Late-night radio, UFO, and Conspiracy Theory culture The "UFO era" of the US was in the 1980s, after the public's attention was drawn to the topic by a rash of public reports about unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Many of these reports came from citizens with an interest in ufology, and who were using new technologies such as camera phones to document their observations. These often included videos and photographs, which were being distributed via the internet and social media. Media stories about UFOs were followed by a number of major bestselling books on the subject, which in turn led to more media stories about ufology, and a renewed public interest in the topic, even outside the "UFO culture". The public attention focused on U.S. military actions and investigations in US, Europe, and other parts of the world. A number of individuals became celebrities in this phenomenon (e.g., Donald Keyhoe, who became a "UFO researcher" in the 1950s; Bob Lazar, a UFO researcher from the 1980s whose claims were explored in the 2008 science fiction film The Man from Earth). Some individuals became involved in ufology from a position of celebrity, such as Steven Spielberg. The media and consumers began to think of "The UFO conspiracy", or "The Biggest Cover-up in History". Fringe conspiracist culture in the United States has been linked to the UFO and Ufology beliefs by various academic observers. "UFO believers tend to see a hidden, government-wide conspiracy as the driving force behind the phenomenon, using highly unconventional methods, and often in a largely uncontrolled manner" according to Robert Bartholomew of the Center for UFO Studies. Fringe groups on UFO conspiracies In the mid-1970s there was a burst of UFO conspiracies surrounding the death of actor Marilyn Monroe. According to Bartholomew, the UFO belief had no "clear connection to an ideological context". It was, he argued, "related to a number of factors, such as the use of the UFO symbolism, a fascination with the power of celebrity, a belief in conspiracy theories in general, and a search for an exotic explanation". "The most active believers were working-class people (most of them male) with lower education levels and lower incomes" Bartholomew concluded. The believers "viewed themselves as outsiders, as mavericks, as the people who get things done, who are always ahead of the curve". In 1979, after an article by Christopher O'Brien in the Los Angeles Times on the Marilyn Monroe conspiracy theories, a Gallup poll was conducted on public attitudes toward conspiracy theories. The results showed that about 1 in 5 of the general public believes that government agencies are withholding information about UFOs from the public. According to this survey, approximately 10 percent of Americans believe that Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe are alive. (The survey result about Elvis Presley was disputed by the family of Elvis Presley). The poll also revealed that "about half the people" believe "that the American government has developed an advanced, secret technology that allows them to travel through the universe at speeds above that of light and to telepathically influence the thoughts of human beings on earth". The "UFO conspiracy theories" that emerged during this period became widely known as "Barker's Web" after the author of UFOs: Myth or Reality?, Robert E. F. Barker. Among the authors discussed by Barker was Philip Klass, with whom he "shared a number of correspondences, even meeting at least once to talk over dinner about a UFO hoax". Barker also took an interest in George Adamski, whom he described as a "notorious charlatan", and believed that Adamski "helped to spread UFO myths" despite Klass's denial of such allegations. A 1982 survey by sociologist Richard C. Hoagland suggested that "UFO conspiracism may account for 5 percent of the total U.S. population". In the last years of the twentieth century a group of conspiracist groups came to prominence, centering on some form of "alien visitation", which was often tied into supposed "ancient astronauts". Hoagland is often credited with the idea that alien contactees and UFO abductees were part of a secret government program; but he was a latecomer to such ideas and was out of the mainstream conspiracy theory circles when he suggested this. Hoagland's ideas were in turn echoed by later thinkers such as Erich von Däniken and Linda Moulton Howe. Conspiracy theories Media conspiracies have existed since the invention of news media, and in the 20th century has often focused on questions of national security. Often, the same person or individuals would be behind one conspiracy and another, and the subjects were often closely related, as in the case of Nazi UFOs and Roswell. One reason for this overlap is that the major newspapers and media outlets were often related to each other and had extensive cross-fertilization of material. In the United States, for example, some members of the CIA helped to fund Robert Bork's campaign to win his Supreme Court nomination in 1987, and this helped Bork's campaign against William Rehnquist for Chief Justice. Another reason is that politicians on both sides of the political spectrum have frequently sought to blame "communists" for everything that happens, as in McCarthyism and post-9/11 anti-terrorism security crackdowns. Some conspiracy theories are part of a political theory known as "Omegafication" which suggests that conspiratorial thinking has been part of the history of every nation. However, there is little hard evidence of this theory; conspiracies are frequently the stuff of political and economic opportunism and a lack of communication between nations' intelligence and political actors. UFO conspiracies are the belief in the existence of conspiracies which are not backed up by sufficient evidence. Examples of conspiracy theories include: Anti-semitism Anti-capitalism Anti-communism, especially the belief that communism was an international Jewish conspiracy Anti-Freemasonry Anti-Roman Catholicism Anti-Catholicism Anti-Protestantism Anti-Mormonism Anti-Buddhism Anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and anti-Islamic sentiment, such as accusing Islam as a whole of being satanic and a false religion. Also, claiming that Islamic Fundamentalists desire to spread Sharia law, by banning all religions and turning women into slaves for all non-Muslim men Anti-Scientology conspiracies Anti-cult conspiracy theories Anti-Zionism Anti-government, with conspiracy theories being the belief that the government is hiding some information or using it for their own benefit. Anti-globalization conspiracy theories Anti-capitalism conspiracy theories, including anti-globalization Anti-semitic conspiracy theories, including anti-globalization Anti-NGOs, anti-war protesters, pro-war conspiracies Theories regarding the 9/11 conspiracy See also Black budget Conspiracy theory Conspiracy culture List of conspiracy theories Trutherism Vaticinium ex eventu (Latin: prophetic interpretation after the event) Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia "Conventional Wisdom" References Sources Bartholomew, Robert. "Introduction to the Symposium," in (edited by Robert Bartholomew) UFOs and Popular Culture: An Encyclopedic Reference to the Extraterrestrial, the Supernatural, and the Mysterious, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 2011. Bartholomew, Robert E. 'On the Cultural Significance of UFO Myths: A Study in Cultural Boundaries," History of Religions, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Aug.–Sept., 1988), pp. 253–269. Bartholomew, Robert E. "'UFOs': Myth or Reality?," Fortean Studies, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Spring 1977), pp. 13–14. Bartholomew, Robert E. 'Flying Saucers: A Preliminary Anatomy of a Contemporary American Phenomenon', American Ethnologist, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1975), pp. 37–58. Chapman, Scott A. "UFOs: A History." UFOs in the Courts: The Impact of ET Involvement on the Litigation of Cases Involving UFOs, (ed. Kenneth A. Pike), Fort Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. External links UFO (extraterrestrial) cover-up theories Conspiracy Theories in Ufology UFO - Conspiracy Theories by Richard Dolan Conspiracy theories Conspiracy and the Military by Michael Barkun Category:UFO culture Conspiracy theories