Over 1.1 million have joined up to raid Area 51 to 'see them aliens.' Is it all a big joke?
Are you one of the 1.1 million people who has signed up to storm Area 51?
One of the biggest questions of the modern age is whether or not extraterrestrials and their UFOs are real, and it seems a lot of people are willing to put their lives on the line to find out.
Based on the viral popularity of the Facebook event that kicked off all this hilarious madness, it seems that there are quite a few folks who are down to face off against armed guards at a chance at seeing alien life.
However, one look at the actual event shows that the whole thing was one big joke that seems to have garnered more attention than anyone could have predicted.
How and When It Started
The fervor over this supposed storming party began due to a Facebook event titled "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us." The post was created by a group that goes by the name S**tposting cause im in shambles, who labeled themselves on the social media platform as a religious organization.
If these minor details weren't enough to suggest that maybe this event -- which is scheduled to take place on Sept. 20 from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. -- wasn't established with earnest intent, the description of the group's plan of attack in the very brief details section of the event page should hammer home the joke.
"We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry," the Facebook event page explains. "If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Lets see them aliens."
For those who aren't up on their anime and pop culture touchstones, "Naruto run" refers to the unique sprinting style of Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of the Japanese anime series Naruto.
It's important to note that, in real life, running with your arms stretched back will not actually make you faster than bullets, even if you are a ninja.
Is This a Petition?
Despite the fact that this event has been reported on in the press by multiple outlets as a petition, it's important to note that it is absolutely not a petition. It's a Facebook event that -- whether considered a joke or not -- is advocating for the storming of a secure U.S. Air Force base by civilians, which is a criminal act of trespass, among likely many other conceivable criminal violations.
While over 1.1 million people have declared that they are going to the event, and another 964,000 have clicked that they are interested, it's entirely impossible to tell what percentage of those excited about the event are in on the fact that it's a joke versus how many will show up at 3 a.m. on Sept. 20 and be disappointed.
That's not to say, however, that there aren't any petitions regarding Area 51. In fact, across all major petition platforms, including Change.Org, and the White House's We The People petition program, there have been many efforts to call for the full disclosure of all information the government has on UFOs and alien life.
The Air Force Really Doesn't Want People Trying This
Area 51 -- which has long been connected to the Roswell crash of 1947 and has been the focal point of frequent alien conspiracy theories -- is a real top secret, highly guarded military installation that is part of the Nellis Air Force Complex in Nevada.
Aside from the warning signs that abound all around the desert on the outskirts of the compound, the Air Force decided to address the increasing popularity of this joke event -- which some could see as a serious threat to the safety of those working at the base -- in a comment to The Washington Post, in which they made it very clear they aren't messing around when it comes to security.
"Area 51 is an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces," Air Force spokesperson Laura McAndrews said in an interview with the publication earlier this month. "The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets."
According to warning signs surrounding the base, trespassing can also nab you "up to one-year imprisonment and a $5,000 fine."
It's Been an Amazing Source of Memes
While the odd, occasional person might have decided to sign up with a real interest in storming a fortified military compound, the vast majority of the reactions have come from observers who have enjoyed basking in the insanity of the entire idea.
While we might not get to see any big UFO reveals from this bizarre footnote in American pop culture history, we are getting some pretty incredible comedy. Specifically in the form of memes.
Some of the best memes have mocked the entire notion of storming an Air Force base while others have gleefully predicted the wild and wacky shenanigans those who storm the base will get into with their newly freed alien buddies.
Even Celebs Are Getting in on the Fun
While it's not uncommon for celebrities of all types to have some pretty wacky conspiracy theories of their own, it seems that many are jumping on the comedy bandwagon and joining in on the fun, cultural zeitgeist that this Facebook event has become.
Kevin Jonas tweeted on Sunday suggesting that the Jonas Brothers' Happiness Begins Tour could play the "post-raid rave" with a video showing a lanky alien breakdancing to the band's song, "Only Human."
Vlogger Jeffree Star took a break from fighting with every other YouTuber to share a green-haired snapshot of himself, which he joked, "On my way to Area 51 to warn my family about the human invasion."
Here are some other posts from stars who can't wait to see what unfolds when the Naruto runners get past the guards and overwhelm the base to free E.T.
The Facebook Event Creator Confirms It's a Joke
If there are any remaining doubts about the legitimacy of this event, one of the event's creators fully came out and said it was all a joke in a pinned post on the event's discussion page.
"P.S. Hello US government, this is a joke, and I do not actually intend to go ahead with this plan. I just thought it would be funny and get me some thumbsy uppies on the internet," user Jackson Barnes writes. "To anyone actually thinking of storming area 51, there isn't any UFOs or anything of extraterrestrial origin there its a research base."
But is it though? Yes, it is.
Now, only time will tell if anyone who isn't in on the obvious joke will actually turn up on Sept. 20 in the middle of the Nevada desert. But, if they do, the Air Force will be ready to not-so-kindly request that they leave, and stop running around with their arms straight back like cartoon characters.
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