Conspiracy, She Wrote

In the late 1960s, the FBI began recruiting female informants across the country to spy on the growing Women’s Liberation Movement. But why? And what happened when the feminists realized they were being watched? Cristen unravels an often overlooked chapter of the Bureau’s infamous COINTELPRO counterintelligence program when then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was convinced that the movement for gender equality was either a Communist front or a pipeline to violent radicalism. For Women’s Liberation leaders and activists, that real surveillance seeded legitimate fears of infiltration that curdled the movement from within. 

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Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

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Far-right ideologies rely on a conspiracist worldview of puppet masters secretly orchestrating any social movements or culture shifts deemed threatening to white, male power. Jews are their go-to “puppet master” scapegoats, but as evidenced by manifestos left behind at two mass shootings this year, feminists (which is really just shorthand for Western white women) have ascended the villainized ranks to enemy number two. Alex DiBranco of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism deconstructs the framework of antifeminist conspiracism, its evolution from men's rights grievance to top-tier organizing belief and intersections with gender ideology and cultural marxism conspiracies. 

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Tulsi Gabbard’s profile has been defined by two things: political shape-shifting – social conservative to Democratic darling to Bernie booster to MAGA makeover – and accusations of being a puppet for strongmen leaders like Putin, Modi and Trump. Cristen unravels why the only throughline that makes sense of her improbable path is Chris Butler, the cultish founder of Science of Identity Foundation (SIF), an offbeat Hare Krishna sect Gabbard grew up in. Because based on recent reporting from the Washington Post, it appears that the man Gabbard has called her guru dev, or divine teacher, was secretly steering Gabbard as a proxy for his own political power. 

Recommended reading:

Recommended listening:

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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.

When deadly floods hit Texas Hill Country in 2025, chemtrails believers and cloud-seeding conspiracists baselessly blamed it on scapegoats “playing God” with the weather. Cristen unravels the post-pandemic mainstreaming of weather control conspiracism, from fringe theories about jet contrails to politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene legitimizing the misinformation with congressional hearings, and states outlawing geoengineering. With an incoming El Niño forecasting extreme weather ahead, prepare for more conspiracies and climate denial.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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.

After unknowingly showing up at a Capitol insurrection, ethnographer Noelle Cook spent years embedded with the women arrested for January 6th — not grifters and influencers, the true believers. Her new book, The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging, follows two: Yvonne, a self-proclaimed starseed and sovereign citizen who considers the J6 pardons divine vindication, and Tammy, who showed up for the community and never really left. As Noelle details to Cristen, the paths that led them there map the pandemic’s alt-health tipping point, conspirituality’s empowerment trap, and how conspiracy functions as a coping mechanism and connection machine for middle-aged women that culture makes invisible.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

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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.

The DOJ’s Epstein files named names. Lots of them. But can a network of powerful elites really be held accountable? The Epstein Files Book Club cohosts comedian Jena Friedman (@jenafriedman) and journalist Elise Hu (@elisewho) join Cristen to sort real conspiracy from distracting theories, confront the messy lines between victims and perpetrators, and figure out what we non-elites can actually do about it. 

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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.

Jeffrey Epstein didn't invent his victim pipeline from scratch. Modeling agencies had already built one. For decades, agencies like Elite Model Management legally controlled girls' money, housing, and immigration status while conditioning them to smile through whatever came next. Cristen unravels the modeling agency system’s role in Epstein's operation, from the executives who normalized access to underage girls to accomplices like Jean-Luc Brunel whose MC2 agency Epstein personally bankrolled, to the loyalists who kept the referral pipeline open until weeks before his death. But don't count out the survivors and models who are fighting back, even if the justice system won't.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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.

The First Lady’s surprise April press conference about Jeffrey Epstein raised an obvious question: WHY? Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro might be the answer. She spent nearly 20 years inside the orbit of former modeling executive Paolo Zampolli who brought Melania to America, introduced her to Donald Trump and now enjoys a role in the White House administration that allowed him to get Ungaro deported. Regardless of why Melania made her unusual Epstein statement, Ungaro’s story is one thread of the Epstein victim pipeline hiding in plain sight. 

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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.

Yes, the Epstein files contain real, documented horrors. No, there is no confirmed baby-eating. Cristen mines the Epstein vault to answer a listener question about why QAnon moms think so anyway. Did the Justice Department's document dump actually contain evidence of satanic ritual abuse and casual cannibalism? And why all the mentions of JERKY? Cristen unravels the claims and ends up just asking questions about whether the DOJ's decision to release uncredible information alongside verified evidence is breadcrumbing all of us, distracting from the accountability that victims and public deserve.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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.

Candace Owens didn’t invent the conspiracy that France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron is secretly transgender. Instead, she scaled it into a sprawling narrative about elite corruption, satanic power structures, intelligence-state mind control — and the assassination of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk. In the miniseries finale, Cristen traces three moves that define Candace Owens’ independent era: globalize debunked disinformation, monetize the blowback, and internalize the framework until even her own allies become part of the plot. But with a $10M media brand, an army of loyal followers protecting their truth-teller, and platforms profiting off the performance, is Candace Owens too big to fail? 

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

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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.

Post Daily Wire firing, Candace Owens didn’t just go independent—she went cosmic. Converting to traditionalist Catholicism, she reframed culture war as holy war, casting politics as “team God vs. team Satan.” In part 2.5 of the miniseries, Cristen unravels how Owens’ alignment with a rising far-right tradCath movement gave her conspiracism a theological framework, baiting “Christ is King” controversy, spiritualizing persecution narratives and resurrecting medieval disinformation. Plus: the influence of her husband, George Farmer, and what his tradCath worldview signals about Candace’s post-institutional era.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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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.

From fringe YouTuber to “the new face of Black conservatism,” Candace Owens’ rise wasn’t inevitable, but the system that rewarded it was. In part 2 of the miniseries, Cristen traces how Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, The Daily Wire and a billionaire-backed right-wing media ecosystem legitimized Candace as a reactionary culture warrior—while Kanye West supercharged her celebrity. But as Candace pushed further, testing the limits of “free speech” and anti-woke conspiracism, the same institutions disavowed her. It's the story of how she became too powerful for them to control.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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 Candace Owens became an overnight right-wing media star, she wanted to rid the internet of trolls with her anti-bullying startup, Social Autopsy. But then, it collided with Gamergate, and a red-pilled conspiracy theorist was born. In Part 1 of this miniseries, Cristen traces the overlooked origin story Candace never stops rewriting: a high school racism scandal, a controversial Kickstarter and her uncanny path to becoming the far-right’s most useful convert. Until she wasn’t. 

It’s the story of how conspiracy thinking becomes ideological performance – where criticism confirms belief, enemies create audiences, and personal grievance transforms political identity. Because the real conspiracy isn't what Candace says. It's how she got here and who helped make it happen.

Sources: conspiracyshewrote.com/episodes

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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.

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.

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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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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: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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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: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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 shehelped 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: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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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: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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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?"

. . .

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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: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

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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

. . .

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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).

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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

. . .

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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 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.

Chapters:

(00:00) The Mount Benedict Girls Boarding School

(00:40) Rumors and Mob Mentality

(01:30) Pizzagate of 1834

(03:43) America's Manifest Destiny Era

(04:49) The Rise of Anti-Catholic Propaganda

(05:18) "Suspicious" Nuns in Their Convents

(10:30) The Escaped Nun Genre

(11:37) Maria Monk and The Awful Disclosures

(15:09) Impact on Education and Public Schools

(16:41) Abolition and Anti-Catholicism

. . .

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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:

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From cuckoo claims she’s secretly a man to attacks questioning her Blackness, Kamala Harris conspiracy theories are one of the mostpredictable 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's next!

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction and Reflecting on the First Season

(01:30) Breaking News: Biden Steps Down

(02:28) Nina Jankowicz's Knew What Was Coming

(03:16) Women in Politics and Disinformation Study

(06:31) Kamala Harris and Political Disinformation Narratives

(09:28) The Three Major Disinformation Narratives Against Harris

(11:44) Same Old Transvestigation

(15:02) Birtherism and Its Impact

(25:20) Disinformation Governance Board Controversy

(27:31) Nina Jankowicz's Motivation and Hope

(29:54) Coming up on Conspiracy, She Wrote

. . .

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. . .

Conspiracy, She Wrote is an Unladylike Media production created, hosted and written by Cristen Conger. Music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

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What can an obscure conspiracy theory involving Michelle Obama, Joan Rivers and the deep state tell us about the gender panicked rise of reactionary politics? 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.

Chapters:

(00:00) The Baby Pool Story

(01:15) Joan Rivers Conspiracy Theory

(03:33) Misogynoir and Michelle Obama

(05:07) The Rise of Transvestigation

(07:03) Joan Rivers' Bad Joke

(10:37) Transvestigation: A Deep Dive

(16:20) Historical Context of Transvestigation

(29:32) Media's Role in Transphobia

(31:30) Organized Transphobia

(32:43) TERFs, But Not All Radical Feminists

(37:04) The Absurd Contradictions in Transphobic Beliefs

(42:14) Season One Finale and Credits

. . .

Episode 10 sources and transcript.

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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.

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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.

Chapters:

(00:00) The End of Britney Spears' Conservatorship

(00:53) The Struggle to #FreeBritney

(01:32) Introducing Conspiracy She Wrote

(02:30) Signs, Symbols & Britney's Instagram

(04:57) Uncovering the Truth of Britney's Conservatorship

(06:53) The Turning Point

(07:51) The Mainstream Media Attention

(13:19) Britney's Testimony

(14:01) After Britney Was Freed

(25:10) #FreeBritney 2.0 and The Nature of Conspiracy Theories

(33:10) Disability Rights Legacy

(38:47) Reflections and Future Directions

Episode 9 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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 just 16, 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.

Chapters:

(00:00) Greta Thunberg, Time Traveler?

(00:41) Greta's Overnight Global Celebrity

(01:26) The Conspiracy Chart and Greta's Place

(02:36) Harmless Conspiracies vs. Dangerous Ones

(03:02) Media's Role in Amplifying Conspiracies

(05:17) Greta as a Target of Misinformation

(06:26) Conservative Backlash Against Greta

(10:57) Greta's Social Media Savvy

(13:14) The Greta Effect

(17:16) Broader Climate Misinformation Landscape

(29:32) 15-Minute Cities and Climate Conspiracies

(33:42) Concluding Thoughts on Greta and Conspiracies

. . .

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.

Episode 8 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

Chapters:

(00:00) Avril Lavigne's Death Hoax: An Introduction

(01:50) The Origins of the Avril Lavigne Replacement Theory

(03:51) Avril's Rise to Fame

(04:30) The Alleged Clone: Melissa Vandella

(05:26) 'Paul Is Dead' All Over Again

(07:11) The Satirical Blog That Started It All

(11:41) The Conspiracy Accidentally Goes Global

(15:29) The Role of Health Scares in Celebrity Death Hoaxes

(17:39) Celebrity Death Hoaxes: A Broader Look

(26:42) Political Figures and Body Double Rumors

(30:20) Fact-Checking in the Age of the Internet

Episode 7 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

Why did Meghan Markle's pregnancies unleash tabloid rumors and unprecedented speculation? Royal reporter Ellie Hall unravels the 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 Meghan skeptics, Serena Williams’ life-threatening childbirth and everyday misogynoir.

Chapters:

(00:00) Kate Middleton's Health Crisis & Royal PR Disaster

(01:58) The Venn Diagram of Meghan Markle Truthers

(02:49) British Tabloids and Libel Laws

(05:50) Royal Family's Relationship with the Press

(07:22) Meghan Markle's Negative Press

(12:16) The Birth of Meghan Markle Pregnancy Truthers

(26:08) Misogynoir and Meghan Markle

(29:32) #WhereIsKate

(34:16) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Episode 6 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

Chapters:

(00:00) Megan Thee Stallion's Rise to Fame

(03:09) A Hottie Is Born

(05:15) Like Mother, Like Daughter

(06:14) Newfound Fame and Old Illuminati Conspiracy Theories

(13:12) The Tory Lanez Shooting and Media Frenzy

(22:40) The Trial and Court of Public Opinion

(26:07) Misogynoir, Class and Perceptions of Megan Thee Stallion

(39:12) Conclusion and the Future of Megan Thee Stallion

Episode 5 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:23) Beyoncé's 2013 Super Bowl Performance

(02:56) The Beyoncé Conspiracy Canon

(05:46) Misinterpretation of Black Cultural Signifiers

(08:26) Beyoncé and Jay-Z: The Power Couple

(12:30) Misogynoir and Black Female Celebrities

(17:33) Beyoncé's Blue Ivy Pregnancy Truthers

(25:51) Beyoncé's Renaissance and Apocalyptic Horses

(28:00) The Power and Influence of Beyoncé

(32:46) Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Episode 4 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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.

How did Taylor Swift go from being (falsely) labeled a far-right dream girl to a left-wing psyop in conspiracy narratives? Host Cristen Conger untangles the conflicting stories that have turned Swift into a culture war lightning rod, from Nazi sympathizer rumors to the Travis Kelce psyop theory. Sociologist Brian Donovan unpacks why her celebrity makes her a prime conspiracy target, while media psychologist Leah Dajches dives into the stigma surrounding Gaylor Swifties and what it reveals about fandom, gender, and power.

(00:00) Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and the Non-Existent Super Bowl Psyop

(02:16) Why Taylor Swift?

(03:01) Swifties, Fandom and Sociology

(05:38) The Alt-Right Co-opting of Taylor Swift's Celebrity

(07:39) Taylor Swift's Political Awakening

(11:49) Rage Against the Billionaire Childless Cat Lady

(22:02) Gaylor & Hetlers

(24:59) Queering Pop Culture and 'Folklore'

(33:32) Taylor Swift's Queer Imagery

(41:24) Taylor Swift, Satanist Clone??

(42:24) Conclusion and Credits

Episode 3 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: 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 credits: Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

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

Why were women and lifestyle influencers so pivotal to spreading QAnon lies about pedos, cabals and child trafficking via Wayfair furniture? Grab your red string and follow along with host Cristen Conger into the female-dominated landscape of "conspirituality," where wellness and woo-woo get extra delulu. Researcher, journalist and QAA podcast correspondent Annie Kelly also unravels anti-vax moms’ relatable mistrust, the red-pilled origins of tradwives and whether it’s ultimately all fangirling.

(00:00) The Baby Pool

(01:23) Introduction to Conspiracy She Wrote

(02:00) The Rise of Mainstream Conspiracy Theories

(02:41) Women's Role in Conspiracy Movements

(05:00) What Is Conspirituality

(06:10) Pastel QAnon and Social Media Influence

(08:23) QAnon in the UK

(09:51) The Epstein Factor

(12:43) Moms and Conspiracy Theories

(16:57) Tradwives and Conspiracy Culture

(18:48) Celebrity and Pop Culture Conspiracies

(23:15) The Nature of Conspiracy Theories

(24:38) The Human Appeal of Conspiracy Theories

(27:35) Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

Episode 2 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

. . .

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

Sound effects credits: Juan_Merie_Venter and creek23 via freesound.org.

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

If it weren't for rich lady fascist Nesta Webster, Illuminati conspiracy theories might've died off ages ago. Host Cristen Conger (Unladylike) unravels the unhinged women's history of antisemitic Illuminati propaganda and its role in shaping today’s conspiracy-pilled, post-factual era. Cultural historian Lindsay Porter further introduces us to the French Revolution roots of Illuminati mythmaking, how Nesta resurrected it and what's kept it alive ever since. 

(00:00) Introduction to Conspiracy, She Wrote

(01:17) Understanding Conspiracy Theories

(04:48) The Real Illuminati: Origins and History

(12:37) The Rise of Nesta Webster

(24:58) The Spread of Illuminati Conspiracies

(29:53) Women's Roles in Conspiracy Culture

(32:39) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Episode 1 sources and transcript.

Inbox: conspiracyshewrote@gmail.com

Instagram: @conspiracyshewrote, @unladylikemedia

Website: conspiracyshewrote.com

Patreon: The Cabal

. . .

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

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

From the original Illuminati influencers to celebrity pregnancy truthers today, host Cristen Conger unravels the red strings connecting women, gender and conspiracy culture gone wild. Because QAnon moms, tradwives and even Taylor Swift government psyop conspiracy theories reveal a lot about power, pop culture and politics.

Conspiracy, She Wrote starts August 8. New episodes each Thursday.

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