Since first emerging in 2017, the conspiracy theory known as QAnon has attracted legions of devoted adherents, as well of legions of incredulous opponents. One aspect of QAnon that has attracted relatively little attention is its reliance on familiar folkloric motifs and themes. By borrowing and updating beliefs that have been shared among “the folk” for millennia, QAnon’s tenets display a base that is deeply rooted in folklore.

James Deutsch is a curator and editor at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where he has helped plan and develop many different public programs. He also serves as an adjunct professor—teaching courses on American film history and folklore—in the American Studies Department at George Washington University.

Levi Bochantin is a research assistant at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. He is a recent master’s graduate in Central and East European, Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, where he researched East German heritage in German museums.


Presented January 15, 2021

свернуть