You might find it helpful to think of these people as being in the same vein as Bronies, or Furries. That is, people saying and doing silly things for silly reasons.
Or perhaps the more apt description is it’s all a big joke, and yes, it is a put-on, to most of them. At the same time, it is also a lure to the gullible. As a result, you’re either in on the joke, or you are the joke. And it will continue as long as there’s money to be made, or lulz to be had.
If you can convince people that the world is flat, you can convince them of anything. I’ve been waiting to have a discussion with one of these flat earthers but there are none in my circle of people.
>>Or perhaps the more apt description is it’s all a big joke, and yes, it is a put-on, to most of them. At the same time, it is also a lure to the gullible. As a result, you’re either in on the joke, or you are the joke. And it will continue as long as there’s money to be made, or lulz to be had.
Alan Abel lived into his 90s (just passed) and he pulled all sorts of stunts going back to the 1950s in through the 2000s.
- People against naked animals and wanted them wearing clothes (SINA) “A nude horse is a rude horse”, even had his wife protesting outside JFK’s White House asking for the Kennedys to clothes their animals.
- Protests against mothers breastfeeding in public
- False press conferences including “million dollar lottery winners”, “the wedding of Idi Amin”, “the unmasking of Howard Hughes”...
- Mass audience fainting (plants/shills) in Phil Donahue’s studio audience