Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal

24. The Alien Likeness

~ Chapter 24 The Alie~ Li~~e~esS In a manner similar to the evolution of Jesus' features in art (Nickell 1988,41-48), or of the popular likeness of Santa Claus (Flynn 1993) the concept ofwhat alien creatures look like has undergone change over time. In the course ofgraduate work I did in folklore in 1982 and subsequently published (Nickell 1984), I noted (citing Stringfield 1980) that the descriptions of UFO occupants were tending to become standardized, a process that continues at present. Consider, for example, the development beginning with the origin ofthe modern UFO era in 1947. (Although many alien encounters were also reported for the pre-1947 period, most of the reports were actually made public after that year, typically with great lapses in time between the alleged date of the encounter and the date ofreporting. (Vallee 1969, 179-901Therefore, there is reason to distrust the accuracy of such reports .) Several sources show the great variety of aliens described in the post-1947 era. (Clark 1993; Cohen 1982; Hendry 1979; Huyghe 1996; Lorenzen and Lorenzen 1977; McCampbell 1976; Sachs 1980; Stringfield 1977, 1980; Story 1980; Vallee 1969) One notes the "little green men" reported in Italy in 1947 (Cohen 1982,203-05); the beautiful, humanlike beings who appeared to the "contactees" of the 1950s (Story 1980, 89); the hairy dwarfs that were common in 1954 (Clark 1993, 177); and the many other varieties ofhumanoids, monsters, robots, and other alien beings reported in encounters down to the present. The accompanying illustration (figure 24.1) depicts a selection of such beings reportedly encountered from 1947 to the present. (Science fiction examples have not been included.) Prepared for a Discovery channel documentary on The Alien Likeness =?~ , irf_ = • f fttt~_t_ -- --- ~-.- -- - ....~ - -~ - • ~t -f ,_\ fi@· Af lsee _ 1951 _ 1se& 1961 .... _ 1967 _ • _ IIno _ 1971 _1812__ 1m _ _ IIn4 _ 18'7D • • Figure 24.1. Alien Time Line illustrates evolution of popular extraterrestrial likeness. 161 "V 162 "1' Real-Life X-Files rigure 24.2. Author's collection of alien toys and novelties shows the standardization of the depiction in popular cultun.'. alien abductions, this illustration also appeared April 4, 1997, on ABC's 20/20 in a documentary on the "Alien Autopsy" hoax. There J used it 10 demonstrate that the aliens allegedly retrieved from the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, UFO crash (actually the crash of a spy balloon) were of a type not popularly imagined until many years later. That type begins to appear in 1961, the date of the first widely reported alien abduction-the Betty and Barney Hill casco It is the little, big-headed humanoid with large, wraparound eyes. The mythological implication of this type seems to be that the aliens are "time travelers"in effect, 1/5 as it is assumed we will be in our distant evolutionary future (Nickell 1984). Therefore they have dwindling bodies (because of our inactivity) and large brains (due to increased intelligence). However, some critics are skeptical ofall such human/humanoid models. States one early commentator: "While it seems incredible that life does not exist elsewhere in the universe, it is equally incredible that it should resemble man" (Palmer 1951,64). Nevertheless, due to media influence, this is the type The Alien Likeness that eventually became standardized. It is the alien image now seen everywhere -on T-shirts, caps, ties, necklaces, posters and books, even the coffee mug on my desk. (See figure 24.2). References 163 Clark, Jerome. 1993. Unexplained. Detroit: Visible Ink. ~ Cohen, Daniel. 1982. The Encyclopedia ofMonsters. New York: Dorsett. Flynn, Tom. 1993. The Trouble With Christmas. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus. Hendry, Allan. 1979. The UFO Handbook. New York: Doubleday. Huyghe, Patrick. 1996. The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials. New York: Avon. (I relied heavily on this source, as well as Vallee 1969.) Lorenzen, Coral, and Jim Lorenzen. 1977. Abducted: Confrontations With Beings From Outer Space. New York: Berkeley Medallion. Mack, John. 1994. Abduction: Human Encounters With Aliens. New York: Ballantine. McCampbell, James M. 1976. UFOLOGY: A Major Breakthrough in the Scientific Understanding ofUnidentified Flying Objects. Millbrae, Calif.: Celestial Arts. Nickell, Joe. 1984. The "Hangar 18" Tales: A Folkloristic Approach. Common Ground (England), June. ---. 1988. Inquest on the Shroud of Turin, updated edition. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus. Palmer, Ray. 1951. New report on the flying saucers. Fate, Jan., 63-8l. Sachs, Margaret. 1980. The UFO Encyclopedia. New York: Perigree. Stringfield, Leonard H. 1977...