Conspiracy Theories

BY SOPHIA WENGIER

Conspiracy theory is a term used to describe an alternate explanation for an event or circumstance, usually dealing with secret organizations and cover ups.  Although most will denounce conspiracy theories as ridiculous or untrue, a surprisingly large number of people really do believe that the world is filled with government secrets and cunning ploys.  Whether or not one chooses to believe them, conspiracy theories don’t fail to entertain.  Here are five of the most ridiculous yet popular theories that one may come across.  

The Reptilian Elite: Although it’s one of the most absurd theories, this one also happens to be one of the most well-known and believed.  This theory suggests that there is a species of blood sucking, flesh eating lizard people who have been roaming the earth since the beginning of time, shape shifting into our politicians and celebrities.  They call these creatures “The Reptilian Elite” and believe that they are responsible for almost every world tragedy that has ever occurred including bombings, the Holocaust, and 9/11.  Among those who are believed to be reptilians are the royal family, the Clintons, George Bush, Bob Hope, and of course, Donald Trump.  It is also said that the Reptilian Elite are behind certain secret societies such as the illuminati.  

Paul Is Dead: One of my personal favorite conspiracies is “Paul is Dead.”  Many believe that in 1966, Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a fictional man named Billy Shears, a man who just happened to have the exact same personality, voice, and appearance as the beloved and well known Paul McCartney.  This idea was picked up by many conspiracists and soon an elaborate web of evidence was  put together.  For example, they say that the famous Abbey Road cover is meant to represent a funeral procession.  Paul was barefoot and out of step with the other Beatles and was shown holding a cigarette in his right hand, while the real Paul is a lefty. There’s also a theory that at the beginning of their song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” John can be heard mumbling the words “I buried Paul.”  When asked about this, Lennon claimed that he was actually just saying the words “cranberry sauce” over and over again. They also say that if one were to play their records backwards, phrases such as “Paul as dead, we miss him” can be found in many of their songs if one listens closely enough- or maybe they’re just trying really hard to believe.

The Moon Landings Were Faked:  This one is really close to my heart as I still remember the countless documentaries shown to me by my 8th grade science teacher who genuinely believed that the moon landing was all a hoax.  It’s believed that in a desperate attempt to win the space race, the United States filmed a pretend moon landing in Area 51.  Evidence supporting this theory included the fact that in the footage, the flag looked like it was waving, which would have been impossible in a vacuum.  It is even believed that the three astronauts who died while testing equipment for the first moon landing were actually executed by NASA and the government due to the fear that their secret would be exposed.  Some even say that the mythbusters were paid by NASA to cover their tracks in their “Was the moon landing faked?” episode.  

Denver International Airport Is A Portal to Hell:  Anything one might want to know about this theory was actually compiled into a two part documentary, analyzing every detail of the airport with extreme suspicion.  Theorists claim that this airport was built and created in order to be a portal to hell as it was constructed way over budget, too far from the city, and is always surprisingly busy.  Proof lies in the strange murals decorating the airport.  It is said that these murals contain satanic symbols and signs of death and destruction.  This strange and sadistic artwork is undeniably very out of place in an airport however whether or not they promote devil worship is definitely uncertain.    

The Earth is Flat:  This conspiracy gained momentum recently when rapper BoB began tweeting about his belief that NASA is tricking us all into believing that the earth is round, when in actuality, it’s flat.  Evidence of this theory isn’t quite as elaborate as the rest as it’s mostly centered around the fact that one can’t see the curve even at high elevation.  Despite the scientific evidence put forth to disprove this, many still cling to this theory, claiming that if one were to do their research, they would believe it too.