The iconic horror movie "Zepotha" from 1987 is back on TikTok.
User feeds are dominated by reaction videos to the bloody forest sequences in the movie. Users of TikTok are rummaging through their parents' clothing to replicate the classic looks from the film. Character fanart and complex hypotheses concerning the film's mysterious finale are constantly going viral. Nearly 160 million people have viewed the hashtag #Zepotha, and the pop tune that serves as the movie's theme song is currently trending.
You're not the only one who has trouble recalling Zepotha. Zepotha didn't exist.
It's all a part of a smart marketing scheme to advertise a brand-new song by singer Emily Jeffri. The 18-year-old musician created a TikTok video explaining how to make a bogus movie go viral by casually mentioning it in passing.
The fashion is successful. Within a few days, over 12,000 videos had used the sound from Jeffri's brand-new tune. Others joined in the prank, claiming to have written lengthy, explicit fanfiction about the film's sad leads. Zepotha's "trailers" were posted online, and 2024 reboot rumours were circulated by fans. They published phoney eBay listings for posters in mint condition and "rare" Zepotha VHS tapes. Zepotha truthers emphasised that their parents had showed them the movie when they were younger when other users expressed uncertainty or bewilderment about it.
On a TikTok about the movie, a person wrote, "I did NOT watch Zepotha and become traumatised for them to just say we made it up."
"An individual who identified themselves as an older person at the age of 30 mentioned having a memory of glimpsing 'Zepotha' at a Blockbuster store during the 90s. Another commenter affirmed the reality of 'Zepotha,' indicating that they could confirm its existence.
In the past, achieving viral status on TikTok used to be a valuable pathway for emerging artists to break into the music industry swiftly. However, it has now become an anticipated outcome. Artists now employ the tactic of offering sneak peeks of their upcoming songs weeks before the official release, with the intention of generating a trend that aligns with their music. A case in point was Halsey's frustration over her label's insistence on a contrived viral moment before releasing a new song. While organic virality is attainable, it raises suspicion among TikTok users. The platform is inundated with new music, leading to emerging artists being prematurely dismissed as industry pawns before they can prove their authenticity. Any claims of creating the "song of the summer" or a poignant breakup anthem are met with skepticism from TikTok users, especially if the music adheres to the formulaic structure designed to go viral, known as the "TikTok music formula."
Sharing one's artistic creations on TikTok involves an element of vulnerability, particularly for independent musicians. Striking the right balance between authenticity and promotion is delicate; being overly sincere comes across as awkward, while excessive self-promotion feels artificial. One of the few successful strategies is for artists to cater to niche internet communities, such as fans who create edits of emotionally charged anime pairings.
Jeffri's marketing approach stands out because it builds a trend that naturally features her song rather than artificially inserting her song into a trend. At this point, 'Zepotha' has surpassed her song, and as it spreads, it becomes increasingly detached from Jeffri herself. While 'Zepotha' originated as an inside joke, few TikTok users are aware of its origins. Nevertheless, knowing Jeffri's identity is immaterial; what matters is the use of her song in videos, which indicates the success of her campaign.
Though effective in attracting new listeners, Jeffri's control over the trend restricts 'Zepotha' from realizing its potential as a collaborative phenomenon.
Collectively convincing the online community to remember a nonexistent film isn't unprecedented. Last year, Tumblr revived the fictional 1973 Martin Scorsese drama 'Goncharov,' a mafia-themed movie centered around crime, power, and a forbidden love triangle. Similar to 'Zepotha,' 'Goncharov' was entirely fictional. However, Tumblr users committed to the ruse, creating a comprehensive Google document detailing the characters, their relationships, and their backstories. This collaborative endeavor extended to scene-by-scene breakdowns, coordinated through a 'Goncharov' Discord server. Even Scorsese himself participated, sending a TikTok message to his daughter, claiming, "I made that film years ago."
While 'Zepotha' enjoys popularity, it hasn't reached the level of meticulous detail and collaboration achieved by 'Goncharov.' Critics on Tumblr have viewed 'Zepotha' as a disorganized popularity contest rather than a collective effort. Multiple creators initiated Google documents to co-create 'Zepotha's' lore, but they struggled to agree on a consistent narrative. A definitive list of characters featured in the fictional film remains elusive, and the names referenced by TikTok creators in their 'Zepotha' posts exhibit varying spellings.
Some Tumblr users argue that 'Zepotha' is less likely to succeed due to TikTok users' shorter attention spans compared to the dedication required for 'Goncharov.' They assert that they, with their extensive experience in fan fiction, have the commitment required for such an endeavor.
The main flaw of 'Zepotha' isn't its lack of centralized lore, but rather the fact that a single creator claims ownership of the joke. Recently, Jeffri introduced a short film competition awarding £500 to the winner, along with the designation of their film as "canon" in the 'Zepotha' universe. In the video announcing the competition, Jeffri highlighted the importance of restoring order and organizing the lore, while acknowledging the genuine creative contributions from the community.
The success of 'Goncharov' was due to the collective efforts of countless users collaborating on the project. Fans engaged in lengthy discussions on Discord to develop plot points before integrating them into the shared Google document, effectively establishing a canonized lore. Detailed analyses of themes and motifs were crafted based on the collaborative contributions. The creators even adhered to the period-appropriate Hays Code, which guided them in ensuring scenes were consistent with the industry guidelines of the time. 'Goncharov' emerged as a cohesive story from a multitude of ideas.
In contrast, 'Zepotha' originated from a single point of origin and has since evolved into numerous divergent storylines. Selecting a single winning short film to determine the film's plot encourages competition among fans, rather than fostering collective creativity. This approach isn't necessarily superior or inferior to the way 'Goncharov' was developed, but it does limit 'Zepotha's' impact on internet culture. The appeal of 'Zepotha' primarily stems from the enjoyment of being part of the joke, rather than its creative potential.
While the 'Goncharov' phenomenon sustained for weeks and remains active on the Discord server, enthusiasm for 'Zepotha' appears to be waning despite Jeffri's recent posts. However, the duration of 'Zepotha's' popularity matters less for Jeffri. It doesn't need to replicate the 'Goncharov' success; she has already achieved a significant feat by making her song go viral. For an independent artist on TikTok, that accomplishment alone is substantial."
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