Timing, they say, is everything. That’s why when the sky over New York City lit up a brilliant blue on Thursday night, people couldn’t help but wonder if Netflix‘s Bird Box was making the leap from fiction to reality.
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On Thursday night, an incident at the Con Edison electrical facility in Astoria, Queens caused something called an arc flash — the phenomenon that occurs when electric current flows through air between conductors, resulting in the release of heat and light. At the Con Edison facility, equipment failure caused the flash and, thus, the bright blue light.
It’s a logical, scientific explanation, but for those witnessing the eerie, apocalyptic skies first hand there other thoughts that came to mind and, thanks to its popularity with over 45 million views since its release on December 21st, Netflix’s Bird Box came immediately to mind prompting New Yorkers to consider putting on a blindfold and looking away from the sky.
If by some chance you’re not among the staggering number of views of the Netflix original film, let me explain. In Bird Box, some sort of mysterious entity or creatures appear that cause people to go insane and violently kill themselves if they look at them. To prevent this, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) and her two children, wear blindfolds on a dangerous journey down a river to safe community.
While there is no bright blue light in Bird Box nor is are the mysterious creatures’ origins ever fully explained, many couldn’t help to draw parallels between the mysterious blue sky and perhaps the precipitating event that ultimately led to the events of Bird Box. Or to put it in visual terms:
Of course, Bird Box isn’t the only thing that people thought the blue light could be. Aliens of a non-Bird Box variety has been a common suggestion and one clever piece of fan art even went so far as to suggest Godzilla was responsible for the event. Still, seeing social media itself light up with comparisons to Bird Box was not only a testament to how popular the film has become, but pretty amusing as well. Read on for a curated collection of how many New Yorkers thought the blue sky meant Bird Box was nigh.
Bird Box is now streaming on Netflix.
Mind Blown.
What if the bright blue sky WAS what they were seeing in Bird Box?!
— Silent Knight (@SilentKnightter) December 28, 2018
There. That’s my obligatory comments on both things in one tweet. Happy New Year pic.twitter.com/FcHxb2Sy1a
Taking no chances.
After watching #BirdBox and then this mysterious Blue Sky I’m walking around like this for the next few days pic.twitter.com/vVDTz9gTmJ
— J R (@Ya_Fav_) December 28, 2018
Could it be a marketing ploy?
What if the blue sky in New York was a marketing ploy by @netflix to get people to see Bird Box? Since the sky had an apocalyptic feel to it.
— Miles Morales (@anon_inblack) December 28, 2018
Ready
When I saw the #Bluesky, I WAS READY… #BirdBox #bluelightnyc #Queens pic.twitter.com/yLHAQk7IbH
— Kah (@KaseemBristow) December 28, 2018
Even Mom knows what’s up.
First thing my mom said when she saw the blue sky was Bird Box is happening ??♂️
— Ace ♠️ (@asilvera31) December 28, 2018
Nope
just finished watching Bird Box and now seeing these NYC blue sky tweets pic.twitter.com/41cKVp1ueA
— Al (@YourOldPalAl) December 28, 2018
First thing people thought of
I love how bird box has nothing to do with a blue light in the sky but that’s the first thing that everyone thought of
— lyndsey (@lyndsxox) December 28, 2018
We’ve learned nothing.
?so after yall just watched Birdbox this weekend, you see the sky turn blue and green and y’all just gonna look at it? Have we learned anything?!? #astoria #bluelight
— gnoire3000 (@gnoire3000) December 28, 2018