A conspiracy theory has two dictionary definitions: the first is “A theory that explains an event as being the result of a pot by covert group organization,” and the second is “The idea that many important political events are economical and social trends are the products of secret lots that are largely unknown to the general public.”

Conspiracy theories are quite popular in different aspects of American society, from the entertainment and television industries to even more psychological phenomenons.

The television network CW recently hit the airwaves with the TV show “Riverdale.” The show follows the Blossom family and other teenagers in the town. Jason Blossom and sister Cheryl went out to the river early one morning, and the next thing the audience knows, Jason‘s body is being pulled from the river, dead.

Conspiracy theorists, like YouTuber Shane Dawson, have theorized that Jason and his sister Cheryl were involved in a romantic relationship – not just sibling love. And, to some extent, the theory is believable. Shane Dawson, in his YouTube video “Popular Conspiracy Theories“ sits down with Madelaine Petsch, who plays Cheryl Blossom, and asked her opinion about these specific theories.

When Dawson presented Petsch with specific evidence, such as how Cheryl calls Jason her “soulmate” or even how when you first were introduced to Jason and Cheryl in Riverdale, a song plays with the lyrics that says “tell me you love me, tell me you’ll never leave me, tell me that you kiss me…”

Petsch simply states “It was just a creepy song- that’s why we played it.” She also justifies her strange relationship with Jason by saying, “Cheryl’s abused by her parents and he’s her saving grace and the only person who ever showed her love their relationship was created to look weird.”

Another theory surrounding the show is that the show’s theatrical poster is very similar to the movie poster of It Follows. After these accusations were brought to the attention of “Riverdale” director Lee Krieger, he confessed to the cast that he was up obsessed with It Follows and that’s why they look similar.

Another theory that is widely discussed among conspiracy theorists is darker than the rest. It revolves around “Rugrats,” the Nickelodeon TV show that followed a group of toddlers – Angelica, Tommy Pickles, Chucky Finster, Phil and Lil and more. Angelica, the oldest sibling, was actually schizophrenic because while her mom was pregnant she abused substances. After Angelica was born, her mom overdosed and passed away, leaving her dad clearly upset with this death, causing him to marry someone who only wants his money. This, among other strange show aspects, has led many fans to believe that the Rugrats were a figment of Angelica’s imagination.

A shocking conspiracy theory is the “Mandela effect,” which involves people remembering specific events and common phrases different ways. The name comes from the strange conflict of people seeming to remember that South African political leader Nelson Mandela‘s death occurred in prison, while others have remembered him to live on and die in 2013. In a Youtube video, Michelle Platti lists various events that people remember happening in completely different ways. For example, the Berenstain Bears. Many people remember the Berenstain Bears being spelled with “-ein” but when you take a close look at the official name, it is spelled with “-ain.”

In Kendall Rae’s YouTube video, New Mandela Effect Examples Mandela is Real! She discusses the debate of the spelling of the brand Oscar Mayer. In 1973, Oscar Mayer released a commercial depicting a little boy singing “My bologna has a first name it’s O-s-c-a-r, my bologna has a second name it‘s M-a-y-e-r. ” However, a majority of people seem to remember the last name being spelled M-e-y-e-r. Another example comes from the movie Snow White that involves an enchanted mirror. Much of pop culture remember its famous saying as “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” But, a handful of adults who were alive when the movie first came out remember it as “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

Whether it’s in pop culture or it’s in famous historical events, there are many things which cannot be explained – leaving some people to create various theories and explanations of their own that are left up to you to decide what to believe.