"Conspiracy, She Wrote" Podcast Debuts: No Theory Too Wild To Investigate

Before the internet and social media, crazy conspiracy theories (is there another kind?) remained the fantasies of people on the fringe of society, either financially, emotionally or culturally.

Those conspiracy "nuts" were consigned to forced isolation from society because their ideas were so extreme. Then the internet and social media enabled people of similar flights of fancy to join forces. 

The result? Alex Jones and his false flag insanity and depravity about Sandy Hook. Pizza parlors with Democrats involved in sex trafficking and devil worship, perhaps with cheesy bread as a loss-leader. Then, in 2017 the new president became the conspiracist-in-chief, spewing crazy tales that were nonsense to most but ambrosia to MAGA illuminati. Nothing was off the table, from a lost election that had to be fraudulent to bizarre tales of mind control via low-flow toilets, LED bulbs, and energy efficient dishwashers.

 Parachuting in from this conspiracy bacchanalia is the Conspiracy, She Wrote podcast. The host is Cristen Conger, who you may know from the Unladylike podcast, and is the cofounder of Unladylike Media.

Conger has a long podcast history, with "My accidental podcast life beginning in 2009 as co-creator and co-host of the podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You, now a part of the iHeartMedia network."

She is also the co-author of Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy and Claiming Your Space (Ten Speed Press, 2018) and she is a seasoned speaker on gender, feminism and women’s histories.

First, let me assure the readers that I have not conspired with Cristen Conger to write these words. Second, Conspiracy, She Wrote is like a scrumptious podcast casserole, with ingredients for everyone. 

For history buffs, the first episode is essentially a history of conspiracy theories with quick stops at the Illuminati, Freemasons, and the role of key women in baking this new conspiracy quiche. 

For fans of comedy, sardonic humor, and caustic comebacks, Conger discovers dark humor in the history of conspiracy theories. Her brand of humor can elicit smirks, chuckles, and even belly laughs.

For analytical thinkers, Conger explains that there are three fundamental components of conspiracy theories:

1. Accidents don't happen

2. Nothing is as it seems

3. Everything is connected

 

Finally, for current news junkies, she has tackled a topic that punches us in the face every day. Whether it's childless cat ladies destroying our way of life, Taylor Swift as a left-wing psyop, or incredibly Megan Markle's children are dolls, Conger has found the geyser from which much misinformation bubbles up to the surface. 

 

In the first episode, Conger explains that conspiracy theorists believe that rich and powerful people are secretly plotting to achieve some kind of nefarious outcome. 

 Conger uses the image of "conspiracy red strings" to convey how pulling one string of misinformation can lead to unspooling an entire nest of "hidden truths."

In the third episode, Conger explains conspiracy pilling.

 In that first episode, Conger's guest, Dr. Lindsay Porter, a cultural historian and writer who specializes in rumors and conspiracy theories of the 18th century, provides listeners with a fascinating history of such theories. Trust me. Porter unveils a tale with more secrets and twists and turns than National Treasure, the 2004 film with Nicolas Cage.

It's obvious even after one episode that Conger is having fun, and that spirit of delight infects her listeners. Conger admits: "Conspiracy, She Wrote is my fun, and I can't wait to share everything I've learned, from pastel QAnon to celebrity pregnancy truthers."

Conspiracy, She Wrote is one of the best podcasts to be released this year. It's not that other podcasters have not discussed conspiracy theories, it's just that -- as Carly Simon once sang -- "Nobody does it better."