunnies are members of the 'Four', a cult
whose leaders identify with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse
.
'Angelbunnies' are bunnies who genuinely want to help humans rather than exploiting them. Many writers object to this concept, feeling that the universe works better if all devilbunnies are inherently evil. These writers usually deal with angelbunny characters by reinterpreting them as bunny propagandists who only appear to be benevolent.
, devilbunny authors refrain from exploring this apparent contradiction in any depth.
song of the same name, but the creation of the newsgroup seems to have predated that song by about three years; the word has also appeared in Berke Breathed's comic Bloom County
. It is unclear whether the newsgroup's name is directly connected to either of these. The humor value of juxtaposing cute fluffy rabbits with demonic evil appears to have occurred to many people independently; Cheapass Games
' 'Devil Bunny Needs a Ham
' is a more recent appearance of the same idea.
'. Some aspects of devilbunny society are patterned after Watership Down
.
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
story-writing group based on the Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
alt.devilbunnies.
Basic concepts
There is a secret war being waged between human beings and an intelligent, technologically advanced species of rabbits known as 'devilbunnies' who can lull humans with radiated cuteness, measured in "cutons". Devilbunnies are meat-eaters who consider human toes a delicacy; in the alt.devilbunnies setting, they frequently convert humans to spamSpam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
.
While devilbunnies are equipped with lethally sharp claws and fangs, this war is just as often fought by means of social engineering
Social engineering (political science)
Social engineering is a discipline in political science that refers to efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments or private groups. In the political arena, the counterpart of social engineering is political engineering.For various reasons,...
. In the world of alt.devilbunnies, bunny propaganda has been blamed for the appearance of many icons of cuteness - including, but not limited to, Barney the Dinosaur
Barney & Friends
Barney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
, Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
, and Teletubbies
Teletubbies
Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was...
(which prominently features many large rabbits on-set). A popular entertainment amongst alt.devilbunnies writers is using real-world news articles as a starting point for conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
stories set in the world of alt.devilbunnies.
Factions
The two most important factions in the alt.devilbunnies universe are the bunnies themselves, and a group of humans who oppose them known as the Fudds (after their hero, Elmer FuddElmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
). Originally the Fudds were centrally organized, much like a regular army; since then, disagreements on the conduct of the war and the destruction of their primary base in Colorado have seen this turn into a loose alliance of semi-independent groups.
Humans who support the devilbunny cause are referred to as 'symps' (short for 'sympathizers'). Some symps are powerful humans, often in the media and entertainment industries (devilbunnies writers accuse Michael Eisner
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner is an American businessman. He was the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until 2005.-Early life:...
of symphood) but most are treated poorly by their bunny masters. SPAM is rumored to stand for 'Symp Processed After Mission'.
The bunnies created intelligent squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s as a slave race; many have since escaped and taken up arms against their oppressors, frequently adopting quasi-Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
ideologies. Squirrels are unreliable allies due to their short attention spans and erratic thought processes, but their courage and fast breeding rate make them popular as scouts and test pilots.
'Wyrmbunnies' are twisted, anti-cute mockeries of bunnies, descendants of a bunny genetic experiment that went wrong. While the wyrmbunnies are among the most fanatical foes of normal devilbunnies, that same fanaticism makes Fudds reluctant to ally with them. Most wyrmbunnies are members of the 'Four', a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
whose leaders identify with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
.
'Angelbunnies' are bunnies who genuinely want to help humans rather than exploiting them. Many writers object to this concept, feeling that the universe works better if all devilbunnies are inherently evil. These writers usually deal with angelbunny characters by reinterpreting them as bunny propagandists who only appear to be benevolent.
Thumbs
It is a matter of devilbunny canon that devilbunnies appear physically identical to ordinary rabbits. However, stories frequently depict devilbunnies doing things (e.g. operating machinery) that would appear to require opposable thumbs. To preserve suspension of disbeliefSuspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literary works of fiction...
, devilbunny authors refrain from exploring this apparent contradiction in any depth.
History
The newsgroup alt.devilbunnies evolved around the mid-late 1980s from a discussion among Brandeis newsgroup users about sentient 'dust bunnies'. The name 'devilbunnies' has sometimes been attributed to a Thrill Kill KultMy Life With the Thrill Kill Kult
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult is an American electronic industrial rock band originally based out of Chicago, Illinois.-History:...
song of the same name, but the creation of the newsgroup seems to have predated that song by about three years; the word has also appeared in Berke Breathed's comic Bloom County
Bloom County
Bloom County is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, where children often have adult personalities and vocabularies and where...
. It is unclear whether the newsgroup's name is directly connected to either of these. The humor value of juxtaposing cute fluffy rabbits with demonic evil appears to have occurred to many people independently; Cheapass Games
Cheapass Games
Cheapass Games is a game company founded and run by game designer James Ernest, based in Seattle, Washington. Cheapass Games operates on the philosophy that most game owners have plenty of dice, counters, play money, etc., so there is no need to bundle all of these components with every game that...
' 'Devil Bunny Needs a Ham
Devil Bunny Needs a Ham
Devil Bunny Needs a Ham is a board game by Cheapass Games for 2-4 players. In the game, sous-chefs try to climb up a building while Devil Bunny attempts to knock them off in the mistaken belief that doing so will get him a ham....
' is a more recent appearance of the same idea.
Sources and influences
The physical ferocity of devilbunnies, coupled with their harmless exterior, owes much to the Killer Rabbit of 'Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
'. Some aspects of devilbunny society are patterned after Watership Down
Watership Down
Watership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
.
External links
- www.devilbunnies.org
- [news:alt.devilbunnies alt.devilbunnies]