# Marble Hornets - did anybody here catch on to this meme? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898 "2010-06-29T04:57:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/61 "2011-02-25T09:18:46Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > To be perfectly honest, the hotel episodes were some of my favorite. My favorite Marble Hornets episodes are the ones where nothing happens. At all. There is something to be said about the expectation of something to be there and there isn’t (the Silent Hill effect) like in #34 and #31, but after being teased for a while, I want _something_ to happen. > [@](#): > > Also, I wonder if Jessica could possibly be one of the four Maskies shown in the season finale (and could Jay be another?). I just re-watched #26 and I just don’t see the four Maskies. I guess I’m blind, a little help? As to the Operator, a big part of his freakiness is that you don’t know what he can do or what his motivation is. With your typical monster/villain/creature, you have a pretty good idea of at least what he can do to you. There has been some implied violence (blood) in previous entries where he appears, but mostly it’s been one gigantic mindfuck. I’m really dubious that Masky’s motive is to help Jay. He’s been on the attack far too much. I interpreted the “Return” video (Jay hyp-mo-tized in the hallway) as serving three purposes: 1) To taunt Jay by showing how close to Slendy he got and didn’t even remember 2) To show Jay no matter how vigilant he is, it’s of no use as evidenced by the “found you” tag 3) As a sort of offering to Slendy. Why Slendy just sort of walked by Jay is unclear, but most of the Operator’s motives and actions are still a mystery at this point. I might easily be wrong, though. ETA: That’s IF Masky and totheark are the same person. There is some evidence that Alex is totheark. I also wanted to add that it seemed to be that in #35, Masky brushed by Jay and went all stabbity on Alex. Maybe Masky was just using Jay to get to Alex. The makers of Marble Hornets say that when it’s all finished a DVD will likely be released and questions will be answered. I’m sure that when they do, a lot of responses will be, “Of course! Why didn’t I see that?” :smack: > [@](#): > > I think those are some of the key points in the series that need to be touched upon before the series degrades into compounding question upon question without ever answering them, that’s the surest way to make the series suddenly become stagnant. Ah yes, _The X-Files_ Syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/62 "2011-02-25T09:28:06Z")
> [@Pixiesnix](#): > > There is something to be said about the expectation of something to be there and there isn’t (the Silent Hill effect) like in #34 and #31, but after being teased for a while, I want _something_ to happen. I suppose it wouldn’t be quite as effective if nothing ever happened. > [@](#): > > I just re-watched #26 and I just don’t see the four Maskies. I guess I’m blind, a little help? It’s pretty quick, during the distorted footage, here’s a vertical image with all of their quick shots put together. [http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f384/axels\_red\_rose/fourmaskies.png](http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f384/axels_red_rose/fourmaskies.png) > [@](#): > > As to the Operator, a big part of his freakiness is that you don’t know what he can do or what his motivation is. With your typical monster/villain/creature, you have a pretty good idea of at least what he can do to you. There has been some implied violence (blood) in previous entries where he appears, but mostly it’s been one gigantic mindfuck. Oh, certainly. I don’t necessarily need a motive, but I think eventually something will have to give and we’ll need some background, somewhere. Like I said, just illuminating the name “The Operator” would be good enough for me. It seems like a very meaningful thought out choice, and I’d like to know why it was made. It’s not like I need to know that The Operator was little Oswald from planet Giganticus and he is evil because he was abused by his… > [@](#): > > I’m really dubious that Masky’s motive is to help Jay. He’s been on the attack far too much. I interpreted the “Return” video (Jay hyp-mo-tized in the hallway) as serving three purposes: 1) To taunt Jay by showing how close to Slendy he got and didn’t even remember 2) To show Jay no matter how vigilant he is, it’s of no use as evidenced by the “found you” tag 3) As a sort of offering to Slendy. Why Slendy just sort of walked by Jay is unclear, but most of the Operator’s motives and actions are still a mystery at this point. I’m dubious as well, but sometimes I wonder. At the very least, I don’t think Masky wants harm to come directly to Jay, or at least not outright death. “You will lead us to the ark” I believe he said in one of the videos. Jay is important, there could even be a love/hate relationship between Slendy and Masky. Masky appeases the Operator, but also keeps him at arm’s length because he has his own uses for Jay. Alternate interpretation, of course, is that somehow the Operator is the ark and Jay attracts him, so Masky is just using him to get closer to ol Ops. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/63 "2011-02-25T09:39:45Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I’m dubious as well, but sometimes I wonder. At the very least, I don’t think Masky wants harm to come directly to Jay, or at least not outright death. “You will lead us to the ark” I believe he said in one of the videos. Jay is important, there could even be a love/hate relationship between Slendy and Masky. Masky appeases the Operator, but also keeps him at arm’s length because he has his own uses for Jay. Alternate interpretation, of course, is that somehow the Operator is the ark and Jay attracts him, so Masky is just using him to get closer to ol Ops. Or Alex is the ark. Or reading your edit: Masky is preventing totheark/Alex from reaching salvation (the ark) through Jay, which presumably decodes to something like “a peaceful life free from Operator shenanigans” or possibly even “wholesale destruction of the Operator.” ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/64 "2011-02-25T09:53:13Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I suppose it wouldn’t be quite as effective if nothing ever happened. Then it would be _The Starfighters._ > [@](#): > > [http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f384/axels\_red\_rose/fourmaskies.png](http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f384/axels_red_rose/fourmaskies.png) Thanks, it’s hard to guess from those images. I’ll take a wild guess and say one of them is Brian. > [@](#): > > Oh, certainly. I don’t necessarily need a motive, but I think eventually something will have to give and we’ll need some background, somewhere. Like I said, just illuminating the name “The Operator” would be good enough for me. It seems like a very meaningful thought out choice, and I’d like to know why it was made. It’s not like I need to know that The Operator was little Oswald from planet Giganticus and he is evil because he was abused by his… I just assumed it was some sort of puppet master reference. Like the Operator is moving Jay, Alex, TTA and even Masky to his unfathomable will. > [@](#): > > I’m dubious as well, but sometimes I wonder. At the very least, I don’t think Masky wants harm to come directly to Jay, or at least not outright death. “You will lead us to the ark” I believe he said in one of the videos. Jay is important, there could even be a love/hate relationship between Slendy and Masky. Masky appeases the Operator, but also keeps him at arm’s length because he has his own uses for Jay. Alternate interpretation, of course, is that somehow the Operator is the ark and Jay attracts him, so Masky is just using him to get closer to ol Ops. I tend to lean toward the theory that Masky is some sort of acolyte to the Operator, who watches over the Operator’s victims 'til they’re ready for whatever he has in mind. I’m unsure what relationship Masky and totheark have to each other, as Masky has appeared in several TTA videos. I’m sort of fixed to the idea of Alex being TTA, except there was a seeming TTA vid in Alex’s camera in #26 that his girlfriend was taping over, yet Alex readily attacked Masky/Tim in #35 So it will be interesting to see how it’s all explained. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/65 "2011-03-23T20:20:05Z")
I hope Marble Hornets didn’t just go into another hiatus, Jay posted some stuff on twitter after finding a really significant entry… and then slept for what now is about 3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/66 "2011-03-24T04:22:01Z")
Holy dear mother of fuck, finding [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE8aZZx1dTI) would freak me out too. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/67 "2011-03-24T04:54:03Z")
There is now some debate on whether Jay (in a fugue state), Alex (as TTA or otherwise) or someone else posted the latest entry. Whatever the case, it makes pretty clear that Slendy has been with ol’ Alex for a while. P.S. Notice the Operator symbol over Alex’s face at :25. And the weird time stamp dates. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/68 "2011-03-24T05:17:33Z")
Yeah, I’ve been watching the unfiction thread (too lazy and the threads move too fast for me to really care about presenting a theory). I have a few principle theories right now: 1. Jay = TTA, large bouts of time displacement, missing memories, TTA inexplicably getting his password multiple times. Though this doesn’t explain why a lot of his videos include masky or times when Jay is clearly out of commission, unless they’ve been taken from a camera Jay had set up and neglected to mention or forgot about (due to being half crazy at the time, or a notoriously unreliable narrator), that he went through in crazy mode and uploaded with no recollection of the event. But Occam’s Razor and all that. 2. Alex somehow turned off Jay’s memories/knocked him out. Not sure HOW Alex did this, but Alex tells Jay to lay low and complains that he’s so easy to find. Alex is really emphatic that Jay stays put… and then Jay drops COMPLETELY off the map for who knows how long, perhaps Alex hid him away in a secure location, intending to call him and wake him up, but the memory lapse wore off and Alex was MIA leaving a confusing mess. 3. “You are fragmented” could be referring to Jessica. She just… disappeared without a trace. The fact that at the point of her disappearance he suddenly gets a bunch of things related to his memory is just too symbolic. Perhaps she’s some kind of Slender-personification of Jay’s memories and Jessica’s disappearance signified the gradual return of Jay’s memories. Anyway, I have a feeling we’re going to have a rather rude awakening come April 4, since that seems to be Alex’s birthday. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/69 "2011-03-24T05:26:16Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Yeah, I’ve been watching the unfiction thread (too lazy and the threads move too fast for me to really care about presenting a theory). I follow the Something Awful thread about it, which the creators have posted to from time to time. All your theories are plausible, there’s just so much up in the air right now it could be anything. > [@](#): > > Anyway, I have a feeling we’re going to have a rather rude awakening come April 4, since that seems to be Alex’s birthday. Only a week and a half away, too. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/70 "2011-04-07T05:38:11Z")
Just bumping the thread to mention that the Marble Hornets Season One DVD is now on sale. Go to [http://marblehornetsdvd.com](http://marblehornetsdvd.com) to order. The two-disc DVD set will include: - Commentary from the guys who play Jay, Alex and Tim - Behind the scenes stuff and bloopers - A festival trailer - Bios - Jay’s tweets/twitpics The creators said that there were initially 1000 copies made, but more will be made if the orders exceed supply. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/71 "2011-04-07T06:20:54Z")
> [@Pixiesnix](#): > > Just bumping the thread to mention that the Marble Hornets Season One DVD is now on sale. Go to [http://marblehornetsdvd.com](http://marblehornetsdvd.com) to order. > > The two-disc DVD set will include: > > - Commentary from the guys who play Jay, Alex and Tim > > - Behind the scenes stuff and bloopers > > - A festival trailer > > - Bios > > - Jay’s tweets/twitpics > > The creators said that there were initially 1000 copies made, but more will be made if the orders exceed supply. Phew, thanks. I thought it was NEXT week they went on sale. Glad I got one now. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/72 "2011-05-20T14:25:33Z")
Reached #40. Even with the reappearance of old faces, things are sort of dragging now. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/73 "2011-05-26T06:17:33Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Reached #40. Even with the reappearance of old faces, things are sort of dragging now. They’re promising something big, and I think the latest entry (#41) serves its purpose as far as plot advancement goes, making Jay into a new Masky. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/74 "2011-08-14T05:22:56Z")
Well, I finally started watching season 2 and I’m now caught up (to entry 46). The Slender Man has been showing up frequently. In one of the recent ones, it seems his appearance actually saves Alex from the Maskies. I’m a bit confused though. Are the new entries still from the tapes and hard drive that Jay found in the hotel safe, from his missing time before he woke up in the hotel room? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/75 "2011-08-14T05:28:16Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Well, I finally started watching season 2 and I’m now caught up (to entry 46). The Slender Man has been showing up frequently. In one of the recent ones, it seems his appearance actually saves Alex from the Maskies. > > I’m a bit confused though. Are the new entries still from the tapes and hard drive that Jay found in the hotel safe, from his missing time before he woke up in the hotel room? Yeah, all the entries since… 32? 33? Whichever one he escaped from the hotel in are from the tapes and hard drive Jay found in the safe. It looks like we may shift back to present day soon with the discovery of the Key in Alex’s apartment, though. It may take a couple entries though, as stupid as Jay his, I doubt he’ll act without having any inkling of what the key is for. He’s reckless, not someone obsessed with brute force searching. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/76 "2011-08-14T05:55:01Z")
Thanks. By the way, I liked the hotel episodes a lot, too. The speculation on Jessica being part of Jay’s subconscious is interesting. The entries that freak me out the most are the ones–like the one of Alex sleeping in his apartment–where you see a murky camera shot and nothing’s really happening and then you start to notice something’s not quite right and then you suddenly realize that this whole time the slender man is standing in the shadowy corner! Aaagh! ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/77 "2011-08-20T04:51:08Z")
There’s a new entry up! ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/78 "2011-08-20T04:57:42Z")
double post ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/79 "2011-08-20T05:28:46Z")
Jay/Troy has said on his blog that there are only a few more entries left for this season. They’ve also announced a Marble Hornets Season Three. They’re also talking about a DVD for season two, which stands to reason. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898/80 "2011-09-04T07:36:22Z")
Wow, looks like he’s wrapping up the season fast, the twitter says: “Finished looking through Alex’s footage in the park. I don’t want to share what I’ve seen.” Which means either TTA is gonna bitch slap him and air it himself or he’ll come around soon enough for our exciting conclusion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marble-hornets-did-anybody-here-catch-on-to-this-meme/544898.md?page=5)