The band Waterparks is currently navigating a swirl of false controversy surrounding their drummer, Otto Wood.
Otto Wood, now 33, joined Waterparks shortly after their formation in 2011, stepping in for Owen Marvin and solidifying his role as the pop rock/punk group’s primary drummer and backup lyricist.
Unlike Waterparks’ charismatic and extroverted lead singer and guitarist Awsten Knight, Wood maintains a more private persona. In a 2019 interview with Rock Sound, Wood humorously explained his absence from social media: “I try to stay off the internet because it’s terrifying and I’m out of touch, but I did make a Myspace account!”
So, while the internet buzzes with baseless rumors, Wood continues to keep a low profile, focusing on his music and staying as far away from the digital drama as possible.
Waterparks: Is Otto Wood a Serial Killer?
A bizarre controversy has cropped up around the band Waterparks, alleging that drummer Otto Wood is a serial killer responsible for heinous crimes.
Otto Wood, along with lead singer Awsten Knight, features prominently in Waterparks’ music videos. However, this so-called controversy isn’t what it seems. According to various fan forums, there’s been a long-running joke within the band’s fandom that playfully labels Otto Wood as a serial killer.
The joke is fueled by an unfortunate name coincidence: Otto Wood shares his name with a real-life train robber and murderer who was active in the early 1900s and met his end in a police shootout in 1930. This dark humor is only enhanced by Wood’s notable absence from social media, in stark contrast to the frequent online presence of other band members like Awsten Knight.
Knight even joined in on the gag on TikTok, quipping about how things were “finally going well” for the band until fans began Googling “Otto Danielle Wood serial killer allegations.” He joked, “Things with the band finally going well but everyone starts finding out about our drummer and searching Otto Danielle Wood serial killer allegations on TikTok, it’s so over for us.”
The band’s song “Real Super Dark” cheekily references these false allegations with the lyrics, “I’ll call you, beep you later / If Otto doesn’t serial kill me (Otto, I’m sorry, stop).”
Instead of dispelling the misinformation, Waterparks has decided to lean into the joke, adding fuel to the fire. Knight took to Instagram, remarking on the growing rumor: “IT’S GROWING!!! INTO A PROBLEM??? ONLY IF YOU LACK CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND MEDIA LITERACY BABY, LET’S TRICK SOME LOCALS.”
In another post, Knight expressed his amusement, likening the joke’s spread to Christmas: “IM SO HAPPY THE OTTO WOOD SERIAL K*L**R DISCOURSE IS REACHING OUTSIDE THE PARX UNIVERSE THIS IS LIKE CHRISTMAS FOR ME.”
He encouraged fans to perpetuate the joke, advising them not to reveal the truth to unsuspecting TikTok users: “THIS IS MY SOURCE OF JOY, DO NOT ADMIT TO THE NORMIES ON TKTK THAT THIS IS A JOKE, COMMIT TO THE BIT OR BUST.”
Waterparks’ music, full of their signature humor and pop-punk energy, is available for purchase and streaming on all major platforms. So, whether you’re in on the joke or just along for the ride, there’s plenty of fun to be had with this band.
