John Glenn Finally Tells the Truth

"Back in those glory days, I was very uncomfortable when they asked us to say things we didn't want to say and deny other things. Some people asked, you know, were you alone out there? We never gave the real answer, and yet we see things out there, strange things, but we know what we saw out there. And we couldn't really say anything. The bosses were really afraid of this, they were afraid of the War of the Worlds type stuff, and about panic in the streets. So we had to keep quiet. And now we only see these things in our nightmares or maybe in the movies, and some of them are pretty close to being the truth."

-- Senator John Glenn from the NBC TV show "Frasier" ... Comedy, or finally The Truth?

In one of the strangest stories in recent years, former astronaut and Senator John Glenn made a March appearance on the NBC comedy "Frasier" in which he made the comments cited above. Although many have dismissed them as simple humor because of their context -- one of the most popular comedy's on television -- when you actually watch the program, listen to the words and observe Glenn's demeanor, it becomes much harder to dismiss this as “simple episodic comedy.”

In fact, this bizarre appearance has all the earmarks of straightforward "Brookings" revelation. It is so direct, so fraught with implications, that had it happened in any other forum, it would have sent shockwaves through the press. Instead, because it happened in the context of a network "comedy," most observers, including some in the UFO community who should know better, are dismissing it and even making light of it as an early "April Fools" joke. Maybe that was precisely why this forum was chosen in the first place.

Those dismissals are missing the key point. Regardless of where they were spoken, Glenn's words are a scathing indictment of NASA and its integrity.

Let's consider this a moment: assume that everything the doubters say is true, that Glenn was “just invited” to be on this show, and for whatever reason decided to accept. As a true American hero, a distinguished Senator from Ohio and former presidential candidate, Glenn would obviously have some leverage on the script. So imagine his reaction when he is handed his copy of the words he is to speak. In his most crucial scene, he’s asked to:

And John Glenn -- war hero, Senator, statesman, astronaut and American Icon says: "Sure. No problem. Anything for a laugh."

C'mon guys.

Can't you just see the belly laughs and knee slapping back at NASA Headquarters when they saw that one? The simple and obvious truth is that no man with any sense of integrity, loyalty or gratitude would stoop to such a level … for “a mere laugh.” The idea that Glenn would agree to say these things about himself and the Agency which made him what he is today -- even in such a context -- is, well, laughable. Anybody who quickly dismisses this without considering these deeper issues is just whistling past the graveyard.

This was a deliberate broadside directed right at NASA.

When you watch the show itself, this really becomes obvious. The plot, such as it is, deals with Frasier's producer Roz, who wants to do a show on the space program "because it’s 2001." Glenn is brought in to narrate, and through a series of circumstances ends up lying to Roz to protect Frasier. Once he is caught in this lie, he apologizes and adds the statement "I was misled. It's not like me to be that underhanded."

An argument ensues between Frasier and Roz, and they retire to the control room to have it out in private. As they do, Glenn -- in the studio all by himself -- begins to recite the words above, completely out of context with anything else that has happened in the show, or with the action now taking place behind him in the control room. As he does so, he does not address any of the characters around him. In fact, he looks directly into the camera, solely addressing the audience at home watching throughout America.

When he's done, and he realizes that his words have been recorded, he rushes into the control room and he asks for the tape -- implying that he is still under some sort of duress or pressure to keep quiet. Roz and Frasier, who – because of their total preoccupation -- haven’t heard a word of Glenn’s “from the heart confession,” blithely give it to him, completely missing what’s just happened.

And the biggest problem with the "simple comedy" model? The whole thing, from start to finish, isn't funny. In fact, the laugh track used at different points while Glenn is making his statement is wildly inappropriate. Beyond that, Glenn's use of the camera as his audience blows the illusion of reality. Glenn actually seems to be making his statement completely outside the universe of the show.

The only real joke in this whole episode appears to be on us: Frasier and Roz as “completely self-involved stand-ins” for all Americans ... arguing over totally petty concerns while right in front of them a genuine American hero is literally baring his soul about what he’s actually seen “out there,” and the unconstitutionality of the key American institution, NASA, charged with its exploration … An American icon finally telling the truth about a decades-old web of deception and lies, finally, emotionally revealing the most astonishing Reality of all … that will ultimately affect all our lives .…

The “joke” is that Frasier and Roz – as “us” for the last fifty years – once again, completely miss it.

Of course, the joke only works if Glenn’s now finally telling us the truth!

And of course, if we were right, if the Brookings study -- which pointed to the "War of the Worlds" scenario specifically cited by Glenn in his speech as a justification for suppression of evidence of extraterrestrial activity -- were not merely a forty-year-old “recommendation” but current policy, then this is exactly the context in which Glenn would "tell all." Doing it on a comedy show would give him exactly the kind of political cover he would need to come clean.

Perhaps he was hoping somebody in the mainstream press would see the contradiction in his actions, and ask him directly if it were true. Or, perhaps he wanted his “confession” on the record in advance of any official “disclosure” efforts impending later this year …. Otherwise, why – out of the blue – would such an individual engage in such an overt act of “NASA bashing?!” Forgetting for a moment that this is 2001 -- the year we have said revelations of this type MUST begin -- and forgetting that Brookings calls for precisely this kind of "conditioning" before such official revelations can be made, there is one last point which puts this whole weird affair into its appropriate context.

It was Glenn who approached the "Frasier" people to do this specific show.

Now, isn't that funny?