DISGRACELAND – Blink-182: Tom Was Right. Aliens Exist.

Date: December 5, 2025
Host: Jake Brennan
Podcast: DISGRACELAND by Double Elvis Productions

Episode Overview

This episode explores the bizarre, improbable, but ultimately vindicated story of Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge, whose obsession with aliens long marked him as a punchline—until the U.S. government stepped in and changed the narrative. It’s a wild ride that connects the raunchy, irreverent spirit of pop punk with Cold War-era propaganda, government secrecy, and the modern fight over the truth of what’s really out there. True to the show's spirit, episodes reveal how rock rebellion dovetails with conspiracies, counterculture, and genuine brushes with power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Blink-182: Juvenile Jokesters, Government-Thwarting Rebels

• The story opens with a frank admission—this is about “blue dick jokes, running through the streets naked, and infectious pop punk,” but also “the truth about what the government does and does not want us to talk about” ([01:51]).
• Brennan highlights how Blink-182’s raunchy humor—epitomized by their George Carlin-esque live staple “Family Reunion”—is itself a kind of counterculture protest against authority ([08:20]).

2. Tom DeLonge: From School Expulsion to White House Meetings

• Tom’s early fascination with conspiracy—UFOs, the Kennedy assassination, etc.—made him a natural skeptic of official narratives ([09:09]).
• The band's 1995 tour through Dallas sparks Tom’s infamous rant: “Kennedy was shot because he had learned the truth about aliens” ([10:38]).
• DeLonge’s obsession fuels the writing of “Aliens Exist,” which most dismissed as more Blink-182 immaturity ([11:22]).

3. Government Censorship, Repression, and Rock Subversion

• Brennan digs into the American government’s historic repression of dangerous or subversive ideas—citing Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and the Supreme Court’s ban on “bad language” ([06:48]).
• He draws a direct line between Blink’s over-the-top immaturity and legitimate tradition of questioning authority.

4. The UFO Bombshell and DeLonge’s Crusade

• April 27, 2020: The Department of Defense does “something it had never done before—disclosed information to the public regarding the likely existence of life from beyond this planet” ([01:51]).
• The U.S. Navy releases mystifying UFO videos. Suddenly, Tom’s “wrongthink” doesn’t look so wrong ([04:44]).
• Brennan recounts Tom quitting Blink-182 in 2015 to become a full-time UFO activist ([23:15]).

5. Tom’s Brush with Power: Secret Meetings and Culture Wars

• Tom’s efforts were initially mocked by press: “I’m not going to say Tom DeLonge is batshit crazy, but Tom DeLonge wants you to stop calling him crazy for researching aliens” ([25:49]).
• Nonetheless, Tom arranges a heavily secured meeting with what is believed to be Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. He proposes slow, cultural disclosure to a skeptical but eventually receptive government contractor ([27:29]).
• “The government and its contractors were doing great work in this area. Why did it have to be so secret? ... Eventually that truth was going to come out. And then what?” ([29:01]).

6. Pop Culture and American Spooks: Artists as Messaging Cutouts

• Brennan details the history of government using culture to shape public perception—citing the CIA’s funding of Animal Farm, abstract expressionism, script approvals (“the CIA…all over the script for Iron Man”), and even recent TV ([30:55]).

7. Vindication: The WikiLeaks Dump and Pentagon Leaks

• WikiLeaks reveals DeLonge’s outreach to high-level officials, including John Podesta ([34:08]).
• Tom’s To the Stars Academy employs Luis Elizondo, ex-head of the Pentagon’s UFO program, who leaks naval UFO videos—later confirmed and declassified by the government ([35:09]).
  • “Tom DeLonge, the guitarist from Blink 182, did that. This guy.” ([35:09]).

8. Band Tragedy and Personal Reunification

• The band faces real-life crises: Travis Barker’s plane crash (2008), DJ AM’s overdose, Mark Hoppus’s cancer diagnosis ([19:05], [37:22]).
• Tom’s response to Hoppus’s illness prompts a band reunion and a renewed sense of purpose ([38:33]).
  • Quote (Tom DeLonge): “When he told me he was sick, that was like the gnarliest. Nothing matters, really. … You’re gonna get through this shit and we’re gonna go dominate.” ([38:33])

9. Aliens Exist: Pop Punk as Dissent, Dreams as Power

• The episode crescendos as DeLonge is proven right—at a Blink show, Hoppus now regularly announces, “Tom was right,” before launching into “Aliens Exist” ([38:53]).
• Brennan argues for the importance of childlike dreams and dissent: “Rock and roll is still the province of youth. … There’s a weird sort of wisdom that only kids process. They’re wise enough to dream, to question authority unequivocally and without shame.” ([39:20])
• The government’s partnership with DeLonge is positioned as part of a longer project of disclosure—“My theory is that there’s more coming. … Will the AI revolution irrefutably prove alien existence?” ([41:45]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The “Family Reunion” Routine:

"That's Blink 182 live staple family reunion, which is essentially George Carlin's seven words you can never say on television routine set to music. The boys and Blink added fart, turd and twat for good measure..."
([08:20] – Jake Brennan)

• Skeptics, Meet Disclaimers:

"Tom Delonge just proved he's gone completely insane during alien rant. I'm not going to say Tom DeLonge is batshit crazy..."
([25:49] – Jake Brennan, quoting media)

• Government, Media, and Pop Punk:

"Why would a federal defense contractor or anyone connected with the federal government entrust a foul mouthed punk rocker...?"
([30:16] – Jake Brennan)

• Tom’s Redemption:

"Tom DeLonge never accepted the grown up notion that dreams and big ideas and thinking outside the prefabricated suburban box were... childish thoughts..."
([39:20] – Jake Brennan)

• Vindication in Action:

“At that moment when Mark leans into the mic and says, tom was right, and the crowd freaks out because they know what’s coming: Blink’s 1999 banger … Aliens Exist.”
([38:53])

Memorable Segments & Timestamps

• [01:51] — Setting the stage: The day the DoD acknowledges the possibility of extraterrestrials
• [06:48] — George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and the tradition of ‘wrongthink’
• [08:20] — Blink-182’s “Family Reunion” and punk’s embrace of immaturity
• [09:09] – [11:22] — Tom’s origin story: UFOs, JFK, and pop punk
• [19:05] — Tragedy strikes the band (Travis Barker’s crash, DJ AM’s death)
• [23:15] – [24:11] — Tom’s desert “encounter” and quitting Blink for UFO activism
• [25:49] – [29:53] — Secret meetings with defense contractors; culture as disclosure
• [34:08] — WikiLeaks revelations and DeLonge’s emails with Podesta
• [35:09] – [36:51] — Pentagon leaks, declassification, and government admission
• [37:22] – [38:33] — Mark Hoppus’s cancer battle and Tom’s redemptive return
• [38:53] – [41:45] — The band’s reunion, “Aliens Exist” in concert, and the future of disclosure

Wrap-up & Takeaway

This episode of DISGRACELAND recasts Tom DeLonge as a modern punk prophet: ridiculed, doubted, but ultimately vindicated by one of the most jaw-dropping moments in pop culture and government crossover. Through sharp narration, historical context, and irreverent humor, Brennan positions Blink-182’s juvenile energy not just as entertainment, but as subversive fuel for discovering hidden truths. The episode closes with a meditation on youth, rebellion, and the importance of never giving up on weird, world-changing dreams.

For Listeners Who Missed It

If you think pop punk and government coverups live in separate universes, Tom DeLonge and DISGRACELAND will convince you otherwise. Come for the dick jokes, stay for the aliens.

For more information, sources, and credits, visit disgracelandpod.com.