Conspiracy theorists aren't new. They have been around for forever and a day. Some of them have actually been onto something and their conspiracy theories have at least in part turned out to be true. Most conspiracy theorists, though, spin wild theories that stretch the limits of credibility and sanity.
In today's society conspiracy theories have become common place. They just seem to be apart of the discourse fabric. There are still wide eyed nutjobs spitting out outrageous scenarios. And, you have seemingly sane people spewing forth conspiracy theories almost as outrageous as what the "crazies" put forth.
Enter Sean Hannity and Alex Jones. They are the right wing's most vocal conspiracy theorists who also happen to be arguably President Trump's biggest cheerleaders. On the surface, Hannity and Jones seem to be world's apart. Sean Hannity is a radio and television host for a mainstream legit news organization, Fox News. (Y'all stop side-eying me. It's legit...sorta...kinda...a little.) While Alex Jones is also a radio and television (YouTube) host is also the founder of a legit news website, InfoWars.com...(Ok. I'm kidding. InfoWars is a nutjobs paradise and isn't close to legitimacy.)
Hannity has created himself a mini empire at FoxNews. His reported salary is north of $25 million per year. He's the top rated host on cable news. He is considered a leading voice in the Conservative movement despite some intellectual Conservatives bristling at him being labeled that way.
Jones has also built himself quite the empire. He has gone from being a local radio and public access television host in the Austin, Texas are to a well known YouTube and internet stalwart. He is known for his *ahem* political commentary and vast conspiracy theories. He started InfoWars in the last 1990s and has turned it into a profitable media site with a sizeable loyal following.
Some, perhaps many, people would say these two dudes are nothing alike other than a fanboy like affinity for Donald Trump. I say that they have quite a few similarities including their sycophant like praise of Trump.
Both of these guys love to tout conspiracy theories. They love to rile up their legions, who are also fierce Trump supporters, into a lather with often incredulous defenses of the President. They both love to promote the advancement of culture wars. Some would say they like to veer toward, shall we say, racially insensitive territory.
Sean Hannity is seen more as an intellectual type by some. Why or how only God knows. Hannity likes to espouse inane conspiracy theories like Special Counsel for the Russia investigation, Robert Mueller, is running a "crime family" or that "deep state" operatives (who by the way many are Trump appointees) are out to get Trump. For example, accusing Trump of nepotism is a deep state lie to undercut Trump's presidency according to Hannity. Of course, nevermind that giving your daughter and son-in-law high level high security clearance jobs in the White House is the very definition of nepotism. Anyway, Hannity presents this mess while wearing a nice suit, speaking in a moderately calm tone and sporting what I guess is a decent haircut, so it doesn't sound conspiratorial or insane according to some people.
Now, Alex Jones on the other hand is seen by those outside of his followers and subscribers a bit differently. Jones usually wears a casual sports coat and t-shirt. He often looks like he's never seen a shower he likes. He is always a bit fidgety. He says little gems such as the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. He recently claimed Democrats were going to start a civil war on the 4th of July. He has claimed Michelle Obama is a man and that President Obama is a demon and it's true because he smells like sulfur and is constantly surrounded by flies. He has subscribed to the belief NASA is running child sex slave rings on Mars. Oh, he said the Pentagon is placing "special" chemicals in perfumes and colognes to turn men gay so they can't reproduce. And, all of these things he says are true because he has reliable sources who, of course, he can't reveal because it will endanger his life and theirs.
Now, admittedly what Jones says is far more out there, we'll say, than what Hannity says. So, how are they alike?
Well, they both are people our President routinely seeks counsel from. And, they're both two bit hustlers.
Hannity's hustle is to come off as a serious political and media figure. He sells himself as some policy wonk. He calls himself a "media advocate" which he thinks gets him around the obvious conflict of interest appearance he has as a news show host who reports on the President yet advises him. Hannity turns his popularity and alleged political knowledge into speaking engagements and CPAC appearances. It's a joke. He knows it is a joke. It is why he has that bitchass smirk on his face when he "reports" on the Mueller investigation or anything to do with Trump. Hannity knows as long as he kisses Trump's ass he's golden.
As for Jones, he's not quite the charlatan Hannity is. He's more like a disgraceful televangelist. While he does his charlatan act claiming to be a journalist, Jones is more of a shameless hustler. Aside from his batshit crazy conspiracy theories he pushes actual tangible products. After a couple of hours of ranting and raving about globalists, demons, child sex slave rings on Mars and how the government is going to take away our cars and guns and force us to live in hobbit homes and have sex with horses (something he's been saying since the 90s) he hawks supplements. No, I am not kidding. Jones pushes on the rubes he calls an audience such wonderful products like penis enlargement pills, vagina vitality supplements, muscle growth vitamins and "special" red white and blue fluoride enhanced toothpaste. I'm serious. Checkout the website for yourself.
These two Trump ass kissing stooges have no ethics nor any shame. But, honestly they don't scare me as much nor do I put the onus of their success on them as much as I do their listeners and viewers. Especially in Jones' case. They didn't create the audience. The audience created them. That is what is scary. It's frightening to me that someone like Hannity can spew forth these bullshit theories and narratives with no proof or semblance of proof whatsoever. It is downright mind numbing that anyone with a IQ in the double digits could listen to Alex Jones for more than one minute and come away thinking anything other than he's certifiably batshit crazy. I mean the man said on numerous occasions that lizard people were going to take over our minds. And this is a man the President of the United States of America considers a sound mind to get consultation from on domestic and foreign affairs.
#IJustCantWithThesePeople
