https://redlib.catsarch.com/r/stupidpol/comments/1r96l11/understanding_the_us_1990s_conspiracy_culture_via/

Recently I decided to rewatch a few episodes of The X Files, and I'm genuinely a bit confused.

The show aired on the Fox network and was as normie as things get. In universe, there's a vast shadow-government conspiracy in which shady elites are not working in the interests of the American people. But at the same time, monsters and aliens are real.

Mulder is a handsome and charming leading man and total believer in all this stuff, and Scully keeps inexplicably rejecting her own personal experiences (autopsying an invisible man, confronting and killing all manner of supernatural creatures). So we are clearly being told as audience that all this shit is real and not just in Mulder's head.

Also interesting is how Mulder has his Lone Gunmen posse, who represent what the actual stereotypical conspiracy theorist of the era was supposed to be: horny unwashed ugly beta D+D virgin autists, of the variety who can't help but say "yowza" or "hubba hubba" or whatever whenever a woman appears.

Especially right now, with Epstein basically validating many elements of common political conspiracy theories, I'm confused about what The X Files was telling us. It was entertainment, not a psyop ... but I guess it seems strange that it basically told people it was good and normal and cool to go all the way up to believing in little green men. Moreover, the government conspiracy at the heart of it is the less outlandish part overall.

At the same time though, perhaps the show was ultimately saying that belief in government/political conspiracy is pretty much akin to belief in abduction by space aliens.

Can anyone who was an adult at the time say a little about the "evolution" of conspiracy theory over the last few decades (or more)? It seems more popular than ever (perhaps for good reason), but The X Files was all over this idea in an era where it seems like such stuff was typically regarded as fringe silliness.

I'd be interested in any thoughts y'all might have on any of this.