124 years ago in Central America, the ancient Mayan civilization created the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. This astronomical calendar mysteriously ends on December 21, 2012. Due to the human mind’s incredible ability to take any ordinary event and create a conspiracy out of it, the year 2012 is now synonymous with disaster, catastrophe, and overreaction.
Want proof that people are wetting their beds thinking about their impending demise? Look no further than the reaction to the 2009 film 2012, which undertook a stealth marketing campaign. When the trailer first surfaced, it made no reference to the actual movie. Only scenes of mega-earthquakes and taller-than-Mt.-Everest tsunamis filled the screen. Completely petrified, the wisest individuals humanity has to offer flooded the phone lines of NASA and of other astronomers. NASA received tens of thousands of these calls, and spent a considerable amount of time reassuring people that killing their pets, their family, and themselves would not do any good.
Now, with doom lurking closer and closer, with less than a year to go, there are still many questions, yet so little answers. What will doomsday be like? How will it kill us? Are we seriously asking these questions?
According to handy-dandy Wikipedia, a plethora of catastrophic events are possible. First, there is the classic theory of massive black holes sucking Earth into oblivion. Then you have got your run-of-the-mill sun explosion ideas. And who can forget the timeless theory that another planet will smash into Earth? With all of these options, carefully researched by the scholars of Wikipedia, who would not be concerned?
For many, the largest dilemma is how to approach absolute destruction. While some may carry on with their normal everyday lives, others may withdraw all their money, build concrete bunkers filled with thousands of cans of soup, and take the neighbor’s Bentley out for a farewell joy ride. Some of our finer friends might even neglect NASA’s logic and continue on with the plans to kill their pets, their family, and themselves.
For senior Kevin Steinthal, 2012 brings about no changes. “Even if the world ends, I’ll be fine,” Steinthal said. “I already live every day like it’s the last.” On the other hand, senior Max Gunn has already begun digging out his bunker. Asked how he will pass time in his bunker, Gunn replied “as long as I’ve got FIFA, I’ve got life.”
Pop culture is coping with the prospect of death through creativity. Renowned artist Jay Sean created the masterpiece “2012 (It Ain’t the End)” and Britney Spears jumped on the bandwagon with “Till the World Ends.” Accompanying the film 2012 on the subject of doomsday is Melancholia, a film released last May featuring the idea of another planet smashing into Earth. The History Channel has already produced a number of doomsday episodes including 2012, End of Days, Last Days on Earth, and Seven Signs of the Apocalypse. Even the once-credible Discovery Channel also aired a special called 2012 Apocalypse. It is only a matter of time until Chuck Norris makes an appearance on the big screen, and heroically saves humanity from erupting volcanoes and hurricanes the size of Europe.
While Mayan scholars completely refute the theory of the Mayan calendar signaling the end of the world, the much more reliable sources of Youtube and www.2012officialcountdown.com have the world convinced. So, with all of this credible evidence mounting, it is time to make a decision. Will the human race fall into a fit of terror as the world falls apart around it, or will it take the optimistic approach, and “party ‘till the world ends?”
