A joke Facebook event calling on alien hunters to raid the secretive Area 51 base has spawned an even more ambitious rival that is beginning to capture attention: One calling for people to storm the Bermuda Triangle.
"Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" now has 1.4 million people who say they will attend. Despite the event's comedic intentions, the U.S. Air Force warned anyone turning up in the Nevada desert that it "stands ready to protect America and its assets."
Now, a second event titled "Storm The Bermuda Triangle, It Can't Swallow All Of Us" has sprung up slated for October 1 and over 40,000 have said they may attend the event in the middle of the large, infamous body of water.
Anthony Dominick Carnovale, the Facebook event's organizer, who is also apparently seeking to raise money through donations, wrote that he is "trying to assemble live music, food and entertainment."
"Attendees must dress as Spongebob characters or pirates. I'll provide the boats and scuba gear. Just bring weed and a lot of beer and whiskey," he added.
Carnovale's GoFundMe has so far raised just $5 of its $75,000 goal for his party at the Bermuda Triangle, which is more than 1.5 million square miles in size and is comprised of the ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda.
"Honestly, everyone thinks I'm trying to scam people with this GoFundMe thing but I'm legit trying to [throw] a party for everyone so they'll come to my thing and not get murdered or arrested at Area 51," Carnovale wrote on the event's Facebook page.
"This is the time for assembly to show this country we can organize. Let's prove that we are smart and care about everyone. Let's go have a good time. Even if we don't raise a cent. Let's still clap these sea monster cheeks. Ok. Let's all just have fun. Love you all."
Torpedo Jones asked: "Will there be drinks? Can I be naked? And of course are dogs welcome?"
The Bermuda Triangle is purportedly a notorious blackspot for ships and aircraft, a number of which are supposed to have mysteriously disappeared while traveling through it.
Conspiracy theories about paranormal activity abound, though there is little evidence of an abnormal number of plane crashes or boat sinkings in The Bermuda Triangle.
One recent theory about those that have disappeared is geological: Giant craters on the sea floor releasing enormous, explosive methane bubbles.
The Area 51 event's popularity led to the U.S. Air Force releasing a statement. A spokeswoman told The Washington Post: "Area 51 is an open training range for the US air force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces. The U.S. air force always stands ready to protect America and its assets."
Area 51, also known as Homey Airport, is infamous for the alien conspiracy theories that have centered on it since the 1950s. Most famously of all, it supposedly stored what was found at the site of the notorious—and thoroughly debunked—Roswell UFO incident.
The event is scheduled for 3 a.m. on September 20, and was set up by a Facebook page dedicated to "s***posting" memes and SmyleeKun, who streams himself on Twitch playing video games.
According to the description, everyone will meet at the "Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry." Organizers recommend that the group runs in unison in the style of animé ninja Naruto Uzumaki, with their heads forward and arms held outstretched behind them.
"If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let's see them aliens," the event description says.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shane Croucher is a Senior Editor based in London, UK. He oversees the My Turn team. He has previously overseen ... Read more
