On the Way to Nevada

What is in the photo

A view from a passenger plane's window during the day: above, a deep blue sky; below, a solid white layer of cumulus clouds. A wing with a streamlined winglet, painted dark blue and white, stretches across the frame. On the right there is the dark edge of the window frame. There are no people, no lettering and no notable landmarks.

This neutrality is the main advantage of the template. The snapshot could have been taken on any flight, so the caption fully determines the meaning. The exact publication from which this particular frame was taken has not been established, so it should not be tied to a specific person or flight.

The joke about “storming” Area 51

In the summer of 2019, an event called “Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us” appeared on Facebook. It was created by Matty Roberts, and Brock Dailey later joined as co-organizer. The event named September 20 as the date and was an obviously absurd undertaking: a crowd of people runs to a closed military facility in Nevada in order to “see the aliens”. Millions of users marked that they would attend, although most clearly took part as a joke.

The military warned that the range remained active and should not be approached, and the authorities of Lincoln County reminded people that calls to commit illegal acts could be prosecuted. The day itself, September 20, passed calmly: jokers in masks came to the gates, but there was no storming.

How the airplane photo works

The joke is built on the seriousness of the caption: the person pretends to be ready for an incredible plan. The window photo plays the role of “proof” of the trip, just as on social networks, where people mark a holiday with a snapshot from a plane. But what makes people laugh is precisely that the purpose of the trip is absurd. The combination of an ordinary picture and a fantastic mission creates a comic gap.

The caption “on the way to Nevada” also works without any link to the event: it is used to label any trip that has a comical and loud reason behind it. That is why the same wing photo suits any journey: only the destination and the tone of the caption change, while the picture always looks like evidence of a very ordinary flight.

How to come up with captions

A good caption begins with a serious tone: “Takeoff went as planned, equipment with me.” Then comes an absurd detail: instead of special equipment, the hero has a packet of cookies and a notepad with questions for the aliens. The calmer the tone, the stronger the contrast.

A caption should not promise real illegal actions: the theme lives only as a joke. Phrases in which the hero “isn't planning anything” while precisely describing his expectations are especially fitting.

Example captions

“Flying to Nevada, took a thermos and a plan to ‘ask how they're doing’” — an alien as a conversation partner in the kitchen.

“The lady next to me in the seat asked where I was going. I said: ‘On business.’ She nodded” — a contrast between secrecy and an absurd goal.

“On the way to Nevada. If I don't come back, the fridge in the flat can be defrosted” — a comic household request, as if before a great mission.

“The flight attendant asked whether I wanted tea or coffee. I asked for something the aliens would like” — a joke about anticipating the meeting.