Did you know that there are no real birds in the United States? According to the Birds Aren’t Real (BAR) Movement, between 1959 and 2001, the US government used a virus to kill all the birds in North America (the virus turned them into dust, which is why no dead birds were found). It then replaced the birds with robot replicas tasked with spying on the population. Consequently, what Americans see flying in the sky are not birds, but rather surveillance drones designed to look like birds. The BAR Movement aims to make everyone aware of this gigantic conspiracy. Last October, hundreds of its members and sympathisers took to the streets and held a rally in Washington Square Park, New York. But are they really serious or are they completely nuts?
Fake meat, eggs and poop
How does the BAR Movement explain bird meat? Its official website says that all the bird meat found in butcheries and supermarkets is synthetic. What about eggs? According to the Movement, the robot birds can perform the same activities as real birds, and that includes producing edible eggs. Continuing, bird poop is a liquid tracking device. That’s why most of it falls on cars. And if you have a pet bird, then beware: you own an advanced government surveillance drone that is spying on you in your own home. The BAR Movement’s website is very meticulous in answering all questions, including “Is this movement serious?” to which it answers a resounding yes.
Fighting lunacy with lunacy
The truth is that the Movement was founded in 2017 by university student Peter McIndoe as a disguised act of satire. For years, McIndoe didn’t break character, claiming his message was totally genuine. Only in 2021, when interviewed by The New York Times, did he admit that the BAR Movement was a reaction to real misinformation. He wanted to make fun of dangerous conspiracy theories that disregard reality and fuel hatred and ignorance. According to one of the Movement’s organizers, it’s a way of “fighting lunacy with lunacy.” It’s a joke particularly appreciated by Gen Z. Younger people, McIndoe realized, immediately recognize and appreciate the Movement’s satirical nature. They seem to have more tools to navigate a world overrun with misinformation.
A joke, but not for everybody
Not everybody is in on the joke, though. McIndoe and his collaborators have created a remarkably realistic world (complete with falsified official records and testimonies from fictitious CIA agents) that has fooled actual conspiracists. They see the Birds Aren’t Real message as being consistent with their worldview. Other conspiracists have seen through the lies but have not picked up on the joke. They believe that Birds Aren’t Real is a CIA psy-op (a psychological operation) designed as a weapon against them. This is a concerning sign that some people’s critical thinking skills are seriously impaired. Perhaps it should come as no surprise given the abundance of misleading articles, fake news and intentionally false information on the internet. So, what can one do to protect oneself from all this?
Tools for critical thinking
First, examine your sources. Are they authoritative? Is the author reputable and competent? Can I find the same information on other, reliable websites? Are the sources impartial, or do they have a stake in what they are reporting? Second, you should question the actual content. Is it grounded in fact, or is it speculation? Is the data reliable and are the images real? Is the news trying to raise strong, emotional reactions to promote an agenda? (Fake news typically aims for the gut and bypasses the brain.) Finally, you should question yourself. Are you open to new information, or do you cling to your beliefs despite evidence to the contrary? (And are you sure your beliefs are logical, rational, and fact-based?) The bottom line is to approach all news with a sceptical, scientific mindset: one that questions, scrutinizes and crosschecks what it reads before accepting it as true.
1) Explore the Birds Aren’t Real official website:
https://birdsarentreal.com/pages/who-are-we
Here are some FAQs:
https://birdsarentreal.com/pages/faqs-1
2) Read about the Birds Aren’t Real protest in Washington Square Park:
https://nyunews.com/news/2022/10/17/birds-arent-real-protest/
3) Read the interview with Peter McIndoe in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/14/the-lunacy-is-getting-more-intense-how-birds-arent-real-took-on-the-conspiracy-theorists
4) How can you spot fake news? Here’s some good advice:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thoughts-thinking/201910/10-ways-spot-fake-news
5) Did you know that there are fact-checking websites that verify the reliability of the most controversial or unusual news? However, even when consulting these websites, it’s crucial to maintain a critical and scientific mindset and, if necessary, conduct additional research. Here’s a couple of suggestions:
https://www.factcheck.org/
https://www.snopes.com/
There are a few in Italy as well, such as these:
https://facta.news/
https://www.bufale.net/
1) Read the article and complete the sentences with the correct alternative.
1. According to the Birds Aren’t Real Movement
a. real birds are spying on us.
b. there are no real birds left in US skies.
c. natural causes killed all American birds.
2. The Birds Aren’t Real Movement
a. is limited to the web.
b. promotes offline events.
c. is part of a government conspiracy.
3. According to Birds Aren’t Real, chicken meat is
a. from real chickens.
b. artificial.
c. produced by robot chickens.
4. According to Birds Aren’t Real, the eggs you find in supermarkets are
a. not edible.
b. tracking devices.
c. similar to real eggs.
5. When he founded Birds Aren’t Real, Peter McIndoe
a. declared he was doing it as a joke.
b. wanted to fuel ignorance.
c. pretended he was serious.
6. McIndoe found that those who best understand his movement are
a. older people.
b. teenagers.
c. conspiracists.
7. Some conspiracy theorists accuse Birds Aren’t Real of
a. being run by the government.
b. impairing critical thinking.
c. being an act of satire.
8. A piece of news is probably true if
a. it’s the product of careful speculation.
b. it fits nicely into your established worldview.
c. the sources are reputable and the facts are checked and confirmed.
9. Fake news usually tries to
a. produce in you a strong emotion, like anger or fear.
b. make you think critically about something.
c. present impartial, crosschecked information.
10. When reading unusual news, it’s always wise to
a. believe it.
b. question it.
c. refuse to accept it.
VOCABULARY
2) Complete the sentences with the following words. Put the verbs and nouns in the right form, if necessary.
to take to the streets * nuts * to beware * resounding * to break character * to disregard * overrun * to be in on * impaired * to have a stake in
1. It’s not enough to protest on social media. If we want to have an impact, we need ……………………………... Let’s organize a rally!
2. I don’t want to be rude, but your theory has no basis in truth. It’s ……………………………..!
3. If you visit them, …………………………….. of their dog: it bites!
4. The prime minister lost the elections badly. It was a …………………………….. defeat.
5. I like watching a film’s bloopers: I find it amusing when actors forget their lines and end up …………………………….., laughing or saying something silly instead.
6. He’s really rude. He has a complete …………………………….. for good manners.
7. Oh, no! My beautiful garden is …………………………….. with weeds! I need to call the gardener.
8. We are organizing a surprise party for Fred. Do you want …………………………….. it?
9. She needs an eye operation because she suffers from …………………………….. vision.
10. We all …………………………….. in our democracy: if it is healthy then we are protected against injustices.
GRAMMAR – Expressions and idioms
3) Substitute the words in bold with the following phrases or idioms that have a similar meaning.
pull someone’s leg * on the ball * hit the sack * hit the books * feeling under the weather * all in one piece * go out the window * all ears * a piece of cake * break a leg
1. I’m so tired. I’m going to go to bed straight away …………………………….. .
2. You can’t be serious! You’re teasing me …………………………….. !
3. The math test the teacher gave us was really simple and easy …………………………….. .
4. We have a grammar test tomorrow. Let’s study …………………………….. .
5. All logic and common sense are completely lost …………………………….. when he starts claiming that the Earth is flat.
6. I’m not feeling too good …………………………….. . I’m sure I have a fever.
7. I heard you’re playing in the final of the tennis tournament tomorrow. Good luck …………………………….. !
8. Please tell me about the article you read, I’m really keen to listen …………………………….. .
9. I can trust her with this assignment, she’s really attentive and competent …………………………….. .
10. I was so worried when he went to that party. Luckily, he came home safely …………………………….. .
SHORT ESSAY
4) Where do you get your information? From the web? From television? From newspapers? Do you think they are reliable sources? Describe and explain. (60-80 words)
5) What sort of news do you find interesting? What makes them significant to you? (60-80 words)
6) Comment the following quote by Voltaire: “whoever can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” (60-80 words)
DEBATE
7) In Western societies, we take pride in our hard-won right to free speech. But do you think this freedom should apply to fake news as well, or should they be silenced instead?
How would you deal with fake news? Would you ban them all, or only those that you think incite hatred? Or would you guarantee total freedom of speech? Where would you draw the line (if there is a line to be drawn)?
Pair up with one of your classmates and look at the proposition below and choose one version of it (All/Some/No); one of you will argue in favour of it and one of you against it.
Proposition: All/Some/No fake news should be blocked or removed from all media.
(Carlo Dellonte)
(Image: Pixabay)
Chiara Gualtieri
07 febbraio 2023 alle 09:14
Very well done and interesting
VIVIEN IREDALE
07 febbraio 2023 alle 20:27
l am afraid l cannot download the solutions, though...