Though scientists have long grappled with whether the rarity of intelligent life, the size of the universe or Earthlings’ entertainment value are at the center of the Fermi Paradox, it appears the answer for why we haven’t made alien contact may be much simpler than once thought — humanity’s love for a good ‘ol BBQ.

“Y'all have been talking about aliens crash landing and doing all that blasé, whoop de whoop,” King — a.k.a. @a1pha.k — began their now-viral video, set to the backdrop of someone grilling up what appears to be some weird squid. “In my mind it came to me, I said ‘no, I know why the aliens won’t come — y'all are gonna eat them.”

@a1pha.k Barbecue alien & stuffed bagels #fypシ゚viraltiktok #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound - ♛King♛

This concept of getting eaten, barbecued, sauteed, or even air-fried, he said, is likely the culprit of aliens’ decision to keep their distance.

“I could see the alien running for his f—king life!” he said. ‘Go! Point your finger up and get the f—k up off of this planet! Them people are barbaric down here!”

And it appears he’s not wrong. As eBaum’s World’s resident cuisine expert Liza Bautista so aptly observed, “If [aliens] landed in Louisiana, they’d be instant gumbo.”