Q-Anon Stealth Aesthetics Infiltrate Instagram Influencers

8/20/2020

In the Atlantic on Monday, Kaitlyn Tiffany has an interesting article about the use of aesthetics to spread the Q-Anon conspiracy theory on Instagram. Tiffany typically associates radical, alien-inflected conspiracy theories with bad graphic design, masculine colors, and in-your-face visuals with large, loud typography. However, she was taken aback by the subtle inclusion of Q-Anon conspiracy references in more aesthetically pleasing and more feminine graphics associated with lifestyle influencers who more typically offer homemaking tips and fashion advice:

Instagram has long been a place where what you see might be smoke and mirrors—a home for the best and most beautiful version of everyday life, put on display for consumption and then expensive imitation. What is startling about QAnon’s new presence there is the way it slips in: easily, and with little visible pushback from the influencers’ communities or from the platform that hosts them. We’re used to conspiracy theories appearing on the internet’s strange and ugly spaces, laid out with blurry photos and eyesore annotations. But those visual cues are missing this time. There’s no warning—just a warm, glamorous facade, and then the rabbit hole.

Tiffany found, anecdotally, that the strategy was effective. Many in the lifestyle influencing community weren’t aware of the conspiracy theories they were actively liking, reposting, and spreading. Instead, they trusted the lifestyle influencers who posted this material and assumed that the references to child sex trafficking in pizza parlors was a serious news story. (I can’t imagine what they thought of the Reptilians and ancient astronaut/UFO parts.)

Most disturbingly, the rabid Q-Anon fanbase can propel any new Instagram account to popularity, providing a perverse incentive for aspiring influencers to include Q-content to drive their follower counts.

Tiffany found it chilling that aesthetics could be used for evil. “An aesthetic that appeals to me personally was being used to mask something that it’s my job to pluck out and pin to the wall: It made me shiver,” she wrote.

I find this subject particularly interesting because I enjoy aesthetics, graphic design, and the visual elements that support narrative. Through the many iterations of this website, for example, regular readers have seen the different ways I have used aesthetics and graphic design to present serious and often skeptical historical content in a package that plays with the masculine, sci-fi, and horror design elements used by cable TV to market their shows. One of the books I found fascinating many years ago was called Hitler and the Power of Aesthetics, which looked at the many ways that the Nazis used art, architecture, and design to convey ideology across every aspect of society. The female Q-Anon influencers have followed some of the more subtle strategies the Nazi designers used, working to normalize an extremist ideology through integrating it into otherwise innocuous formats and associating it with wholesome aspects of everyday life until one cannot be separated from the other.

Protocols of Learned Elders of Zion: https://t.co/BpI5Tc8oKc
— FBI Records Vault (@FBIRecordsVault) August 19, 2020

Earlier today FOIA materials were posted to the FBI’s Vault and FOIA Twitter account via an automated process without further outlining the context of the documents. We regret that this release may have inadvertently caused distress among the communities we serve.
— FBI Records Vault (@FBIRecordsVault) August 19, 2020

We live in an America where the FBI tweets out copies of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion—something they actually did yesterday afternoon and (plausibly enough) blamed a bot for in an apology tweet four hours later—and the president endorses Q-Anon conspiracy theories that involve Reptilians and fantasies of him murdering his political enemies. He praised Q-Anon yesterday as a movement of true patriots who “love” America. Lifestyle bloggers sharing warm and fuzzy photos with Q-hashtags is probably not the biggest problem, but it is nevertheless an insidious bit of propaganda.

32 Comments

Joe Scales

8/20/2020 09:22:19 am

Tell you the truth Jason, I'd never heard of Q-Anon until I read you promoting them here.

Jim

8/20/2020 03:07:49 pm

" until I read you promoting them here."

As usual Joe accuses Jason of something that he didn't say, but rather something that Joe attributes to him.

8/21/2020 09:30:35 am

Jim, you cyber-stalking simpleton, Jason promotes Q-Anon by giving them more significance than they actually have simply to smear his political opposition. Any political party has it's fair share of dregs that support it. By focusing on them to create the illusion they represent the whole, well... you'll never learn Jim. So why bother. You imbecile.

8/21/2020 03:16:54 pm

Lol Joe, just keep digging that hole. Promote means what it means, it is what it is, and Jason did not promote QAnon.

Your bastardization of the English language to promote your hero trump's political ends is comical.

Joe:
" By focusing on them to create the illusion they represent the whole, well..."

Jason:
"Lifestyle bloggers sharing warm and fuzzy photos with Q-hashtags is probably not the biggest problem, but it is nevertheless an insidious bit of propaganda."

Did you even read all of Jason's blog post before you went coocoo bananas ?

8/22/2020 10:30:35 am

Jim, my intellectually challenged, cyber-stalking menace.... you have cornered the market on coocoo bananas on this site. Your reactionary politics is just that Jim. Reactionary. Unbalanced. Inaccurate. And yes Jim... crazed. As I told you before, I cannot argue with stupid Jim. I cannot argue with crazy. But please continue Jim. Because you cannot stop. But it does serve a public service here, while comments are still allowed. Folks should steer clear away from you and never reveal their personal details. How many do you follow now Jim? How many times have your online obsessions seeped into real time Jim? How many times have you googled in search of yours truly?

You are mad Jim. Absolutely mad.

8/22/2020 08:17:05 pm

https://kreativcopywriting.com/10-logical-fallacies-know-spot/

"The Ad Hominem:

Lets start with one of the most common offenders. Also called "poisoning the well" or "the personal attack" you will have, I am certain seen the ad hominem fallacy used all the time.

How it works is rather than refuting an opponent's argument, the person attacks the individual instead. This can be directed towards their character, morals, intelligence, reputation or credentials. In fact it doesn't really matter, the main thing to remember is that they are not addressing the actual argument being presented but relying purely on feelings and prejudices to win their case."
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Poor old Joe Scales, the pseudo intellectual, couldn't argue his way out of a wet paper bag.
(said in Archie Bunker's voice)
Straight to the juvenile name calling.

Kent

8/23/2020 12:10:52 pm

I addressed this below in my post on "the good of the commons".
You're engaging in a fallacy I like to call "Mommy he's being mean to me!"

8/20/2020 12:08:34 pm

Oh Lawsy Lawsy! I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no Instagram! "Masculine colors"? Like Sonny Crockett's pink T-shirt? Q-Anon, whatever it is, and is there any consensus on that? as Scott Wolter so clearly demonstrated, is a distraction for idiots, like a Ralph Nader or Kanye West candidacy, and people who worry about it, whatever it is, are among the (useful?) idiots.

Shooting up a pizza parlor bad, but shooting up a softball field totally fine?

AMHC link

8/20/2020 01:19:58 pm

It’s simple really. Very simple. It’s King Solomon fighting with two political parties over the body of an infant. Remember the old Bible story now?

Axiology became anenthema after WW2. But it’s not gone away. Q Anon does NOT DERIVE FROM THE NAZIS in my humble opinion. It’s Predicated on a very NARROW view of NIETZSCHE. A view of Nietzsche that says and not without some merit, that he never developed a coherent philosophy, that he was an occultist and Anti Semite among other failings. Nietzsche is functionally a doppelgänger to allow the liberal wing of Christianity to write their own Star Wars inspired story of the Bible. The left didn’t do well when it came to religion after 911. Remember Hillary being trounced for making religious statements? Now she’s a pedophile apologist and a murderer in some Q circles, if not all. Frankly, Jason, I love your blog and I purchase your printed works. But I will say here it’s about Nietzsche and controlling the religious narrative. What you may think behind closed doors in your personal life is your business but I honestly believe this is the real root of Russia gate. Pin the tail on the Christian Satanist.

8/21/2020 07:27:24 am

Wow that's a big load of, well, it's big anyway. Vide supra my friend, vide supra. Stay useful!

Let us all remember that the Q-Anon (whatever that is) is both the Boogey Man and the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of whatever it is. Now let me fetch the cheese plate to go with that whine and ankle meat.

It is fair and true for someone to say they only hear about it from people who are worried and troubled by it and all het up about it.

8/22/2020 10:10:50 am

I think I get your point about it being “Big.” If I’m interpreting your meaning correctly we’re on a similar page about an outsized presence that is all Strum and Drang, if you know that phrase, much ado about nothing is another way to put it.

An Over-Educated Grunt

8/23/2020 01:56:44 pm

Sprechen Sie englisch? Se habla ingles? Parlez-vous anglais? Eigo wa hanasemasu ka?

8/24/2020 10:11:07 am

Frankly, Nietzsche, and arguments about his life are a decentered subject overly educated grunt. And mimic the argument that liberalism is mental illness. As it happens, modern conservatism is traditional liberalism as much as the current Democratic Party, given that conservatism broke with Monarchy. Doppelgänger if you know what that is. It’s all pompous foolishness.

8/24/2020 07:23:08 pm

Frankly, you're the only one who mentioned Nietzsche except for this post pointing out that you're the only one who mentioned him.

8/25/2020 12:43:17 pm

"Trump will save us from pedo Satanists" sure sounds like it has something to do with Nietzsche to me. Tell me how it ties in to stone holes and impact events while you're at it.

ROBERT BROWN

8/24/2020 04:34:04 pm

Calling something a "theory" is a simple, left-wing trick, an attempt to delegitimatize a fact that couldn't be suppressed by media's Operation Mockingbird. Remember, this psy-op goes all the way back to 1915, with the J.P. Morgan takeover of Editorial Policy in America's 25 leading newspapers, which basically sucked us into The Great War, and making it a World War, instead of a European gang scuffle.

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

8/24/2020 07:26:10 pm

There's more to the story of WWI but it's not a topic that would likely be welcome here.

8/20/2020 03:42:22 pm

"We live in an America where the FBI tweets out copies of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion"

We live in an America where the FBI blackmailed Martin Luther King. As Daddy Tomato said to Baby Tomato when he squashed him, "Ketchup!"

We live in an America where the Library of Congress owns several copies of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and makes them available to anyone and everyone.
I have it on good authority that it's also available through interlibrary loan.
The FBI, which has not distinguished itself recently, was probably just doing a favor for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a known terrorist organization.

We live in "an America" where Chicagophiladelphiabaltimorenewyork and you're worried about a long discredited book that was already available at the click of a button or "Siri, read me that Protocols book that I like so much"?

In Birmingham they love the Governor, boo, boo, boo
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you? Tell the truth

cruelsister

8/21/2020 06:06:15 am

"and the president endorses Q-Anon conspiracy theories"

Love how you just slipped that one in, Jason, when from NPR:

"President Trump addressed the baseless, far-right QAnon conspiracy theory directly for the first time on Wednesday, saying he didn't know much about the online community and its followers other than "they like me very much."

Without a doubt a ringing endorsement of Q-Anon (sarcasm intended).

8/21/2020 09:26:22 am

Are you referring to this article ?

"Trump, Addressing Far-Right QAnon Conspiracy, Offers Praise For Its Followers"

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/19/904055593/trump-addressing-far-right-qanon-conspiracy-offers-praise-for-its-followers

"When a reporter partially summed up the conspiracy theory to him — that it revolves around a false narrative that Trump is leading a secret, government-led charge against pedophiles, cannibals and satanic worshippers — Trump responded: "Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

8/21/2020 01:51:08 pm

Jim. James. Hambone. Zhjammon!

Being against pedophilia, cannibalism, and Satanism?

IS that supposed to be a bad thing? I will give you Satanism, because freedom of religion or as I like to call it freedom of nonsense but I can't get on board with the other two. Not my scene. Whatever you want to do with your farmraised peopleveal on your side of the border is fine. Just see that it stays there.

https://www.google.com/search?q=canada+medical+experiments+on+orphans

Nothing to see here folks, move along.

8/21/2020 02:26:24 pm

The full quote: A reporter followed up, pointing out that QAnon supporters believe Trump is “secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals”. The president replied flippantly: “I haven’t heard that but is that supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing?

“If I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it, I’m willing to put myself out there and we are, actually. We’re saving the world from a radical left philosophy that will destroy this country and, when this country is gone, the rest of the world will follow.”

8/21/2020 05:42:57 pm

I have to take issue with you for the good of the commons and ask you not to point out when James makes errors. He doesn't take it well and it has the potential to become a whole scene, like Charlottesville.

But there are fine people.
On both sides.
Of his head.

Kal

8/21/2020 08:05:17 pm

Ah, the so called deep state conspiracy. GOP just thinks there must be one because every time they blatantly lie or try to rook others, they get caught. It's not the deep state. It's their own level of competence, or last thereof doing it. If anything it probes a government cover up is next to impossible. They would actually be the deep state, not the liberals. It's when on occasion they don't or can pardon their lackeys, that it becomes flipped. If their word for it makes no sense. Q anon sounds like a rehab for Q alien fetishests at the Trekkie convention. (Like al-anaon).

8/21/2020 09:28:15 pm

I don't get your references because I haven't read Lord of the Rings or listened to Yessongs but may I refer you to The Warren Commission? Quite well known in its day.

Paul

8/22/2020 11:20:28 pm

Influencers: (n) brainless fools driving advertiser spending by liking and commenting on each other’s senseless drivel.
Too much political nothingness on both the left and the right and little problem resolution on issues. Extreme ends of the political spectrum may make for talking points but rarely take the country forward. Twenty six trillion dollar debt? When was that mentioned? Liberals bash the right on coronavirus, but what have they offered? Oh, that is correct, California, New York and Illinois are right up there with number of cases.
Go back to debunking pseudo cases.

8/24/2020 10:15:43 am

Believe me, I’d love another COVID stimulus check, but CHINA would hold the note on the debt required to issue another round of checks. Just saying.

8/25/2020 03:37:26 pm

Actually it would be the Federal Reserve, but OOH! CHINA! BOOGEYMAN! Sad trombone.

When you lose a drag race, who eventually buys your pink slip is not the problem.

Nick Danger

8/26/2020 12:26:22 pm

I see above people praising QAnon with faint damns, or outright supporting them.

Some of these people - you can look it up - have committed or planned terrorist attacks to "free the mole children" or whatever bug is up their butt currently. To pooh-pooh concern over QAnon is to miss the point.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

When I was a lad in school, I wondered, "how could the German people have let the Nazis do those terrible things?" I guess we're finding out.

8/26/2020 01:54:48 pm

"you can look it up" I'd say the onus is on you to provide proof.

I'd be interested in hearing what you think "the problem" is.

You blather on but on substance you're serving thin gruel.

8/26/2020 02:01:11 pm

It's always fun to play the Nazi card of course, but how do you feel about the roving Kristallnacht currently underway?

Bruce link

8/28/2020 05:52:03 pm

Whatever happened to the recent changes that were supposed to cut back all the garbage being posted? Seems to pretty much be back to how it was a couple months ago. Full of obnoxious comments and attacks.

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