Anthony Hunke

Christiana Howell

SPCH 450
Dr. Fletcher Ziwoya

The Slender Man Stabbing: The Voices of Insanity

November 12, 2015

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Abstract:
Within this piece of analytical discourse, we shall examine the interrogation tapes of Morgan
Geyser and Anissa Weier, the two girls who tried to kill their friend for Slender Man, a character that
resides in creepy-pastas, online chat rooms, and dark YouTube videos. We shall examine the transcripts
and utilize an approach to analyze the text (conversation analysis), we shall utilize coding to group
together certain elements of the transcripts (emotionless, vengefulness, and intelligence), we shall
examine the transcripts with two theories (the Cultivation Analysis Theory and the Identity Negotiation
Theory), and we shall flush out two big, prominent issues (gaining power/control and shifting blame).
With all of this, we shall analyze the repercussions of media consumption, the process of identity
transformation, and how they are connected.

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INTRO:
While taking a walk somewhere, have you ever had that feeling that you were being watched?
The back of your neck begins to tingle, every sound becomes a threatening screech of terror, and, off in
the distance, you can, almost, make out a lone figure peering into your soul. It is this adrenaline-fueled
narrative that has become quite popular over the internet. Slender Man has become a hit media sensation
over the past few years, and it has captured many peoples imaginations. Two such victims are Morgan
Geyser and Anissa Weier. Slender Man is a creature of myth who, purely, resides on the internet, and he
has been known to abduct children. This piece of discourse will examine the Slender Man Stabbing case
in which Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier attacked their friend, Payton, all in the name of the fictitious
character known as Slender Man. We have chosen to analyze the interrogation tapes due to our interest in
analyzing the effects that media can have upon an individual, and the transformative process of shifting
identities that could be a result. This topic is worth analyzing due to the mediated era that we are all a part
of. As we are exposed to more and more media, we become influenced by this media, and these effects
need to be studied and brought to our attention. In this paper, we shall utilize the conversation analysis
methodology and give three examples of coding (emotionless, vengefulness, and intelligence), we shall
incorporate two theories, Cultivation Theory and Identity Negotiation Theory, and we shall flush out two
issues, power/control and shifting blame. With these, we shall conclude with a discussion regarding how
the actions of the two girls were a result of the media they consumed and how, throughout the event, they
were striving for a changed identity at the original behest of the media.
BODY:
REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
For this analytical piece, we pulled the transcripts from multiple video sites. Chong, Siew, Skoric,
and Tengs article in 2012 contributed their views about video games and their effects upon the people.
George Gerbner wrote a book in 1998 that talked about how powerful television can be. Huangs article in
2011 talked about Stella Ting-Toomeys work on Identity Negotiation and gave an example of a study
regarding identity negotiation in real life with international tour guides in China. Stella Ting-Toomey

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wrote a section of a book in 2005 that defined Identity in more detail as well as what it meant to
negotiate an identity. Levinson wrote in 1999 about Conversation Analysis and how each member takes
a turn in conversing with another. An article from communicationtheory.org in 2010 talked about the
Conversation Analysis methodology in greater detail, and it played off of Jefferson, Sacks, and
Schegloffs article in 1974 on Conversation Analysis and the original study of turn-taking in observing
conversations. Millers article in 2015 gave us some insight as to the background story of Morgan and
Anissa. The Control Issues article from 2007 gave us greater insight into the power issue, and the
article by Simon in 2009 helped us understand the concept of shifting blame.
METHODOLOGY AND CODING:
The approach that we decided to use to analyze this transcript was Conversation Analysis. We
chose this approach because we wanted to examine what the two girls said, how they said it, and analyze
how the media might play into their manner of speaking.
Harvey Sacks created the Conversation Analysis approach. He defined Conversation Analysis as
a systematic analysis of talk that is produced as a result of normal everyday interactions (Conversation
Analysis, 2010: P.2). Sacks and his colleagues wished to analyze natural recordings of turn-taking
conversation. Thus, they examined the ways that a conversation was organized and analyzed it for
meaning (Jefferson, Sacks, & Schegloff, 1974: P. 697). This approach looks to uncover the hidden
implications, meanings, or structures of a typical conversation. The primary aim is to describe how people
come to understand and respond to one another. According to the Conversation Analysis article,
anyone attempting to use this approach should have a desire to understand why people do what they do
and a curiosity to comprehend human behavior (Conversation Analysis, 2010: P.2). Conversation
Analysis is a Structuralist approach, so the words and their formatting are examined (Levinson, 1999:
P1). This not only looks at what was said, but how it was said. The nonverbal cues and inflections are just
as important as the spoken word.
Along with this methodology, some different codes have manifested. Coding is the grouping or
segmenting of sentences or aspects together and giving these groupings a name. Coding makes the

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analysts job easier when deciphering a large quantity of information. One code that we found is called
Unremorseful, emotionless, or cold.
Morgan: It was necessary. This was said in reference to why she did the act.
Morgan: Kill her. I might as well just say it. We were trying to kill her. This was her response to
being asked what the intentions were.
Morgan: It was weird that I didnt feel remorse (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
From these responses, Morgan can be seen as cold, analytical, emotionless, and completely devoid of
remorse. For both of us, remorse does not just mean shedding a tear, but remorse is displayed when a
person shows physical symptoms of sadness of some sort in reference to the negative act: an emotional
outburst, signs of a wracked conscious, an apology, etc. With each statement, Morgan sat still, talked flat
without emotion, and remained matter-of-factly. With this cold appearance, the concept of remorse does
not even apply to Morgan. This code is indicative of the coming full circle of Morgans new identity. As
she strove to become a servant to Slender Man, she embraced a darker persona. As a result, she became
darker altogether, and this unremorseful characteristic came as second nature to Morgan. This code can,
also, be linked to the effects of the media. Granted, before the attack, these two girls had some darker
preferences and tendencies, but nothing came of it. It was only when exposed to Slender on the internet
that they took action, behaviors were modified, and a darker side to the two girls manifested.
A second coding would be labeled Vengeful, hateful, or spiteful. In multiple instances, Morgan
and Anissa made reference to those nonbelievers of Slender Man who made fun of them in the past. They
did this to prove themselves right and prove the nonbelievers wrong. Morgan went so far as to claim a
desire to hurt those who mocked her.
Anissa: I was excited because I wanted proof that he existed because there were a bunch of
skeptics out there saying he didnt exist (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
Morgan: I have wanted to hurt people before, but theyre not nice to me. So they deserve it
(TODAYS TMJ4, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNXzdRxrptw).
Morgan and Anissa did not recognize anyone in particular. It seemed to be them versus the world, and
they seemed as if they wanted to do this act, not only to change their identity and gain power and control,

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but to prove to those who mocked them that they were not crazy. Morgans statement about desiring to
hurt others reinforced her emotionless and cold form of speaking. Once again, this is highly indicative of
that colder, darker identity that has manifested from the depths of the internet that produced Slender Man.
In addition, this might indicate another motive for committing the act, not just to disprove the
nonbelievers, but for revenge. If revenge was a motive, that might seal the deal for Morgan and Anissa by
making them seem less as victims of the media and more as homicidal, premeditated murderers.
Finally, the coding of Intelligence was another that we picked up.
Morgan: He is this tall faceless man who preys on children (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, &
Whipp, 2015).
Anissa: He can be anywhere from six feet to fourteen feet tall. He doesnt have a face. His skin
is white and at his own will he can exploit these tendrils from his back and um like strangle his
victims (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
The vocabulary that these twelve year olds utilized is what needs to be scrutinized in this instance. For
such young children, they have an extensive, advanced vocabulary. How did they pick this up? Was their
schooling that effective, or was this another additional passenger that came with the media effects?
Morgan: We said we were going to go bird watching. People who trust you become very
gullible. And it was sort of sad (Interrogation tapes released 2015).
Not only was a big word used by such a young child, but the concept of deception and the ability to
express herself so easily was eerie. This plays into her cold, sadistic side as well. We believe that her
exposure to media had allowed her to become influenced by the people on the web. Thus, her knowledge
base and vocabulary would naturally expand. This is a negative piece of knowledge, and Morgan and
Anissa were delving into some scary, depressing, and negative content on the media. Their vocabulary
and knowledge indicated that they were intelligent girls, and intelligence means rational thinking. This
intelligence is a part of the identity that the two girls possessed. Granted, they were intelligent before the
exposure to Slender Man, but the darker nature of their transforming identity expanded upon their
intelligence base. This new, evil identity made them seem much more intelligent. Did Morgan and Anissa
learn these dark tendencies from the creepy pastas, from horrific stories, or from scary videos? The

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emotionlessness of Morgan, the vengefulness of the girls, and the intelligence that they each displayed are
important to keep in mind when utilizing the conversation analysis methodology.
We shall take a few interactions from the transcript and break it down to analyze further.
Anissa: The whole time Payton was screaming in agony. Saying stuff like, I hate you guys. Ill
never forgive you, And I trusted you. And umI am sorry. *crying* (Dooley, Effron,
Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
She utilized a pause here when she burst into tears, displaying an expressive, emotional appeal. Unlike
Morgan who coldly retold the events of the day, Anissa put much more damaging descriptive words to
use. Screaming in agony was a pretty powerful sentence that hit hard for the audience. She retold the
last words that Payton said to her, and they related to things that Anissa might regret now. The image of
Payton screaming for her life, and those last words of defeat and betrayal, have been etched into her mind,
forever, and this might lead to the revelation of her true remorse. She used pauses to display tears and the
emotion of sadness. Given the circumstances, some might say that the tears were genuinely remorseful,
but it was, also, a sign of something else. This quote from Anissa is an expression of her own identity.
Over the course of this event, the two girls were going through a transformation of identities due to the
influence of the media. However, Morgan seemed content with painting Anissa in the same damaging
light as her. In reality, Anissa was being controlled once again, and she might have been of two minds.
This independent identity can be seen emerging through quotes like this.
Morgan: We took turns singing songs to each other. We were surprisingly calm actually. It was
like we hadnt just killed someone.
Interrogator: You guys were walking or you were running?
Morgan: We were walking because we didnt want to look suspicious. We were already covered
in blood (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
In saying, We took turns, Morgan was passing the blame to Anissa as well as conveying a simple story.
The fact that they were singing despite what had just happened indicated that they were both morbid and
possessed evil tendencies, despite the fact that Anissa, during the interrogation, showed a different
persona. The words, Surprisingly calm, displayed the fact that Morgan knew what they did was wrong,
and she knew that they should be worried/concerned. Thus, they seemed to be completely conscious,
aware, and to their senses about the ordeal. Also, Morgan continued to say we, but was that how Anissa

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really felt? It seemed that Morgan was assuming much, and this revealed how Morgan possessed more
power of the two. By calling Payton a someone, Morgans cold nature emerged once again. This
revealed that Morgan had severed the connection to Payton, and from her old identity. These lines reveal
that dark and overpowering identity that Morgan had so dominantly displayed. She took the power and
control away from Anissa when the act began.
Anissa: Morgan and I were gonna be like lionesses chasing down a zebra. I was going to tackle
her and Morgan was gonna do the stabbing (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
The image of the lioness chasing a zebra was, clearly, depicted in the minds of the audience, and this
revealed their wild imagination and their sadistic tendencies. The fact that they referred to themselves as
lionesses indicated that they were the hunters, and Slender Man was the Lion, or the alpha male of the
group. The male lion does not do the hunting, nor much of anything. All it does is protect the rest. The
lionesses hunt and get the food. Thus, the Proxies, or servants, of Slender Man would be the lionesses and
Slender Man would be the male lion. Anissa compared Payton to a Zebra due to the stripes. Payton was
not like other kids, and Payton was their friend for a while, so she stood out amongst the others. In a
similar fashion, zebras and their stripes stand out amidst the barren landscape of the grassy landscape. By
claiming that Anissa would tackle and Morgan would stab, Anissa was depicting who the worst of the two
really was. This quote was interesting because it pertained to the old and new identities of the two girls.
Not only was it proof of the wild imagination that the two girls had always possessed (old identity), but it
revealed the darker identity that they had acquired through depicting such a gruesome hunting scene (new
identity).
We shall look at two statements, one made by Anissa and one made by Morgan, as they, both,
tried to retell the story.
Anissa: And then Morgan jumped on top of Bella (Payton) and started stabbing her repeatedly
and that is when I turned around because I couldnt stand to see that.
Morgan: And then she jumpedon Bella and sheheld her to the floor (TODAYS TMJ4,
2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATMg2Hhu4s).

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From these two assertions, we can look at the varying degree of how it was said. First of all, both were
trying to pass the blame by saying that the other took action and pinned Payton. However, Anissa spoke
continuously, without pauses or breaks, and she was fighting back tears the whole time. However
Morgan, in retelling her version, was pausing left and right. Was an emotional wave fighting its way
through? Or was Morgan reconstructing her own version on the spot? There are many other examples that
we have analyzed, but these are few of the best ones with some hidden meanings.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS:
In analyzing these interrogation tapes, we have uncovered two communication theories that play
an active part. The first theory, the Cultivation Analysis Theory, was founded by George Gerbner in the
mid-1960s. Gerbner was assisted, later, by Larry Gross in 1976, and together, they put forth a strong
claim that television influenced the behaviors and perceptions of heavy consumers (Chong, Siew, Skoric,
& Teng, 2012: P.953). The Cultivation Theory states that heavy viewers of television, or heavy consumers
of media in general, will have a conception of reality that closely resembles their views of television, or
their views of the media that they consume. This theory is named as such because heavy viewers of media
are cultivating attitudes that begin to perceive the mediated reality as resembling the physical reality.
This cultivating effect has two levels. The first order effects are the general beliefs about the real world,
and the second order effects are the values, beliefs, and attitudes formed by the subject (Cultivation
Theory, n.d.). Gerbner and Gross saw television as being a vital element to our everyday lives, and each
program carried a meaning that crafted an identity for the viewers (Gerbner, 1998: P. 180). Gerbner and
Gross went on to craft the Mean World Syndrome. The Mean World Syndrome says that someone who is
a heavy viewer of television, or media, will begin to see the world around them as suspicious and the
people untrustworthy. Thus, the heavy consumers will begin to look out, only, for themselves. In a
nutshell, the world will become a much darker place to them (Chong, Siew, Skoric, & Teng, 2012: P.954).
Morgan and Anissa are prime examples of the Mean World Syndrome, having come to embrace a darker
reality. Gerbner and Grosss studies, and much of the early work of Cultivation Theory, revolved around
television, but Chong, Siew, Skoric, and Tong conducted a study in 2012 that proved that video games,

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another form of media, could be just as deadly in altering the perceptions of the participants. The
experimental group was exposed to Grand Theft Auto IV, a brutal video game. After the study, the
experimental group was more likely to rate the cause of death due to a car injury or drug overdose as
higher than the control group (Chong, Siew, Skoric, & Teng, 2012). The experiment proved that
prolonged media consumption, not just television, could produce altered perceptions and behavioral
output. Thus, with this experiment in mind, we decided to apply this theory to the analysis of the
interrogation tapes of Morgan and Anissa. The analysis of the interrogation tapes in regards to the
Cultivation theory can be found in the Findings and Discussions section.
The second theory that we focused on with this piece of discourse is the Identity Negotiation
Theory. Ying Huang wrote an article in 2011 that regarded international tour guides and how they balance
their multiple identities when dealing with people that come from all over the world. Within the confines
of the article, Huang talked about Stella Ting-Toomey, the pioneer for the Identity Negotiation Theory,
and he gave her original definition of identity. Identity is the reflective self-conception or self-image
that people derive from their cultural, ethnic, and gender socialization processes (Huang, 2011: P.219).
Basically, we acquire our identity through interacting with other people, and a persons identity is, largely,
reflective of their culture. The term, negotiate refers to how people delineate who they are by pinning
themselves in a battle against their surroundings. The end result will be who they are (Ting-Toomey,
2005: P.217). Ting-Toomey claimed there are two types of identities, and they are the Primary and the
Situational identities. The Primary consists of a persons cultural, ethnic, gender, and personal identity
traits, and the Situational consists of the face work, relational, role, and symbolic interaction identity.
Primary is Micro in relation to the person, and Situational is Macro in relation to the context in which that
person may find themselves. The study conducted in Huangs article found that the tour guides ethnic
identity was the most important in dealing with tourists from different cultures/countries (Huang, 2011:
P.220). The analysis of the interrogation tapes in regards to the Identity Negotiation theory can be found
in the Findings and Discussions section.
FINDINGS:

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The Cultivation Analysis theory applies to Morgan and Anissa because their decision to follow
Slender Man manifested out of the media that the consumed. Morgan and Anissa were two girls ruled by
their imaginations. From the start of the relationship between these two and Payton, they would act out
their fantasies in reality. Morgans imagination was so rampant that she thought characters of Harry
Potter were real, and she referred to the villain, Voldemort, as being real. She, also, brought characters
like Spock and Data from Star Trek to life through her role-playing (Miller, 2015: P.1). However, just
weeks before the dreadful event, Morgan was introduced to Slender Man on the internet, and her
imagination went wild. She began to believe him to exist, and she later claimed to see him in her dreams.
Interrogator: Whats he like?
Morgan: Um, a man.
Interrogator: Have you ever met him?
Morgan: No, we have never seen him.
Interrogator: Who tells you about him?
Morgan: He is everywhere (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
This exposure to Slender Man lasted multiple weeks, so the exposure was long enough to create a lasting
impression, as the Cultivation Theory dictates. With her wild imagination and her dark fantasies, Slender
Man, easily, caught her attention, and Anissa quickly jumped on board. Over time, Morgan and Anissa
sought to become Proxies to this character. A proxy is one who is a servant of Slender Man, but they
would be in charge of kidnapping and killing whoever Slender Man wanted. They began to believe that
Slender Man lived in a forest three hundred miles away, they believed that he was in a mansion in the
forest, and they believed that if they did not go through with the act and kill Payton, then their entire
families would be killed.
Morgan: Because I was afraid of what would happen if I didnt.
Anissa: I was really scared knowing that Slender can easily kill my whole family in three
seconds (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
Thus, Morgan and Anissa began to plot how to murder Payton and get away with it. One can see how the
media began this trend of darkness and evil, and some specific quotes from the transcript can prove
Cultivation Theory at work.
Morgan: We tried to find Slender Man.
Interrogator: Tried to find who?

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Morgan: Slender.
Interrogator: Who is Slender Man?
Morgan: Hes um, hes this tall, faceless man who preys on children (Dooley, Effron, Robinson,
& Whipp, 2015).
Just from this brief exchange, anyone can see that the Interrogator, upon hearing this for the first time,
was confused; he was not familiar with a fake character from the internet. Morgan explained who this
fake character was with little more than a pause. She even used the shortened form Slender to display
familiarity and comfort with the character. She, then, went into a description of this character. Morgans
lack of hesitation when describing Slender Man shows her familiarity and belief in him. Another example
from the transcript proceeds as follows,
Morgan: And he has tendrils that are very sharp.
Interrogator: Do you see him in your dreams?
Morgan: Oh, I see him in my dreams (Cooper, 2015).
Her description of this fake character continued to get more extensive, and when the interrogator asked if
Slender Man plagued her dreams, she responded, yes, in a way similar to how a kid would say, You
have no idea! Morgan said she saw Slender Man in her dreams, and the way she said it told the
investigator that she saw him often and in great detail. They say you dream about the last thing you think
about before drifting into sleep, and this proves ever more that Morgan had come to fully embrace the
reality of a fictitious character created by the internet. Anissa had a similar experience with the
interrogator in revealing how she viewed this creature.
Anissa: He can be anywhere from six feet to fourteen feet tall. He doesnt have a face. His skin
is white and at his own will he can exploit these tendrils from his back and um like strangle his
victim (Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
The second theory, the Identity Negotiation theory, can be connected with our piece of discourse
due to the battle of Identity with Morgan and Anissa. Both girls had an identity before the attack, and both
would have a different identity after. Before, Morgan and Anissa were not pleased with who they were.
By interacting with their friends and family, they found that they were the odd ducks. Their abundant
imagination made them the subject of mockery and ridicule by their peers as school, and their teachers
would phone home to the parents to say they were concerned (Miller, 2015: P.1). With the culture they

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were in, an American elementary system, Morgans obsession with Harry Potter and gothic themes was
not widely accepted. Anissa was picked on as well, and the way in which she met Morgan was by
standing up to bullies to defend her. Not only that, but Morgans mother was unemployed and never
around, and her father was schizophrenic and loved gothic-flavored items. In addition, Anissas parents
were divorced, and she suffered heavily from depression. Thus, these two girls were not happy with their
identities, and when they happened upon Slender Man, they began to believe that following him could
make their lives better, and they embraced the chance whole-heartedly. Committing the murder would
transform them from picked on, helpless victims to Proxies of Slender Man. While still under his
authority, this new position of Proxy would give them more power, and they would be set free form the
binds of the dreary life they lived. The attack failed, and Payton came out alive. However, the identities of
the two children changed all the same. They were no longer innocent, young girls with a flamboyant
imagination. They became cold blooded murderers, awaiting a trial, possibly to be tried as adults. Their
new identities dictated a desire for power and, after they were caught, a desire to cause even more damage
by shifting blame to another. One excerpt from the transcript regarded Morgan reflecting on her old
identity.
Morgan: She was my only friend for a long time. She was my best friend since fourth grade
(Dooley, Effron, Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
Morgan, speaking about Payton, said this without a hint of emotion. In saying it so casually and with no
remorse, this statement indicated that Payton was considered a relic of the past. In other words, Morgan
no longer viewed Payton as a friend, and she was as good as dead to her, despite the fact that Payton had
survived the attack. Morgan had fully embraced Slender Man and his teachings, despite failing his order.
This second excerpt reveals Morgan and Anissas changed identity.
Morgan: And then we played on the slide for a little bit. We went into the bathroom. And then
we were singing songs (TODAYS TMJ4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATMg2Hhu4s
2015).
Morgan and Anissa were playing and singing minutes before the attack. This revealed that they had
committed themselves fully to the murder, they did not regret or double-think their decision, and they

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knew what they were going to do. They had committed themselves to the new identity of Slender Mans
proxies. A last excerpt proceeds as follows,
Morgan: We knew it was going to be at my birthday sleepover. You have no idea how difficult it
was not to tell anyone (Bohr, 2015).
The way Morgan said this said much about her new identity. Morgan began to retell the events of that day
quickly, almost similar to the way a child would speak when telling their parents a story to make them
proud of the child. Morgan was growing more frantic and excited as she retold the events. For us, this
statement showed that Morgan, desperately, wanted to become a proxy to Slender Man, and even at the
point of the interrogation, her only regret was that they were caught. Through the transcript, one can see
how Morgan and Anissa wanted a change in their identities, and whether it happened the way they wanted
it to or not, they got what they wanted: a changed identity. In addition, this desire for a changed identity
came about due to the initial exposure to Slender Man on line. Without that initial exposure, none of this
would have happened.
There are several issues present within the interrogation transcripts that need to be flushed out,
but we shall focus on two of them. Both issues relate to the theories described. The first issue of power
and control displays itself through the content of what is said. According to the article titled, Control
Issues, written in 2007 for goodtherapy.org, control is defined as exerting influence over ones
environment or the actions or behaviors of another person (Controlling Issues, 2007). People who fear
what they cannot control, or what is unclear to them, feel the need to exert as much power and control as
possible in order to gain control of the situation. The fear of losing this sense of control drives for the
possession of control. People who have suffered a history of abuse, traumatic experiences, anxiety, fear of
abandonment, low self-esteem, or failure are the ones who strive for the most control (Controlling
Issues, 2007). From this list of criteria, it makes sense that Morgan and Anissa would strive for power
considering how traumatized, abused, and degraded they had been in regards to their old identity. The
issue of power and the theory of Identity Negotiation go hand in hand because as the girls sought more

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power, it came along with a new identity. The new identity they sought was more powerful, and the allure
of power was too powerful not to grasp.
Morgan and Anissa both suffered from a nontraditional family setting, abuse and ridicule from
their peers, and thus, low self-esteem. This all played into the identity that they were not pleased with. It
would make sense that Morgan and Anissa would want to reclaim some semblance of power/control in
their lives. In being mocked by reality, they turned to media for support. In being at the bottom of the
social ladder, they found a way to climb the ladder of power, and this was to become Proxies to Slender
Man. As Proxies, they could hunt and kill, do whatever they pleased, and live with a creature that valued
their services. In deciding to commit this act to change their identities and gain more power, Morgan took
control. Having the most disturbing history (mental health disorder, absent family, dark imagination, etc.),
it would make sense that Morgan would step in. Morgan decided to murder Payton on her birthday at her
house. Morgan came up with the plan in the first place. Morgan brought her knife from home to the park
to kill Payton. Her actions, alone, indicated that she was in charge and holding the power. In effect,
Morgan stole the power from Anissa once the act commenced, and thus, Anissa was once again
dominated by another. However, Anissa seemed content with following the directives of Morgan. Anissa,
in retelling of the events to the investigator, made a statement that indicated who seemed to be in charge.
Anissa: We are going to do it today at the park. Thats what Morgan said (Dooley, Effron,
Robinson, & Whipp, 2015).
Thus, it can be seen how this sense of power that the two girls wished to obtain derived from their old
identity that they were not pleased with, as discussed with the Identity Negotiation Theory. Power also
connects with the Cultivation Theory because Morgan and Anissa saw a way to gain power through the
media they consumed. The internet was their crutch and support, and Slender Man became their savior
because they could become his powerful tools. This form of power shares some semblance to, but is not
entirely, hegemonic. Slender Man never exerted any power, himself. Rather, Morgan and Anissa sought
the power. The two girls were exposed to the media (power) gradually, as hegemony would dictate.
However, since they sought it out from a fictitious character, it is not quite hegemonic. While both sought

Howell and Hunke 16

power in their lives as part of their new identity, when caught, they saw fit to shift responsibility to
another, and this leads into the next issue, which ties closely with this one.
The second issue is the shifting of blame. When a person blames someone else, they are revealing
their inability to want to change the problematic attitudes and behaviors. Oftentimes they will blame some
other person or circumstance, and they will say that it was beyond their control, or that something else
made them do it. This concept can also be called Projecting the blame. People have mental defense
mechanisms that they use, consciously or not, to blame, or project, intentions, desires, or actions that they
possess onto others. Disordered characters are aware of this; these disordered people know full well,
and may even be comfortable with their actions, but they know that, in the eyes of others, it would be
considered wrong, and thus, they project the blame elsewhere. In projecting, these people make it seem
that the option of choice is withheld, and responsibilities are avoided. Someone who continues to do this
and refuses to acknowledge their shortcomings will never change their ways (Simon, 2009). Thus, a
character who consistently shifts blame indicates a lack of remorse. This issue connects with the Identity
Negotiation Theory because shifting blame is a negative quality, and the identity that the girls strove for
was one of evil and negativity. To be an effective servant to Slender Man, one needs to be without
remorse. It connects to the Cultivation Theory because of the fact that the media was the point of origin
for this negativity to manifest.
The issue of shifting blame connects with power, identity, and media effects. Morgan and Anissa,
in committing this act, acquired some additional power, but when they were caught by the authorities,
they seemed to want to blame the other.
Morgan: I think Anissa stabbed her first, and then I continued. And then Anissa said, Morgan,
make sure she doesnt escape!
Morgan: She sort of just shoved it into my handsand there is was! And then I didnt know
what I did. It sort of just happened. It didnt feel like anything. It felt like air (Cooper, 2015).
From these two examples, one can see how Morgan tried to paint the picture as if Anissa was the one who
was controlling Morgan and influencing her to do it. Morgan tried to make it seem like she was unaware
of her actions, control was momentarily lost, and that Anissa was the instigator. Anissa took charge with

Howell and Hunke 17

the first blow, and that made it ok for Morgan to follow. Morgan did not try and refute the fact that she
played a big part in it, almost as if she were bragging about her role, but she painted Anissa as the leader.
Morgan: Anissa told me we had to.
Interrogator: Why?
Morgan: Because she said that he would kill our families.
Throughout the interrogation, Morgan and Anissa both claimed that the other started the whole thing. In
shifting blame continually, this reveals that they were not remorseful in any way. A person who truly feels
remorse will admit to the fault and take their share of the responsibility. Anissa and Morgan did not have
to take the fall for two, but in admitting that they each came up with the idea and shared in the plotting
and initiating, it would have revealed some remorse. The fact that Morgans entire testimony was given
without the slightest hint of sadness exemplifies this as well. While Morgan made Anissa look like the
bad guy, Anissa was doing a bit of her own manipulation. Her entire testimony revolved around Morgan
being the instigator. She would, constantly, say that Morgan told her to do things.
Anissa: And then Morgan jumped on top of Bella and started stabbing her repeatedly and that is
when I turned around because I couldnt stand to see that (TODAYS TMJ4, 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATMg2Hhu4s
With this one statement, Anissa painted a vivid picture to the investigators. Not only did Morgan seem
like the more deranged and evil person, but Morgan seemed like a likely candidate to initiate this evil
plot, and Anissa made it seem like she was not as evil as initially thought. She made it seem like violence,
blood, and gore disturbed her, and Anissa made herself look remorseful by sobbing during the exchange.
Both girls had their strategies of making the other seem like the bad guy and the leader. This issue can be
connected to the Identity Negotiation Theory due to the emerging, dark identities. Both Morgan and
Anissa wished to become someone else, someone that would be happy at Slenders side. To be a
companion of Slender Man, one would have to be pretty dark and corrupt. Thus, this shifting blame
behavior fits right in with their new identities. It is, also, connected with the Cultivation Theory because it
is from the media that these girls derived this mentality in the first place. It was only through media that
the two girls became as corrupt as they were (Harry Potter, Star Trek, Slender Man). Without the media,
they might have had a chance to be innocent, normal girls.

Howell and Hunke 18

DISCUSSIONS:
From what has been discussed, it can be seen how our methodology of conversation analysis, our
three codes of emotionlessness, vengefulness, and intelligence, the Cultivation Theory, the Identity
Negotiation Theory, and the issues of power and shifting blame are all connected. The Cultivation Theory
analyzes the point of origin with the exposure to this dark form of media (internet), and this exposure led
these girls to take action to transform who they were to become someone they could be pleased with, and
this is where the Identity Negotiation Theory comes into play. The issue of acquiring power goes hand in
hand with the new identity they were striving for because the primary motivator for both was the access
to more power. Then, once the act was initiated, Morgan displayed her dark, corrupt identity in stealing
the power away from Anissa and manipulating her once again. With the new identities being of a darker
nature, the element of blame shifting can be seen as second nature. Finally, the three codes of
emotionless, vengefulness, and intelligence all play into that new identity that they acquired from the
spark of the media. This Slender Man stabbing case is highly indicative that the media can have profound
impacts upon a persons behavior. Whereas previous studies focused, largely, on the effects of television,
we stress that all forms of media are just as potent, and future studies need to analyze the various forms of
media and their effects. We live in a mediated world, and there are many different types of media. As our
world delves deeper into media, we construct our lives around it as well. Social media rules our personal
lives, television rules our relaxation time, and video games rule our entertainment time. In addition, future
studies should not only analyze media effects, but the additional effect of peer pressure. Morgan and
Anissa fueled each other, and they convinced each other to go through with the plan when one felt
hesitation. Thus, peer pressure to do something this atrocious is a significant area to analyze.
CONCLUSION:
The interrogation tapes of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier have been analyzed with a certain
methodology, three examples of coding, two theories, and two prominent issues. How could two children
so young do something so awful? The media can be very persuasive, and the struggle to find the truth
about oneself can be derived from the media due to less appealing physical circumstances. The next time

Howell and Hunke 19

you go out for a walk, imagine yourself in the shoes of Morgan and Anissa. Imagine seeing a tall, slender
figure in the distance, watching your every move. Now, imagine what it must have been like to be Payton,
betrayed by your closest friends for a cause that held no foundation. Payton is lucky to be alive, and when
you think about Payton, remember that the media can be very persuasive. Make your own reality from
reality.

Howell and Hunke 20

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