DeepSummary
In this episode, Sarah Marshall and Rachel Monroe discuss the bizarre phenomenon of cattle mutilation that occurred in the 1970s, which inspired numerous conspiracy theories involving UFOs, Satanic cults, and government experiments. They explore the origin of these theories, tracing them back to the case of a mutilated horse named Snippy in 1967 and the subsequent spate of similar incidents across the Midwest.
The discussion delves into the various explanations proposed at the time, including the government conspiracy theory fueled by sightings of black helicopters, the Satanic cult theory propagated by an informant's elaborate tales, and the eventual association with UFOs and aliens. Rachel emphasizes how the phenomenon gained momentum through local news coverage and the circulation of gory details, fostering an atmosphere of fear and paranoia.
As they examine more recent reports of cattle mutilation, Sarah and Rachel consider the role of social media algorithms and renewed mistrust in government in perpetuating these stories. They also discuss the plausible scientific explanations involving natural decomposition patterns and scavenger behavior, which challenge the more sensational theories.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Cattle mutilation incidents in the 1970s sparked numerous conspiracy theories involving government experiments, Satanic cults, and UFOs, fueled by local news coverage and an atmosphere of fear and paranoia.
- The conspiracy theories often attributed seemingly inexplicable details, such as surgical precision or lack of blood, to nefarious forces, while more rational explanations involving natural decomposition and scavenger behavior were overlooked.
- The resurgence of cattle mutilation stories in recent times may be attributed to the proliferation of social media, algorithms favoring sensational content, and renewed mistrust in government.
- Cultural phenomena like cattle mutilation reveal how humans sometimes attribute strange events to conscious agents or entities rather than natural causes, and how fear can distort our perception and reasoning.
- Conspiracy theories often lack a clear profit motive, suggesting that many are driven by financial incentives rather than more bizarre or ideological motives.
- The decline of local news coverage, which played a significant role in amplifying stories like cattle mutilation in the past, has contributed to the changing dynamics of how such stories spread and gain traction.
- The human tendency to overestimate one's expertise and insert oneself into matters beyond one's purview can contribute to the propagation of conspiracy theories and unfounded claims.
- While fear and paranoia can shape human reasoning, it is essential to approach evidence objectively and consider more rational explanations before attributing strange events to nefarious forces.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “You know, like, of course, this is the seventies, so it's like, we're a little early for peak satanic panic, probably. I feel like that would have become the dominant explanation if it was, like, a few years later.“ by Rachel Monroe
- “Animals are always dying in these weird ways that you're just like, this is not how they usually die. And, you know, the. The search for a culprit, whether it's a werewolf or, like, the horse ripper or, you know, the government or an alien, it's, like, always the kind of the search for, like, somebody did it, rather than just, like, nature's gross sometimes, right?“ by Rachel Monroe
- “Yeah. The mutilation of the american newspaper.“ by Sarah Marshall
- “They don't care about you. They care about money.“ by Sarah Marshall
Entities
Person
Book
Episode Information
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall
11/28/23
Mulder and Scully were busy this week, so Monroe and Marshall are on the case. Did UFOs really travel across the galaxy to experiment on American cows in the 1970s? And if so, why did they come back after fifty years?
You can find Rachel online here.
This episode was produced by Carolyn Kendrick.
Links:
UFOs and a Horse Called Snippy
Mutilations of Cattle In Texas, Oklahoma Called Work of Cults
Six Cattle Found Dead in Texas With Their Tongues Missing
"UFO Secrecy extends to NASA; cattle mutilations confuse authorities"
Support You're Wrong About:
Bonus Episodes on Patreon
Buy cute merch
Where else to find us:
Sarah's other show, You Are Good
[YWA co-founder] Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase
Links:
https://www.rachel-monroe.com/
https://www.carolynkendrick.com/
https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/western-history/ufos-and-horse-called-snippy
https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/02/archives/mutilations-of-cattle-in-texas-oklahoma-called-work-of-cults.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/22/us/cattle-deaths-texas.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhkc_ST8HEA
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/youre-wrong-about
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/yourewrongaboutpod
https://www.podpage.com/you-are-good