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"Donna had never kept that type of paper in the house either. So where did the paper come from? Could it have been conjured by the doll itself? Could a doll possibly be writing messages? If so, how?''

This quote suggests that the articles conspiracy theory of the Raggedy Ann doll was proven to be believed on how the doll was full of possessed actions through out the time the doll owner took her home as a gift her mother gave her.

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The Story of the Possessed Raggedy Ann Doll, Annabelle

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Here is the story of Annabelle, the haunted doll, one of the most unusual possessed objects cases ever recorded.

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Wayfair Gate Conspiracy - melody m/ catherine q

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Wayfair Gate Conspiracy - melody m/ catherine q

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''The theory is that Wayfair is trafficking children on its website under the guise of selling home goods such as cabinets, throw pillows and shower curtains.
When someone buys a product listed for thousands of dollars, theorists seem to believe that the person somehow indicates a desire to purchase a child whose name is also the product name. ''

The conspiracy was based around products being sold as things such as things like furniture named after people that have gone missing. Such products being sold for thousands of dollars and only being able to purchase them by entering promo codes. Details on the products like weight or other descriptions were thought to be descriptions of a human that could be possibly being sold.

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In July, many Twitter, Facebook and Instagram users saw posts alleging that high-priced furniture and other products with human names on Wayfair.com was evidence that missing children were being trafficked on the online retailer's site.

The conspiracy theory exploded on social media around July 10. On Facebook alone, the word "Wayfair" was mentioned in thousands of posts in the following week, and there were millions of social media interactions with such content, according to social monitoring platform CrowdTangle.

From personal accounts with a few followers to verified social media influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers, users were rapidly spreading the theory.

This prompted fact checkers from USA TODAY, Reuters, Snopes and other outlets to investigate the validity of the information. Each reported that the conspiracy theory lacked credible evidence. Yet many social media users remain convinced of its validity.

Here are seven things you should know about the Wayfair trafficking theory.
More: How an Arizona couple helped fuel the Wayfair sex trafficking theory
What is the Wayfair human trafficking conspiracy?

The theory is that Wayfair is trafficking children on its website under the guise of selling home goods such as cabinets, throw pillows and shower curtains.

When someone buys a product listed for thousands of dollars, theorists seem to believe that the person somehow indicates a desire to purchase a child whose name is also the product name. This would be done, some have suggested, by entering a promo code, selecting a specific delivery method or being a Wayfair Professional account holder.

Believers allege that the names of certain Wayfair products match those of children who have gone missing in the United States. Some also believe that the dimensions and weights of the products are actually descriptions of children, not of the products pictured.

In one user's screen capture, a "Samiyah 5 - self storage cabinet" was listed for $12,899.99. After many expressed alarm about a report of a 17-year-old Samiyah Mumin missing in Ohio in 2019, a woman identifying herself as Mumin took to Facebook Live on July 10, 2020, to confirm she was not missing.

The Poynter Institute's digital media literacy project, Mediawise, found that Mumin and several other children whose names matched Wayfair products had been missing but no longer were. Mediawise reports that one person social media users have connected to the conspiracy, Yaritza Castro of Connecticut, has not been found.

Theorists later turned to Russian search engine Yandex as proof that children, not home furnishings, were being sold on Wayfair's website. Searching for a given SKU - or product identification number - preceded by the phrase "src usa" or "src ru" - abbreviations for the U.S. and Russia - on Yandex's image search results in images of children.

It is not clear what "src" stands for, though some have suggested a connection to a Russian modeling agency. There does not seem to be a link between the name of the product and the names of the children in the image search.

What does Reddit have to do with the Wayfair scandal?

The conspiracy seems to have originated from a question posed on Reddit's forum for conspiracy theories on July 9: "Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets?"

Nearly 3,000 comments ensued and further developed the theory in that thread and in other spin-off conversations.

Users weighed in with links to seemingly overpriced products on Wayfair's website, and their suspicion grew when some listings were taken down or their prices decreased.

A Wayfair spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY: "The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced."

"Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we temporarily removed the products from (the) site to rename them and provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point," the statement said.

At the same time, these conversations moved from an audience of people who regularly engage in conspiracy theories to the mainstream on other social media platforms.

What does QAnon have to do with the Wayfair trafficking theory?

QAnon was born as a far-right conspiracy theory around 2017 on image-based forum 4chan. One of the beliefs is that President Trump is working to expose a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who are high-ranking officials and celebrities involved in a child sex-trafficking ring.

There seemed to be overlap between people who have previously engaged with QAnon content and those who shared the Wayfair conspiracy theory, pointing to it as proof of a large-scale sex-trafficking scheme.

Some have attempted to connect the Wayfair theory to Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate and alleged accomplice of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a registered sex offender who in 2008 pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution. She was arrested on July 2 and later charged with six federal crimes for her alleged complicity in procuring children for Epstein. She pleaded not guilty.

An assertion that Maxwell was pictured with Wayfair's "president of operations" - a position that doesn't exist today - was debunked by the Associated Press.

How did the conspiracy catch fire?

From Reddit's conspiracy forum, the Wayfair theory moved into the mainstream and was shared by social media influencers.

One Arizona couple, Maddie and Justin Thompson, gained tens of thousands of Instagram followers after posting a receipt of a $17,337.98 credit card transaction, followed by a 40-minute livestreamed video in which they explain why they bought an expensive desk from Wayfair to prove the trafficking theory.

Before both posts were later deleted. The video had hundreds of thousands of views.

Other influencers, including those who don't regularly engage in conspiracies, also promoted the theory. They shared screenshots of expensive Wayfair products in their Instagram Stories and expressed shock at the idea.

What do human trafficking experts think?

The Arizona Republic sought the expertise of Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, the director of sex trafficking intervention research at Arizona State University. She also serves on the Arizona Human Trafficking Council and the Mayor's Human Trafficking Task Force in Phoenix.

While Roe-Sepowitz could not speak to the veracity of the Wayfair theory, she told The Republic that she appreciates the opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking, which "happens every day" in Phoenix, she said on July 13.

"The reality of trafficking is heartbreaking," Roe-Sepowitz said. "There's nothing intriguing, nothing romantic" about people who go missing and are trafficked, she said.

"I am happy that this story is interesting the public, but the victims are most likely not on Wayfair," Roe-Sepowitz wrote in an email to The Republic. "They (are) right in front of us on 27th Avenue, in our local hotels, online on sex selling websites and dating sites."

She said people who have posted about child trafficking on social media can "translate their attention" to volunteering for and donating money to credible organizations.

Tim Ballard, founder of anti-child trafficking nonprofit Operation Underground Railroad and a former special agent for the Department of Homeland Security, went viral in a video posted July 12. Ballard is based in Utah and California.

"Law enforcement's going to flush that out, and we'll get our answers sooner than later, but I want to tell you this: Children are sold that way," Ballard said in the video. "No question about it: Children are sold on social media platforms, on websites and so forth. I'm glad people are at least waking up to it, especially right now."

Ballard did not confirm or deny the veracity of the theory specifically.

Did the conspiracy theory have any real-world impact?

Polaris, which operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, received enough tips from concerned callers to release a statement more than a week after the Wayfair conspiracy theory gained traction online.

"Over the past several days the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received hundreds of reports that reference a series of viral posts claiming online retailer Wayfair has been involved in a complex scheme involving sex trafficking of children," Polaris' statement reads.

"While Polaris treats all calls to the Trafficking Hotline seriously, the extreme volume of these contacts has made it more difficult for the Trafficking Hotline to provide support and attention to others who are in need of help."

The statement continues: "What we can say is that none of the reports we have received involving Wayfair contained any information beyond what has been widely shared online. Nor have any of these reports been made by someone who has a specific connection to any alleged missing children. We deeply appreciate those members of the public who have contacted the Trafficking Hotline out of heartfelt concern."

In Arizona, Sgt. Ann Justus of the Phoenix Police Department had not "heard of calls for service" related to the theory as of Aug.13.

What does Wayfair say about the trafficking claims?

Wayfair denied the trafficking claim and defended its prices - while also claiming a "pricing glitch" on some product pages - in a statement to several media outlets.

"There is, of course, no truth to these claims," a Wayfair spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Reach the reporter at kimi.robinson@gannett.com or at 602-444-4968. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
A spokesperson for Wayfair told Reuters that the company uses an algorithm to name its products. The algorithm uses "first names, geographic locations and common words for naming purposes."

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Why is Wayfair accused of trafficking children? 7 things to know about the conspiracy theory

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A conspiracy theory that Wayfair.com is trafficking children spread like wildfire on social media. Here's how it started and what fact checkers say.

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Red Scare/Mccarthysim - Jazmin and angel

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Red Scare/Mccarthysim - Jazmin and angel

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¨The Red Scare was hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists in the U.S. during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, which intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s.¨

This shows that they thought this was promotion of fear of a potential rise of communism. It had its roots in America in the early 20th century but people started realizing about it in the 1950s.

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Table of Contents

1. First Red Scare: 1917-1920

2. Cold War Concerns About Communism

3. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee

4. J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI

5. Hysteria and Growing Conservatism

6. Red Scare Impact

The Red Scare was hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists in the U.S. during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, which intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s. (Communists were often referred to as "Reds" for their allegiance to the red Soviet flag.) The Red Scare led to a range of actions that had a profound and enduring effect on U.S. government and society. Federal employees were analyzed to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the government, and the House Un-American Activities Committee, as well as U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, investigated allegations of subversive elements in the government and the Hollywood film industry. The climate of fear and repression linked to the Red Scare finally began to ease by the late 1950s.

First Red Scare: 1917-1920

In the United States, labor strikes were on the rise, and the press sensationalized them as being caused by immigrants bent on bringing down the American way of life. The Sedition Act of 1918 targeted people who criticized the government, monitoring radicals and labor union leaders with the threat of deportation.

The fear turned to violence with the 1919 anarchist bombings, a series of bombs targeting law enforcement and government officials. Bombs went off in a wide number of cities including Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, D.C., and New York City.

The first Red Scare climaxed in 1919 and 1920, when United States Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer ordered the Palmer raids, a series of violent law-enforcement raids targeting leftist radicals and anarchists. They kicked off a period of unrest that became known as the "Red Summer."

Cold War Concerns About Communism

Did you know? FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was quick to equate any kind of protest with communist subversion, including the civil rights demonstrations led by Martin Luther King Jr. Hoover labeled King a communist and covertly worked to intimidate and discredit the civil rights leader.

Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee

J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI

The information obtained by the FBI proved essential in high-profile legal cases, including the 1949 conviction of 12 prominent leaders of the American Communist Party on charges that they had advocated the overthrow of the government. Moreover, Hoover's agents helped build the case against Julius Rosenberg (1918-53) and his wife, Ethel Rosenberg (1915-53), who were convicted of espionage in 1951. The Rosenbergs were executed two years later.

Hysteria and Growing Conservatism

Public concerns about communism were heightened by international events. In 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested a nuclear bomb and communist forces led by Mao Zedong (1893-1976) took control of China. The following year saw the start of the Korean War (1950-53), which engaged U.S. troops in combat against the communist-supported forces of North Korea. The advances of communism around the world convinced many U.S. citizens that there was a real danger of "Reds" taking over their own country. Figures such as McCarthy and Hoover fanned the flames of fear by wildly exaggerating that possibility.

As the Red Scare intensified, its political climate turned increasingly conservative. Elected officials from both major parties sought to portray themselves as staunch anticommunists, and few people dared to criticize the questionable tactics used to persecute suspected radicals. Membership in leftist groups dropped as it became clear that such associations could lead to serious consequences, and dissenting voices from the left side of the political spectrum fell silent on a range of important issues. In judicial affairs, for example, support for free speech and other civil liberties eroded significantly. This trend was symbolized by the 1951 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dennis v. United States, which said that the free-speech rights of accused Communists could be restricted because their actions presented a clear and present danger to the government.

Red Scare Impact

Americans also felt the effects of the Red Scare on a personal level, and thousands of alleged communist sympathizers saw their lives disrupted. They were hounded by law enforcement, alienated from friends and family and fired from their jobs. While a small number of the accused may have been aspiring revolutionaries, most others were the victims of false allegations or had done nothing more than exercise their democratic right to join a political party.

Though the climate of fear and repression began to ease in the late 1950s, the Red Scare has continued to influence political debate in the decades since. It is often cited as an example of how unfounded fears can compromise civil liberties.

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Red Scare: Cold War, McCarthyism & Facts | HISTORY

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The Red Scare was hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists in the U.S. during the Cold War era.

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What you will do?

You will open a padlet and with a partner, you will research your assigned topic.

You will find the link on google classroom.

You will research an article/include the link/quote and analysis

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“I do hope that one day, in a more thoughtful world, everyone of us will remember this day as an aberration … when the world went mad, and fake news was real,”

This shows how the man thought this conspiracy theory was right and he took action without any evidence. The rumor of the dark arts triggered violence towards a pizza place that supposedly was holding rituals. This event occur in the nation's capitol, Washington DC.

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Story highlights

Welch did not harm anyone

The North Carolina man who fired an assault rifle inside a Washington, DC, pizzeria while investigating an online conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate" was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 29, also received 36 months of probation and was ordered to pay $5,744.33 in restitution for firing three shots with an AR-15 rifle inside the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in northwest Washington in December. He claimed he was attempting to find and rescue child sex slaves that he believed were being held at the restaurant - a belief allegedly based on his reading of a false story circulating onlinethat connected Hillary Clinton's campaign adviser to the pizzeria through coded messages in his leaked emails.

After Welch found no evidence of child sex-trafficking at the restaurant, he did not harm anyone and surrendered.

He pleaded guilty to gun charges in federal court in March.

Despite Welch's minimal criminal history, the sentence far exceeded the defense's case for a shorter, 18-month term, as well as the average 37-month sentence for a defendant of "similar charges," according to Judge Ketanji B. Jackson.

"The extent of recklessness in this case is breathtaking. It is sheer luck that no one, including (Welch), was killed," Jackson said, adding, "I've never seen anything like the conduct we see here today."

Jackson said she believed Welch had good intentions, but deemed his actions "an assault on the rule of law" that could potentially inspire future "ill-conceived plots" by vigilantes.

Welch's family was present at the sentencing. His former girlfriend, who said she attempted to talk Welch out of his actions when he revealed them to her, teared up when the prosecution played a short clip of a two-minute video Welch had recorded in the car on his way to Comet to say goodbye to his two young daughters.

Three witnesses offered statements Thursday, including James Alefantis, founder and owner of Comet Ping Pong, whom Jackson cited in her closing remarks for his discussion of psychological trauma.

"I do hope that one day, in a more thoughtful world, everyone of us will remember this day as an aberration ... when the world went mad, and fake news was real," Alefantis said.

Two Comet employees said they were traumatized by the incident.

Bill Hennessy

But several of witnesses forgave Welch. In her opening remarks, assistant federal defender Dani Jahn thanked the victims for their "humanity." She choked up and paused to collect herself before proceeding.

Many victims blamed fake news websites that had promoted the conspiracy.

"I hope you realize that you have been a pawn of the misguided media," a witness said.

Several witnesses also requested that Welch receive a mental health evaluation, which Jackson later affirmed. This became a point of tension when Jahn challenged the mental health evaluation stipulation, noting that the record showed no evidence of Welch's mental illness. After a sharp back-and-forth with Jackson, Jahn agreed to the terms.

At one point, Welch spoke for a few moments to offer an apology.

"I'm sorry for everything I've caused," Welch said.

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international relations and national security

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'Pizzagate' shooter sentenced to 4 years in prison | CNN Politics

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Welch did not harm anyone The North Carolina man who fired an assault rifle inside a Washington, DC, pizzeria while investigating an online conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate" was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday.

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Democrats- Melissa Gutierrez Litzy Miranda

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Democrats- Melissa Gutierrez Litzy Miranda

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The reviews are in:

"Absolute garbage!" - Pamela.

"Don't waste your time on fake drivel!" - Ted.

"Shallow writing for the gullible" - Dellem.

Yet "QAnon: An Invitation to the Great Awakening," a book pushing wacky conspiracy theories, has become an Amazon best seller, cracking the top 75 among books sold on the site in recent days, according to NBC News.

The book, which says it was written by a dozen "anonymous Q followers, decoders and citizen journalists known collectively as Where We Go One We Go All (WWG1WGA)," claims that Democrats murder and eat children and that the government created AIDS, polio and Lyme disease. Then there's the belief that the world is run by a Satanic cabal led by Hillary Clinton.

There's more. So much more. But we'll leave it there.

QAnon emerged from the dark corners of the internet and into the national spotlight thanks primarily to supporters of Donald Trump who would show up at his rallies wearing clothes and holding signs referencing the "Q" conspiracy.
Key Words: Hillary Clinton says 'Pizzagate' shows how fake-news 'epidemic' puts real lives at risk
Mike Rothschild, a conspiracy-theory expert, told NBC that the book is just another way for the QAnon movement to cash in on its gullible followers, calling it "a bold new step in the endless grift at the heart of Q."

Nevertheless, the book keeps selling and racking up questionable glowing reviews, which Jason Kint, CEO of the trade association Digital Content Next, chalks up to manipulation and the lack of oversight on Amazon's part.

"To be clear, they absolutely shouldn't be censoring the availability of books like this," Kite explained to NBC. "But the fact we're left only with the publisher's own description of the book and a clearly gamed set of 5-star reviews - how is the average shopper supposed to know this is toxic garbage?"

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'QAnon' book claiming Democrats eat children is climbing the Amazon charts

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The reviews are in: "Absolute garbage!" - Pamela. "Don't waste your time on fake drivel!" - Ted. "Shallow writing for the gullible" - Dellem. Yet "QAnon: An Invitation to the Great Awakening," a book pushing wacky conspiracy theories, has become an Amazon best seller, cracking the top 75 among books sold on the site in recent days, according to NBC News.

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Most people that think Tupac is still alive want him to be alive. But nearly 15 years after his death, it’s hard to imagine too many people still holding their 

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Conspiracy theory is that Tupac is still alive hiding out in Cuba under witness protection. Fake photos of him were posted on blogs. His solo album in 1996 provided clues that he would return one day

Hip-Hop's 13 Wildest Conspiracy Theories (Page
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMa

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Rock Music- Marcela  Escamilla/ Stephanie Morales

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Rock Music- Marcela  Escamilla/ Stephanie Morales

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"Conspiracy theories, myths and legends have existed in rock’n’roll for as long as the music has existed, stretching all the way back to bluesman Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for superhuman guitar skills, fame and fortune."

This shows how rock music and the musicians are thought to be satanic and sell their souls for fame. Rock'n'roll has always been thought to be "the devils music".

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Conspiracy theories, myths and legends have existed in rock'n'roll for as long as the music has existed, stretching all the way back to bluesman Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for superhuman guitar skills, fame and fortune.

There are those who believe Elvis Presley and Jim Morrison live on, others who think the Illuminati control the world through symbolism in popular culture, and plenty of evangelical types with their own agendas trawling rock and metal songs for secret messages luring the innocent to the dark side.

Let us take a look, then, at rock'n'roll conspiracy theories ranging from the intriguing to the ludicrous, as we try to separate the truth from the codswallop.

Lemmy was in league with the Illuminati

Few men have ever been earthier than Lemmy, but one conspiracy theorist claims that the Motorhead legend didn't really die in December 2015, instead "ascending into the heavenly realm" after making a "blood sacrifice pact" with the Illuminati.

A "watcher" of the mythical secret society some believe are running the world - despite evidence that is at best flimsy, at worst straight from The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown's discarded notebooks - told the Daily Star: "Lemmy signed up for the ultimate pact - he signed his soul to the devil in order to achieve fame and fortune."

While we can only imagine what the great man would have to say on the matter, there's one word, in husky, JD-soaked tones, that we can just about make out coming across from the other side: "Bollocks."

Paul McCartney died in 1966

As you might expect from the most famous band that has ever existed, there are enough crackpot theories about The Beatles to fill the Albert Hall. From John Lennon's murder being ordered by the US government, who, led by Richard Nixon, suspected him of communism (the FBI actually did have a file on Lennon, but the story is spiced up by the man behind murderlennontruth.com, who apparently believes author Steven King was involved due to, uh, looking a bit like Mark Chapman) to Canadian prog outfit Klaatu being the Fab Four in disguise, there are plenty of tall tales more colourful than a Ringo B-side.

The most enduring, though, is the notion dreamt up by some US radio DJs that Paul McCartney died in a car crash in 1966 and was replaced by a lookalike. They came to this conclusion having studied the cover of Abbey Road - McCartney's bare feet on the zebra crossing apparently symbolising death, while others found "evidence" in the album's opaque lyrics. There were a lot of drugs in the 60s. Don't do drugs.

Gene Simmons has a cow's tongue

It's easy to see why all kinds of far-fetched stories sprung up when Kiss first took off in the 1970s. The fake-blood-spitting, the fire, the demon-superhero personas - middle America clutched its pearls and word spread that these otherworldly weirdos' moniker stood for Knights In Satan's Service. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.

It was Gene Simmons ' preposterous mouth that got the nation's less voluminous tongues wagging though. So long and pointy is his appendage, and so often waggled at his audiences (whether they asked for it or not), that eventually the rumour spread around the world's playgrounds was that he'd had a cow's tongue grafted onto his own. The bovine baloney is, of course, bullshit, but Simmons has admitted it's one of his favourite Kiss urban myths.

Supertramp predicted 9/11

The Logical Song may be Supertramp's calling card, but one man in the US stretches common sense to the limit having come to the conclusion that the artwork for their 1979 album Breakfast In America gave prior warning of the terrorist attacks on New York on September 11, 2001.

Look at the album cover - painted from the perspective of a window on a flight into the city - in a mirror, and the 'u' and 'p' band's name appears to become a 911 floating above the twin towers, while a logo on the back features a plane flying towards the World Trade Center.

So far, so coincidental, but when our intrepid investigator falls down a rabbit hole of Masonic interference, strained Old Testament connections ("The Great Whore of Babylon - Super Tramp"), and the title Breakfast In America reflecting the fact that the planes crashed early in the morning, things get really tenuous.

It's fair to say it's unlikely a British prog-pop band had prior knowledge of the terrorist attacks 22 years before they happened. But maybe Al Qaida were really big fans.

Stevie Wonder can see

Stevie Wonder is a genius. That fact is not up for dispute. The soul/jazz/funk/rock/pop legend was born six weeks prematurely in 1950, and the oxygen used in the hospital incubator to stabilise him caused him to go blind shortly afterwards. But his love of front-row seats at basketball games, the evocative imagery in his songs, and the fact that he once effortlessly caught a falling mic stand knocked over by Paul McCartney (who, let us reiterate, did not die in 1966) has caused basement Jessica Fletchers to muse that he's faking his blindness as part of the act.

Wonder himself, a known prankster, has great fun with his status as one of the world's most famous vision-impaired musicians. In 1973, he told Rolling Stone: "I've flown a plane before. A Cessna or something, from Chicago to New York. Scared the hell out of everybody."

Dave Grohl invented Andrew W.K.

When Andrew W.K. first broke through in the early 2000s, dressed in white and covered in blood, his mission was serious in its simplicity: the party is everything. He took his message of having a good time, all the time, to levels of political fervour. But rumours of his authenticity have been doing the rounds from the start.

Reviewing WK's first UK show at The Garage in London, The Guardian's Alexis Petridis wrote: "One music-biz conspiracy theory currently circulating suggests that Andrew W.K. is an elaborate hoax devised by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl."

As time went on, the theory gained traction - Grohl was believed to be the mysterious Steev Mike credited on the debut album I Get Wet. And as W.K.'s style changed over subsequent records, and his own admission that there were legal arguments over who owns his name, whispers began that he wasn't even a real person - he was a character, played by several different actors, an attempt to create the ultimate Frankenstein's frontman.

"I'm not the same guy that you may have seen from the I Get Wet album," W.K. said in 2008. "I don't just mean that in a philosophical or conceptual way, it's not the same person at all. Do I look the same as that person?" The jury is out, but if this is a great white elephant concocted just for the sheer hell of it, we kind of want this one to be true.

Jimi Hendrix was murdered by his manager

An early victim of the 27 club, the death of Jimi Hendrix was depressingly cliched for a man so wildly creative: a bellyful of barbiturates led to him asphyxiating on his own vomit, according to the post-mortem. But in the years following the grim discovery at the Samarkand Hotel in London on 19 September 1970, a different theory was offered by the guitarist's former roadie, James "Tappy" Wright.

In his book Rock Roadie, Wright claims Hendrix was murdered by his manager, Michael Jeffery, who he says force-fed his charge red wine and pills. The motive? He feared he was about to be fired and was keen to cash in on the star's life insurance. One thing we do know for certain is Jeffery won't be able to give his version of events, as he was killed in a plane crash over France in 1973.

The 50th anniversary of Hendrix's tragic passing was "celebrated" with the release of Hendrix and the Spook, a documentary that "explored" his death further and was described by The Guardian as "a cheaply made mix of interviews and dumbshow dramatic recreations by actors scuttling about flimsy sets in gloomy lighting." Sounds good.

Courtney killed Kurt

Courtney Love is no stranger to demonisation from Nirvana fans. When Hole's second album, the searing, catchy, feminist, witty, aggressive, vulnerable and unflinchingly honest Live Through This was released, days after Kurt Cobain's death, rumours almost immediately started up that Love's late husband wrote the songs. That was insulting and sexist enough, but nowhere near as damaging as the conspiracy theory that Love hired a hitman to kill Cobain amid rumours they were about to divorce.

After Cobain's first attempt to take his own life in Rome, the Nirvana frontman was eventually convinced to go to rehab following an intervention by his wife and friends. He ran away from the facility, and the private investigator hired by Love to find him, Tom Grant, eventually became the source of the idea that Love and the couple's live-in nanny Michael Dewitt were responsible for Cobain's death shortly afterwards.

His claims, made in the Soaked In Bleach documentary, include the notion that Cobain had too much heroin in his system to pull the trigger of the shotgun, and that he believed the suicide note was forged.

People close to Cobain (and the Seattle Police Department) have refuted the theory, including Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg: "It's ridiculous. He killed himself. I saw him the week beforehand, he was depressed. He tried to kill himself six weeks earlier, he'd talked and written about suicide a lot, he was on drugs, he got a gun. Why do people speculate about it? The tragedy of the loss is so great people look for other explanations. I don't think there's any truth at all to it."

The CIA wrote The Scorpions' biggest hit

Previously synonymous with leather, hard rock anthems and some very questionable album artwork, West Germany's Scorpions scored big with Wind Of Change, a power ballad heralding the oncoming fall of the USSR, the end of the Cold War, and a new sense of hope in the Eastern Bloc.

In a podcast named after the 1990 song, though, Orwell Prize-winning US journalist Patrick Radden Keefe follows rumours from within the intelligence community that the song was actually written by the CIA, as propaganda to hasten the fall of the ailing Soviet Union via popular culture.

"Soviet officials had long been nervous over the free expression that rock stood for, and how it might affect the Soviet youth," Keefe is quoted as saying. "The CIA saw rock music as a cultural weapon in the cold war. Wind of Change was released a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and became this anthem for the end of communism and reunification of Germany. It had this soft-power message that the intelligence service wanted to promote."

It's a convincing theory, but one that is disputed by Scorpions frontman Klaus Meine: "I thought it was very amusing and I just cracked up laughing. It's a very entertaining and really crazy story but like I said, it's not true at all. Like you American guys would say, it's fake news."

There are satanic messages in Stairway To Heaven

The great comedian Bill Hicks had something to say about people searching for evidence of devilry in rock'n'roll: "Remember this shit, if you play certain rock albums backwards there'd be satanic messages? Let me tell you something, if you're sitting round your house playing your albums backwards, you are Satan. You needn't look any further. And don't go ruining my stereo to prove a point either."

The memo didn't get through to televangelist and stylus ruiner Paul Crouch, who in 1982 attempted to scare the Christian right into believing Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven was stuffed with demonic meaning, and that played backwards it revealed the following message: " Here's to my sweet Satan/The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan/He will give those with him 666/There was a little toolshed where he made us suffer, sad Satan."

Guitarist Jimmy Page, of course, is no stranger to the esoteric, making no secret of his interest in occultist Aleister Crowley and the attendant magick, and there were even rumours the band made a Faustian pact to achieve fame and fortune. But hiding messages backwards in the songs? That seems to be a faff too far even for them.

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The 10 greatest conspiracy theories in rock

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Conspiracy theories, myths and legends have existed in rock’n’roll for as long as the music has existed, stretching all the way back to bluesman Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for superhuman guitar skills, fame and fortune. There are those who believe Elvis Presley

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Travis Scott Concert Incident     By: Fernando M. and Adam P.

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Travis Scott Concert Incident     By: Fernando M. and Adam P.

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"Some conspiracy theorists have said the crowd was put under a spell before the crush, and phrases such as "Astroworld sacrifice" have been trending online since the tragedy."

This shows that Travis Scott used the words "Astroworld sacrifice" as a type of symbol of showing his fans that his concert would be a ritual of some sort.This was the main focus on why people believed that the concert was a satanic ritual and believed that Travis Scott was to blame for this tragedy.

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Travis Scott: Astroworld conspiracy theory TikTok videos taken down

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Views have been taken down which falsely link the Astroworld disaster with Satanism.

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¨However, while Gaga ended up being signed to Interscope Records, Lina tragically fell to her death from the roof of the Staten Island Hotel in New York at just 19 years old.¨

This means people thought that this conspiracy theory was right because Lady Gaga and her friend Lina were both scouted by the same agent and after coming out with a song and lady Gaga getting signed to Interscope records Lina had suspiciously fell to her death and people thought Lady Gaga stole her identity and went on with her music career.

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Lady Gaga is the latest celeb to find herself at the centre of a bizarre conspiracy theory, and it's one of the wildest ones yet.

Things have got weird.

One online forum has claimed that Gaga - real name Stefani Germanotta - was behind her friend and fellow musician Lina Morgana's death and later stole her identity.

The 32-year-old, who picked up a Grammy for her song Shallow this year, is said to have been scouted by the same agent as Lina, before they ended up working together on a song called Wunderland.

However, while Gaga ended up being signed to Interscope Records, Lina tragically fell to her death from the roof of the Staten Island Hotel in New York at just 19 years old.

The claims say that Gaga was behind the tragedy, and later took on her identity, including her outrageous onstage persona.

It has also been claimed that the singer references Lina's death in the music video for Paparazzi, as she's shown falling from a balcony.

However, the claims can't be true as the star being in Los Angeles at the time of her friend's death in New York. And that's the end of that.

And Gaga's not the only celeb to find herself at the centre of weird conspiracies, with one of the most infamous being the claims that Avril Lavigne died years ago and was replaced with a doppelganger called Melissa.

The bonkers but oddly well thought out theory was started by a Brazilian Avril fan page in 2011, and suggested that Avril couldn't handle the pressures of fame after the release of her 2002 debut album, and was found dead at her home weeks after beginning work on album number two.

The record label is then theorised to have started using Melissa in Avril's place - who then apparently begins leaking details of Avril's death via song lyrics, album booklets, and promotional materials, including clothing.

'Evidence' supporting the theory included Avril's height now being listed online at 1.55m, when it was 1.58m in 2002, and her nose looking different.

However, the star later shut down the claims completely, branding them a 'dumb internet rumour.'

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 34-year-old said: '[I'm] flabbergasted that people bought into it. Isn't that so weird?

'It's so dumb. And I look the exact same. On one hand, everyone is like, "Oh my god, you look the same," and on the other hand people are like "Oh my god, she died."'

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Lady Gaga 'murdered pop star and claimed her identity' claims wild conspiracy

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Lady Gaga is the latest celeb to find herself at the centre of a bizarre conspiracy theory, and it's one of the wildest ones yet. Things have got weird. One online forum has claimed that Gaga - real name Stefani Germanotta - was behind her friend and fellow musician Lina Morgana's death and later stole her identity.