What did last year's drone mystery have to do with an antisemitic myth that won't die? Medievalist and conspiracy scholar Elise Wang connects the dots between the West’s 900-year-old conspiracy theory playbook and the UFO psyops flooding TikTok today. She and Cristen also unravel the Battle of Los Angeles, hypersexual alien abduction tropes, and how conspiracy theories serve the powerful—not the paranoid. (00:53) Drone Fever and Dior Bags (02:02) Introduction to Elise Wong and Conspiracy Theorie...
May 29, 2025•36 min•Ep. 21
Before alien abduction became pop culture cliché, there was Betty and Barney Hill. Why did this couple's 1961 roadtrip define the abduction narrative for generations, and what did their biracial marriage have to do with it - or not? Historian Matt Bowman retraces the Hills' journey from the liberal mainstream to UFO microstardom, and Cristen has questions for Betty. Find out how identity, memory and one woman’s obsession helped shape the myth of the greys in part 2 (of 3) of the Paranormal Women...
May 22, 2025•45 min•Ep. 20
UFOs aren't a basement boys' club anymore. From Pentagon disclosures to TikTok starseeds and alien romance novels, belief in extraterrestrials is getting spiritual, feminine-coded, and algorithmically viral. Science journalist Sarah Scoles traces the gendered evolution of UFO culture and conspiracies—from Cold War-era military men to the cosmic girlies raising our consciousness to the fifth dimension. Plus, why are we so obsessed with searching the skies? And what happens when women start doing ...
May 15, 2025•39 min•Ep. 19
Why does the Super Bowl sex trafficking myth persist, despite repeated debunking? In the miniseries finale, Cristen unravels this sex trafficking myth she helped spread. So, why did major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics become seen as sex trafficking playgrounds? These red strings criss-cross from Greece to the United Nations to Texas to multistate sting ops, and with press coverage fumbling at almost every turn. This is part 5 of 5 in the LADIES, STAY SAFE! miniserie...
Jan 06, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Why were daycare centers the prime targets of the 1980s Satanic Panic, and how did it blow up into America's longest and most expensive criminal trial? Cristen unravels the anti-cult anxieties, paranoid cowboys and "communist" childcare seeded wild conspiracy theories about devil-worshipping predators invading the suburbs. But when law enforcement (aka "police Satan hunters"), social workers, and an opportunistic district attorney got involved, the hysteria intensified, landed innocent people in...
Dec 27, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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...
Dec 12, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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...
Dec 06, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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 ...
Nov 23, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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 (0...
Nov 14, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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 Mentalit...
Oct 31, 2024•20 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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,...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 10 min
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 aro...
Oct 21, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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:...
Oct 10, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 10
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' C...
Oct 03, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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 jet...
Sep 26, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Who sparked the bizarre conspiracy theory that Avril Lavigne was replaced by a clone named Melissa, and why does it still persist? Snopes reporter Nur Ibrahim unravels the allure of celebrity death hoaxes, political body double rumors and how to sort the fakes from the facts. Cristen also connects the dots between Avril Lavigne, the Beatles’ Paul McCartney and conspiracy satire gone wrong. Chapters: (00:00) Avril Lavigne's Death Hoax: An Introduction (01:50) The Origins of the Avril Lavigne Repl...
Sep 19, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Why did Meghan Markle's pregnancies unleash tabloid rumors and unprecedented speculation? Royal reporter Ellie Hall unravels the community committed to exposing their “Duchess of Deception,” from claims that Meghan faked her pregnancies to masterminding the #WhereIsKate PR crisis. Scholar Moya Bailey also connects the dots between Meghan skeptics, Serena Williams’ life-threatening childbirth and everyday misogynoir. Chapters: (00:00) Kate Middleton's Health Crisis & Royal PR Disaster (01:58)...
Sep 12, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 6
When Megan Thee Stallion revealed the truth about being shot by Tory Lanez, why was she met with disbelief, Bigfoot jokes, and Illuminati rumors? NPR Music reporter and longtime hottie Sidney Madden ( Louder Than a Riot ) unravels how hip-hop culture put Megan on trial, while Tory Lanez’ team claimed the slut-shame defense in court. Scholar Moya Bailey also breaks down the intersection of class, respectability and misogynoir, comparing the conspiracy theories surrounding Megan Thee Stallion to t...
Sep 05, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 5
From secret messages in “Single Ladies” to the infamous Blue Ivy bump gate, Beyoncé has been at the center of countless conspiracy theories. But nothing tops (or stops) the Illuminati rumors. Where did they start, and how much is Jay-Z to blame? Scholar Moya Bailey unravels the fixation on Beyoncé, revealing the misogynoir driving these conspiracies and what they really say about her power and influence. Plus, Cristen crunches the numbers to see if “Renaissance” was truly a sign of the apocalyps...
Aug 29, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 4
How did Taylor Swift go from being (falsely) labeled a far-right dream girl to a left-wing psyop in conspiracy narratives? Host Cristen Conger untangles the conflicting stories that have turned Swift into a culture war lightning rod, from Nazi sympathizer rumors to the Travis Kelce psyop theory. Sociologist Brian Donovan unpacks why her celebrity makes her a prime conspiracy target, while media psychologist Leah Dajches dives into the stigma surrounding Gaylor Swifties and what it reveals about ...
Aug 22, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Why were women and lifestyle influencers so pivotal to spreading QAnon lies about pedos, cabals and child trafficking via Wayfair furniture? Grab your red string and follow along with host Cristen Conger into the female-dominated landscape of "conspirituality," where wellness and woo-woo get extra delulu. Researcher, journalist and QAA podcast correspondent Annie Kelly also unravels anti-vax moms’ relatable mistrust, the red-pilled origins of tradwives and whether it’s ultimately all fangirling....
Aug 15, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 2
If it weren't for rich lady fascist Nesta Webster, Illuminati conspiracy theories might've died off ages ago. Host Cristen Conger ( Unladylike ) unravels the unhinged women's history of antisemitic Illuminati propaganda and its role in shaping today’s conspiracy-pilled, post-factual era. Cultural historian Lindsay Porter further introduces us to the French Revolution roots of Illuminati mythmaking, how Nesta resurrected it and what's kept it alive ever since. (00:00) Introduction to Conspiracy, ...
Aug 08, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1
From the original Illuminati influencers to celebrity pregnancy truthers today, host Cristen Conger unravels the red strings connecting women, gender and conspiracy culture gone wild. Because QAnon moms, tradwives and even Taylor Swift government psyop conspiracy theories reveal a lot about power, pop culture and politics. Conspiracy, She Wrote starts August 8. New episodes each Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 12, 2024•1 min
