Wut. Da. fuq.

[neadods]

The human species just seems to have a trope for the idea of Super Secret Hidden Truths that are closely guarded except for every artist/architect/musician in the world, who can't help blabbing in code.

Which is fine if someone wants to see a cheap cheese tray like National Treasure or read Dan Brown, but I have just run into a bunch of people who are very seriously, very truly INVESTED in the idea that yes, Paul McCartney did die in 1966 and was replaced by a ringer who has gone on to become Sir Paul (who may or may not be dead himself at the moment). And that the truth was hidden by... someone. For... reasons. But that the Beatles did indeed leave all those clues in their song lyrics and album covers to warn their Real True Fans.

I just... I can't... seriously? Paul Is Dead conspiracy theorists in this day and age? I don't have enough WTF to soak that up.

Comments

[signeh.livejournal.com]

Can. Not. Fathom. Did they give you anything remotely resembling a reason for this?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Well, reason enough for them. Because they're true fans. Because they Observe. Because it's apparently bloody obvious! And yeah - because Illuminati.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

If they want to take a trip down fairy lane, just stand back and let them do it. At least they're not hurting anybody, unless one of them starts harassing Sir Paul.

I think conspiracy theorists suffer from a form of pareidolia, seeing patterns where they don't exist, like the Virgin Mary's face on a tortilla.

They used to see demons, now they see UFOs.... Only the object of the delusion changes.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I think conspiracy theorists suffer from a form of pareidolia, seeing patterns where they don't exist, like the Virgin Mary's face on a tortilla.

I really like that analogy.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Somebody has clearly been reading Heinlein's Double Star, and not figured out that it wasn't a documentary.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Well, our politicians haven't figured out The Handmaid's Tale isn't a documentary either...

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

I had to Google this. And... words fail me.

Except for this: if it's all supposed to be some deep, dark secret, why were the remaining Beatles leaving so many clues all over the place? Explain that, conspiracy nuts!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

For the same reason every architect, musician, and artist was leaving clues in all the Dan Brown/National Archive things. According to one of the McCartney conspiracists, it's to find out who is a True Fan.

In a strange, strange way it's very comforting to know that there is no group of people that does not contain at least one person who considers themself the only True Fan there.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

PS - did you have to google the original Paul is Dead or the modern one? I can backtrack my original path and find again what I found before; it was a link from a Patheos essay on how some people approach the Bible searching for secret clues to hidden truth the same way people parsed album covers and song lyrics.

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

I just searched 'Paul McCartney fake death conspiracy' or something like that, and read a few of the links that came up. Then backed away. Slowly *g*

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Yeah, don't run. It only attracts attention.

[glamazonwarrior.livejournal.com]

My first thought was, "Did Cracked just mention him in an article?"

So, I Googled, and no. (He's in articles on Cracked, of course, but not recently.)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Actually it was one of the religious blogs I read. The blogger, a progressive Christian, said that people approached the Bible as if they were parsing it for hidden clues to secret truths, like people "proving" Paul was dead.

I think it was nakedpastor on Patheos? Could have been slacktivist. I can go find it, but there was a link and that's what took me to people seriously still arguing about it.

[glamazonwarrior.livejournal.com]

Ah, fair enough.

[alizarin-nyc.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's um. Wow. Really???

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

I took my parents on a tour of the Library of Congress (which was fabulous and informative, BTW), and among the brochures and info sheets there was an FAQ that included a question that was something like 'Where can I read the the "Book of Secrets" featured in National Treasure?' How many times did they have to be asked that before they put an explanation in the FAQ that movie writers, well, make stuff up?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'd hope that someone saw the movie and put it in pre-emptively. Wasn't part of the movie filmed there, at least on the steps, if not the stacks?

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the movie, but I think I read that there was some filming done there.