Conspiracy theories are ruled by the notion that nothing is as it seems. Thanks to the internet, these theories run rampant on social media, and their focus shifts back and forth between political and pop culture. While most conspiracies seem to have a sinister or evil undertone, there are some pop culture conspiracies that simply beg the question, “who stands to gain from this?”
It can be argued that belief in conspiracy theories is based heavily on the refusal to accept fact or take anything at face value, which sometimes isn’t a bad idea. However, this level of paranoia can easily spiral out of control. Conspiracy theories tend to be centered around people in power, with the government and celebrities being the usual targets. These conspiracies hone in on small details and blow up from there.
By now, most of us are familiar with the phrase “jet fuel can’t melt steel beams,” a conspiracy that alludes to 9/11 having been an inside job. We've also seen those still shots of Beyoncés pregnant tummy supposedly folding over, giving way to room for theories that she didn’t actually give birth to Blue Ivy. And of course, the Kardashians aren’t immune to pregnancy conspiracy theories, either.
We’ve previously delved into B.o.B’s conspiracy theory beliefs, which are much wider spread and have a much larger audience than Beyonce-Blue Ivy birth truthers. B.o.B didn’t invent the theory of the Earth being flat, and he didn’t invent the conspiracy that slavery never existed, but he did bring both of them into our peripheral vision—despite claiming his social media is censored—to remind us that people hold onto unpopular beliefs the way babies cling to bottles.
Although many conspiracy theories can be ridiculous and harmful, here are 10 innocent conspiracy theories we wish were true.