UFO Phil

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The woo is out there
UFOlogy
Icon ufology.svg
Aliens did it...
...and ran away

UFO Phil aka Phil Hill is an over-the-top parody of a UFO believer and alien abductee played by actor Rick Still. Not surprisingly, some people believe he's a real person.

Character[edit]

UFO Phil proclaims that aliens from the planet Zaxon implanted a microchip in his brain to increase his musical talent. Phil's campy antics include starring in his own music videos about UFOs and aliens, declaring that extraterrestrials will soon appoint him "President of Earth", and announcing nutty plans like the construction of a huge pyramid atop Pikes Peak to harness free electricity from the air.[1][2]

Yet, the agreeably gullible Coast to Coast AM host George Noory treats Phil and his stories seriously.[3] A more obvious demonstration of Poe's Law in action is difficult to find.

Origin[edit]

UFO Phil
Rick Still
"UFO Phil" (L) played by actor Rick Still (R)

Los Angeles based actor/songwriter Rick Still created the UFO Phil character sometime in the late 1990s as a one-off radio prank, but soon discovered that his character's career had more chance of success than his own. He's since built a thriving cottage industry masquerading as Phil.[4][5][6]

Part of the schtick is pretending "Phil Hill" is a real person and not a fictional character. Still pursues various comic strategies designed to sow confusion, such as having "Phil" claim he's being stalked by Rick Still[7] who's trying to steal his identity,[8] making sure fans can't compare photos of the actor and the character,[9] and even publishing fake birth certificates for "Phil Hill". [10]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. UFOphil.com
  2. Know Your Meme
  3. Coasttocoastam.com
  4. Rick Still - IMDb Rick Still's IMDb page with UFO Phil credits, before the purge
  5. "Be Still, UFO Phil" by Michael Thomas
  6. Rick Still bio with UFO Phil credits at Disney's Girl Meets World
  7. UFO Phil "exposes" Rick Still YouTube
  8. UFO Phil "Identity Theft" YouTube
  9. Blocked url of RickStill.com photo archive
  10. Ufophil.com Fake birth certificate for "Phil Hill"