# Do grey aliens exist?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 26, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683 "2014-06-26T10:47:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/41 "2014-06-26T23:36:12Z")
Last night, I had highly-disturbing dreas involving North Korea, but does that mean North Korea exists?
Uh, wait a minute…
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### Author:  [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/42 "2014-06-27T00:48:22Z")
I think that “aliens”, or what have been termed “greys”, is a phenomenon (or set of phenomena, perhaps) that is losing traction in our society. They are no longer an important part of our zeitgeist. Perhaps they will encounter a resurgence in popular media, as have zombies and vampires, but I rather think any future re-fascination with such creatures would best be served by being borne out of a major progressive shift in society rather than primarily out of a new rehashing for entertainment purposes. [Aliens have always had a special, and more important place in that narrative than those other movie monsters, at least in my lifetime.]
One thing to note is that there is a slight, but meaningful, difference between specific, individual alien encounters, and the overall phenomenon. I will not endeavor to examine individual encounters or experiences in any general sense. But, generally, overall, the phenomenon of alien encounters, particularly with “greys”, has served a certain role in the narrative of our culture’s zeitgeist at the time in which such a thing was in the popular awareness (and, of course, served a special purpose for those on the fringe whose awareness came before and went deeper, due to special interest). Most of what we know of the alien or “grey” phenomenon comes from that narrative rather than from specific, individual encounters. That narrative has rarely been elucidated and analyzed clearly and comprehensively. I will refrain from attempting to do so here, mostly because it does not serve the best interests of those who would be most interested.
Another thing to note is that most people assume those who speak of “aliens” are referring to extra-terrestrials.
Finally, I really, really enjoyed Close Encounters when I was young, and I very much enjoyed the X-Files. Plus, I once met Hynek. Although I’m very interested in science, I’m not paid to work in a scientific field, and thus I cannot call myself a scientist. I’ve been interested in aliens, but I was never paid to work in a related field. Such a person is usually called a quack, but is that justified?
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/44 "2014-06-27T01:04:39Z")
Just don’t chant “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn,” please.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/45 "2014-06-27T02:06:00Z")
Yes, they do.
However, they can’t travel to Earth, so they stay in their grey houses and watch jorkit reruns on the blurge, while eating hot lorikut.
You see, space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is.
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/46 "2014-06-27T02:23:19Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#):
>
> I’ve never heard of his term before, “grey alien”, but if they do exist I suppose the only reason they would be grey is due to having to travel at the speed of light for however many years it is from their home universe.
>
> What about the men in black they are more easier to find and try to understand than “grey aliens”?
>
> I’ll go do a SD forum search 🙂
**Mr Quatro** , try [this first.](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gray_aliens)
For a taste of how far the idea has penetrated into the popular culture, [check out these little numbers.](https://www.google.com/#q=halloween+costume+gray+alien&safe=off&tbm=shop)
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/47 "2014-06-27T02:37:15Z")
> [@Orr\_G](#):
>
> Finally, I really, really enjoyed Close Encounters when I was young, and I very much enjoyed the X-Files. Plus, I once met Hynek.
Umm, just as a courtesy to your readers, when writing about a topic such as this, could you give the guy’s full name, if you’re going to state that you met him?
[J. Allen Hynek.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Allen_Hynek) Just so we don’t think you’re talking about [Hynek the Galactic Observer.](http://www.xenu.net/archive/scientology_illustrated/xenu.gif)
TIA! 🙂
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/48 "2014-06-27T02:40:49Z")
You know, just last month I was driving The Extraterrestrial Hwy. I didn’t see any grey aliens but I did meet a couple of strange dudes at a diner in Rachel.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/49 "2014-06-27T08:04:58Z")
I only ever see the grey aliens in the late afternoon, as the sun sinks into the West and the gloom of twilight fills the skies.
But, as the old adage goes, in the twilight, all aliens are grey.
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/50 "2014-06-27T14:31:47Z")
I was going to suggest that the OP made a spelling error and meant to ask about the existence of “graliens”. Turns out that [gralien](http://gralienreport.com/) DOES exist, as a web site and pod cast with such articles as
> [@](#):
>
> Hybrid History: Sasquatch Sexuality and Prehistoric Pairing
and
> [@](#):
>
> White dwarfs, extraterrestrial invasions, and Shakespeare skepticism are all topics discussed on this week’s edition of The Gralien Report.
Sometimes a guy can’t even be a smartass.
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### Author:  [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/51 "2014-06-27T16:51:32Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#):
>
> **Mr Quatro** , try [this first.](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gray_aliens)
>
> For a taste of how far the idea has penetrated into the popular culture, [check out these little numbers.](https://www.google.com/#q=halloween+costume+gray+alien&safe=off&tbm=shop)
Thank you kaylasdad99, by the way that sounds like a grey alien name doesn’t it …
is this the code breaker? Kay’s LA’s Dad number 99
Thank you for the links which all spell money being made off of someone’s imagination.
These images of a grey alien are just that images, but the men in black are really real even reported to be driving around in black Cadillac’s seen near UFO sightings.
I did a men in black SD forum search and got nothing … I can’t believe no one has ever discussed the men in black (besides the movie of course) on SDMB.
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### Author:  [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/52 "2014-06-27T17:36:42Z")
> [@Orr\_G](#):
>
> I’m not paid to work in a scientific field, and thus I cannot call myself a scientist. I’ve been interested in aliens, but I was never paid to work in a related field. Such a person is usually called a quack, but is that justified?
Hobbyists work for free. Quacks get paid. 😛
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### Author:  [@Graciedeming](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graciedeming)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/53 "2014-08-09T17:53:08Z")
This is easy. When you gaze at Polaris on the 1st day of the last month in the year of belief you must center or “square” your hat so the rays hit it directly in the center. At that time the hues are true and you will see many colors. Gaze deeply into the eyes of the alien and it will beam it’s frequency color and allow you to communicate deeply with it and the other 3 sexes it relates to on a Friday evening just before the moon rises over the Galapagos Islands.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/54 "2014-08-09T20:37:10Z")
> [@Graciedeming](#):
>
> This is easy. When you gaze at Polaris on the 1st day of the last month in the year of belief you must center or “square” your hat so the rays hit it directly in the center. At that time the hues are true and you will see many colors. Gaze deeply into the eyes of the alien and it will beam it’s frequency color and allow you to communicate deeply with it and the other 3 sexes it relates to on a Friday evening just before the moon rises over the Galapagos Islands.
(Reads post; looks at start date. Re-reads post; looks at start date. RE-re-reads post; looks at start date.)
The subtlety and amount of snark, and from one so new! Welcome, **Graciedeming**! I see you had a fun date last Friday.
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### Author:  [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-grey-aliens-exist/691683/55 "2014-08-09T22:30:50Z")
Only in the UK. In America, they are “gray aliens”.
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