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It's pretty on-brand for 2020 for an already weird story about a mystery monolith to get ruined by racists.
Multiple monoliths (yes pedants, have fun one last time pointing out monoliths are made of stone while everyone else uses it as easy shorthand) continue to pop up around the world, but mainly in the US.
Aliens (or the likely actual culprits, which we'll get to later) appear to be getting lazy on week two of their scheme, with the latest monolith being plonked unceremoniously on the sidewalk in the suburbs of West Jordan, Utah.
"Yeah, just whack it there mate don't worry about it, job done." - aliens.
Even though the story, which has been a fun distraction from [gestures vaguely in the direction of 2020], has been fizzling out, a right-wing group couldn't help themselves but ruin it on the final stretch.
In a video posted to streamable, a group of young men chant "Christ is king, Christ is king" as they tear down the California monument and put up a wooden cross. "We don't want illegal aliens from Mexico or outer-space," the leader of the group says to the camera. "So let's tear this b**** down".
Throwing in a little homophobia, one of them (wearing a "Make America Great Again" headband) describes the metal monument as "gay".
In a separate video, one man claimed to have driven five hours for the trip, while addressing his viewers using racist commentary, Vice reports. Police are investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, it looks like the monolith mystery is over, and it's probably exactly the solution you'd expect. The first monument has been up since 2015/16, and is most likely the work of SuplexAgency and an artist local to Utah, who have since deleted posts of similar-looking monoliths from their social media feeds.
The later monoliths are likely copycats, however, which have been placed very recently, given their locations and how they were all found in one big rush. It now looks like the makers of the monuments are coming out of the metalworks and seeking credit for their work.
Matty Mo, who calls himself The Most Famous Artist posted photos of the monoliths on his website, alongside other stunts of his such as the time he collaborated to change the Hollywood sign to read "Hollyweed".
Though this isn't 100 percent proof, he is claiming credit on Instagram, alongside images of new monoliths, which he's selling for a hefty $45,000, and a render of the monolith's design.
So apologies everybody, the fun story about "alien" monoliths is now just a story about a stunt that got ruined in the end by racists. Not cool, 2020.
