BY HAILEY CHAPMAN
A popular internet meme has surfaced this month in response to a Facebook group called “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All Of Us.” Since the page was created, 1.2 million people have sent in an RSVP to the event.
In the page description, the creator states: “We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry. If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Lets see them aliens.”
During the last month, the page has gone viral with new memes surfacing everyday.
@apiecebybuy tweets a video of a friend and him in the gym, accompanied by an “alien”, training to free the aliens at Area 51
The official twitter of Chipotle Mexican Grill joined in on the fun tweeting that their convenient delivery services have no limit.
Hip hop superstar Lizzo, artist of “Truth Hurts,” shared her alien-inspired look with her fans on Twitter.
@gramchats tweets a popular image duo in reference to Area 51, as most memes are generational, adults are less likely to understand the popularity of Area 51.
The Facebook group even has gained the attention of the U.S. Air Force, who has advised the 1.2 million attendees not to trespass.
While the idea might seem funny and light-hearted, Area 51 is a highly classified remote unit of the Edwards Air Force Base in Nevada.
Self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist and creator of the page Val recently released a statement in response to the explosive public reaction.
Val states the page is entirely satirical and he in no way intends on storming Area 51. Val is known for creating other meme pages on Facebook, this being the first to take off.
Background on Area 51
Area 51 is a highly classified remote detachment of the Edwards Air Force Base in Lincoln County, Nevada. Speculations have been made that the Air Force uses it as a sort of holding cell for extraterrestrial life. Realistically, the unit is used for spacecraft innovations.
The small town surrounding Area 51 has been able to make a profit off of the tourist attraction. They named the highway directly leading to the site “Extraterrestrial Highway”, while local businesses sell all sorts of alien merchandise.
The perimeter of Area 51 is guarded by men in white pickups wearing camo. Enthusiasts refer to them as “Camo dudes.” These patrol teams take their jobs seriously; they do not answer questions about the site and are advised to use deadly force against trespassers. It is likely that if a large crowd of people were to storm the site, it would be a massacre with the amount of security the Air Force has implemented.
Naturally, this only furthers the conspiracy theories and the general desire to raid Area 51.