Birds Are Not Real

Do you have a favorite bird? Come on, everyone does. Yours just might not be real... This episode, Abby becomes the robot bird expert and Matthew tries to sell merch.

Believe Everything is a podcast produced by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, student-run radio from NC State University. Like what you hear? Consider supporting it with a gift to the WKNC Enhancement Fund. Visit our podcast page to hear more and follow us on all social media platforms @WKNC881. Thanks for listening.

Creators and Guests

Host

Abby Jerchower

Host

Matthew Bastian

What is Believe Everything?

Each episode of "Believe Everything" dives deep into a specific conspiracy theory. "Believe Everything" is a podcast produced by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 at NC State University.

00:07
Abby
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to Believe Everything. I'm your host, Abby Jerchower.

00:12
Matthew
And I'm your other host, Matthew Bastian.

00:15
Abby
So it's been a minute. We're just gonna address the elephant in the room.

00:20
Matthew
We both got haircuts.

00:22
Abby
We did. And look a little different now. We do look a little bit different. And it might be a big shock to people listening because they're used to, like, how we look. But it'll be all right. We'll get through it. But we're not talking about the Illuminati today, actually. Or our haircuts. What you say? Or our haircut. Okay, good intro. It's been like, a whole semester. We are talking about birds.

00:51
Matthew
What about them?

00:52
Abby
That they're not real.

00:54
Matthew
That they're not real.

00:55
Abby
Ooh. That they're not real.

00:57
Matthew
What does that mean? They're not real.

01:00
Abby
I'll cover that later. Basically, how this podcast is set up is that I have researched a conspiracy theory, and Matthew's gonna react, and I'm gonna give him some questions along the way and just hear his thoughts, and we swap each episode with who does what. So last episode, I was able to just sit back and listen, and now that's Matthew's job. He's just been waiting and waiting to.

01:23
Matthew
Sit back here, just take in the information. I'm excited. I don't have to do very much.

01:29
Abby
He looks so excited right now. If only you guys could see him.

01:32
Matthew
I'm just going back and forth in my chair, just side to side.

01:35
Abby
Maybe you guys can hear it in the sound.

01:37
Matthew
Maybe you might hear the squeak of the chair, like, very quietly. It's going to be good.

01:42
Abby
This episode is going to be a little bit shorter, probably because the conspiracy theory I chose okay for me. Matthew, I want your opinion on this.

01:52
Matthew
Yeah.

01:52
Abby
The birds, like, are government drones, Government spies. I felt like that's been around for so long.

01:59
Matthew
It's a conspiracy theory that feels like has, like, an old soul.

02:03
Abby
It does. Like, the Illuminati was so. Had so much beautiful history. And BIRDS ARENT real. Does not, unfortunately. It started, like, so much, like, later than I thought it did. I'm so disappointed. But it's gonna be really fun because everything about it is interesting and cool, and you're gonna love it, believe me. Believe everything.

02:25
Matthew
Believe everything. I think. I think it's also, like, the idea of, like, distrust in the government and surveillance state is just. Is just things that have, like, a classic forever. I mean, look at the Illuminati, for example, right?

02:41
Abby
Ooh. Callback.

02:43
Matthew
Seriously, guys, check out the last episode. It's really good.

02:45
Abby
Y. Yeah. This is only our second episode.

02:47
Matthew
This is the second. This is the second episode. Check out the first one while you guys are waiting for the next one.

02:55
Abby
We're gonna be. I promise. And you guys can hold me to this. I promise we will be more consistent next semester, next year.

03:02
Matthew
On my life.

03:03
Abby
On Matthew's life, specifically his also, guys.

03:09
Matthew
Just like. Just like a little. We hid like, a bunch of little Easter eggs in the first episode. That,. Like, you need to watch a couple times in order to understand them.

03:18
Abby
Yes. So feel free if you already listen to it.

03:20
Matthew
It's been a while.

03:21
Abby
Go back, go back, listen again, go back again.

03:24
Matthew
Get our streams up.

03:25
Abby
Well, that's just. Will happen alongside it. But that's not the reason why we're asking you to do this.

03:32
Matthew
Shh.

03:33
Abby
It's okay.

03:34
Matthew
Yeah, just rewatch. Yeah, just rewatch it for the. The intrinsic value it'll bring you.

03:39
Abby
Okay, Matthew, let's get into it. He said that the first episode. I remember I did. He said, like, let's just get right into it. And I thought it was funny.

03:49
Matthew
I swore off listening to it again.

03:52
Abby
So I actually listened to the first five minutes because I wanted to know how we started it. And it wasn't that bad. It's okay. Okay. We're not even talking. I was about to say, so the birds work for the bourgeoisie. Let's talk about that.

04:07
Matthew
Okay.

04:08
Abby
That was my first introduction to this conspiracy theory. Do you have a introduction to it?

04:15
Matthew
That's a good question. I don't. I mean, it's kind of like. I don't remember the first time I heard the idea that the moon landing was fake. Right. Or like, that's true.

04:26
Abby
I think this one, I have such a, like, not personal connection, but because of, like, the history has had on social media. Because it is a recent. It's a recent conspiracy.

04:39
Matthew
Two months ago.

04:40
Abby
Yeah, it's. Okay, let me start off with the overview of it.

04:43
Matthew
Okay.

04:45
Abby
The movement claims that the United states government genocided 12 billion birds from 1959 to 2001 and replaced them with lookalike surveillance. Surveillance drone replicas that continue to spy on the citizens.

05:03
Matthew
You know what? More power to whoever believes that the United States decided it had more to gain out of spending the resources and the time to genocide all the birds in America.

05:21
Abby
And it makes you wonder because I know you're being. You're joking. You're being facetious, but I think this was a covert operation. All right, so People didn't know it had to do with the birds. So maybe there's things that the government's being funded. Like the government's funding is going to certain places, and we think it's for. Oh, it's for the military. No, it's for killing more birds.

05:44
Matthew
Do you think.

05:45
Abby
Think about that.

05:46
Matthew
Okay, let me think about that. I. I can't say. And I'm open. I'm open to my mind being changed.

05:56
Abby
Okay.

05:58
Matthew
I'm serious. I don't think. I think birds might just still exist.

06:08
Abby
Okay, That's a hot take. It's. Okay. Don't click off right now, because I know the whole thing. You're. Some birds ARENT real. I thought we, like, agreed.

06:19
Matthew
No.

06:19
Abby
Interesting. Okay. Anyways, theory started in drumroll. 2017.

06:28
Matthew
Oh, my God. Wow.

06:31
Abby
Yeah. When college Peter McIndoe was visiting a friend in Nashville. So at the time, there were a lot of women's marches going on, and he felt uneasy when he watched counter protesters try and disrupt the Nashville march. So he thought, like, who would be going against these women that are just, like, protesting? And he realized a lot of the things that they believed in were a little silly. So he was like, let me join.

07:00
Matthew
The women or the counter protesters.

07:02
Abby
The counter protesters. This man supported the women. Let me be clear. I realize I wrote that in a way that it could be the counter. No, they're just silly. No, the women.

07:12
Matthew
Yeah.

07:12
Abby
He didn't like that. But as a joke, he wrote birds ARENT real on a piece of cardboard, and he did that because it was the most nonsensical thing he could think of and joined the counter protesters. So he's walking around with birds ARENT real.

07:27
Abby
Kind of trying to say that you guys are dumb for thinking these things.

07:30
Matthew
Like holding up a mirror.

07:32
Abby
Exactly. And I wanted to ask you, like, Matthew, what silly thing would you write on cardboard to show them that they're being silly? That was. He just sighed, by the way, I don't think it picked up. Oh, it did. Like a little.

07:52
Matthew
Yeah. This is a very tiny waveform. Oh, goodness. Oh, no.

08:00
Abby
I know. I can ask you a lot of questions today, so get ready.

08:06
Matthew
I'd write the grass grabs you.

08:13
Abby
What does that mean?

08:14
Matthew
The grass. You walk on the grass. It grabs you.

08:17
Abby
Like, it grabs at you. What would the grass be trying to do?

08:21
Matthew
Pull you with it? Pull you down with it.

08:23
Abby
Pull you down. Everyone knows grass goes down. Grass goes straight down.

08:27
Matthew
I feel like grass is so upset about, like, just, like, being so low to the ground and It's. And it's. And it can't even like move like trees. At least.

08:34
Abby
Like that actually makes a lot of sense. And people are stepping on them all day.

08:37
Matthew
Exactly. So they're taking the revenge.

08:39
Abby
Okay, Matthew, start this movement. Believe everything. New movement. The grass grabs you. It sounds cool.

08:46
Matthew
Like.

08:47
Abby
And if you want a new band name Matthew's got you.

08:50
Matthew
Let us know if you guys are interested in any kind of like, shirts or like hat wear we can do. The grass grabs you with like the little like triangle logo on it. I think that could be pretty cool. If you guys are interested in that, just let us know. Even if you're not interested in that, let us know that you'd want it and that you'd buy.

09:11
Abby
We're just rambling at this point. Yeah, we'll. We'll do merch if we need to.

09:16
Matthew
Just let us know, you guys, please.

09:20
Abby
But when he wrote this on the cardboard, people at the protest started to ask questions and he improvised a history for the movement and the footage went viral. As the kids say. Ellen Love viral views.

09:33
Matthew
Lot of likes.

09:35
Abby
Yeah, exactly.

09:35
Matthew
Of the like.

09:36
Abby
Thank you for explaining what viral means for those confused. And then millennials and gen zers.

09:42
Matthew
Oh, nice.

09:43
Abby
Began to spread this theory as a joke due to the amount of misinformation being spread. So it's just trying to bring awareness to misinformation and how a lot of people will believe the dumbest things.

09:55
Matthew
A lot of people just believe everything they see on the Internet. Yep. Eagle eyed viewers will catch that.

10:02
Abby
That's one of the Easter eggs that was in the last episode, by the way.

10:07
Matthew
Add up. Okay, I'll give you guys a little hint. Add up the amount of times we say believe everything in that episode, subtract it by 3, divide by 2, add 6 and you get your age. Type that into a URL, see what you get.

10:26
Abby
Oh my God. And comment how old you are. And if we got it right.

10:33
Matthew
Yeah, guys do that.

10:35
Abby
Comment your age.

10:36
Matthew
And then if. If we got it right, you have.

10:40
Abby
To buy our merch that doesn't exist quite yet, but it'll be there.

10:44
Matthew
We're working on it. Just let us know what you guys want. We'll do it, bro.

10:47
Abby
Matthew, you have to get super excited because you know why? Okay. Because. Question one approaching O. Question one. Are you excited?

11:00
Matthew
I think my heart dropped. My heart dropped instant. I think my blood pressure is like dangerously low now, so you gotta get through it quick.

11:10
Abby
Oh, yeah, really fast. Question 1. When did Peter McIndoe admit that he did not believe in the conspiracy? Because at the protest, as I said, he improvised this, and he kind of. It was all a joke, but people did not know that. And he kind of had a Persona of being this crazy conspiracy theorist, and he did that for a bit. So when did he admit that he did not believe in the conspiracy theory? 2019. 2017. Which was the year when, like, the. Everything was created, the idea was made. 2021 Or 2023.

11:53
Matthew
Can I be honest with you?

11:55
Abby
Did you see it? Did you actually, I think so.

12:00
Matthew
Is it 2021?

12:01
Abby
Yes. Bro.

12:03
Matthew
I should have said something sooner. I didn't. I wasn't.

12:06
Abby
Oh, no. Did you look? Did you look at any. I have. Okay. I have a computer where I have kind of like an outline for what we're talking about today. And Matthew took a look at it.

12:19
Matthew
I didn't.

12:19
Abby
You. All right? Matthew versus Abby boxing match happening.

12:24
Matthew
I'm losing that.

12:25
Abby
At the end of this month.

12:27
Matthew
I'm losing that.

12:28
Abby
Yeah, we know. Ro.

12:30
Matthew
2017.

12:32
Abby
Wrong. Is 2021. Oh, all right.

12:36
Matthew
I. I'm gonna wanna. I'm gonna wanna.

12:39
Abby
Okay, now he's like, I have to move the thing.

12:42
Matthew
I'll move.

12:42
Abby
No, no, no. I'll move the.

12:44
Matthew
I'll move. I'll move this way.

12:46
Abby
You can hear him scooting over. So now we're gonna talk about the fake lore of the pot. Of the. Whoa. Of the podcast of the real.

12:54
Matthew
There's real by re. istening to the first episode.

12:57
Abby
Shut up. Oh, you're done. So Peter posted on Facebook in 2017 about how he made a satirical movement. So I'd like to say technically, you said the two technically correct answers, because 2017, he says he talks about it being a satirical movement and that people seem to like it. However, he claimed the post was written by a staffer that was then fired. So he doubled down. He was like, this is gonna be a joke. But then the footage kind of blew up and he said, wait, no, I want this to. I want people to think I actually believe this. So he said, no, that wasn't me. That was a staffer, and they're fired now. Oh, would you believe him? You have to, because you believe everything.

13:39
Matthew
But, yeah, well, yeah, because I believe everything. I'd have to. I'd have to believe him.

13:44
Abby
So he has a website actually, called birdsarentreal.com.

13:49
Matthew
Does he have any merch?

13:51
Abby
Yes, he does. Yeah. And it's kind of expensive too, but who am I to say anything?

13:56
Matthew
Seriously? Let us know. But that's, like, how much is It.

14:00
Abby
There is a lot. Oh, the. Oh, how much?

14:03
Matthew
We'll go both.

14:04
Abby
I'm interested in how, like, let me look. I think shirts are unlike. Okay, that's actually not awful. It's $35 for shirts. To me, that seems pretty.

14:14
Matthew
A lot.

14:14
Abby
But all merch is kind of expensive. I mean, ours wouldn't be, but.

14:17
Matthew
Yeah, ours would be super.

14:19
Abby
Like, $5. Well, yeah, probably around that much.

14:23
Matthew
Okay, well, we'll talk about it, but I'm just saying if his can be. If his.

14:31
Abby
Okay.

14:31
Matthew
If he. If he makes. If he can make some baloney movement.

14:36
Abby
Right. Baloney.

14:37
Matthew
If he can make some legitimate.

14:39
Abby
Hold on Matthew Bastion.

14:40
Matthew
It was. It was.

14:41
Abby
Oh, my God.

14:42
Matthew
No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah, I said that if he can make a Baloney. If he can make a legitimate movement and sell his merch for $35 and we pour our blood, sweat, tears, and hearts and souls. That's accurate into this every semester, then I think we deserve to price our shirts at least 50.

15:10
Abby
15.

15:12
Matthew
Oh, 50.

15:13
Abby
50.

15:14
Matthew
Yes.

15:16
Abby
I'm sorry.

15:16
Matthew
I'm willing to go.

15:19
Abby
No. So I'm here for the people where it's gonna be $5, and you can leave this podcast if you don't. I can just talk here by myself.

15:28
Matthew
20.

15:28
Abby
Be honest. Who do you guys like more Guys?

15:34
Matthew
We're gonna. We're gonna leave a post. We're gonna make a post.

15:37
Abby
We're gonna make a poll. No, I did.

15:40
Matthew
I don't want everyone to pick Abby.

15:42
Abby
Yes. Okay. That's okay, then.

15:44
Matthew
Well, no. Oh, what were we talking about?

15:49
Abby
We're talking about the.

15:50
Matthew
Yeah. Wait.

15:51
Abby
Website.

15:51
Matthew
Yeah. Is it just. Is it just all, like, birds ARENT real?

15:54
Abby
There's, like, an information evidence page is what they have, and there's so much information about conspiracy theory. It's. It's just, like, spewing nonsense. It. I wish I had the job of writing this backstory because it is intense and it is shocking, and some of y' all be wary listening, because it's crazy.

16:19
Matthew
Is it?

16:20
Abby
The page claims that this movement has been active since 1976. So while I pretend, oh, it's not a historical conspiracy theory, the page would totally disagree. Well, I guess that's not super historical,.

16:34
Matthew
But I'm so curious as the people who believe it. Like, it's so, like. Like you can find this information. Like, you found this information. Someone who genuinely might believe. And I don't even know if there's probably someone out there who does believe. No, here's. Here's what it is.

16:49
Abby
Okay, tell me.

16:50
Matthew
Someone. Someone believes it, but they think that something like this was created as a cover up by the government to make it seem like it's stupid. But to them it's a genuine thing. But they think of this whole thing as like a cover up.

17:03
Abby
That's actually smart. I kind of believe it now. This is like when I was in middle school and I watched a Shane Dawson video about how, like, the moon landing was fake and the earth was flat. And I kind of believed it for like 10 minutes.

17:19
Matthew
What was his conclusion? Was it.

17:21
Abby
I watched it in like, sixth grade, Matthew.

17:23
Matthew
But, like, what was you don't you remember? Like, what, like, was he like, oh, this is actually like, oh, Shane Dawson. Yeah.

17:30
Abby
Oh, he was kind of like. He was open to it because he was very into conspiracy theories. So he was kind of like, oh, maybe this could be real. He kind of has some good evidence, I think.

17:44
Matthew
I feel like any evidence could be good if you're Shane Dawson and don't look into any counter.

17:48
Abby
I started freaking out. I remember I told my mom, like, I don't know about Mom. If the earth is round. And she said, abby, you have to stop this right now. And then she helped me kind of lock in because that would have been embarrassing.

18:00
Matthew
Mother, we might be on a disc. We might be on it. Mother. The dome might. Might collapse at any moment.

18:06
Abby
The idea that call my mom mother is great. I. You give off someone that would call their mom mother vibes, like so much sometimes. Sometimes I say mother as a joker. Like, seriously.

18:20
Matthew
Usually joke. I think.

18:21
Abby
Okay. I do the same thing for people that call their parents mother and father. No hate. Just letting you know. You're welcome to keep watching and buy.

18:31
Matthew
Our merch that could be coming out.

18:33
Abby
We're done with this merch bit. Only if it's $5. We will be selling merch.

18:41
Matthew
55.

18:42
Abby
55. Okay, 55 for five. We can ask what the people want.

18:46
Matthew
Would you guys. Okay, we'll set up a poll after this. Who do you like more? And would you rather pay $5 for a shirt or. And really think about. Because imagine the quality. $55 For a shirt.

19:02
Abby
All right. The page claimed. Let me just restate that whole bullet point because went on a tangent. The page claims that this movement has been active since 1976, having originally been founded to stop the genocide for birds. So that was the original implication of the birds are real movement, and then.

19:20
Matthew
It morphed into the replacing of the birds.

19:22
Abby
Yes. So. But this failed. They couldn't stop the genocide. So now they're bringing attention to it. And now they make sure people are aware that birds have been replaced by robotic replicas. So they were originally trying to help stop the genocide of birds, which is very interesting because I never heard about that happening.

19:38
Matthew
Very noble, too.

19:39
Abby
It is a noble cause. And the fact they've stuck with it even though, like, they could have just been like, oh, we tried, and now we're done.

19:45
Matthew
Yeah.

19:46
Abby
But now they're, like, continuing on with their beautiful message. And I'm. I think that's awesome.

19:52
Matthew
It's heartwarming. You can't. You guys can't see me right now, but a little alone tear just.

19:56
Abby
Just came out my eye looking at him. Right.

20:00
Matthew
Came out of my.

20:01
Abby
Oh, you said it grows.

20:02
Matthew
I did it like it. What is it? Ran down. Ran down my cheek.

20:10
Abby
So while this is all satirical, they found their website. They've made their website extremely in depth so that people will see all the information and just think, okay, yeah, it must be real, then that's. That's my bit. I added it because I was reading it and it is so long. I was like, okay, if I just wanted to look. And I believed in this theory for some reason. And I never, like, did any other research except looking at the. A website for birds ARENT real. Which is probably what happens just, I'm sure happens sometimes. I was like, this is so much information. But they're saying, like, Senator, they're talking about, like, the government. I was like, okay, does it read.

20:49
Matthew
Like it's, like, believable?

20:51
Abby
No, it's really dumb. But some of it, I guess you could believe. It's really, like.

20:57
Matthew
Is it just, like, overwhelming?

20:58
Abby
It's overwhelming. And they use words that it's like this. But, like, the actual content is. No way you would believe that.

21:06
Matthew
Okay.

21:06
Abby
But the people, like, they're talking about politicians and using different, like, actual government, like raids and things like that. They're. They're bringing in a lot of historical evidence and. But it's just. It doesn't make sense. And I wanted to ask you, if someone was trying to convince you of something fake, what would be the best tactic to use to convince you? Because I felt like, for me, the overwhelming information kind of worked a little.

21:36
Matthew
Bit, so probably overwhelming. And if it seemed like, I guess someone. No. Is the thing that they're trying to convince me of something stupid like this.

21:50
Abby
It's something pretty dumb. Yeah. And we're not saying you'd have to believe it. Just, like, most likely to Believe it. Okay.

21:58
Matthew
Like, it. Like, maybe it'd get me to be like, yeah, okay, maybe. Yeah, maybe something like overwhelming like that. Or if. Well, if I was threatened, I'd probably be more inclined.

22:17
Abby
Wait, that's actually a really good idea, Threatening someone to believe this?

22:21
Matthew
I don't think so.

22:22
Abby
I don't think that's a good idea.

22:24
Matthew
Well, I mean, if. I mean, if you're it.

22:26
Abby
Oh, wow. He, like, just didn't even know what to say cuz he was so scared of saying, I don't want anyone.

22:31
Matthew
I don't want anyone to threaten me over this. People. People already started just attacking me, berating me for the first episode of our podcast.

22:43
Abby
So it is. Do you think that's gonna help you better for this episode? Like, do you think you're better this threatening me? Yeah, because you said threatening would help you crazy. Oh, wait, that would actually work on me.

22:54
Matthew
Is it?

22:55
Abby
No, no, no. If I was talking to someone and they, like, said back what I was saying, but kind of in like, are you dumb? If I was talking to them and they were like, you think birds are real?

23:07
Matthew
Is it. Is it someone like, you trust or like.

23:09
Abby
Or is it.

23:10
Matthew
Or is it someone like, you think is, like, cool and like, they might. They might.

23:14
Abby
Yeah, I kind of respect them.

23:15
Matthew
Okay.

23:16
Abby
Yeah, that would be hard for me to be like, oh, am I dumb? Am I stupid?

23:21
Matthew
Is. Is there something wrong with me?

23:23
Abby
A big gaping hole in this theory is, how did all the birds get murdered? Because I'm reading this, I'm like, okay, they got repur. What?

23:33
Matthew
They never say how.

23:34
Abby
Well, okay, I'm about to tell you. And I'm like, okay, they got replaced. I get it. And then how did they even do all that? Because there'd be dead birds everywhere.

23:47
Matthew
Right?

23:48
Abby
There's the genocide of the birds are happening. No one knows about it. There's a huge. I just didn't buy that. I'm like, I could kind of buy this theory, but this is really bad. How would you, like, kill all the birds in the most discreet way possible? How would you do it? And you can be as creative as, like, if as much as you want, because the reasoning they have is silly.

24:09
Matthew
So I would follow the migration patterns of the birds and trace wherever places they landed the most. And if it's a body of water, I'd poison that body of water. Or probably poison their food supply as well, maybe.

24:19
Abby
How would it not poison the humans?

24:21
Matthew
Well, assuming that it's like, further, like, it's like, super. Okay, yeah, And I feel like also like nighttime would probably be a good time to do like hold like covert operations like in cities and whatnot. Maybe like just even like taking the birds. Maybe like pretending.

24:39
Abby
Would you have a ski mask on?

24:41
Matthew
I. I'd probably more like a. Like a raccoon, like.

24:49
Abby
Oh, like the old timey bankrupt. Yeah, bro,.

24:56
Matthew
I love raccoon on your face. I probably use the raccoon on my face.

25:02
Abby
Oh yeah?

25:03
Matthew
Yeah.

25:03
Abby
That's really smart. I never thought about that.

25:06
Matthew
Well, it's the kind of out of the box thinking that you need in order to kill all the birds.

25:09
Abby
Or believe. Oh yeah.

25:11
Matthew
Or for belief.

25:12
Abby
Or believing everything. It's hard to believe everything. People don't think about that. You have to believe everything. Even things that go against each other. It's like a paradox.

25:20
Matthew
Yeah.

25:22
Abby
Sorry. And now you're gonna know how they actually killed Oliver.

25:26
Matthew
Oh.

25:27
Abby
So after two years, 120. That's a lifetime. After two years, 120 water tank bombers were successfully crashed. Created. So they were created specifically to wipe out the birds. And each water tank was filled with a quote unquote bird poison that when consumed, would infect birds with a virus that would spread to other birds. Oh, and now you're thinking, okay, they'd spread to other birds. That makes sense. But like how would it not affect the humans? Right, because like you're spraying the like area the sky with these. With this bird poison. How would it not hit the humans? So the poison was sprayed from an altitude of 8,000ft and would dissolve before it hit the ground, only affecting the birds. Oh, wait, you had a. Your hand was raised.

26:30
Matthew
Yeah, I don't know if I was paying attention. Wait, so it's poison and a virus.

26:34
Abby
So yeah, the poison, I don't know why it's called bird poison, but it's.

26:39
Matthew
That might be part of. Is it. Was that in the.

26:42
Abby
Yeah, that's in the website. Part of the being silly. Oh, well, it's cuz. It's like they consume it and it's. It infects the birds with a virus that spreads cellar birds. So like the poison that falls from the sky is consumed by birds?

27:03
Matthew
Yeah, I. I really. I feel like that would just be contaminated.

27:08
Abby
But see the issue, the thing is because of the altitude, it dissolves before it hits the ground. That's what they're saying. They're saying like they fall and it's so perfect that it just hits the birds and it keeps going down and it doesn't hit the ground.

27:23
Matthew
The miracles of like what humanity is able to accomplish.

27:26
Abby
The government's hiding a lot.

27:29
Matthew
I. You guys can't see, but a single tear just rolled down. My.

27:39
Abby
A single tear. It's beautiful, though. And it just created a heart. Oh, my God. And then another tears coming out. And it just formed a really weird shape.

27:49
Matthew
I can't stop crying.

27:50
Abby
Oh, my God.

27:51
Matthew
Anathi.

27:51
Abby
Get away from the microphone. Oh, my God. The whole thing just. Oh, my God. Something actually did just fall. I think it was my phone. That was because it's flooding because of.

28:04
Matthew
Matthew Steers production room is haunted. Oh, New conspiracy theory, anyone? All right.

28:11
Abby
It's okay. It's all right. Next, everyone.

28:13
Matthew
Mrs.

28:15
Abby
Okay, this is a really important question for me because I came up with these, except for two. So I came up with two of them. It's my favorite question. So question two. Oh, what was the real name of this covert operation?

28:33
Matthew
Oh, that's a. That's cool.

28:35
Abby
So one of these is the real name of the operation. The other one is an undercover one used by the government when talking about the real one. So there's two.

28:47
Matthew
Say that.

28:48
Abby
Okay, I'm going to try to explain this, but maybe it'll make more sense when you have the names. But basically there's two names that were used by the government. One was like. You know when it's like they have a secret name for what they call it, right? And it's the undercover, but there's an actual name. Like, the real people know that this is what it's called.

29:08
Matthew
So when you say secret name, is it like the. Is it like.

29:09
Abby
I'm asking for the real name of the cover operation, the one that the really, like, top people called it.

29:17
Matthew
So the other one is, like. Is, like, kind of surfacing.

29:20
Abby
It's the other one's undercover name for it.

29:22
Matthew
Okay. It's like the. It's like the COVID It's like.

29:25
Abby
Okay, are you ready?

29:26
Matthew
I'm there. Yeah.

29:26
Abby
Okay. A, Water the Country. B, Operation Very Large Bird. C, quiet the Wings.

29:40
Matthew
Wow.

29:41
Abby
D bye Birdie. I can resay those, too.

29:49
Matthew
What was the first one? Water.

29:50
Abby
Water the Country.

29:52
Matthew
Yeah, that's.

29:56
Abby
Well, how do you feel about any of these?

29:58
Matthew
That feels like. That feels like the parody of what would be the COVID And it's an initiative to water the country.

30:10
Abby
Oh, that's a good initiative for sure.

30:15
Matthew
The country needs more water. Where do they get. Where do they get the water from the country and.

30:22
Abby
Whoa, Matthew, you're on to something. The way he said that made it made you sound like you, like, came up with something, but I don't think.

30:30
Matthew
You did DM us on Instagram if you got chills, bro.

30:34
Abby
I just looked at my phone. This is me a few weeks from this episode. Oh, my gosh. I just checked my phone, and there's so many.

30:40
Matthew
It's blowing up. I just want to let you guys know I got chills when he said that thing.

30:48
Abby
About water the country. About water the country.

30:50
Matthew
Yeah.

30:51
Abby
So I'll go over them one last time. Okay. Water the country. That's the one you thought was, like, very cool. Cool. Operation Very Large Bird. Quiet the Wings and Bye Birdie.

31:05
Matthew
Bye Bye Birdie feels too on the nose, but it's also really funny. It. It feels like. It feels, like, perfect for the kind of thing that they're, like, doing.

31:14
Abby
Yeah, like, I get that.

31:16
Matthew
It. And it. Oh, man. Quiet the Wings feels like a. Like a Hunger Games title.

31:25
Abby
That one is very Hunger Games esque. Kafka esque.

31:31
Matthew
What is that, like France?

31:33
Abby
Kafka, I think. Doesn't like Jesse say that I'm Breaking Bad? Never mind.

31:37
Matthew
Maybe let's just keep going. What was the second one?

31:41
Abby
Operation Very Large Bird.

31:43
Matthew
Oh, my goodness. I.

31:47
Abby
Bonus points if you can get the undercover one. But you're trying to guess the real one, right?

31:52
Matthew
Feels like code names.

31:54
Abby
Oh, yeah, that's a fun game. Let's play that next episode.

31:57
Matthew
Can we just play that now?

31:59
Abby
Yeah, sure. Okay.

32:03
Matthew
Okay, so I'm thinking I'll start. I'll start. This is difficult. This is actually difficult.

32:11
Abby
And you guys play along at home. Okay?

32:13
Matthew
Everyone at home, play along with us. Me.

32:15
Abby
And then everyone call Matthew stupid for if he gets it wrong call.

32:18
Matthew
Call me. Call me dumb. Dm us to say that you got chills.

32:24
Abby
Okay, bro? Keep going.

32:25
Matthew
Okay. Okay. I'm thinking.

32:31
Abby
He's gonna look at my computer. Bye Bye Birdie is the real name. I came up with that one. So thank you. It's actually a movie. It's a musical film from the 60s.

32:46
Matthew
Bye Bye Birdie. It did sound familiar.

32:49
Abby
Yes. So maybe that's why you were drawn to it.

32:51
Matthew
But it could have also been. I feel like people in the government are cynical enough to.

32:56
Abby
They would. Oh, it's so crazy.

32:58
Matthew
It's like. It's like the play, but we're, you know, we're killing a lot of birds.

33:02
Abby
That's actually pretty funny of them if they did that. The other one I came up with was Quiet the Wings.

33:06
Matthew
Yeah.

33:07
Abby
So the two that you have left or Water the country in Operation Very Large Bird. Do you have A final guess for which one.

33:12
Matthew
Okay, so Operation Water the Country is definitely the COVID No. Yeah.

33:19
Abby
Yeah.

33:19
Matthew
Okay.

33:21
Abby
And then the real one is just Operation Very Large Bird.

33:24
Matthew
That's so.

33:25
Abby
And I thought that was so funny. I really liked that.

33:29
Matthew
Is it even like.

33:31
Abby
It's like.

33:31
Matthew
Oh, because. Because the bombers are large, isn't it?

33:34
Abby
I don't even know.

33:37
Matthew
Now I'm mad.

33:38
Abby
You wish it was a different one.

33:41
Matthew
Bye Bye Birdie is funny. That's a really good pick. That's a really. Leave a dm.

33:48
Abby
Okay. All right. Now we're going to talk about. This is our last big section.

33:53
Matthew
Okay.

33:54
Abby
So just letting you know, this is where he is now. Where's Macindo? So I don't even know if I'm saying his name Right. Just letting you know. Macindo has made many in person appear. Media appearances. Excuse me. With co founders Connor. Say his last name. I think it's Connor Gaydos.

34:16
Matthew
Gaddo's. Gaddo.

34:19
Abby
There's a. Yeah, say Gadot. Connor Gado and Claire Cronis. All these names sound fake, by the way. Whatever. While the movement had other founders. P is the face of the. Why do you say introduction? He is the face of. I don't know. I said that. He is the phase of the movement as he came up with the original idea and Are you fixing it? Yeah, I don't know why I'm doing that. I just wanted to be right. And in 2019, he did an interview with WRG TV W reg where the show's host ask whether or not the movement was satirical. So they asked him that question and this led to a super awkward moment where Peter acted extremely offended and angry at the show for even saying something like that. So they're like. It's a very lighthearted interview. And they're like, oh, yeah, like.

35:08
Abby
So is this a satirical move? Everyone's been wondering. And he gets really upset. He's like, I can't believe you'd even asked me that. I know. I was like, that is accurate because why would he do. But it was just such a shift because he was being so positive.

35:22
Matthew
Right.

35:22
Abby
It is a very odd. And they're so uncomfortable. The. I would watch this clip. Jamie put the clip. But it's just so. I don't know. It's so embarrassing. I watched it. I was like, I can't watch this. And. But yeah, he was obviously in character then.

35:38
Matthew
Was it embarrassing for him or the interview?

35:41
Abby
Both of them just secondhand. It was. I was embarrassed for everyone. His was less Embarrassing, because, like, if he was being serious, I'd be like, okay, yes, he's standing up for himself. But the other. The lady and the guy were like, oh, my God, I'm sorry. And in January 2022, this is the first interview with McIndoe where he was not in character. So that's. You knew. You said 2022 or. Right? Yeah, you said that.

36:05
Matthew
I thought it was 21.

36:07
Abby
Oh, 21 was when he first said it publicly, like, online. But 2022 is the first interview. Sorry, sorry. That was the first. So January 2022. So very close to 2021. And his original intentions to showcase the extent to which misinformation has flooded media was stated very blatantly. And he continues to give lots of conspiracy theories, give talks about conspiracy theorists and the lunacy of it all. And he even, I think, did a TED Talking about how the movement made him see a lot of misinformation and things like that. And he uses these theories to find. And how people use theories to find communities in loneliness.

36:45
Matthew
Right.

36:45
Abby
And how he saw a lot of people drawn to BIRDS ARENT real, even though it was such a dumb thing. Like, obviously his intention was not to start a movement based on this. It was literally just a joke.

36:56
Matthew
He just wanted to go viral on the Internet and get a lot of clicks and likes.

37:01
Abby
Yeah. So Peter. Peter's canceled.

37:03
Matthew
Really?

37:04
Abby
We're canceling him right now on this podcast. He's not canceled in real life. I'm sorry.

37:07
Matthew
You guys have heard it right now.

37:08
Abby
You actually got scared.

37:09
Matthew
Matthew, buy our merch to cancer to cancel. To cancel.

37:23
Abby
Yes, guys.

37:24
Matthew
Dude, but buy our merch to cancel. What? Peter?

37:28
Abby
Yeah, Peter.

37:29
Matthew
Peter Mac and. Oh, Mac and dough. Oh, Mac and cheese and cookie dough.

37:36
Abby
I feel like this one's going to be obvious. I'm sorry. I'm just ignoring you. Mac and cheese and cookie dough. What are you even talking about? Was that a joke For Peter macindo? Mac and cheese and cookie dough.

37:46
Matthew
I would call it a joke. I think I.

37:48
Abby
Is that what the shirt's going to say?

37:50
Matthew
I think I was just nervous.

37:51
Abby
For $55. Peter.

37:54
Matthew
Peter Mac.

37:54
Abby
We're canceling Peter Macinto Mac and Cheese and cookie dough.

38:00
Matthew
Buy our merch. Buy our merch now.

38:02
Abby
This one's actually a very important one because it could relate to new merch.

38:06
Matthew
The question.

38:07
Abby
The question. My third question. My third and final question. Which of these is a slogan I made to promote BIRDS ARENT real?

38:16
Matthew
Oh, so there's multiple. It's like two truths and a lie.

38:19
Abby
Three truths and one lie.

38:20
Matthew
Exactly.

38:20
Abby
So if it flies, it spies. Make love, not birds. Bird watching goes both ways. No more vines, just power lines. How do you feel about any of those? Any of those jumping out to you? Any of these? You're like, wow, these are really good.

38:46
Matthew
Well, they all frustrate me.

38:48
Abby
What? These are really good.

38:51
Matthew
Say all of them again.

38:53
Abby
Okay. If it flies, it spies that make love, not birds. That one is bird. Bird watching goes both ways. And no more vines, just power lines.

39:10
Matthew
No more vines, just power lines.

39:15
Abby
Is that your answer? You just said it.

39:17
Matthew
No, I'm.

39:20
Abby
Most like not assertive person ever. Just saying it right back to me.

39:25
Matthew
Answer every question while looking at the corner of the room. Goodness gracious.

39:34
Abby
Oh, that was a good like reaction. Just letting you know.

39:39
Matthew
Click that and send that to your friend.

39:41
Abby
DM him.

39:42
Matthew
DM me the clip. I think, I think go with your gut. I think you wrote the vines power lines 1.

39:52
Abby
I did. Good job at you. That one is really bad compared to these. I had no idea what to say. I was trying to think like nature and then. But my favorite one out of these is make love, not birds. I think that's really funny. And you were dissing that one Sneak diss. I don't know like what Drake says that.

40:14
Matthew
I think I keep approaching it like it's a real.

40:16
Abby
Who sneak disses Kendrick? No, Drake does. Kendrick was saying that. Sorry, what were you saying, Matthew?

40:22
Matthew
Yeah, I was saying it's 8 o'. Clock. My watch is telling me 8am yeah, we're recording this. We started recording at 7:20 in the morning. What was I even talking about?

40:38
Abby
We were talking about make love, not birds and all the different slogans.

40:41
Matthew
Yeah, I think I keep approaching it from like an idea of like this is like a real thing.

40:45
Abby
Like this is bird watching goes both ways, is really good.

40:48
Matthew
That one is fire and if it.

40:49
Abby
Flies, it spies is good. But my favorite one is bird watching goes both ways. My favorite dumb one is make love numbers. I think that's just dumb.

40:56
Matthew
It's like I don't understand what it's even trying to.

41:00
Abby
Well, I didn't get that either. Make love not birds.

41:03
Matthew
Like what? Like what are you talking.

41:04
Abby
They're saying like stop the genocide. But they're not making. Or what they are making.

41:08
Matthew
They're making the birds. But it's like, why are you. How does that have to growing making love in there?

41:13
Abby
I don't know.

41:14
Matthew
I feel like make love, not war makes like that was My own.

41:17
Abby
That was my saving grace. I was like, I know the other two. He's not going to choose those. But maybe he'll say make love, not birds, because it's bad mine. I feel like you can tell I made mine because it's just long. No more vines, just power lines. But I thought it had a ring to it.

41:31
Matthew
I thought it was good.

41:31
Abby
No more vines, just power lines.

41:34
Matthew
My least favorite is easily the make love, not bird. I don't. I think I don't like make love and birds being in the same sentence.

41:42
Abby
It definitely doesn't seem like two things that would go together.

41:45
Matthew
Yeah, it sounds like it was created by, like, a weirdo, which makes Peter.

41:49
Abby
Ooh, Peter's canceled.

41:50
Matthew
Yeah, so Peter's canceled.

41:51
Abby
Buy our merch, Mac and cheese, cookie dough, Mac and cheese cookies. Oh, my gosh. I'm gonna eat some Mac and cheese and cookie dough after this.

42:00
Matthew
Together.

42:00
Abby
Just.

42:01
Matthew
Just put it, like, all in, like, a bowl.

42:03
Abby
Yeah, it's a new thing. It's like you bake it. That's the crust.

42:06
Matthew
It's viral. It's. Everyone's, like, getting, like, clicks and likes from, like, making their own Mac and cheese and cookie dough.

42:13
Abby
I'm just letting you know no one else is seeing that on their social media.

42:15
Matthew
I'm just letting you know that you're alone.

42:19
Abby
Wait, I have one last question for you. Oh, yeah. It's a really important question. Okay. Would you trust someone who believes in the birds ARENT real conspiracy with your child?

42:34
Matthew
I feel like. I feel like it depends on which camp they sit in. And I think we can. We can. I think we can demarcate.

42:48
Abby
Ooh.

42:50
Matthew
I think we can. I think we can demarcate each type of person by which slogan they most identify with?

42:58
Abby
Oh, I really like that idea. Okay, so if it flies, it spies, would you trust that person with your kid?

43:06
Matthew
I think that. I think it'd be a similar thing to the Illuminati. Like, they'd be protect. Like, protect.

43:11
Abby
Full protective. I would not want. See, I would. If it flies, it spies. Feels like I understand the. The, like, protective perspective. Ooh.

43:20
Matthew
Ooh.

43:21
Abby
But I feel like that one is probably the most, like, scary out of all of them.

43:26
Matthew
That's true. I mean, it's also like, are they afraid that I don't. I don't know why I'm. I. I'm thinking about this specifically, but, like, well, could they be afraid that, like, for instance, hypothetically, that they couldn't, like, let the child hold, like. Like a Silver utensil. Like, pure silver utensil. Because it might be, like, a werewolf. Like, what.

43:57
Abby
What are you talking about? Oh, my God. What are you talking.

44:01
Matthew
Oh, what are you talking about?

44:03
Abby
I feel dumb right now because I.

44:05
Matthew
Have no idea what that means. I'm. I'm thinking. Well, that's why I'm saying, like, that. Like, what if they think of, like, something crazy like that, too? Like, it's like, if it flies, its spies. Like, what if they're like. I can't. I can't.

44:18
Abby
See, he's laughing right now because he knows it's stupid.

44:22
Matthew
I don't. I don't think it's. I actually think it's really smart because. And then I think, make love, not war. Definitely not war. Make love, not birds. Yeah, I think. I think.

44:39
Abby
My fault.

44:41
Matthew
I think that person is not going anywhere near my child. And in fact, I might file a restraining order.

44:48
Abby
That's actually. I understand that very like, ooh, make love, not birds. But it's like, I'm also. You're freaking me out.

44:55
Matthew
What are you talking about?

44:56
Abby
Yeah, that's kind of like you with the werewolf thing.

44:59
Matthew
But, yeah, I really don't know, like, what I was talking about.

45:03
Abby
I don't know where you. You said silver fork and a werewolf. Are you.

45:08
Matthew
Are they not. Are they not hurt by silver birds? Werewolves?

45:15
Abby
I didn't think so. Isn't that, like, a vampire thing?

45:18
Matthew
I thought silver bullet. Who's silver bullet? Is that vampire?

45:22
Abby
I feel like. No, I feel like not. Because they get killed with, like, the wooden stake. Wait, I'm gonna look this up. How do you. Or I'll look up the silver bullet thing.

45:35
Matthew
In the meantime, while she's looking that up, I will implore you all to follow our Instagram. I think it's at. Believe. Underscore everything. Underscore.

45:44
Abby
You were right. Folklore, silver bullet. Often one of the few weapons that are effective against a werewolf vampire, which are other supernatural.

45:52
Matthew
See, what if he's so paranoid that he believes that too? That, like, the baby could be a werewolf.

45:58
Abby
Okay. You're like, adding onto it. You're like, if you believe in birds ARENT real, you probably believe in a lot of other things is what you're.

46:03
Matthew
Yeah, I think I'm imagining like a Sit. Like a sitcom scenario. It's like. It's like I'm crazy. Yeah, Classics. Yeah. It's like, okay, I entrusted my child with this guy, and now he thinks that my child can't touch any silverware because then he'll. He'll. Be hurt because he's a werewolf.

46:26
Abby
I like. I like the train of thought that you went on.

46:30
Matthew
I don't know where it came from.

46:31
Abby
I have no idea. It's just your mind is built differently, I guess. That's tough.

46:37
Matthew
Leave a dm.

46:39
Abby
All right, about that. I mean, that was my last question, Matthew.

46:44
Matthew
Well, there's a third. There's another one. There's another slogan.

46:51
Abby
Oh, birdwatching goes both ways.

46:53
Matthew
Yeah, I like that one. So I think I.

46:57
Abby
You would trust your child. Yeah.

46:59
Matthew
We're in agreement.

47:00
Abby
I agree with you totally. Wait, how about no more vines, just power lines.

47:04
Matthew
Yeah, that one's chill, too.

47:06
Abby
That one's chill. Yeah, it's the environment, but it's also like, chill. It's not like making love, not birds, is like, freaky.

47:14
Matthew
That's like. That's like, I don't. I don't. I not only don't want you around my child, I don't want you around anyone.

47:21
Abby
Yeah, that makes total sense to me.

47:23
Matthew
Yeah.

47:26
Abby
Everyone, round of applause for that episode. We finally. We finally did it. I'm so happy. Oh, my gosh. I guess to close off or end it. End it. We're going to end it.

47:38
Matthew
We're going to end it.

47:40
Abby
Just. Yeah. What Matthew was saying. Follow. Follow us on Instagram, because that's where you're going to get the most updates and things that ARENT going to be able to be said in such a. Like, we sit down and we do this podcast at, like, so on social media. We can post very. A lot more often.

47:58
Matthew
Yes.

48:02
Abby
Matthew, you want to say goodbye to the people at home.

48:05
Matthew
Guys, seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for listening. And we hope.

48:15
Abby
And letting you.

48:16
Matthew
And lending. I'm sorry.

48:17
Abby
Oh, that was great.

48:18
Matthew
And lending us your time.

48:20
Abby
Oh, lending.

48:22
Matthew
And we hope and believe everything.

48:29
Abby
Good ending. Thank you, Matthew.