Blog Post 6

       In Chapter 11: Selling Conspiracy Theories to Skeptical Audiences, a conspiracy theory was defined as having three components: sowing distrust, challenging plausibility, and telling a better story. 

       The first aspect, sowing distrust, is key to a conspiracy argument. It provides the listener with serious doubt of the narrator and his or her story. This occurs mainly in government interactions because many people believe the government keeps many secrets from the public. The film, Loose Change, provides its audience with many examples of the government relaying information improperly. For example, the film explained that Condoleezza Rice warned a government official to not fly on the day of September 11th. This allows one to believe the government may have known or been apart of the attacks. The movie did a great job of presenting their argument and instilling distrust in the government through the facts and examples. 

       Challenging plausibility, the act of questioning one’s previous beliefs, usually occurs once doubt has been set in the audience’s minds. In Loose Change, this is done when the narrator states that is impossible for the plane to hit the pentagon the way it did and not cause further damage. The wings did not make holes in the building at all. The film continually shows its audience how the government’s depictions of the events do not add up. 
       The final step of a conspiracy theory is providing a different option for the events. Loose Change provided evidence to dismantle the government’s argument. In the scene of the Twin Towers being hit and explosions occurring, a man that was interviewed said that he could here explosions coming from inside the Twin Towers. The information the film gives really makes one rethink what could have happened that day. Loose Change captivated its audience and provided conspiracy theories on what really happened on September 11th.