It is no longer peculiar to see a person adopting a public figure’s haircut, style, or fashion preference.
Some say this is a form of celebrity worship syndrome (CWS) at the most benign level in which fans want to be or have the qualities of the figure they adore. As long as it doesn’t turn into an obsession, then everything should be fine.
Researchers at Ohio State University have revealed that while reading a story, people are prone to adopting the appearance, behaviors, and thoughts of fictional characters – a phenomenon the researchers call “experience-taking,” which may lead to temporary changes in readers’ lives.
The term “temporary” does not take away the potential danger of experience-taking.
Not a month ago in Japan, a man dressed as the Joker, DC Comics’ supervillain and the archenemy of Batman, attacked and injured at least 17 people on a Keio Line train in Tokyo.
Police arrested the 24-year-old man, later identified as Kyota Hattori, at the scene.
Kyota said he copied the Joker because the character was so comfortable with murdering people.
10 /10 Halloween Disaster
The October 2021 Tokyo Attack happened on October 31, leading train passengers to think the incident initially was nothing but a Halloween stunt.
Witnesses said the attacker was wearing a purple jacket and green shirt, a wardrobe similar to the Joker’s in the 2008 film The Dark Knight.
Hattori was seen walking inside the train cars and spraying clear liquid before setting them on fire.
The attack happened at around 8:00 p.m. local time near Kokuryō Station in the city of Chōfu, western side of Tokyo, injuring 17 people.
9 /10 Pesticides and Knife
Hattori began his journey at Keio-Hachioji Station, heading to Shibuya, a busy hub crowded by Halloween partygoers.
At 6:40 p.m. from Shibuya, he boarded an Inokashira Line train then transferred to Keio Line bound for Chofu Station.
Hattori once again switched to a Keio Line limited express heading to Shinjuku. Almost immediately after the train left the station, Hattori took a knife and pesticide from his backpack.
When another passenger, a 72-year-old male, asked what he was doing, Hattori stabbed him in the chest using the 30cm blade and splashed the pesticide over the victim’s head.