What’s with the increasingly obsessive and bizarre posts and sentiments here?

Hey everyone – I’ve been a member of this subreddit for a while and have always appreciated the shared love for Elliott Smith’s music. However, lately, I’ve noticed an increasing number of posts and comments that seem obsessive and, frankly, a bit unsettling. Anyone else pick up on this?

I started making a quick note whenever I saw something especially obsessive and illustrative of bizarre and unhealthy fixations that extend far beyond Elliott Smith’s music and artistry.

Here are some posts that stood out to me:

  • “My Spotify Wrapped: Listened to Elliott Smith for 82,000 minutes this year”
  • “I dream about Elliott Smith almost every night – anyone else?”
  • “Does anyone else hear Elliott whispering lyrics in silence sometimes?”
  • “Does anyone else feel like Elliott Smith visits them in their dreams?”
  • “Elliott Smith imaginary interview – I wrote out our conversation”
  • “Cried through every live performance video for three months straight
  • “Listening to Figure 8 on loop for 48 hours straight – am I okay?”
  • “Elliott Smith AI bot: You can now chat with him”
  • “Built a shrine in my room dedicated to Elliott Smith – thoughts?”
  • “Did Elliott Smith ever have sex? Serious question.”
  • “Wrote a fanfic where Elliott Smith writes a song with Kurt Cobain”
  • “Elliott Smith’s music as a cure for my pet’s anxiety – anyone else?”
  • “Elliott Smith’s face tattooed over my heart – my tribute to him”
  • “AI-generated Elliott Smith character in Fortnite – what do you think?”
  • “Elliott Smith as an anime protagonist – fan art project”
  • “I made a playable Elliott Smith in The Sims – here’s my update!”
  • “Did Elliott Smith enjoy snowboarding? Random thought.”
  • “I wrote Elliott Smith lyrics in every notebook I own”
  • “My DIY Elliott Smith action figure – check it out!”
  • “Does Elliott Smith’s ghost guide anyone else’s songwriting?”
  • “Elliott Smith-inspired recipe book: dishes based on his songs”
  • “Designed an Elliott Smith video game concept: ‘Needle in the Hay’”

Even more unsettling is the positive reactions to these posts and responses by others agreeing with, reinforcing and echoing similar sentiments and obsessive behavior. This hasn’t been just one or two, or even a handful, of overly zealous fans on here. It’s been a wide swath of the users.

It goes without saying that much of this is counter to Elliott’s worldview and role he wanted his art to play in people’s lives. He would no doubt be horrified to see these things.

All this to say: What is going on with this sub? What’s driving the obsession and bizarre thoughts and actions?