Aliens Steal Cable: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Aliens_Steal_Cable_2953.jpg|link=Justice League the New Frontier|right|Everything [[Martian Manhunter]] knows, he learned from television. [[Fridge Brilliance|Which explains a lot]].]]
[[File:Aliens_Steal_Cable_2953.jpg|link=Justice League the New Frontier|frame|Everything [[Martian Manhunter]] knows, he learned from television. [[Fridge Brilliance|Which explains a lot]].]]




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For about a hundred [[Two of Your Earth Minutes|of Earth years]], our planet has been a noisy little mudball when it comes to radio signals. A very common plot amongst science fiction authors is to depict aliens as having made contact with Earth culture via stray TV broadcasts.
For about a hundred [[Two of Your Earth Minutes|of Earth years]], our planet has been a noisy little mudball when it comes to radio signals. A very common plot amongst science fiction authors is to depict aliens as having made contact with Earth culture via stray TV broadcasts.


One bit of science that these writers surprisingly get right consistently is that radio signals propagate at light speed. Given that on TV distances are conveniently measured in light years, it's an easy conversion formula: aliens 50 light-years from Earth are just now getting TV signals sent in the 1960's, thus the visitor that shows up, having skipped the intervening distance via [[Faster Than Light Travel]], will talk and dress like a flower child in an attempt to fit in. [[Hilarity Ensues]], or it provides a vital clue to the protagonist that something isn't quite right about this guy.
One bit of science that these writers surprisingly get right consistently is that radio signals propagate at light speed. Given that on TV distances are conveniently measured in light years, it's an easy conversion formula: aliens 50 light-years from Earth are just now getting TV signals sent in the 1960's, thus the visitor that shows up, having skipped the intervening distance via [[Faster-Than-Light Travel]], will talk and dress like a flower child in an attempt to fit in. [[Hilarity Ensues]], or it provides a vital clue to the protagonist that something isn't quite right about this guy.
There are some [[Aliens Steal Cable/Analysis|major technical problems]] with this concept, but most writers will ignore them. The fact that '''we''' have not been receiving any of '''their''' transmissions if they have radio technology is also a cause of [[Fridge Logic]]. Maybe they all read books on their planet. (An actual, more valid scientific theory is they've developed a different form of communication that doesn't depend on radio broadcasts, and all of their surviving transmissions from when they did have already passed us by.)
There are some [[Aliens Steal Cable/Analysis|major technical problems]] with this concept, but most writers will ignore them. The fact that '''we''' have not been receiving any of '''their''' transmissions if they have radio technology is also a cause of [[Fridge Logic]]. Maybe they all read books on their planet. (An actual, more valid scientific theory is they've developed a different form of communication that doesn't depend on radio broadcasts, and all of their surviving transmissions from when they did have already passed us by.)


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== Literature ==
== Literature ==
* In the novel version of ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', the [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] that are going to turn Dave into the [[Energy Beings|Star Child]] first calm him by giving him a mock-up of a hotel suite. They don't get all the details right, though: he's disturbed when he notices drawers won't open and the books are part of the bookcase. What happened becomes clear when he turns on the TV and sees a scene from a movie set in a hotel suite exactly like the one he is in.
* In the novel version of ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', the [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] that are going to turn Dave into the [[Energy Beings|Star Child]] first calm him by giving him a mock-up of a hotel suite. They don't get all the details right, though: he's disturbed when he notices drawers won't open and the books are part of the bookcase. What happened becomes clear when he turns on the TV and sees a scene from a movie set in a hotel suite exactly like the one he is in.
* ''[[Animorphs (Literature)|Animorphs]]'' used a version of this, albeit without the "long distance" part (but, interestingly, still using the trope as an [[Homage]] to 1980s TV): the [[Puppeteer Parasite|body-snatching]] aliens first visit Earth in 1991, and panic upon discovering, while in orbit, [[Star Trek (Franchise)|news reports]] indicating that humans have mastered [[Faster Than Light Travel]] and [[Energy Weapons]]. They quickly realize that it's not real, and conclude that human indulgence in escapism makes us an even better target.
* ''[[Animorphs (Literature)|Animorphs]]'' used a version of this, albeit without the "long distance" part (but, interestingly, still using the trope as an [[Homage]] to 1980s TV): the [[Puppeteer Parasite|body-snatching]] aliens first visit Earth in 1991, and panic upon discovering, while in orbit, [[Star Trek (Franchise)|news reports]] indicating that humans have mastered [[Faster-Than-Light Travel]] and [[Energy Weapons]]. They quickly realize that it's not real, and conclude that human indulgence in escapism makes us an even better target.
*** They decide to land in Hollywood, (instead of New York, Washington Dee Cee, or Ellay) because it is obviously the most important due to the amount of times it is mentioned in the decidedly factual parts of television broadcasts.
*** They decide to land in Hollywood, (instead of New York, Washington Dee Cee, or Ellay) because it is obviously the most important due to the amount of times it is mentioned in the decidedly factual parts of television broadcasts.
** Also contains a quite literal version- Aximilli steals cable, and records everything for later reference. His excuse is to screen for Yeerk propaganda (which actually works several times), more often than not, he watches soap operas and 'These Messages' which he finds more amusing than most other shows.
** Also contains a quite literal version- Aximilli steals cable, and records everything for later reference. His excuse is to screen for Yeerk propaganda (which actually works several times), more often than not, he watches soap operas and 'These Messages' which he finds more amusing than most other shows.
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* In the novel ''[[Lacuna (Literature)|Lacuna]]'' some Toralii understand English before encountering the Humans (and, given the book's content, probably Mandarin as well). How they learned the language is a bit of a mystery but it's probably this.
* In the novel ''[[Lacuna (Literature)|Lacuna]]'' some Toralii understand English before encountering the Humans (and, given the book's content, probably Mandarin as well). How they learned the language is a bit of a mystery but it's probably this.
* ''[[The Tripods|When the Tripods Came]]'' by [[John Christopher]] had aliens stealing television--and then using it to take over the world.
* ''[[The Tripods|When the Tripods Came]]'' by [[John Christopher]] had aliens stealing television--and then using it to take over the world.
* In the ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]] [[Past Doctor Adventures]]'' novel ''Synthespians™'', human colonists in the future do this with broadcast from Earth. It's pointed out that until they had the help of the {{spoiler|Nestene Consciousness}}, the shows were so degraded it was like watching it through a snow storm.
* In the ''[[Doctor Who]] [[Past Doctor Adventures]]'' novel ''Synthespians™'', human colonists in the future do this with broadcast from Earth. It's pointed out that until they had the help of the {{spoiler|Nestene Consciousness}}, the shows were so degraded it was like watching it through a snow storm.
* In the short story [http://sfreader.com/contest-2008-1.asp "On a Clear Day You Can See All the Way to Conspiracy"] by Desmond Warzel, the aliens not only listen to local AM radio, they call in.
* In the short story [http://sfreader.com/contest-2008-1.asp "On a Clear Day You Can See All the Way to Conspiracy"] by Desmond Warzel, the aliens not only listen to local AM radio, they call in.
* ''I Married an Earthling!'' uses this as its premise.
* ''I Married an Earthling!'' uses this as its premise.
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* Similar to the ''[[Transformers (Film)|Transformers]]'' example above, the aliens in ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' spoke to the main characters through piecing together radio signals in their car. Also, in the episode "Operation Spoilsport," the aliens repeatedly played the song "On the Eve of Destruction" to indicate to the titular hero that a nuclear war was about to start.
* Similar to the ''[[Transformers (Film)|Transformers]]'' example above, the aliens in ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' spoke to the main characters through piecing together radio signals in their car. Also, in the episode "Operation Spoilsport," the aliens repeatedly played the song "On the Eve of Destruction" to indicate to the titular hero that a nuclear war was about to start.
* ''The Strangerers'', a comedy serial by Rob Grant (one half of the Grant/Naylor partnership that created ''Red Dwarf'') takes its concept directly from this trope - the aliens assume a 1950s identity, and tumble into all manner of jolly japes as they wrack their brains to remember this strange human practise of 'walking' and [[Boratmistake|the lift for their hotel bedroom]].
* ''The Strangerers'', a comedy serial by Rob Grant (one half of the Grant/Naylor partnership that created ''Red Dwarf'') takes its concept directly from this trope - the aliens assume a 1950s identity, and tumble into all manner of jolly japes as they wrack their brains to remember this strange human practise of 'walking' and [[Boratmistake|the lift for their hotel bedroom]].
* The ''[[Babylon 5 (TV)|Babylon 5]]'' spinoff ''[[Crusade (TV)|Crusade]]'': In the episode ''Visitors From Down the Street'', which abounds in [[The X Files (TV)|X-Files]] [[Shout Out|references]], the crew of the ''Excalibur'' picks up two agents from an alien world who are looking for proof of a government cover-up. They show pictures of Mount Rushmore and old Earth blimps. They also dress in Earth fashions from 200 years go (ie: from the time period at the time of the show's shoot.) One of them can ''[[Aliens Speaking English|speak English]]'' because of information stolen from the conspirators. [[The Reveal]]: Years before, the government had found itself in a time of social unrest similar to [[The Sixties]]. Upon discovering Earth broadcasts, they used them as part of a truly [[Magnificent Bastard|Magnificent]] conspiracy; manufacture appropriate "evidence", then dispatch [[The Men in Black]] to suppress it. The resultant subculture of [[Conspiracy Theorist|Conspiracy Theorists]] absorbed the government's critics and kept them wasting their time [[Agent Mulder|chasing "aliens"]] rather than [[La Résistance|engaging in civil disobedience.]] ''[[No Delays for The Wicked|Every crime the government committed afterward was thus blamed on "Outsiders" who secretly manipulated their civilization, permitting them to do as they pleased.]]'' The main government agent upholding the conspiracy credits and thanks the Humans for cigarettes as he smoked one in victory. Captain Gideon ordered probes loaded with the Interstellar Encyclopedia and sent to the alien world to crack the cover-up.
* The ''[[Babylon 5]]'' spinoff ''[[Crusade]]'': In the episode ''Visitors From Down the Street'', which abounds in [[The X Files (TV)|X-Files]] [[Shout-Out|references]], the crew of the ''Excalibur'' picks up two agents from an alien world who are looking for proof of a government cover-up. They show pictures of Mount Rushmore and old Earth blimps. They also dress in Earth fashions from 200 years go (ie: from the time period at the time of the show's shoot.) One of them can ''[[Aliens Speaking English|speak English]]'' because of information stolen from the conspirators. [[The Reveal]]: Years before, the government had found itself in a time of social unrest similar to [[The Sixties]]. Upon discovering Earth broadcasts, they used them as part of a truly [[Magnificent Bastard|Magnificent]] conspiracy; manufacture appropriate "evidence", then dispatch [[The Men in Black]] to suppress it. The resultant subculture of [[Conspiracy Theorist|Conspiracy Theorists]] absorbed the government's critics and kept them wasting their time [[Agent Mulder|chasing "aliens"]] rather than [[La Résistance|engaging in civil disobedience.]] ''[[No Delays for The Wicked|Every crime the government committed afterward was thus blamed on "Outsiders" who secretly manipulated their civilization, permitting them to do as they pleased.]]'' The main government agent upholding the conspiracy credits and thanks the Humans for cigarettes as he smoked one in victory. Captain Gideon ordered probes loaded with the Interstellar Encyclopedia and sent to the alien world to crack the cover-up.
* In ''[[Lexx]]'', aliens are tipped off to the existence of life on Earth by Marconi's experiments with transatlantic radio.
* In ''[[Lexx]]'', aliens are tipped off to the existence of life on Earth by Marconi's experiments with transatlantic radio.
* While no aliens have been explicitly said to have discovered Earth because of our TV and radio, they certainly do enjoy it. [[Doctor Who (TV)|The Master]] is particularly pleased by our invention of the Teletubbies.
* While no aliens have been explicitly said to have discovered Earth because of our TV and radio, they certainly do enjoy it. [[Doctor Who|The Master]] is particularly pleased by our invention of the Teletubbies.
** He was also somewhat enamored with [[The Clangers]] some decades previous.
** He was also somewhat enamored with [[The Clangers]] some decades previous.


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== Real Life ==
== Real Life ==
* Maybe inverted with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal "Wow! signal"] -- or maybe not.
* Maybe inverted with the [[wikipedia:Wow! signal|"Wow! signal"]] -- or maybe not.
* Not exactly extraterrestrials, but in the depths of the [[Cold War]] some kids in Russia and Eastern Europe were able to receive communications from an alien culture - western pop music on Radio Luxembourg or the American Forces Network.
* Not exactly extraterrestrials, but in the depths of the [[Cold War]] some kids in Russia and Eastern Europe were able to receive communications from an alien culture - western pop music on Radio Luxembourg or the American Forces Network.


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[[Category:Alien Tropes]]
[[Category:Alien Tropes]]
[[Category:Aliens Steal Cable]]
[[Category:Aliens Steal Cable]]
[[Category:Trope]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Aliens_Steal_Cable"