Conspiracy, She Wrote
Ever wonder why women get caught up in conspiracies, how anti-vax attracts moms, or where tradwives came from? Host Cristen Conger (Unladylike) untangles the wildest webs of conspiracy theories spun by and about women—from the lady fascists who spread Illuminati conspiracies a century ago to Beyoncé Illuminati rumors today. With expert guests and unexpected angles, each episode unravels the cultural currents that fuel these gendered narratives, connecting the dots between memes, misogyny and misinformation gone wild. Grab your red string and follow along.Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.comInstagram: @unladylikemediaWebsite: conspiracyshewrote.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...
Episodes
Therapy Speak or Conspiracy Theory? with Amanda Montell
What do vision boards and Princess Diana conspiracy theories have in common? They both rely on a kind of magical thinking called proportionality bias. It's one of many cognitive biases that Sounds Like a Cult host Amanda Montell demystifies…
Paranormal Women, pt 3: From Blue Beam to Blood Libel
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 Ti…
Paranormal Women, pt 2: The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
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? Histori…
Paranormal Women, pt 1: From Saucers to Starseeds
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 …
The Super Bowl Trafficking Myth I Helped Spread: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 5
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 O…
Satanic Daycare Panic: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 4
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 see…
Anita Bryant, Bathrooms and Backlash: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 3
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 …
The Groomer Rumor Mill: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 2
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 th…
Sex Traffickers in Parking Lots: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 1
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 m…
Emotional literacy for misinformation?
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…
Escaped Nuns from Evil Convents
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 conv…
The Feminine Draw of Contemporary Conspiracy (Culture Study with Anne Helen Petersen)
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…
The Kamala Harris Disinfo Dossier
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 t…
The Transvestigation of Michelle Obama
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, …
Did #FreeBritney Really Free Britney?
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 tha…
Greta Thunberg: Climate Conspiracy's Forever Scapegoat
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 “Gre…
Avril Lavigne's Clone Hoax That Won't Die
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 h…
Meghan Markle's Royal Pregnancy Truthers
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 …
Megan Thee Stallion vs. Misogynoir
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…
Beyoncé’s Illuminati Mess
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 b…
Taylor Swift: From Aryan Queen to Left-Wing Psyop
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 N…
Anti-Vax Influencers, Tradwives and Fangirls
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 …
The Women Who Resurrected the Illuminati Myth
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 shapin…
Here Comes Conspiracy, She Wrote
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 gove…