Men in Black (conspiracy theory)
As Men in Black (mostly abbreviated as MIB or MIB ), ufology in particular describes a modern legend of tall men (more rarely women) in black suits. You should visit witnesses of alleged UFO sightings at home and swear to silence. In the German-speaking world, the Germanized term “Men in Black” is common.
description
Almost all reports of alleged witnesses describe the "men in black" in the same way: tall, slim, with dark-tinted skin and dressed in pitch-black suits. They wear white shirts, white (more rarely black) gloves, black, wide-brimmed hats and black shoes. In some cases, they wear black sunglasses. It is often reported that the "men in black" are amazingly alike when they appear together.
Appearance and behavior
In most cases, the appearance of the "men in black" is described as cold, arrogant and threatening. The men visit their victims at home, pretend to be agents of the CIA or another government agency and skillfully intimidate their victims. The UFO witness is warned, usually quite urgently, not to tell anything about what he saw or heard during the UFO sighting. Then they leave the house and drive away in their (also pitch black) car.
Origin of the Myth
The origin of the myth is most likely to be sought in the time when the first reports about "Men in Black" were published. Indeed, during the Cold War in the United States , government officials from various agencies dressed in black were encouraged to visit witnesses of alleged UFO sightings in order to confiscate potentially illicitly collected material unsuitable for the public.
The first public report on "Men in Black" comes from the ufologist Albert K. Bender in 1953. Bender claims to have been visited in his home by three hovering, black-clad humanoids . These would have warned him against going public with his knowledge of UFOs.
Skeptics regard the reports on "Men in Black" as a fantasy product of the alleged UFO witnesses who try to explain allegedly missing evidence. The skeptics point to the similarity of the "Men in Black" reports with those about alleged angelic Ufonauts, only that the "Men in Black" take on the role of villains.
Receptions and parodies
- Gray Barker wrote about the MiB in They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers in 1956 , as did John A. Keel in The Mothman Prophecies . The MiB's preferred means of transport are older, dark Cadillacs .
- The German UFO nonfiction author Michael Hesemann called in his 1993 book, top secret UFO the 1127th Field Activities Group of the secret service of the United States Air Force as responsible for the Men-in-Black inserts and suspected former behind the men petty criminals, by Air Force had been hired specifically for these missions.
- In the youth book series Die Drei ??? is told in the book Secret Matter Ufo written by André Marx and its radio play adaptation Secret Files Ufo (both published in 1998) by the "Men in Black".
- Furthermore, several films with the title Men in Black were released: Men in Black and its sequels Men in Black II and Men in Black 3 . In the movies is sci-fi - comedy with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones , on a miniseries of Malibu Comics based. In 2019, a fourth part came to the cinema with Men in Black: International .
- James Bamford reports in a short section in his book NSA - The Anatomy of the Most Powerful Intelligence Agency in the World that the National Security Agency (NSA) has a special task force described as Men In Black . This is to ensure that no unauthorized person comes too close to the headquarters of the NSA in Fort George G. Meade , Maryland .
- The German heavy metal band Running Wild took up the theme in the song Men in Black on the 1995 album Masquerade . The text is about sightings of UFOs and the lies spread about them by the Men in Black .
literature
- Judit Laczkó: UFOs and extraterrestrials: A religious-sociological study of the milieu around the phenomenon of the flying saucers . diplom.de-Verlag, ISBN 3-8324-2327-3 . books.google
- Arthur Goldwag: Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies: The Straight Scoop on Freemasons, the Illmuniati, Skull & Bones, Black Helicopters, the New World Order, and Many, Many More . Vintage Books, New York 2009, ISBN 0-307-45666-8 . books.google p. 154 ff.