Conspiracy, She Wrote

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!!).part 1 of a miniseries. . .Find episode sources and transcripts at conspiracyshewrote.com. Support this 100% independent, Illuminati-free podcast and join 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).

Facts are no match for conspiracy FEELINGS. In this mini episode (a breadcrumb? red thread?), climate misinformation expert and content creator Abbie Richards explains emotional literacy—what it is, why it pairs so well with conspiracy theories, and how we all stand to benefit from more of it. If debunking won’t stop the misinformation crisis, maybe it's time to start teaching feelings.Got a rabbit hole you'd like to hop down? conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com. Find episode sources and transcripts at conspiracyshewrote.com. Support this 100% independent, Illuminati-free podcast and join The Cabal!. . .Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

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. Find episode sources and transcripts at conspiracyshewrote.com. For ad-free episodes, join The Cabal!. . .Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

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: A Former Trad Wife on What It Actually Takes To LeaveRoyal Gossips and Colonial HangoversHow Christian Rock Fueled the Culture WarsWhy Are We So Obsessed with Taylor + Travis?The Insidious Influence of Moms for Liberty

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 rabbit hole we're hopping down next!Find episode sources and transcripts at conspiracyshewrote.com. For ad-free episodes, join The Cabal!. . .Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Why is the same conspiracy theory that targeted Michelle Obama a decade ago now spreading to all celebrities (and First Ladies)? 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 CreditsEpisode 10 sources and transcript.For ad-free episodes, interview exclusives and more red string unraveling, join 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.

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 DirectionsEpisode 9 sources and transcript.Support the show and join 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.

At 16 years old, 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 ConspiraciesFor 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. Support the show and join 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.

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 Replacement Theory(03:51) Avril's Rise to Fame(04:30) The Alleged Clone: Melissa Vandella(05:26) 'Paul Is Dead' All Over Again(07:11) The Satirical Blog That Started It All(11:41) The Conspiracy Accidentally Goes Global(15:29) The Role of Health Scares in Celebrity Death Hoaxes(17:39) Celebrity Death Hoaxes: A Broader Look(26:42) Political Figures and Body Double Rumors(30:20) Fact-Checking in the Age of the InternetEpisode 7 sources and transcript.Support the show and join 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.Sound credit: The Hunter by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.