Bielefeld Conspiracy - Other Versions

Other Versions

• In Brazil, the federal state of Acre is the subject of an equivalent running gag, to the extent of using the three questions of the Bielefeld Conspiracy to prove its nonexistence. There is, however, less emphasis on the conspiratory part.
• In Italy, the region of Molise has the same role as Bielefeld. Since Molise has been the ground for several political men, such as former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella and former magistrate Antonio Di Pietro, it is implied that they might be involved in the conspiracy.
• On USENET, a similar joke was told about North Dakota in the 1980s. Variations on this have spread throughout the internet, often focusing on other obscure states, such as Nebraska, Idaho and Wyoming. In the case of the last, if the answer to No. 1 is Dick Cheney, the response is "Of course, he's one of THEM!". Another example is found in a short sketch in an episode of the cartoon serial "Garfield And Friends", where Garfield appeared in front of a map of the USA with an empty space where Wyoming normally exists. Garfield claimed that Wyoming did not in fact exist, and that the name of the state was an old Italian word for "no state here".
• In his satirical almanac, The Areas of My Expertise, John Hodgman claims that the city of Chicago is a myth, and debunks supposedly pervasive “dubious fables of Chicago.”
• Several modern internet communities enjoy pretending Belgium does not exist. These beliefs stem from a 1995 posting to a Cascadian BBS by Lyle Zapato.
• In the UK, there are satirical running gags that Matlock, Worksop, Northallerton or even the whole of Wales do not exist.
• In Israel, there is a similar gag about Petah Tikva.
• In 90's Chile, the TV show "Plaza Italia"'s host always said at the beginning of the show that "Combarbalá does not exist". Even when people from Combarbalá (either missing the point or keeping up with the joke) sent him letters and packages from there to prove they did exist.
• The town of Teruel in Spain is the capital of the province of the same name, but its low population and mountainous location makes it relatively obscure within Spain. A campaign group with the slogan Teruel existe ("Teruel exists") was founded in 1999 to press for greater recognition and investment in the town and the province (the campaign was successful, but Teruel remains the only provincial capital in Spain without a direct railway link to the capital, Madrid). This, however, only served to spur joking comments stating Teruel no existe, i. e. "Teruel does not exist".
• On The Simpsons, when Lisa is frightened of ghosts, Bart assures her that ghosts don't exist, "like the Loch Ness monster! Or North Dakota!"
• Some Russian Internet users claim that there is nothing outside Moscow - that everything outside of the MCAD (Moscow Circle Road) is a nuclear desert crossed by gas and oil pipelines, guarded by bears and KGB agents. The KGB also built decorations along the railroads to fake the existence of life on Russian territory, and any Internet users claiming to be from outside of Moscow are also undercover agents.
• In Turkey, a similar belief about Bilecik is popular among internet users, popularized by users of Ekşi Sözlük.