Conspiracy Theories Editor: Kit 
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What is the silliest/funniest conspiracy theory you have ever come across? What is the scariest?
Conspiracies happen... but be careful with conspiracy theories.
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about truth, misinformation and disinformation.
Kit |
There are some very weird conspiracy theories out there. Lizard people, flat earth, hollow earth... I sometimes wonder if people actually believe in those, or if they're just saying that they do, to wind others up.
That there are those who do believe in conspiracy theories is a fact, however. And, some conspiracy theories are more believable than others. There are even some that later turned out to be true. MKUltra? True. Governments monitoring domestic communication? True. People - and certainly people in positions of power - do conspire, after all. See, for example, Watergate. That does not mean that there's a shadowy elite pulling the strings everywhere. Just that sometimes the truth is bizarre, and even rather disturbing.
I guess it is because of those theories that later turn out to be reality that some people are more likely to believe anything about an unknown Them. If a government is capable of mass surveillance, and of experimenting on their own citizens, what else may they be capable of? Which is not a bad question, except that people can end up believing untruths that can lead to unhealthy thoughts and behaviours. An acquaintance of mine went down that road, sadly, constantly thinking she was being spied upon - that there were cameras hidden in her house monitoring her every movement, and later even that she had a camera secretly implanted in one of her eyes. Everyone who tried to convince her otherwise and told her to seek professional help had to be working with Them. That's where such thoughts led to illness, or perhaps illness leads to greater susceptibility to such beliefs. Either which way, it was sad to witness.
The problem with some conspiracy theories is that those who come up with them wrap falsehood around a core of truth. A friend recently showed me a conspiracy theory about how the mysterious 'they' were packing a certain type of tick into boxes of meat. When the tick bites a human, they become allergic to meat and dairy products and that's how 'they' are trying to turn people vegetarian. I had a look into it and yes, there are ticks whose bite can cause something called alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal syndrome can cause mild to intense allergies to red meat, and can also cause allergic reactions to other animal-related products such as dairy and gelatin. In the USA, the tick responsible tends to be the Lone Star tick, but there are other types of ticks - such as sheep ticks and deer ticks - elsewhere in the world that can cause the same condition. There is no cure for alpha-gal syndrome, but it may go away over time, or lessen in severity. So, the ticks exist, the condition exists, and there have been more cases reported in recent years. Does this mean that 'they' are deliberately getting people bitten by ticks to make people have to go vegetarian? No, it does not. First of all, people with alpha-gal can still eat white meat and fish. Secondly, the reason why more cases have been reported is that rising global temperatures and milder winters have allowed tick habitats to expand - they can now survive in regions they previously couldn't. Also, there is a greater awareness now of the condition, which has led to increased testing and therefore higher reported case numbers.
When you encounter a conspiracy theory, then, it is important to look into what is true and what is not. It may be that a part of it is true information, but that there is no conspiracy behind these facts.
Some conspiracies are plain silly. I mentioned the lizard people before - there are those who apparently believe that every member of the British Royal Family is a shapeshifting alien lizard, along with artists such as Justin Bieber, Madonna and Angelina Jolie. Why? I'm not sure. Some artists like Paul McCartney and Beyonce are said to have been replaced by a clone or lookalike. Fake dinosaur bones were buried around the world because of... reasons. And many boyband members are involved in romantic relationships that are hidden by the music industry, and they're sending secret messages that only their most loyal fans can decipher, even when the artists in question get married to people outside the band, and have kids...
So why do people believe in these things? As said, conspiracies do occur. Strange things do happen. There are many reasons why one might end up distrusting governments and big business. But that does not mean that everything bad that happens is a result of a conspiracy. Sometimes bad things are just bad. Perhaps it's easier to make sense of the bad if it did happen because of some remote, shadowy Them rather than accept that people make mistakes, natural disasters occur, and sometimes life's seriously tough and unfair. I look at the state of the world at times and feel helpless. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Things happen and I wonder why. A conspiracy theory can give people something to hold on to. A sense of control. A feeling of being in-the-know. And it can be difficult to untangle the truth from misinformation and disinformation. That's how you can end up down a dark path, especially when a theory isn't as obviously silly as fake dinosaur bones having been buried all around the globe.
How do you avoid falling for a dark, unhealthy theory? Use a variety of news sources. Look at peer-reviewed academic papers. Think through the why, and the how, and what it would take for some Them to cover it up. How many people from how many different backgrounds and how many nations would have to be involved for the theory to be true? Is there a more logical explanation?
Of course, as writers, we can have some fun with conspiracy theories - fictional ones, of course, affecting our fictional characters. Who spread the theory and why? Is it true? What is the impact on your characters? Will they uncover the truth?
In the real world, though, check your sources. I know it can be tiresome to constantly have to check what's real and not real, but it's better than to end up with unnecessary fears.
Kit |
| | | ODD PEOPLE (E) Max returns home to the perfect wife, the perfect dinner, and the perfect neighborhood. |
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| |  | “Rats!” (13+) In 1845 America it wasn’t uncommon to send a letter to your enemy. |
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Drama: May 27, 2026 Issue [#13760]
