Throwback Theories

When was the last time you heard a good conspiracy theory? It seems they have decreased in popularity over time, but nonetheless they’re a timeless topic. We all can enjoy a good conspiracy theory, but nowadays it’s become harder to find actually interesting ones. The ones that are more often talked about seem to have little to no evidence; but the “evidence” is what makes conspiracy theories truly interesting. Maybe this is your first time hearing these theories, or maybe it will serve as a nostalgic reminder of fun theories you’ve forgotten about.

One theory that gained popularity in the 2010’s was that the infamous company Mattress Firm is actually a money laundering scheme. The surface level of this theory was believable enough, as many speculated about money laundering due to the high amount of store locations they have, but the story only becomes more believable the deeper you get into it. Mattresses aren’t super high in demand, bought around once every 7-10 years, so why would there need to be so many mattress stores everywhere? They are often in close proximity to one another and sometimes even on the same street. Jo Green stated, “I remember one time in New York, somewhere near Rochester, and there were three different mattress stores- almost in a triangle- on corners along the same road.” At one time there were five mattress stores reported to be within a one-mile radius of each other in Indiana. Across intersections from each other, multiple within the same shopping centers; The proximity is just absurd.

When it comes to the theory itself, many believe that these mattress stores, or at least most of them, are actually money laundering cover-ups. In order to understand the theory better we must break this down. The term “money laundering” coined its name in the 1920’s from the mafia owning laundromats in order to lay low from the law. They take the illegal money made from things like drug selling, trafficking, gambling, and embezzlement, and funneling it into a more legitimate source. Therefore, it is understandable that people suspect mattress stores of being a front for something deeper. The suspicious amount of these stores are definitely something to question.

There have also been tons of theories surrounding the deaths of celebrities. Here we’ll go over one theorized phenomenon in particular: “The 27 Club”. You’ve likely heard this term mentioned somewhere. Maybe whispered quietly in a record store, or sighed by a fan of a dead actor. Many famous faces are tied into this theory, and it’s a very difficult subject considering how dearly celebrities are loved and how tragic the industry of fame can be. In brief: The 27 Club is the idea of a group consisting of celebrities, actors, and famous people who died at age 27. Almost all of these icons have also died in tragic ways. 

Some skepticize that these figures have made some sort of dark-magic deal selling their soul for fame, and a final death at age 27. According to Medium, “some astrologists believe the effects of the Planet Saturn are felt at 27 which causes reckless behavior and therefore increases the chances of death.”A big reason the idea of this “club” exists is because of the “statistical spike” in 27 year-old celebrity deaths. Famous faces such as Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Janis Joplin are included in this list. Either way, it is agreeable that these lives lost were tragic deaths of people who have gone too soon, and their deaths are worthy of proper respect.

What do you think? Are mattress stores perhaps a laundering scheme cover-up? Is there something sinister behind the death of young celebrities, or is it only coincidence? That’s the cool part about conspiracy theories: we just don’t know.