by 'John Bro' Wilkie

These are Sci-Fi depictions of a possible future. In more contemporary screen dramas (re: "Independence Day" & "War of the Worlds") - mankind has no viable weapons to stand up to the invaders, yet the aliens succumb to 'viruses' - digital in one film, biological in the other. It is only my opinion, but I am thinking that the evil alien vanguard might have foreseen such threats - gotten themselves immunized - and installed a 'spam blocker.' Don't you just hate it when you are attempting to invade another world - and you get slammed by all of those pesky 'pop-ups'?

It is more than reasonable to expect that most would be skeptical of the entire genre of UFOs and space aliens. Without universal consensus, the subject is mute - unsubstantiated and 'un-provable.' Without cooperation, a Zeti saucer landing on the front lawn of the White House would not be enough. Ten thousand tourists could be there to witness the event, along with their cacophony of camera shutters clicking away - and sans established and reputable media coverage, the incident would progress little beyond the realm of sensationalism and folklore.

Separate human cultures can't seem to agree on the hue of horse droppings. Extra-terrestrial praying mantises probably aren't too keen on the idea of 'earth-boy' gallivanting through their neighborhoods and yelling 'Gimme!' everywhere they land. Human space-farers don't clean up their campsites before they leave - and are always looking for ways to skip out on their bill. You always have to check the silverware when they are leaving. If it were up to me, I am thinking that I might just herd those silly rabbits back into their pen. They just can't seem to behave themselves.

In entertainment and media, space monsters most likely are symbols or metaphors for the worse aspects of human behavior. Maybe not literally, but they are being fashioned in our own image. And what could be scarier than Dick Chaney's hunting party - showing up in a flying saucer? Would you really want to spend a weekend, drinking with these guys? Most people don't require hospitalization after being probed by a grey.

Regardless of which side of the 'alien presence' debate that a person is on, thanks to television and movies - nearly everyone on the planet is aware of the tales of little grey guys arriving in silvery saucers from the far-reaches of the cosmos. And taking into consideration that more people voted for who should win 'American Idol' than the presidency of the United States, I feel that the emphasis is on the entertainment value - and not political substance. As long as the space aliens can sing well - and look good on TV, who cares if they are invading?

Seriously though, people don't want this stuff to be true. But they love the fantasy.