81 - Alex Jones & QAnon: White Boys Gone Wild

There may have been a time when Alex Jones had intentions other than, as Texas Monthly aptly put it, “helping to create a world where facts don’t matter.” but that version of himself is long, long gone. The fantastic publication awarded Jones their 2019 Bum Steer of the Year award, saying “the radio host dragged our democracy into the same sewer he crawled out of so many years ago.” and we could not agree more. Unfortunately, he trolled his way right into the president's pocket, playing a key role in his rhetoric and decisions.

In an age of rampant disinformation, we discuss the role Jones has played in creating a false reality, and the others he's paved the way for, like QAnon. Is Alex Jones the most prolific conspiracy theorist of modern times? You know we'll creep it real, so let's talk about it.

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Our sources for this episode incude:

PBS Frontline: United States of Conspiracy

https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/alex-jones-is-about-to-explode/

Alex Jones Is About To Explode

By Nate Blakeslee

Issue March 2010

https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-monthly-bum-steer-awards-2019-alex-jones/

2019 Bum Steer Awards: Alex Jones, Who Helped Create a World Where Facts Don’t Matter

By Texas Monthly

Issue January 2019

https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-republicans-qanon/

Meet the Republican Candidates and Elected Officials in Texas Promoting QAnon

By Ciara O'rourke

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/technology/qanon-election-trump.html

Shocked by Trump’s Loss, QAnon Struggles to Keep the Faith

By Kevin Roose

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/8/what-is-qanon-the-conspiracy-theory-spreading-throughout-the-us

What is QAnon, the conspiracy theory spreading throughout the US

By Creede Newton

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/16/in-qanon-linked-us-candidates-populism-meets-conspiracy

In QAnon-linked US candidates, populism meets conspiracy

By Joseph Stepansky

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/us/politics/project-veritas-ilhan-omar.html

Project Veritas Video Was a ‘Coordinated Disinformation Campaign,’ Researchers Say

By Maggie Astor

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/technology/postal-worker-withdraws-claim-that-ballots-were-backdated-in-pennsylvania-officials-say.html

Postal worker withdraws claim that ballots were backdated in Pennsylvania, officials say.

By Luke Broadwater

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/10/jim-watkins-child-pornography-domains/

QAnon Is Supposed to Be All About Protecting Kids. Its Primary Enabler Appears to Have Hosted Child Porn Domains.

By ALI BRELAND & AJ VICENS

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