Watch
Magical thinking reigns among the weak minded. A skeptic, humanist, pro-science, pro-enlightenment, autonomous moral agent like Aerial Telly has nothing but scorn for these dipshits. It’s possible to view Watch‘s The Happenings through this particular prism. Jock magicians Barry and Stuart – the Men in Black directed by James Randi – aim to convince entire towns of things that are palpably false through the power of trickery and mindfuck. If that sounds a bit Derren Brown that’s because it is, made as it is by Objective Productions the peepoo behind his mind mashing shows.
They front their play in Stamford – so dull they barely named it once. Nothing ever happens here, locals assure them. Alien interference and abduction is the game and the question they ask is “can we MAKE them believe?” I’ll stop you there, old chum. Yes, you can. 90% of these chumps believe without any evidence at all so actually providing them with some through even some of the lamest magic will push them right over the edge.
“Can we MAKE them believe?” I’ll stop you there, old chum. Yes, you can. 90% of these chumps believe without any evidence at all
May I remind you that huge portions of the British population when faced with the choice between believing that i) a Halloween special clearly marked as a drama was an as-advertised work of fiction and ii) Sarah Greene had been murdered and Michael Parkinson possessed by a paedophile ghost chose to believe the latter?
Huge portions of the British population believed Sarah Greene had been murdered and Michael Parkinson possessed by a paedophile ghost.
Any old how they pose as paranormal researchers and filmmakers and set about subtly terrorising the community into a state of suggestibility where they will pretty much believe anything. Mysterious lights in the sky, mind reading dogs and a very clever instant crop circle pump Stamford’s flimflam buying temperature to record levels.
They set about subtly terrorising the community into a state of suggestibility where they will pretty much believe anything.
The presence of noted scientific authority Stacey Solomon only further solidifies their credibility. The coup de grace is an alien abduction illusion where local bozo Gareth is catapulted into the sky and found seconds later dumped 30 yards over the road. Footage of his time inside the alien pod is mysteriously recorded on his iPhone.
The presence of noted scientific authority Stacey Solomon only further solidifies their credibility.
I’m good with this. The tricks are impressive, the locals suitably flummoxed and there’s plenty of the signature wit and subversion of Objective Productions. It is overkill though. Use a hubcap as a frisbee and the genital pubic will believe it’s the mothership come to claim us all. The masses are hardwired to believe in dumb shit and it is left to psychic warriors like Aerial Telly to stem the tide of feral Dark Age savagery. Plenty of worse ways to spend an hour than this, mind.
The verdict: Pretty much this.
Marks out of 10: 7.5
