Go on, laugh if you must, but there's a point to this. Earlier tonight, as I was logging into Twitter, I caught a link to a new Muppets video and followed it to YouTube. There, the Swedish Chef was making "popcorn shrimp" with all the (nearly incomprehensible) mayhem one could want. And off to the side of the main feature, Sam the Eagle presenting "The Stars and Stripes Forever," which begged to be posted to Facebook on the advent of the July 4th weekend.
So I sent both URL to myself, along with a Viking longship rendition of "In the Navy" (from the original TV series) for Dennis--the household Nordic history maven. I even rudely interrupted his Eve-playing to insist he watch the first two, just so I could have the fun of watching him watching those. Next thing I knew, Eve had been literally Rick-rolled by the Muppet rendition of "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Which is when I realized that perhaps the "viral" meme might not be adequate for the likes of YouTube. No, mind-controlling parasite is far more apt. I remembered reading of one parasite that perpetuates itself by making its cricket host drown itself, and still another that tricks its caterpillar host into defending--literally, to the death--the wasp brood that have already fed on it. But I wasn't positive that I had the details all down, so I did a bit of digging.
Whoops.
Turns out, there's way more of that going on than I knew about. Mice are brainwashed out of their fear of cats to perpetuate their parasite's life cycle. Similarly, crustaceans not only change color after being infected, but also seek out their predators. Crickets are chemically near-neutered to promote promiscuity and thus the parasite's transfer as an STD for the six-legged. And it just gets weirder from there.
Then, after being smacked upside the head with the sheer insidiousness of it all, the horrified realization dawned on me that I had infected my husband. Fortunately for me, though, I had a blog post yet to write. If nothing else, I could at least summon the will to warn the internet of websites that not only feast on your time, but also convince you to propagate them to other hosts.
You're welcome.
And now, if my gentle reader will excuse me, I have a husband to rescue.
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Citations for above--one, ironically enough, a YouTube video:
- Assorted critters being mind-controlled by other critters: How Parasites Manipulate Host Behavior
- More Gordian works and self-drowing crickets, plus necrophilic houseflies and zombie cockroaches: Weird Worms and Zombies
- Wasp parasitization of a caterpillar: Body Invaders
