It seems apt to begin a review of a show about conspiracy theories with a confession. A few years back, I worked at a national publication of questionable repute, specifically sourcing videos that might go viral. And some of our best hitters were wild conspiracy theory explanations about how a celebrity/member of the royal family/politician was actually a shape-shifting lizard living among us. Of course, for us the content was bananas, and we assumed most of the people watching thought the same, captivated by the absurdity of it. But then you realised there were some who genuinely believed this stuff.
So I was intrigued when I heard the Old Fire Station was putting on Conspiracy Theory: A Lizard’s Tale – Marlon Solomon’s personal journey through this odd world of crackpots. But it became clear early on that the focus of this show was on more than just tinfoil hat-wearers. What began as laughing at the preposterous notion of reptilian overlords very quickly revealed itself to have a far darker agenda.
In the show, Marlon plays YouTube videos of some of the better-known conspiracy theorists such as former BBC presenter David Icke, who, along with believing lizards live among us, openly espouses antisemitism. And the more Marlon goes down the rabbit hole, the worse it becomes. Through an engaging combination of rap, song, talk and video; he explores the origins of antisemitism and how it has now been adopted by both the far right and the far left.
And the rise of social media and our digital world has made spreading antisemitism easier than ever, as well as creating echo chambers that only serve to amplify the message with no-one able to counter the hate-filled narrative.
Indeed, as a former Labour member, the vitriol and abuse Marlon received when discussing antisemitism within the party was truly shocking. The irony of irate Facebook messages denying antisemitism while including antiseptic tropes is somehow lost on them, but not on Marlon. And don’t even start with the grammar!
Marlon’s Jewish heritage results in a personal and genuinely insightful reflection of the impact that these irrepressible tropes have. And his show is more important than ever. Last year saw a record number of antisemitic incidents in the
Given that backdrop, it feels as though Marlon’s show should be compulsory viewing for all. Otherwise we risk allowing this undercurrent of hatred and intolerance to fester unchecked with potentially deadly consequences.