Birds Aren't Real

 

   If you count yourself among the credulous and are aware of the evil things which were done by the Democrats in the basement of Comet Ping Pong, then you will know that birds are really drones created by the U.S. government (probably with help from George Soros), to spy on people (particularly Democrats.) So, this post is not for you. It is for a couple of my incredulous and intrepid birder friends, who are too busy birding to read the news. They should know that their Life Lists are full of imposters. 

  Well, not really. Many of us now know that the BAR movement is a huge hoax and if my birder friends happen to hear about it, they will be reassured that birds are real - if they bother to read this blog. Unfortunately, a large number of people do not read this blog and an even larger number have come to believe that birds aren't real and perhaps roost in the attic of Comet Ping Pong. 

   You are likely mystified by all of this if you are unaware of BAR. The notion that Birds Aren't Real was proselytized across the country by the gentleman pictured above starting back in 2017. Since then, large BAR billboards have been  erected in cities, the message has been spread and the movement has grown. Those who are part of the movement realize it is a preposterous parody, but unfortunately there are many members of the public who do not do a lot of critical thinking and they are now trying to avoid the government drones and are still on the lookout for Democrat pedophiles.

  I think the kids should be commended for poking fun at the political discourse of our time and for attempting to "fight lunacy with lunacy." Buy some of their gear and help support the cause. It is interesting that their products, unlike MAGA-wear, can appeal to both believers and non-believers. 

Sources:

   If you begin at the website of Birds Aren't Real, you can buy some of their merchandise and read a false history of the movement. 
   For a recent account about BAR see: "Birds Aren't Real, or Are They? Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory," by Taylor Lorenz, New York Times, Dec. 9, 2021. For an older one see: "The Bird Man: An American Reality and a Fake Conspiracy," by the blogger Rachel Roberts. 
   Although the idea of fake birds is rather bizarre, someone did ask the folks at the fact-checking website SNOPES, if BAR was true. They answered and provide a bibliography: "What is the Birds Aren't Real Movement?", Bethania Palma, Nov. 22, 2021. 
"Is It Satire?
Based on our review of social media accounts and various analyses of Birds Aren’t Real, it seems safe to say that the movement is satire that skewers real conspiracy movements that are built on similarly far-fetched beliefs. But it also captures the zeitgeist of Gen Z, who have grown up in a social-media-driven information ecosystem, in which facts have become partisan footballs."

The Bonus:
  Like most of my posts, this one may not make much sense, especially if you are bewildered by the words "Comet Ping Pong" and have never heard of Pizzagate. About them, see here. 
   I suppose if birds weren't real, we wouldn't have to bother to rename many of them and cancel that horrible Audubon. See: No More Name Changing.