Boyd Bushman

{{ufology}}
'''Boyd Bushman''' is a deceased former aerospace engineer who supposedly held a "top secret clearance" and claimed colleagues in the aerospace and defense industry furnished him with undeniable evidence of [[extraterrestrial|space aliens]] for over a decade. Like most virally-spread stories, it all started with a [[YouTube]] video.

==Sprung from the Interwebs==
[[‪File:Bushman alien.jpg|thumb|left|180px|(L) Bushman's alien photo (R) Walmart alien doll]]‬
Previously an obscure personality appearing on UFO conspiracy videos with fantasist and con-man [[David Sereda]] supporting various crank theories of [[John_Hutchison#The_Hutchison_Effect|antigravity]],<ref>YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT0uMo_TmiU ANTIGRAVITY (Boyd Bushman On The Hutchison Effect) - 2 ]</ref> Bushman became notable as the subject of a video shot by Sereda way back in 2007<ref>Coasttocoastam.com [http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2014/11/02 Bushman's Area 51 Secrets/ NDE Research]</ref> that suddenly achieved YouTube viral status in 2014 near the end of October, a traditional season for [[Halloween]] spoofs and hoaxes. 

Some in the blogosphere began promoting Bushman's video as a "deathbed confession" revealing the shocking truth of alien involvement with the US government.<ref>The Blaze [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/10/31/on-deathbed-former-lockheed-martin-engineer-with-top-secret-clearance-opens-up-about-aliens On Deathbed, Former ‘Lockheed Martin Engineer’ With ‘Top Secret Clearance’ Opens Up About…Aliens]</ref> When [[tabloid]]s like the ''New York Daily News''<ref>''New York Daily News'' [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/engineer-claims-conversation-aliens-article-1.1989891 Former Lockheed Martin engineer said he spoke with aliens — and has pictures to prove it]</ref> and London's ''[[Daily Mail]]''<ref>''Daily Mail'' [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/sciencetech/video-1131882/Boyd-Bushman-talks-photos-aliens-UFOs.html Boyd Bushman talks through photos of aliens and UFOs]</ref> picked up the scent, the story soon spread like wildfire through the global tabloidosphere.<ref>[http://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20141030002634-260408 ''China Times'']</ref>

Bushman's "revelations" are a disappointing rehash of tired old conspiracy stories about aliens being housed at [[Area 51]] and top secret government programs supposedly designed to keep this startling secret from the public. Some are frankly loony, such as Bushman's claims that the aliens come from a planet called "Quintonia" (or "Quintumnia") where they engage in cattle rustling. 

Most of the weirdly-edited video consists of Bushman telling secondhand stories and holding up hazy paper copies of [[UFO]] and alien photos that he obviously believes are authentic. In some sequences, Sereda appears in the role of interviewer. Keen observers have noted that one of Bushman's photos purporting to be of a real alien is indistinguishable from an alien action figure doll once sold at places like Walmart. And at least one of the flying saucer photos he displays as an example of real alien spacecraft can be traced to a piece of sci-fi fantasy art found on the internet. "My people have been feeding me pictures for 13 years," brags Bushman on the video.<ref>YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zof2kpl0Py8 Boyd Bushman - Last Interview: A Documentary on Area 51 and UFO over Tucson, Arizona]</ref><ref>MySanAntonio.com [http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Former-Lockheed-Martin-engineer-from-Texas-I-met-5858753.php Former Lockheed Martin engineer from Texas: I met aliens at Area 51]</ref> Indeed.

Hearing him proudly recall how he was able to order unnamed individuals who privately confided to him that they were working with aliens at Area 51 to obtain photographic evidence "because I was a senior scientist", you can't help feeling that the elderly Bushman - known within the aerospace community as a true believer in fringe and conspiracy ideas - was the sad victim of an especially cruel hoax by colleagues or UFO conspiracy promoters.

==He had patents==
{{main|Engineers and woo}}
True believers tout the fact that Bushman had engineering degrees and 22 patents to his name, which prove that he worked for Lockheed Martin and was a pretty smart guy.<ref>[http://www.michaelleehill.net/boyd-bushman-lockheed-martin-senior-scientist-was-the-real-deal-and-how-i-know-this-to-be-true/ Boyd Bushman (Lockheed Martin Senior Scientist) Was The Real Deal And How I Know This To Be True.] michaelleehill.net</ref> However the fact that ''part'' of his story is true (where he worked) doesn't guarantee that ''all'' of his story is true. Advanced degrees and impressive former job titles don't automatically equal sanity (see the many accredited but cranky personages involved in [[Parapsychology]]), and this is especially true of older retired individuals, who, as a symptom of age, can often be prone to fantasy and dementia.

==External links==
*[https://archive.today/uWlPE Buy this] and make your own obviously fake alien photos.
*Sharon Hill [http://doubtfulnews.com/2014/10/sad-that-disclosure-of-obviously-fake-aliens-is-the-last-thing-you-do/ Doubtful News]
*Snopes.com [http://www.snopes.com/photos/odd/bushman.asp Bushwhacked]
*Bushman patents [http://patents.justia.com/inventor/boyd-b-bushman Justia.com]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bushman, Boyd}}
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Ufology]]
[[Category:Hoaxes]]
[[Category:YouTube]]

Categories: Internet kooks, Ufology, Hoaxes, YouTube