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 in her book, The Age of Magical Overthinking. From the sunk cost fallacy of toxic relationships to the halo effect of female celebs to the declinism of everyday doomsday speak, Amanda makes even the most mindboggling and brainrotting realities of today's misinformation overload more bearable. 

Originally aired on Unladylike in 2024.

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

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 Theories

(04:46) Medieval Origins of Conspiracy Theories

(11:36) A Medievalist POV on Alien and UFO Conspiracies

(17:54) The Battle of Los Angeles

(23:14) Race, Sex and Alien Invasions

(25:49) Gender and Power in Conspiracy Theories

(27:34) Who Started It?

. . .GET IN TOUCH. . .

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Instagram: @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

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 miniseries.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: Abduction Beyond Aliens

(00:38) The Hills' Abduction Story

(01:24) The Cold War and UFOs

(04:40) Betty and Barney Hill: Background

(09:35) The Fateful Night in 1961

(13:37) Reporting the Incident

(20:50) Hypnosis and Recovered Memories

(28:47) Betty and Barney Become Famous

(35:10) Betty's Psychophysics Attempt

(37:35) Marjorie Fish and Conspiracy Road

(42:18) Betty's Alien Optimism

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

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 their own ET research?

(00:43) Gender in UFO Culture

(01:44) Exploring UFO Communities and Conspiracies

(03:48) The Role of Women in UFO Research

(08:57) Personal Experiences and UFO Mysteries

(13:09) Star Seeds and Social Media Influence

(19:41) Historical UFO Sightings and Government Cover-ups

(22:34) The Roswell Incident and Its Impact

(30:56) Who Benefits from UFO Conspiracies?

(33:34) Science vs. Ufology

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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 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! miniseries. 

(00:00) A podcaster's confession

(01:10) The Super Bowl Sex Trafficking Myth

(05:06) Olympic Origins

(08:52) The Myth Goes to the Super Bowl

(11:40) Law Enforcement and Media Hype

(12:05) Debunking the Myth: Research and Reports

(13:30) Onward Christian Anti-traffickers

(20:24) Media Narratives and Shifting Perceptions

(21:47) The Broader Impact of the Myth

(24:37) Conclusion: Reflecting on the Series

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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 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 prison and punished a rising generation of working mothers in the process. 

This is part 4 of 5 in the LADIES, STAY SAFE! miniseries. 

00:00 Are YOUR children hanging out with devil worshippers??

00:15 Historical Context: 1970s Concerns

01:26 Rise of Satanic Panic in the 1980s

02:22 Early Signs and Media Influence

03:30 Cattle Mutilations and Satanic Rumors

05:49 Michelle Remembers...or does she?

07:12 Daycare Centers Under Siege

09:05 The McMartin Preschool Case Begins

11:50 Escalation and Public Hysteria

20:27 Trials, Mistrial and Tribulations

38:30 Ripple Effects

40:17 Coming Up Next

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

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 “corrupting the youth” became political currency, why those panics still grip us today and whether Anita was ultimately scapegoated, too.

part 3 of 5.

(00:00) Trafficking, pedos and groomers, oh my

(02:00) Must all red strings lead back to pedo panic??

(03:16) An Age-Old Conservative Obsession

(10:47) The Gay Witch-hunt of 1977

(14:51) Save Our (white) Children

(23:11) Was Anita Bryant to blame?

(26:40) Parallels to the Present

(32:55) "I think there's a lot of hope, right?"

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

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 see that groomer language everywhere"

(00:49) The Rise of 'Big Groomer'

(02:26) Human Trafficking Misinformation Meets QAnon

(05:05) New Slang for Old Pedo Panic

(06:40) A Brief History of the Disney Groomer Conspiracy

(09:20) Florida's "anti-grooming" bill, aka Don't Say Gay

(20:05) Who actually believes it??

(31:09) A Timeless Scare Tactic

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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 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!!).

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction: The Sex Trafficking Panic

(00:27) Meet Caitlin Dewey: Investigating the Panic

(03:00) Personal Encounters with Sex Trafficking Fears

(04:04) Buffalo Incident: A Case Study

(05:56) The Role of QAnon and Conservative Narratives

(08:04) Practical Advice or Paranoia?

(10:17) Sex Trafficking Myths

(19:31) Historical Context: White Slavery Panics

(22:33) Modern Media and Sex Trafficking Myths

(25:22) Cultural Obsessions and True Crime

(28:56) Political Exploitation of Trafficking Narratives

(34:40) Conclusion: Empathy and Understanding

part 1 of a miniseries

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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).

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

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

(01:57) Re-introducing Climate Conspiracy Expert Abby Richards

(03:24) The Evolution of Climate Conspiracies

(04:32) Why We Need Emotional Literacy

(10:37) Conclusion and Next Steps

. . .

Inbox: [email protected]

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.