A new round of repulsive, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories

As any sensible person who has any kind of a passing interest in conspiracy theories could have predicted, the war in Israel spawned an enormous rancid pool of creative fantasies about what is “really going on.” These fantasies raised their ugly heads literally on October 8, in the wake of Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel, murdering some 1400 hundred people—including small children and toddlers, some of whom they beheaded or burned alive—and taking over 200 people hostage. Before the smoke from the gunfire and explosions had even cleared, the internet was being flooded by the reprehensible sludge of conspiracy theories about how Hamas was not really behind the attacks. The crux of these conspiracies is the “false flag” conspiracy theory, or the “crisis actor” conspiracy theory. It says that Israel was actually behind the attacks, killing its own people, or that no one was killed and the grieving Israelis we see on TV are actually pretending to have lost loved ones. These are more reprehensible examples of how conspiracy theorizing is still the tool of political opportunists and those so devoid of any human decency as to get some pleasure out of inflaming hatred, violence, and divisions among people.

 

One just needs to place the word “conspiracy” after “Israel and Hamas” in Google and the sites propagating them will pop up. All the usual suspects like State of the Nation, Before It’s News, and scores of others had started spinning out these yarns immediately after the October 7 attacks. Afterward, naturally, the pro-Hamas extremists protesting Israel’s retaliation against the attacks are espousing the same conspiracy theories, as are the worthless scum tearing down posters with the pictures of the hostages still held by Hamas.

 

The ongoing frustration for any clear and rational-thinking individual is that so many people can’t see how absurd it is to put your faith in sources of information that claim EVERY single world event is a conspiracy theory. Maybe if there was a site out there that claimed the only major conspiracy was the JFK assassination and not blame every other headline on hidden cabals, one might think seriously about whether or not they might have a point. Or the only conspiracy is the one that involves UFOs. Or maybe the one about the suppressed technology that could make the water-powered, non-polluting car a reality. But every major event is a conspiracy? Sure, only a fool would take professional conspiracy mongers like that seriously.

 

Unfortunately, too many people like that exist. These are the unfortunate souls completely alienated from consensus reality, perhaps those who feel so powerless and without a voice that they find these convoluted tales about hidden forces of evil running the world plausible and the cause of all their misery.

 

Then there are the ones in America’s so-called “elite” universities who’ve now fallen into this same trap of irrational and ugly conspiracism as well. These are the people who should know better, the ones who are supposed to be molded into the future intellectual leaders of society. Unfortunately, at any number of pro-Palestinian rallies at these universities, one can find the just as many people who believe in the crisis actor conspiracy theories or claims that the all the video footage of the October 7 attacks were created by Artificial Intelligence programs. Hearing the marginalized, those who are down on their luck or lacking any prospects in life espousing conspiracy theories is one thing. It’s a terrible situation, of course, but it’s somewhat understandable. But seeing a student from George Washington University telling reporters that she felt it very likely that the Hamas attack videos were created by AI makes me fear the future. The world is suddenly looking more and more like 1930s Germany and now even those who are supposed to be our best and brightest are protesting and shouting anti-Semitic slogans. It’s a modern tragedy.

 

The death of physical media might take cancel culture to a whole new level!

Are there favorite movies you just love to watch over and over again? A TV show that’s kind of like comfort food you can always go back to and binge watch? Fans of “Friends” and “The Golden Girls” always talk about how they can always unwind from life’s stresses by going back and watching a good marathon session of back-to-back episodes. For me they’re Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood movies. I think I could put on a one man show theatrical production of every “Rocky” and “Rambo” movie where I would play every role and recite all the dialogue perfectly. From television it has the be “Columbo,” the greatest mystery series ever, in my opinion. But if you rely on streaming services to watch your old favorites rather than purchasing them on physical media like DVDs, Blu Rays, or 4K discs, you better think again about whether or not those films and TV shows will always be available at the push of a button.

 

Now sure, you say, you are familiar with how streaming services rotate shows and movies in and out. But that’s not a problem for you because you purchased digital downloads of your favorite entertainment. You own them. They’re in your account in Netflix or Hulu or Paramount+ or whatever streaming service you’re using. 

 

Well, no so fast! One day you might want to re-watch and old favorite, only to find that it’s gone forever.

 

I was recently interviewed for this Fox Business News story about the rapid movement to replace physical media with streaming and some of the legal details of streaming that many people might not be aware of. These legal details could seriously limit access to media content in the future. 

 

As the article details, retailers have started moving away from selling physical media. Sometime early next year Best Buy will no longer be selling discs. Other retailers might follow suit. So, if the only place you can access films and TV shows—or music for that matter—is a streaming service, you will be left at the whims of when those streamers decide to make the content available. And, more importantly, the article explains, “buying” those movies, TV shows, and music might not offer you unlimited access to your content either. Because when you pay for that content, you are actually paying for a license to play that content on your own devices. Those movies don’t belong to you the same way that your DVD or Blu Ray does. The copyright holder of that content has the right to withdraw that content any time they like. You could one day log into your Netflix or Amazon Prime account, looking to watch one of the favorites you purchased, and find it gone from your digital collection. It is perfectly legal.

 

Or if that favorite old film does not completely disappear, it could suddenly alter. It could become much more politically correct! Remember the recent controversies over the publishers censoring Roald Dahl’s books and several of Ian Fleming’s original James Bond novels? Imagine that happening to old movies and TV shows because they don’t have enough minority characters in them, or because white actors are playing characters of color. Imagine dialogue suddenly changing. Or, given the fast-advancing state of artificial intelligence technology, you might see all of this old content altering into whatever fits current attitudes and fashions. It’s America’s version of China’s cultural revolution under Mao looming over us, where our entire cultural history stands to be wiped away to please the unsilent politically correct fringes who seem to be offended for a living and can’t make it through a day without throwing tantrums about being oppressed by TV shows, commercials, books, or Internet memes.

 

But read the article…and fear for the future.

 

And buy your favorite movies, TV shows, music—and books, for that matter—in physical media if you can.

I’m profiled in the AJCU’s “Connections”

I’m honored to be profiled in the recent edition of “Connections,” the online magazine of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. You can check it out right here. 

 

It’s an overview of classes I teach, my research and commentary on mass media issues, popular culture and popular entertainment and why I think certain media products like vampire stories and this summer’s Barbie movie touch the collective nerves in audiences to make these products blockbuster successes. Barbie and vampires I had written about in this blog earlier as well.

 

I also discuss how my research into fandom led me to my interest in the conspiracy theory phenomenon. As I discuss, conspiracy theorists are basically no different from Trekkies writing fan fiction. Just like the fan fiction writer wants to take control of some text he did not originally create and make his own—often subvert it and rewrite it—so do conspiracy theorists want to write their own fan fiction about every day’s headlines. They want to take reality and reinvent, to rewrite those headlines to match the creative fantasies inside the conspiracist’s head. Of all the classes I teach, the one about the conspiracy theories, I firmly believe, is my most important one.

We deep dive into a classic on the CineVersary podcast

Where were you in '62? If you lived it or not, check out this CineVersary podcast special on the 50th anniversary of George Lucas' classic, "American Graffiti." I'm the special guest for a discussion of a movie packed with romance, racing and amazing rock 'n' roll. Since I was named an honorary member of the Pharaohs and the reigning sock hop champion, you need to listen!

Always let vampires onto your viewing list!

Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the 2008 Swedish horror film Let the Right One In—an adaptation of a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also penned the screenplay)—centers on the dynamic between a young boy named Oskar and Eli, a vampire child who appears to be Oskar’s age but who has lived for centuries. The film unfolds against the backdrop of a small wintry Swedish village, contributing to its distinctive visual approach and ambiance. Through a blend of horror, romance, and themes related to coming of age, the movie crafts a one-of-a-kind and thought-provoking storyline.

Let the Right One In garnered significant critical and popular praise thanks to its inventive take on the vampire genre, capacity to elicit both fear and compassion, evocative cinematography, deliberate pacing, and deep exploration of the intricacies of human emotions and connections.

Listen to our CineVerse discussion right here.

Check out this lead on Glengary Glen Ross on CineVerse!

In 1992, James Foley helmed the cinematic adaptation of David Mamet’s Pulitzer-prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross, setting critics and audiences abuzz with excitement about its performances, dialogue, and tense dramatic sequences. The screenplay, also penned by Mamet, ensured a faithful representation of the play's dialogue and themes.

The movie boasts an exceptional ensemble cast, including Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, and Jonathan Pryce. Set in a cutthroat and highly competitive real estate sales environment, the story revolves around a group of salesmen who resort to extreme measures to secure deals and achieve success. It’s a gripping narrative that delves into themes of desperation, morality, and the unforgiving realities of the American Dream.

Check out our CineVerse discussion right here.

Read all about Barbie's smash hit success!

Have you seen one of this summer’s blockbusters? Since true runaway super blockbusters were very few and far in between all the major duds like The Flash, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Ant Man and the Wasp, Elemental, Fast and Furious…uh, whatever number it was, and underperforming embarrassments like the live action Little Mermaid, there aren't many of them. But the buzziest and money-makingest movie of the summer turned out to be Barbie. If you want to know all about this history of the iconic doll that inspired the film, along with all of its various controversies, check out the special edition magazine in the picture above. While the Barbie juggernaut keeps rolling along and playing in theaters, the magazine is still on shelves everywhere. And pay close attention to the comments about the doll’s long, colorful, controversial history by yours truly.