Everyone has a conspiracy theory they can't help but entertain. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, sometimes all it takes is one oddly convincing explanation to get you questioning everything...
Over on Reddit, people are sharing the weirdest conspiracy theories they believe in, and some of these are now living rent-free in my mind. Here are some of the best responses:
1.
"Pandas are a failed experiment and were created to just clear bamboo and be useless and protected."
—Shortstahp
"Stupid cute and too stupid to live on their own. Yeah, that sounds like something humans would create."
—Waschaos
2.
"My weird conspiracy is that in the 2000s, Disney kept creating crappy sports kids movies like Everybody's Hero and Chicken Little's baseball B-plot so they could try and manipulate children's taste into wanting sports which would inevitably lead them to watching ESPN — another Disney company buyout — as an adult. Disney was playing the long game but I can't prove it."
—AssumeImStupid
3.
"That appliances are programmed to break down the exact week their warranty expires."
—SpiceItSoftly
"Planned obsolescence. Big companies realized that if things lasted forever, they couldn't make as much money."
—granolacrumbs9386427
4.
"AI and technology are slowly eliminating working class jobs."
—RedPillHellbilly
"What’s so sad about this is that this could theoretically be what sets us free and makes our lives easier, gives us more time back. But end stage capitalism will just use it to starve us out."
—okwerq
6.
"That school is really just to brainwash you into thinking a 9-5 is normal."
—YellowLabbyLab
7.
"Movies are changing to address our shortening attention span."
—Any_Individual_815
"In what ways are they changing?"
—Pippy1010
"They repeat the plot of the movie throughout; the reason being that we are mostly on our phones and not paying attention. Dialogues include the plot and repeating what has already transpired so that we don’t have to pause and/or rewind."
—East_Protection8840
*Editors note: This has also been confirmed by none other than MATT DAMON!*
8.
“Commercial mop buckets are intentionally designed with the wringer on one side so that, when the wheels suddenly stop, the bucket tips over and damages the mop head. This is because the companies that make mop buckets also make mop heads, forcing you to buy replacements more often.”
—Floaty_Afternoon42
9.
"That the moon landings were real, but the public were shown a studio mock-up by Kubrick while the actual landing took place. They saw things that they can't talk about and that were known before the mission started...hence all the quietness/shyness when the press interviewed the astronauts days after their return."
—Kaylen316
10.
"My mother in law says the reason they don't push cursive writing in school anymore is because 'they' don't want young people to be able to read the Constitution."
—sexbymyself
11.
"Digital entertainment trends (shows on Netflix for example, corporate reels, anything really non-independent) are used to condition us for the next big controversial thing. Be it to normalize something or propagate."
—Sinnahmen
"YES yes yes it sounds crazy but why does every good show feature a secret bunker??"
—Time-Box128
12.
"Ethiopia is actually living in the 'real year/time.' It's 2018 there, their calendar has 13 months, each month exactly 30 days and the calendar is in sync with nature and solar cycles...it makes a lot more sense."
—friendlyneighbour783
13.
"I know it's a tired trope, but Oswald did not kill JFK."
—riding_writer
"Yeah, we will never know for sure now (unless time travel somehow becomes a thing, maybe) but this one is the Occam's Razor answer to me. Least number of things left unexplained, most plausible cover up (most seem to have too many moving parts and too many less plausible motivations). Lots of things add up here that don't for other explanations."
—PRA421369
14.
"That diet Dr. Pepper actually tastes more like regular Dr. Pepper."
—tianavitoli
Now it's your turn! What's the weirdest conspiracy theory that you believe in? Let us know in the comments below, or use this form to be anonymous! 👀
For more internet finds, check out BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.