This class will look at the history of conspiracy theories in American media and culture from the 50s and 60s (UFOs, the red scare, JFK’s assassination) to the 21st century (9/11 truthers, Covid conspiracies, QAnon) with particular attention to cinematic representation. Some questions we will ask and try to answer: What is the lure of conspiracy theories? Are there particular reasons that conspiracy theories thrive in American culture? How do media affect conspiracies? Do different media forms and platforms encourage the spread, and transform the form or content, of conspiracies? What is the difference between theory in the social sciences or humanities and conspiracy theory? What are the different ways that conspiracy theories are inflected by class, gender, and race?
This class will look at the history of conspiracy theories in American culture from the 50s and 60s (UFOs, the red scare, JFK’s assassination) to the 21st century (9/11 truthers, Covid conspiracies, QAnon) with particular attention to cinematic representation. Some questions we will ask and try to answer: What is the lure of conspiracy theories? Are there particular reasons that conspiracy theories thrive in American culture? How do media affect conspiracies? Do different media forms and platforms encourage the spread, and transform the form or content, of conspiracies? What is the difference between theory in the social sciences or humanities and conspiracy theory? What are the different ways that conspiracy theories are inflected by class, gender, and race?