Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella Doomscroll 38: Liz Franzcak
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Dec 29, 2025 Liz Franzcak, co-host of TrueAnon and commentator on internet culture, dives into the complex interplay of conspiracy theories and capitalism. She argues that conspiracies represent distorted historical narratives, linking them to our fragmented media landscape. Exploring the moon landing and today’s online identities, she critiques the allure of influencer fame and crypto speculation as reflections of late-stage capitalism. Furthermore, she analyzes how tech has morphed into an essential infrastructure, merging with state power amidst rising economic challenges.
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Conspiracies As Emergent Meaning
- Conspiracy theorizing functions as a deformed narrative people use to grasp historical shifts they can't yet explain.
- Liz Franzcak links Lacan's reading of jokes to conspiracies as attempts to articulate emergent social formations.
Moon Landing As Manufactured Spectacle
- Liz uses the moon landing myth to show how propaganda and TV production were integral to the event itself.
- She imagines historians writing that America faked the moon to highlight how spectacle and power intertwine.
Atomized Identities Reveal Capital Ties
- The internet atomizes culture into niche identities rather than a single oppositional counterculture.
- Franzcak argues that this fragmentation exposed people's underlying relationship to capital instead of producing class consciousness.
