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Area 51 memes: Watch a guy Naruto run behind a reporter on live TV

The viral event in Nevada to "see them aliens" is finally happening, and so are the memes.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
2 min read

Aliens, watch your backs. The meme-turned-musical-festival known as Alienstock has finally arrived. The two-day event in the tiny town of Rachel, Nevada, stemmed from a joke Facebook event suggesting people storm the heavily guarded Area 51, long associated with space aliens. 

CNET's own Erin Carson is attending the Rachel event, and is reporting back on what she encounters, and social media is already ready and watching the desert goings-on. 

On Friday morning, Twitter couldn't get enough of a guy Naruto-running through the Nevada desert behind a reporter on live TV. "Naruto run" refers to an awkward way of running depicted in the Japanese anime Naruto, where main character Naruto Uzumaki flings his arms behind him. The original Facebook Area 51 event description famously said, "We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry," the original text read. "If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let's see them aliens." 

Watch this: What it's like going to a Naruto run

Here is said guy, with these words from a Twitter user: "We live in such a great times we can witness a dude Naruto-running his way to Area 51. Now folks I'm not usually sentimental but that shit's beautiful." Wrote another, "This is high-key the dumbest greatest thing our generation is doing."  

Leading up to the events, many people thought no one would show up. "There will be maybe 20 people there and they will be arrested and fined," predicted one Twitter user. "I bet this will be lots of fun."

Still, people made the trek to the desert, properly attired and all. 

Our reporter shared how attendees can get their own tinfoil hats.

Although the North Korean flag made a rather confusing appearance.

As did the Infinity Gauntlet from the Avengers movies.

Even those who aren't attending were ready before the events started. "Tomorrow's the day. Godspeed you majestic warriors," one Twitter user tweeted on Thursday with an image of a giant alien. 

Watch this: What it's like going to a Naruto run

Sure, the entire concept is lighthearted if nothing bad happens. But are some people really going to be foolish enough to mess with the US Air Force, which is responsible for the mysterious Area 51? "Hope those socially awkward edgelords have good health insurance," one Twitter user wrote.

We'll keep you posted.

Alienstock: Scenes from the ground of the Area 51 raid

See all photos

Originally published Sept. 19 and will be updated frequently throughout the event. CNET's Erin Carson contributed to this report.