for the birds
August 25, 2024 5:31 AM Subscribe
You could call it a situationist spectacle, a piece of rolling performance art or a collective satire [guardian]
situationism spectacular [wiki2]
situationism spectacular [wiki2]
Birds Aren't Real - How to Create Your Own "Bird"
posted by mbo at 6:16 AM on August 25 [2 favorites]
posted by mbo at 6:16 AM on August 25 [2 favorites]
OMG. I literally just stumbled upon this phrase in a completely unrelated context, and at the time I thought it was just a strange, made-up phrase that was used to describe an idiotic fictional character. Now, I see it's a "real thing" happening in the world and I was totally unaware of it. I mean I guess that's okay, seeing as I don't spend my time delving into the weirdo-conspiracy-nutcase part of the the Internet, but if it has been going on this long, I'm surprised I haven't heard something about it.
posted by sardonyx at 7:09 AM on August 25 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 7:09 AM on August 25 [1 favorite]
One of my college-age kids says this sometimes. I think he -- and we -- are so marinated in dead-faced irony that even he doesn't know if he's kidding or not.
It feels very much like a sins-of-the-GeX-father sort of thing.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:23 AM on August 25 [8 favorites]
It feels very much like a sins-of-the-GeX-father sort of thing.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:23 AM on August 25 [8 favorites]
I appreciate this context, especially as it appears to be originally part of my homeland, the buckle of the Bible Belt. I feel for the guy.
Personally, I have never been able to take any pleasure in “birds aren’t real.” I always knew it was supposed to be a joke, but it’s not the kind of joke people can handle in the year of our Lord 2017 and forward. It’s like how Trump himself was a meme candidate in 2015 going forward, initially popular with the kind of shitposters who said he was going to make anime real and just thought it was hilarious that the yelling TV dude could be president.
As someone whose favorite genre of humor is deadpan fake fact, it gives me no joy to feel this way, but I do.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:44 AM on August 25 [7 favorites]
Personally, I have never been able to take any pleasure in “birds aren’t real.” I always knew it was supposed to be a joke, but it’s not the kind of joke people can handle in the year of our Lord 2017 and forward. It’s like how Trump himself was a meme candidate in 2015 going forward, initially popular with the kind of shitposters who said he was going to make anime real and just thought it was hilarious that the yelling TV dude could be president.
As someone whose favorite genre of humor is deadpan fake fact, it gives me no joy to feel this way, but I do.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:44 AM on August 25 [7 favorites]
I wonder if the “Flock,” and other Apple ads featuring bird-like flying surveillance cameras were inspired by the Birds Aren’t Real thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HjDpPnxcP0
(Sorry about the edits but normal editing doesn’t work on Meta on iPad any more.)
posted by bz at 9:15 AM on August 25 [1 favorite]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HjDpPnxcP0
(Sorry about the edits but normal editing doesn’t work on Meta on iPad any more.)
posted by bz at 9:15 AM on August 25 [1 favorite]
> Hitchcock's Birds is an inspiration, surely [content note: birds(?)] 2:18 "all disappeared, actually they didn't exactly disappear..."
posted by HearHere at 11:21 AM on August 25
posted by HearHere at 11:21 AM on August 25
Good lord. I think that asteroid would be a great mercy anymore.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:27 PM on August 25 [2 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 1:27 PM on August 25 [2 favorites]
Good lord. I think that asteroid would be a great mercy anymore.
posted by Thorzdad
Ragnarök? pass
posted by HearHere at 5:53 PM on August 25
posted by Thorzdad
Ragnarök? pass
posted by HearHere at 5:53 PM on August 25
"Are you being sarcastic, dude?" "I don't even know anymore."
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:36 PM on August 25 [3 favorites]
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:36 PM on August 25 [3 favorites]
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posted by graywyvern at 6:08 AM on August 25 [3 favorites]