Tag Archives: conspiracy theory

Bigfoot

Text: Below is a student’s performance of the Bigfoot legend.

Interviewer: When did you first hear about Bigfoot?

Interviewee: Well, first I heard about Bigfoot probably in second or third grade because I had to do a group project for elementary school, and it was very intriguing to me at first because, you know, at that age. I was very fascinated by animals, especially large animals, you know, that’s why I chose Bigfoot. I could have chosen between Loch Ness monster and other conspiracies. But, so that’s when I first heard about Bigfoot.

Interviewer: Did you believe it? What did you think about it?

Interviewee: Well, honestly, I did believe in that moment, because I researched a bit and saw, you know, many people had seen it, but no one had ever photographed it, and because of that, I did believe it, but slowly as I grew up, I began not to believe it much, and viewed it as a tale. I mean, it’s like, there’s animals we haven’t seen, but something like that, with actual human characteristics, is difficult.

Context:

This interview arose from a conversation with another Forms of Folklore student, reflecting on childhood beliefs. I shared my memory and history of belief of the Bermuda Triangle, and after that, he recalled learning about Bigfoot. He first learned about Bigfoot in elementary school, when given a project to chose to study different legendary creatures.

Analysis:

This example showcases a unique mode of dissemination for folklore. The top-down institute, this interviewee’s school, facilitated children exploring and researching different “conspiracy theories”. This method is unusual as typically folkloric legends are pictured as not credible by official institutes, while certain folk groups hold the legends to hold some chance of credibility. My belief is that the assignment to explore different conspiracies was created expressly because conspiracy theories are typically not discussed in classrooms, and thus the students are more excited about learning about them than more official topics. The interviewee also said something interesting, in how he views Bigfoot to be less plausible, because, compared to other folk creatures, Bigfoot is more human. This assertion illustrates how people view humanity to be more unique, compared to other animals in the animal kingdom.

Legend of Flight MH370

Text: Below is a performance about a Legend of Flight MH370:

Interviewer: So what conspiracy theories have you heard or do you believe?

Interviewee: This is not one that I believe, because, I think there is no definite conclusion on what happened, but, for sure one I’m interested in, like, the disappearance of flight MH370, an airplane that took off in, like, Singapore, or something like that, and, like, rerouted and no ones knows where it’s been, no one can find out any materials of its crash, or anything, and it’s, like, really fascinating because that points to so many other conspiracies, like aliens, or other life on Earth, or whatever it is, like, for a flight to completely lose contact, and, like, for no one to be able to find the people in it, or find the remains of it, is very scary, very interesting, given that it hasn’t been solved yet. It’s, like, a conspiracy theory that really interests me, and, I mean, I sometimes want to, like, try to think on my own, like, what could have happened?

Interviewer: Do you have any, like, belief of what’s possible, of what could’ve happened, any theories?

Interviewee: I feel like, definitely, it was not related to aliens. I think it was probably, like, an inside job, or something, by like, you know, I don’t know who I might’ve been because, like, a lot of those controls that you have to turn off for it to get off the radar, are stuff you can only do from the cockpit, so, like maybe, along those lines, but, it for sure probably crashed somewhere where it’s going to be really hard to find, and they probably crashed there because it’s hard to find, and, in general, I think, like. barely anything of the ocean has been explored, so given that, it’s probably somewhere in the ocean.

Context:

This question was asked to a fellow USC Forms of Folklore student after a class discussion.
This interviewed student grew up in America and is from a Southern Indian immigrant family.

Analysis:

This example illustrates how mystery naturally leads to the creation of folk narratives. Because there was no definitive, full explanation of the crash, multiplicity and variation arises as everyday people try to gain understanding about the flight. We also are able to see how folk narratives overlap each other, as bearers of this legend about the flight use other folk beliefs, like aliens, to make sense of the disappearance.

Subterranean Lizard People of Los Angeles

Text:

“My mom is really into conspiracy theories. One of them that she’s into is the one about the lizard people that live in the tunnels under LA. I don’t know if she actually believes it or not, I think she just watches a lot of YouTube videos about them. She sends me Instagram DMs about it, just memes and TikToks.”

When asked to explain what the lizard people are, DS responded:

“Okay, basically they’re these shapeshifting aliens that have been around for thousands of years and control everything. Like, if you dig into any scandal with the government or celebrities, the idea is that they’re probably behind it.”

When asked if his mother had any stories of personally encountering the lizard people, DS responded:

“She talks a lot about this YouTuber she watched a few years ago who was filming himself walking around the tunnels and he said that he had seen the lizard people down there during a previous visit. I don’t think he actually caught them on tape in the video though.”

Context:

DS is a 20 year old student studying political science at UCLA. He grew up in Los Angeles in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood. In this entry, he is referring to the network of tunnels that span roughly 11 miles that were used as speakeasies during the Prohibition Era.

Analysis:

This entry from DS demonstrates an intersection of city history and internet conspiracy theory in the creation of folklore. The idea that the rich and powerful are secretly lizard people is not a conspiracy theory unique to Los Angeles, or even the United States. This notion, arguably, can only be sustained through global internet communication via comment sections, discussion sites, forums, etc, where such notions can be entertained without being realistically challenged. Yet, despite the global appeal of the reptilian conspiracy theory, it has taken on its own special iteration within the context of Los Angeles, particularly within the tunnels that span underground. Already mired with mystery and a reputation for secrecy as they were used to host speakeasies during the Prohibition Era, the tunnels become the ideal location for hiding lizard people. Additionally, Los Angeles is considered the home of many powerful and influential people, which helps to contribute further to the idea that they may be lurking beneath us. Folk communication, as described by DS, as memes and Tiktoks add a social layer to the conspiracy, a means to connect with another person through shared anxieties about the “elite.”

The Mud Lady

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: USC
Performance Date: 4/2/23
Primary Language: English

Text: “In my town, there was a woman we called, the mud lady. She was a homeless woman, who wore so much makeup that it made kids scared of her and made it look like she was covered in mud. Even our parents would tell us to stay away from her whenever we went into town. If she was on the same side of the street as you, you would cross the street so you didn’t have to pass her. Everyone had different conspiracies of how she became the mud lady. I remember one kid said that she would steal people’s dogs, kill them, and bury them in the mud near the lake, others stated that she’ll stab you if you walk by her. Whenever you did walk by her, she had a very scary smile, every time. It didn’t look like a friendly smile, it looked like a psychopathic smile. Looking back on it now, she was just a poor old homeless woman trying to live her life. However, it was kids being kids, making up stories about her that had no factual evidence. I don’t believe she ever did anything bad, but as a kid, I was terrified of her.” – Informant

Context: The informant is from a small suburb in New Jersey, that probably didn’t have many homeless people, most likely why these stories were made up about her. The informant was about 10, and he would see the mud lady almost on a daily basis. This woman did make him very aware of his surroundings, starting as a child and even the parents of these children told them to stay away from her.

Analysis: This is definitely an interesting piece of folklore because although this woman never did anything truly bad, it was the conspiracy theories made up about her that truly made her scary. I think this is definitely something that occurs in small suburbs with little homeless populations because even in my town, there was this one homeless man named Joe who was the kindest man ever. But as a kid, all of us were told to stay away from him and we would gossip about potential stories of his life. One was that he comes from a very wealthy family but did so many drugs that he refuses to live a life where he isn’t homeless. Someone said that his parents offered him money but he refused to take it. We were told to always stay away from him, but as we grew up, we realized Joe was no threat. He was a homeless man just trying to live his life, without any harm to others. It is also upsetting that as children, we use the stereotype that a homeless person is dangerous or on drugs, when in reality they are just trying to live their lives.

The Head of Eli Broad

Informant Information – AL

  • Nationality: American
  • Age: 20
  • Occupation: Student
  • Residence: Los Angeles, California
  • Date of Performance/Collection: April 20, 2022
  • Primary Language: English

The informant has experience working in a lab at USC’s medical school that was next door to the Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine. 

Informant: 

So if you don’t know Eli Broad he was like a billionaire real estate developer and insurance magnate in California, moneymoneymoneymoney, very very rich. Also, the namesake of the Broad museum downtown, which now of course houses his art collection. 

Now I, and a few of my coworkers at the lab, are of the very firm belief that– well you can take this escalator up from the bottom to the top floor of the Broad, and you get a little window where you can see into the big middle floor, which is where they store the art is stored under very, very careful temperature and humidity control I might add. 

So you’re telling me that Eli Broad, that when Eli Broad signed that check to establish that lab– in his name– to conduct stem cell research at USC, you’re telling me that that grant didn’t have any strings attached? Absolutely not. I’m sure that, in the Center for Regenerative Medicine, there’s a little room with a live feed that’s playing video footage from an abandoned corner of the art museum art storage room, where the cryogenically frozen head of Eli Broad is being monitored by USC physicians and just waiting for the moment when the Regenerative Medicine Center advances to the point where they can bring that motherfucker back! It’s sitting there! I mean it’s like– The Broad is a pyramid, a literal pyramid! 

I mean, come on. I don’t think it’s a huge piece of logic. I kind of, 5%, think it’s true. 

Analysis:

This piece of folklore is particularly interesting as a developing legend that speaks to many prominent themes of today’s society. Mortality– and the potential of immortality– have always been popular themes of folklore but are now especially relevant due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, cryogenic treatments have recently become a popular offering at wellness clinics and spas for those able to afford these treatments. This legend also captures the current disparities in quality and access to healthcare. Given that the costs associated with medical care are prohibitive for a large portion of our society, it is reasonable that legends would speculate on the treatments available to the ultra-wealthy. 

I really enjoyed learning about this legend, and it will be interesting to find out whether or not it will continue to gain popularity.