Conspiracy, She Wrote

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.

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

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 Leave
• Royal Gossips and Colonial Hangovers
• How Christian Rock Fueled the Culture Wars
• Why Are We So Obsessed with Taylor + Travis?
• The Insidious Influence of Moms for Liberty

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

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.

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

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.

Episode 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.

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

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.

Episode 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.

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

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.

Episode 8 sources and transcript. 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.

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.

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

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.

Episode 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.

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

While the rest of the world speculated over Kate Middleton’s whereabouts this spring, why was an old conspiracy theory about the Meghan Markle suddenly trending on X (formerly Twitter)? Royal reporter Ellie Hall unravels the YouTube 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 the misogynoir targeting Meghan, Serena Williams’ life-threatening childbirth and everyday Black women’s pregnancy experiences.

Episode 6 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 Ameeta Ganatra.

Sound credit: Setuniman via freesound.org.

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

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 those attached to Beyoncé.

Episode 5 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.

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

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 apocalypse.

Episode 4 sources and transcript.

For ad-free episodes, interview extras and exclusive red string unraveling, join The Cabal!

. . .

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

Sounds credit: n_audioman via freesound.org.

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