There are some, slightly weird, conspiracy theories that become part of the culture.
Elvis is still alive somewhere in Cuba and/or the moon. The illuminati control the world, with a council including Beyonce and Ellen Degeneres. Yet there are some theories that are so mental that they’re just hilarious.
10. The moon doesn’t exist
Forget “America never landed on the moon,” we’ve moved on. Now it’s got to that the point where conspiracy theorists are refusing to believe it exists at all. David Ike, the author of other theories including “The Queen is a lizard,” says that the moon “by physics, shouldn’t be there” quoting scientist Irwin Shaprio, who said “the best explanation for the moon is observational error – the moon doesn’t exist.”
9. Secret Beatles album
There are two separate theories that popped up around secret Beatles records. It’s a fanciful, romantic myth that is very easy to buy into. Initially, a 1976 release from an unknown band was rumoured to be a lost Bealtes record; the links were tenous but believable: same record company, anonymous band members, some similar song titles – but it was proven false when the band came forward. In 2009, a website sprang up advertising a cassette filled with a non-officially released Beatles record, complete with crazy story about how the owner came into possession of such. It turned out to just be some mashups, but still!
8. Fake Melania
The forty-fifth President of the United States of America has a fake wife. That, at least, is the central conceit of the Fake Melania theory. At an event in October 2017, President Trump was seen alongside – apparently – his wife, Melania. However, according to Twitter, it didn’t look enough like her, buried beneath thick dark sunglasses. After intense speculation, the Trump administration offered a statement condemning the theory.
7. Deep State
The second theory on the list which relates to 45, this one is a conspiracy theory that the President himself endorsed.
The idea is that the American government is run by a secret inner-group, the deep state. The theory is commonly espoused by alt-right figures such as Steve Bannon and Sean Hannity, thought it has also been used to excuse President Obama’s lack of success in securing his campaign promises relating to the Afghanistan war and Guantanamo Bay.
6. Flat earth
Celebrity components of the flat earth theory include one hit wonder rapper B.o.B, Freddie Flintoff and Tia Tequila. Insane. Despite having millions of pounds and aides at their disposal each of these celebs genuinely wonder how the rest of us can so blindly think that the earth is a globe.
5. Barack Obama is the antichrist
A 2013 poll said that one in four Americans genuinely believe that their (at the time) president was the literal, biblical, anti-Christ. The theory was based upon a faked portion of the bible in a chain email sent around during the 2008 election comparing various qualities of the Anti-Christ to ones Obama shared.
4. False history
The false history, or Phantom Time Hypothesis, is a historical conspiracy theory by German theorist Heribert Illig, stating that Pope Sylvester II and the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II fabricated and altered the Anno Domini calendar to place themselves in the year 1000. Published in 1991, the theory (surprisingly) seemed to have a fair few seemingly relevant points: a lack of archaeological evidence that can be linked to AD 614-911, supposed Romanesque architecture that predates the time period – but the theory is criticised by historians as not lining up to astrological movements and not fitting with world history.
3. New Coke – purposefully bad?
When the Coca Cola Company released New Coke in 1985, it was merely a re-formulation of the popular drink, something we often see these days in a bid to make drinks healthier. However, the re-do went completely wrong, and Coca Cola Company re-distributed the original formula, under the name Coca Cola Classic just three months later, which led to the theory that the company had intentionally sabotaged New Coke to create artificial excitement around the continuation of the original product.
2. Bitcoin is thriving because of the government
This is a new theory that sprung up after the Bitcoin explosion of 2017. Whilst the crypto currency emerged into the mainstream in the last twelve months, some are unconvinced it is a natural phenomenon. According to writers such as Michael Pento, the US government are currently helping the bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies to thrive to build public trust in the concept before crushing them and replacing with a state-sanctioned online currency, which would 100% replace the physical dollar.
1. Harold Wilson spy
Former British Prime Minister was secretly a Soviet infiltrator. The theory was a long-term concern raised by people ranging from Soviet defectors to the former head of MI5, Peter Wright. Czechoslovakian defectors would allege that the Labour Party had “almost certainly” been infiltrated by the Russians, and the allegations were taken seriously enough to lead to a full-scale MI5 investigation into the PM, though it would be proven false.
Up next: Teenagers are being warned against the “Tide Pod” challenge.