Stranger Things Is Set in the Past — Before the Rise of Modern Conspiracy Theories

In Stranger Things, they had to water down the truth about Hawkins Lab. Now, the crazier the conspiracy theory, the better.

One thing that fueled Stranger Things’ popularity is its nostalgia factor: the bright clothes, the malls, the mullets. However, although it is set in the past, it is not so far in the past that the characters’ decisions and motivations seem completely foreign to me (case in point: I will never understand the necessity to constantly duel others in Bridgerton and Hamilton).

When I originally watched Season 2 of Stranger Things, I agreed wholeheartedly with the characters’ decisions and motivations. For example, Jonathan and Nancy wanted to expose the truth regarding how Hawkins Lab unleashed a monster from another dimension that ultimately killed Barb, to give her parents some closure. They secretly recorded scientists at Hawkins Lab, then brought the recording to Murray Bauman, a reporter-turned-private investigator.

After playing him the tape, Nancy asks him what she thinks is a simple question. “So, is it enough…is it incriminating?” Bauman goes on to explain, “I believe you, but that’s not the problem. You don’t need me to believe you. You need them to believe you…Your priest, your postman, your teacher, the world at large. Those people…They don’t spend their lives trying to get a look at what’s behind the curtain. They like the curtain. It provides them stability, comfort, definition. This…this would open the curtain…So the minute someone with an ounce of authority calls bullshit, everyone will nod their heads and say, ‘See? Ha! I knew it! It was bullshit.’ That is, if you even get their attention at all.”

Bauman takes a sip of vodka to help himself think, but the vodka’s too strong. As he’s adding water to make it more palatable, he’s struck by inspiration.

We water it down

The three of them decide to water down the story, to make it more palatable. Instead of telling the public that a monster from another dimension killed Barb, they tell the public that toxins seeped out of Hawkins Lab and killed Barb. Barb’s parents get their closure, and the public actually believes them.

When I first watched this scene in 2017, it made sense to me. I certainly wouldn’t believe any news stories about monsters from other dimensions, but I would believe news stories about leaking toxins. However, looking back on that scene now, I wonder if Murray Bauman was right.

A recent poll conducted by NPR/Ipsos asked Americans whether the following statement was true: “A group of Satan-worshipping elites who run a child sex ring are trying to control our politics and media”. Seventeen percent of responders thought it was true and a whopping 37% were unsure. This means that fewer than half the respondents were certain that this (blatantly false) statement was untrue.

Another poll found that 39% of respondents either somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement “I am concerned that the [2020] election is rigged”. This is despite the fact that down-ballot Republicans did well in the election and even conservative judges have found no evidence of voter fraud.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a newly elected member of the house of representatives, believes some even more outlandish claims. In one video, she claimed that the 2017 Las Vegas shooting may have been staged:

“How do you get avid gun owners and people that support the Second Amendment to give up their guns and go along with anti-gun legislation? You make them scared, you make them victims and you change their mindset and then possibly you can pass anti-gun legislation. Is that what happened in Las Vegas?”

Greene has also suggested that California wildfires may have been sparked by space lasers in a conspiracy cooked up by a bank controlled by the Jewish Rothschild family, a utility company, and former Governor Jerry Brown.

Finally, in a third video, Greene suggested that a plane never hit the Pentagon on 9/11: “It’s odd, there’s never any evidence shown for a plane in the Pentagon”.

Despite believing all of these conspiracy theories, Greene won her primary and was elected to the House of Representatives. Furthermore, Minority leader Kevin McCarthy refused to remove her from House committees.

All of this made me think, was Murray Bauman right? If people will believe that leading politicians and reporters run child sex rings, that shootings and terrorist attacks are staged, that fires are started by space lasers rather than something mundane like electric sparks or matches, why wouldn’t they believe in monsters from other dimensions? It doesn’t seem like people are afraid to peek behind the curtain; it seems like people are sewing their own curtains that they pull back to reveal fantastical fabrications.

Or perhaps Maury Bauman was correct; people in the 1980s wouldn’t believe the story. For, what would happen in the 1980s? They could send their story to newspapers and TV news rooms, who would probably refuse to run the story. Even if they did run the story, they would do so with an air of disbelief. I can just hear the story now: “A new recording has surfaced in which a scientist from Hawkins lab discussed portals to other dimensions, through which monsters can escape. Does this scientist suffer from psychological delusions? Has this scientist been spending too much time watching sci-fi movies? Should we have such crazy scientists working at Hawkins lab, or do they need to be fired before they can become a danger to themselves or others? Now to put that crazy rumor to rest, we have a senior government official with us.”

With that tone to the reporting, most people wouldn’t believe the news story. Even if a few people did, their friends and family would immediately ridicule them. They would never be able to find a community of people who agreed in the story, which would allow their beliefs to flourish.

Now, contrast that with today. Today, Nancy and Jonathan could simply put the recording on the internet; they wouldn’t need the news media. People who believed the recording would leave comments, helping them find each other and develop a community. In fact, that sense of community may become so strong that they cut off their real-world ties with people who disagree with them. The believers wouldn’t just passively listen to the recording that Nancy and Jonathan posted, but would actively share it on their social media platforms. Search engines, which are designed to surface popular content, regardless of its accuracy, would help share the recording widely, drawing in even more believers.

If Stranger Things was set today, it wouldn’t just be the clothes and haircuts that would be different. Nancy and Jonathan would have been able to tell the truth about Hawkins Lab, and enough people would have believed them.