Men In Black (Hombres De Negro)
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who question, interrogate, harass, threaten, allegedly memory-wipe, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have seen. The term is also frequently used to describe mysterious men working for unknown organizations, as well as various branches of government allegedly tasked with protecting secrets or performing other strange activities. The term is generic, used for any unusual, threatening, or strangely behaved individual whose appearance on the scene can be linked in some fashion with a UFO sighting.[1] Several alleged encounters with the men in black have been reported by UFO researchers and enthusiasts. The "MIB" supposedly appeared throughout different moments in history.
Men in Black (Hombres de negro)
Men in black feature prominently in ufology, UFO folklore, and in fan fiction. In the 1950s and 1960s, ufologists adopted a conspiratorial mindset and began to fear they would be subject to organized intimidation in retaliation for discovering "the truth of the UFOs."[3]
In 1947, Harold Dahl claimed to have been warned not to talk about his alleged UFO sighting on Maury Island by a man in a dark suit. In the mid-1950s, ufologist Albert K. Bender claimed he was visited by men in dark suits who threatened and warned him not to continue investigating UFOs. Bender maintained that the men in black were secret government agents who had been given the task of suppressing evidence of UFOs. Ufologist John Keel claimed to have had encounters with MIB and referred to them as "demonic supernaturals" with "dark skin and/or 'exotic' facial features." According to ufologist Jerome Clark, reports of men in black represent "experiences" that "don't seem to have occurred in the world of consensus reality."[4]
The 1976 Blue Öyster Cult song "E.T.I (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)," contains the line, "Three men in black said, 'Don't report this.'" Their 1983 song "Take Me Away," which is about the singer's desire to leave Earth with "good guy" aliens, has the line "The men in black, their lips are sealed."[7]
In 1979, British Punk Rock/New Wave rock band the Stranglers recorded a song entitled "Meninblack" for their album The Raven, which was released that year. This was followed in 1981 with a concept album The Gospel According to the Meninblack, which featured alien visitations to Earth.[8]
The 1997 science-fiction film Men In Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, was loosely based on The Men in Black comic book series created by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers.[11] Cunningham had the idea for the comic once a friend of his introduced him to the concept of government "men in black" upon seeing a black van riding the streets.[12] 041b061a72