Wild-eyed and crazy? No! However....

Stan Friedman is the face of “ufology” and that face should reflect a kind of academic or scientific seriousness.

But as you see, Mr. Friedman’s face has more than bemused demeanor; it’s strikes some observers as the face of madness.

That’s one of the problems with ufology’s spokespeople: they all look a little crazy.

Now Mr. Friedman is nothing if not reserved when he speaks about UFOs. Even though he believes UFOs are extraterrestrial aircraft, piloted by alien beings from an alien civilization, his pronouncements are reasonable and sensible. After all, the interplanetary explanation for UFOs/flying saucers is the most commonsensical, if one doesn’t delve too deeply into the phenomenon, as Jacques Vallee and a few others have.

But it’s the marketing of UFO ideas that has besmirched the topic.

UFO believers are a little too animated and goofy-acting when the subject comes up. And UFO web-sites/blogs et cetera reek of psychosis – some superficially, others insanely, with black backgrounds, bizarre ads, and commentary that could come right out of an insane asylum.

It’s not that the UFO old-guard is senile; they just appear to be so.

If one actually listens to Mr. Friedman, one will see that he has mastered the UFO situation as well as anyone, and better than most.

But when he lets photos, like this one, go forth, he undermines his message and the UFO discussion accordingly:



Albert Einstein allowed a number of goofy photos of himself to circulate:



But his subject matter, astrophysics, was serious and taken seriously by colleagues, the media, and the public generally. Einstein wasn’t starting from a negative stereotype, like that which infuses UFOs.

So, to create an ambiance of seriousness and intelligence, Mr. Friedman and his UFO buddies have to present themselves and their ideas in a way that doesn’t come across as edging on the brink of insanity.