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gluke bastid
Stinky Bum
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The Dots nobody connected
#10448868 - 06/03/09 05:05 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Connecting the Dots... A Sociological Perspective on the "conspiracy theory" video production industry
Hello all.
I've become increasingly fascinated by youtube conspiracy theory videos (often self-described as such). Not fascinated in them as source of the truth, but fascinated in them as a film genre...like the western or the melodrama. Probably the media studies major in me rearing his ugly head. But I've been watching some of these recently and I am totally amazed by them.
-They are made almost exclusively for free. The authors are not seeking profit. What they are seeking is debatable and often varies, but it is rarely money -They seek to make a convincing meta-narrative in an era in which the meta-narrative has been deconstructed. -The most interesting ones blend fiction and non-fiction, often without any consideration as to a difference between the two. Video clips from CNN will be interspersed with scenes from action or horror movies. -Overall "everything" is part of the conspiracy. The mere presence of a triangle (an almost ubiquitous shape) within a photograph will indicate the presence of masonic influence. The over-abundance of information in todays world seems to make it possible to draw connections anywhere. The freemasons, christian cults, aliens, weather patterns, the illumanti, natural disasters...all are interchangeable and interrelated in the mind of the conspiracy theory.
Our first screening gives a good example of this: "
The first minute and a half is scenes from the Exorcist cut with music from another movie I can't recall. The text of the intro alludes to an important discovery made in 2008...and then the meat of the "line drawing" portion of the video incorporates dates from 2001, 2005, 1995, and 1993 as if they were all occuring at the same time, even though the dates were years apart, and the events in question were radically different in structure and political result (as different as the Waco siege and Hurricane Katrina).
The mind behind this video senses a connection between any time anything bad happens that captures national attention. The sense of connection is literally played out by the author on a map of the United States, as criscrossing lines are drawn that are meant to symbolize a masonic conspiracy. Nevermind that the only true connection between all of these events is that they were on the news for a significant amount of time. The search is for a meaning, a force behind the madness instead of just the acceptance of a reality in which shit happens. The author of this video is similar to the Mayans who thought earthquakes happened because God was angry, and required blood sacrifice. As we shall see at the end of this video, guilt and repentance are just as important for this author. But that comes later.
In the meantime, I'd like to point out my favorite moment, when it is revealed that in the center of the triangle the author has drawn (not the center of a triangle at all, but hey it sounds significant right?) is Memphis, TN. Dramatic music cues a reaction. Clearly this is a startling revealation, because Memphis was the capital of duh duh duh Egpyt! Let's not stop to consider the fact that there is no connection whatsoever to Memphis, TN and ancient Egypt. The author offers up the name similarity as if it is proof perfect of a cross atlantic millenias-old conspiracy theory. Even offering up "triangle/pyramid + an ancient Egyptian Capital?"
I gotta go for now but I hope to come back and discuss this.
-------------------- Society in every form is a blessing, but government at its best is but a necessary evil - Thomas Paine
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deCypher
Registered: 02/10/08
Posts: 56,232
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IMO the creators of these types of videos are either paranoid schizophrenics with lots of time on their hands or a highly skillful government disinformation team that's trying to muddy the waters in case any real dirt ever gets uncovered.
-------------------- We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
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laserpig
Weedmaster_P
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Re: The Dots nobody connected [Re: deCypher]
#10448952 - 06/03/09 05:19 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Very interesting analysis, thanks for posting. The psychology behind conspiracy theories is indeed fascinating.
I think a significant factor in the formulation or consideration of conspiracy theories is a weak separation of reality from imagination -- a separation which I think is harder to maintain today than at any other time in history, given the extent to which mass media and popular culture blur that line.
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens
Registered: 05/21/07
Posts: 15,105
Loc: Out of this world
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: The Dots nobody connected [Re: laserpig]
#10449559 - 06/03/09 07:17 PM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Do the people who make these videos (which don't really have any dots to connect in the first place) ever stop to think how ridiculous it be for someone to pick their favorite shape, draw it on a map and say "At random points in time there should be a disaster so as over the course of 20 some odd years, we can connect dots to make a cool shape"
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Arden
לנשום
Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
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Quote:
The search is for a meaning, a force behind the madness instead of just the acceptance of a reality in which shit happens.
Much of our time here can be reduced to this inborn tendency.
Paranoia in this form, to my mind, stems from over-activity of this tendency... creating a belief (perhaps a gradual realization?) that all phenomena is connected--albeit usually beyond our perception capabilities.
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Eid
Registered: 05/05/09
Posts: 149
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The music is from Bladerunner by Vangelis. Sorry, I know thats not much of an input to your thread but I really like Vangelis
Edit:
I think the reason these people make the videos is that they have self appointed themselves as experts in the field and need an audience.
Edited by Eid (06/04/09 02:07 AM)
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blkjkrabbit
Registered: 07/22/07
Posts: 4,971
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Re: The Dots nobody connected [Re: laserpig]
#10451926 - 06/04/09 02:20 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
laserpig said: Very interesting analysis, thanks for posting. The psychology behind conspiracy theories is indeed fascinating.
I think a significant factor in the formulation or consideration of conspiracy theories is a weak separation of reality from imagination -- a separation which I think is harder to maintain today than at any other time in history, given the extent to which mass media and popular culture blur that line.
really well put - i totally agree. It's difficult to discern any shred of truth from untruth. The thing though is that while I may not agree with all the points and conclusions in many of these conspiracy theory vids, many of them DO provide poignant questions that the mass media completely utterly and miserably fail to address.
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sterbeklang
w/e
Registered: 03/03/09
Posts: 824
Loc: Filthy Rock
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Re: The Dots nobody connected [Re: blkjkrabbit]
#10452480 - 06/04/09 07:55 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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If the mass media addressed these poignant questions, they'd end up on the other end of a slander or libel lawsuit.
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gluke bastid
Stinky Bum
Registered: 12/20/00
Posts: 3,322
Loc: Charm City
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Re: The Dots nobody connected [Re: laserpig]
#10452736 - 06/04/09 09:23 AM (14 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
laserpig said: I think a significant factor in the formulation or consideration of conspiracy theories is a weak separation of reality from imagination -- a separation which I think is harder to maintain today than at any other time in history, given the extent to which mass media and popular culture blur that line.
I agree, but to take it a step further...an inability to separate fiction from non-fiction, political satire from political authenticity, and celebrity power from governmental power.
Imagination is presented as reality, nature and time are presented as conspiracy, and coincidence and arbitrary observations are provided as proof.
Check out the following:
-------------------- Society in every form is a blessing, but government at its best is but a necessary evil - Thomas Paine
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