Conspiracy, She Wrote

Latest Episodes:

Ladies Stay Safe, pt. 3: Anita Bryant, Bathrooms and Backlash Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

In the 1970s, America’s moral panic machine found its perfect scapegoat: gay and lesbian teachers. Also bathrooms. Historian Gillian Frank unravels the roots of child trafficking and "groomer" conspiracies back to Red Scare paranoia, civil rights backlash, a conservative women's movement against the Equal Rights Amendment and the pageant queen-turned-evangelical superstar Anita Bryant. In part three of the LADIES, STAY SAFE! miniseries, Cristen traces America's twisted history of how fears about “corrupting the youth” became political currency, why those panics still grip us today and whether Anita was ultimately scapegoated, too.

part 3 of 5.

(00:00) Trafficking, pedos and groomers, oh my

(02:00) Must all red strings lead back to pedo panic??

(03:16) An Age-Old Conservative Obsession

(10:47) The Gay Witch-hunt of 1977

(14:51) Save Our (white) Children

(23:11) Was Anita Bryant to blame?

(26:40) Parallels to the Present

(32:55) "I think there's a lot of hope, right?"

. . .

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ladies Stay Safe, pt. 2: The Groomer Rumor Mill Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

How did human trafficking conspiracy theories give rise to a politicized pedo panic targeting teachers, trans kids and drag queens? Researchers Daniela Peterka-Benton and Bond Benton connect the dots between QAnon's obsession with saving the children, the 2022 revival of anti-LGBTQ "groomer" rhetoric and Disney's recurring role in American culture wars. Cristen also discovers the surprising source of childhood rumors about subliminal s-e-x in "The Lion King".

part 2 of a miniseries.

(00:00) "You see that groomer language everywhere"

(00:49) The Rise of 'Big Groomer'

(02:26) Human Trafficking Misinformation Meets QAnon

(05:05) New Slang for Old Pedo Panic

(06:40) A Brief History of the Disney Groomer Conspiracy

(09:20) Florida's "anti-grooming" bill, aka Don't Say Gay

(20:05) Who actually believes it??

(31:09) A Timeless Scare Tactic

. . .

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ladies Stay Safe, pt. 1: Sex Traffickers in Parking Lots Nov 23, 2024

Show notes

Why are suburban white women so afraid of getting snatched out of parking lots and sex trafficked? Journalist Caitlin Dewey unravels the tangled threads of modern sex trafficking panic, the impact of QAnon, and the role of influencers and media in laundering misinformation as "safety" advice for women and moms. Caitlin and Cristen also highlight how these viral myths impact real trafficking victims and survivors and connect to sex panicky culture wars.

For WAY more red string, have at The Links x Conspiracy, She Wrote reading guide to America's sex trafficking panic. And treat your inbox to a Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends (highly recommend!!).

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction: The Sex Trafficking Panic

(00:27) Meet Caitlin Dewey: Investigating the Panic

(03:00) Personal Encounters with Sex Trafficking Fears

(04:04) Buffalo Incident: A Case Study

(05:56) The Role of QAnon and Conservative Narratives

(08:04) Practical Advice or Paranoia?

(10:17) Sex Trafficking Myths

(19:31) Historical Context: White Slavery Panics

(22:33) Modern Media and Sex Trafficking Myths

(25:22) Cultural Obsessions and True Crime

(28:56) Political Exploitation of Trafficking Narratives

(34:40) Conclusion: Empathy and Understanding

part 1 of a miniseries

. . .

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Music also provided by Creative Commons Music: Silent Film Music (No Copyright / Royalty Free).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emotional literacy for misinformation? Nov 14, 2024

Show notes

Ever heard of emotional literacy? In this mini episode (a breadcrumb? red thread?), climate misinformation expert and content creator Abbie Richards explains what it is, why it pairs so well with conspiracy theories, and how we all stand to benefit from more of it. Because if debunking won’t stop the misinformation crisis, maybe it's time to start teaching feelings.

Chapters:

(00:00) Re-introducing Climate Conspiracy Expert Abby Richards Emotional Literacy

(00:28) Media Literacy Won't Save Us

(01:57) Re-introducing Climate Conspiracy Expert Abby Richards

(03:24) The Evolution of Climate Conspiracies

(04:32) Why We Need Emotional Literacy

(10:37) Conclusion and Next Steps

. . .

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Escaped Nuns from Evil Convents Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

In the late summer of 1834, a torch-wielding mob burned down a Boston convent for reasons that sound a lot like . . . Pizzagate. Fueled by rumors of kidnappings, papal paranoia and phony exposés, conspiracy theories about nuns in their convents spiraled out of control in 19th-century America. Cristen unravels why that happened and how it set the stage for contemporary culture wars over saving the children.

Chapters:

(00:00) The Mount Benedict Girls Boarding School

(00:40) Rumors and Mob Mentality

(01:30) Pizzagate of 1834

(03:43) America's Manifest Destiny Era

(04:49) The Rise of Anti-Catholic Propaganda

(05:18) "Suspicious" Nuns in Their Convents

(10:30) The Escaped Nun Genre

(11:37) Maria Monk and The Awful Disclosures

(15:09) Impact on Education and Public Schools

(16:41) Abolition and Anti-Catholicism

. . .

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Feminine Draw of Contemporary Conspiracy (Culture Study with Anne Helen Petersen) Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

What’s the difference between a conspiracy theory and gossip? When does joking around about Kate Middleton’s abduction turn into something much darker? Are women actually more susceptible to contemporary conspiracy theories — or are we just finally paying attention to it? Cristen joined Anne Helen Petersen on Culture Study Podcast to unpack all of that, plus Taylor Swift’s evil twin, Beyoncé’s illuminati connections, Katie Holmes getting impregnated by Scientology aliens, sex trafficking panics, and how to talk to someone when they start directing a conspiracy theory your way.

For more Culture Study conversations on theme with Conspiracy, She Wrote:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Kamala Harris Disinfo Dossier Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

From cuckoo claims she’s secretly a man to attacks questioning her Blackness, Kamala Harris conspiracy theories are one of the most predictable features of the 2024 election, it turns out. Disinformation researcher Nina Jankowicz unravels the three main disinfo narratives that have targeted Kamala for years and what they sound like today, and Cristen follows the red string to the self-proclaimed "queen of the birthers". This is the season one post-finale finale that had to be made, and stick around til the end to find out what's next!

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction and Reflecting on the First Season

(01:30) Breaking News: Biden Steps Down

(02:28) Nina Jankowicz's Knew What Was Coming

(03:16) Women in Politics and Disinformation Study

(06:31) Kamala Harris and Political Disinformation Narratives

(09:28) The Three Major Disinformation Narratives Against Harris

(11:44) Same Old Transvestigation

(15:02) Birtherism and Its Impact

(25:20) Disinformation Governance Board Controversy

(27:31) Nina Jankowicz's Motivation and Hope

(29:54) Coming up on Conspiracy, She Wrote

. . .

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

. . .

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Transvestigation of Michelle Obama Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

What can an obscure conspiracy theory involving Michelle Obama, Joan Rivers and the deep state tell us about the gender panicked rise of reactionary politics? Enter “transvestigation”—a brain-rot conspiracy genre trafficking in wonky eyes, bad photoshops and a gender-inclusive Illuminati. Digital researcher Lexi Webster unravels the nonsense and why it’s worth understanding, while political scholar Fran Amery connects the dots to organized transphobia and not all radical feminism.

Chapters:

(00:00) The Baby Pool Story

(01:15) Joan Rivers Conspiracy Theory

(03:33) Misogynoir and Michelle Obama

(05:07) The Rise of Transvestigation

(07:03) Joan Rivers' Bad Joke

(10:37) Transvestigation: A Deep Dive

(16:20) Historical Context of Transvestigation

(29:32) Media's Role in Transphobia

(31:30) Organized Transphobia

(32:43) TERFs, But Not All Radical Feminists

(37:04) The Absurd Contradictions in Transphobic Beliefs

(42:14) Season One Finale and Credits

. . .

Episode 10 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. It's produced by Lushik Lotus-Lee and engineered by Marcus Hahm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did #FreeBritney Really Free Britney? Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

Free Britney started as fan sleuthing, which ultimately helped end Britney Spears’ conservatorship, sparked a pop cultural reckoning and galvanized a disability rights movement. Podcaster and comic Tess Barker (Pop Mystery Pod) unravels that journey of pursuing the truth about Britney–and its thornier consequences–while digital sociologist Naomi Smith explains the allure of conspiracy communities and what happens once their detective work is done.

Chapters:

(00:00) The End of Britney Spears' Conservatorship

(00:53) The Struggle to #FreeBritney

(01:32) Introducing Conspiracy She Wrote

(02:30) Signs, Symbols & Britney's Instagram

(04:57) Uncovering the Truth of Britney's Conservatorship

(06:53) The Turning Point

(07:51) The Mainstream Media Attention

(13:19) Britney's Testimony

(14:01) After Britney Was Freed

(25:10) #FreeBritney 2.0 and The Nature of Conspiracy Theories

(33:10) Disability Rights Legacy

(38:47) Reflections and Future Directions

Episode 9 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

. . .

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production, created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. It's produced by Lushik Lotus-Lee and engineered by Marcus Hahm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greta Thunberg: Climate Conspiracy's Forever Scapegoat Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

At just 16, Greta Thunberg led the largest climate protest in history—and became a target for right-wing conspiracy theories. Scholar Emily Ryalls dissects how Greta was recast as a hysterical pawn of globalist billionaires and why the “Greta Effect” continues to provoke such powerful backlash. Then, TikTok misinformation researcher Abbie Richards clears up why the climate space is so littered with disinfo and media distractions, from anti-Greta memes to the Great Reset conspiracy to private jets at climate change conferences.

Chapters:

(00:00) Greta Thunberg, Time Traveler?

(00:41) Greta's Overnight Global Celebrity

(01:26) The Conspiracy Chart and Greta's Place

(02:36) Harmless Conspiracies vs. Dangerous Ones

(03:02) Media's Role in Amplifying Conspiracies

(05:17) Greta as a Target of Misinformation

(06:26) Conservative Backlash Against Greta

(10:57) Greta's Social Media Savvy

(13:14) The Greta Effect

(17:16) Broader Climate Misinformation Landscape

(29:32) 15-Minute Cities and Climate Conspiracies

(33:42) Concluding Thoughts on Greta and Conspiracies

. . .

For podcast deep dives on climate justice, listen to: Drilled, The Climate Question, A Matter of Degrees, The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast and Outrage + Optimism.

Episode 8 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production, created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. It's produced by Lushik Lotus-Lee and engineered by Marcus Hahm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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