A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture

on a human is smooth and rounded. Similarly, there appear to be no buttocks or rectum
on an alien. Rather, abductees report a ridge where the buttocks would be. 272
The same article from which the above is drawn later suggests that the aliens neither breathe nor
eat. Like the angels or spirits before them, the grays seem to have been freed from the grosser
manifestations of physical being. Abductees though, unlike their media predecessors, are subject
to an experience that is decidedly body centered.
Other details that emerged during later hypnotic sessions include a series of questions and
confusions raised by the e.t.’s in “conversation” with Betty. (I place conversation in quotes
because Betty and Barney, as well as antecedent abductees, report that aside from a kind of slash,
the grays have no discernible mouths.) You will recall that Barney claimed, “I was told in my
mind that I would forget what happened.” The grays communicate via telepathy. The questions
the e.t.’s raised with Betty run contrary to other accounts most notably that of Whitley Streiber,
author of the best selling Communion, abductee and mainstay of the abduction community.
Streiber’s understanding of abduction is one in which, recalling the space brother myth, the
aliens evidence a deep connection with both their individual human abductees and humanity writ
large. Betty’s captors were confused by basic conceptions that Betty struggled to articulate. At
one point in her examination, they had her open her mouth and began pulling at her teeth. A
certain amount of confusion arose when they found that her teeth were not removable. Barney’s
teeth came out upon close examination so the e.t.’s assumed that Betty’s teeth should come right
out as well. Betty explained that Barney had dentures fitted following a mouth injury. She went
on to explain, when asked what dentures were, that as people get older they often have their teeth
replaced. This led to a series of questions: What is older? What is age? What is time? In
attempting to explain time Betty referred to the passage of earth around the sun. The e.t.’s
seemed unable to understand what she meant by her reference to these celestial bodies.
The question, “What do humans eat?” led to a series of further questions as well. What
are vegetables? What is yellow? This set of basic confusions points to a fundamental
272 David M. Jacobs, “Aliens and Hybrids” in Alien Discussions: Proceedings of the Abduction Study Conference,
ed. Pritchard et al. (Cambridge, MA: Cambridge Press, 1994) 87.
184