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Who Is Jonathan Galindo? The Cursed Goofy-Man Who Has Been Terrorizing Internet Users Explained
If you've seen a person dressed up like a bizarro-world version of the beloved Mickey Mouse character Goofy, you may have come across a photo of someone many people on the internet call Jonathan Galindo. The creepy masked man made waves on the internet in 2020 in connection to an old-internet challenge that received international news coverage for supposedly encouraging scores of Russian teens to harm themselves.
But who is Jonathan Galindo, and what is the internet challenge he is being linked to? Read more about the modern internet creepypasta here.
Who Is Jonathan Galindo, And Why Are People Creeped Out By Him?
Jonathan Galindo is the name chosen by a group of internet "pranksters" who change their social media handles to the name and message other young people on the internet in an effort to encourage them to participate in self-harm. People began to notice various accounts taking on the name sometime in the year 2020, often accompanied by a photo of a bizarre Goofy-inspired costume.
What Was The Internet Challenge Jonathan Galindo Forced People To Do?
In 2020, various Twitter users began to share information about Jonathan Galindo's accounts and their practice of encouraging people to participate in a dangerous internet challenge.
The accounts were supposedly perpetuating the Blue Whale Challenge, which is an internet phenomenon first documented on the Russian social media website VK. The challenge has been reported on by various news outlets as being a dangerous internet trend that encourages young people to participate in self-harm practices. However, the Blue Whale Challenge's connection to teen deaths is thus far unconfirmed.
Who Is The Original Cursed Goofy?
The original Jonathan Galindo is actually a cosplayer and mask designer named Samuel Canini, who goes by the moniker Dusky Sam on the internet. Samuel's work, which includes the admittedly creepy Goofy makeup, is completely unrelated to the inception and spread of both the original Blue Whale Challenge and its Galindo variant.
Samuel eventually took to his Twitter to clear the air about his photos, noting that they were for his own personal amusement nearly ten years ago, and shouldn't be used by amateur thrill-seekers to scare young people on the internet.
For the full history of Jonathan Galindo, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
