Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century

by Richard Roeper

You know what's really going on, don't you? Flight 93 secretly landed in Cleveland, where the passengers were whisked off to a NASA facility. Nostradamus predicted JFK Jr.'s plane crash, which was engineered by the One World Government. Online poker sites are rigged to knock out the short stacks. Donald Rumsfeld was behind the bird flu panic.

 

That's what it's like to live inside the mind of the 21st-century conspiracy theorist, who believes that all you have to do is look at the signs and you'll see what's really going on. And thousands if not millions of people actually believe this is the way the world works.

 

Debunked! is a breezy but fact-filled dissection of more than two dozen of the most popular urban legends and conspiracy theories of the 21st century. As he did in Urban Legends and Hollywood Urban Legends, and as he has done in dozens of columns for the Chicago Sun-Times over the last decade and a half, Richard Roeper lays out the basics of each conspiracy theory, quotes some of the true believers—and then tears the theory apart with his bare hands.

 

This book will provide you with invaluable ammunition for the next time you communicate with someone from that other, shadow world—that place where secret tribunals pull the strings and influence the outcome of everything from terrorist attacks to professional sporting events.

Genres: Nonfiction, Urban Legends, History, Skepticism, Humor, Politics

244 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Richard Roeper is a columnist/film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and, since September of 2000, has co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper with fellow film critic Roger Ebert.

Reviews

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subtitle of this moderately slender volume gives a fairly clear idea of its subject matter. The book's problem is that it is a moderately slender volume, and it's attempting to cover an extraordinarily broad field. The result is that we find here just a few conspiracy theories and a few urban legends (for argument's sake I assume "evil plots" are conspiracy theories), a high proportion of which the author has room to treat only cursorily. He further reduces his available space by devoting a longish (and to this reader pretty boring) section to sports and gambling, three of whose chapters can be summed up as "Some crazies think these things are rigged, but usually they're not" -- a theme that returns a few chapters later when he talks (yawn) about people thinking the American Idol votes are rigged. To give some idea of the infuriating almost-goodness of this book, in between the above chapters come (a) a very interesting discussion of Curt Schilling's legendary baseball deed of pitching with a disintegrating ankle, (b) an incredibly tedious waffle about the last episode of The Sopranos, and (c) an extremely fine chapter about The Secret whose only flaw is that it could well have been longer.

The final section of the book is another unnecessary add-on, a purported survey of Conspiracy Theory movies which includes Men in Black (aliens are operating among us without us knowing) but ignores all the versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and about a million other cinematic works of aliens-among-us paranoia like The Puppet Masters, I Married a Monster from Outer Space, Invaders from Mars, They Live, This Island Earth . . . the list could become a very long one! Several of the other choices seem similarly random, and I wondered if the only reason for including this section at all was that Roeper is well known for his movie criticism on the telly.

There's no denying I found a lot to enjoy in this book, and a few nuggets I hadn't known before; overall, though, the sense I had as I closed it was one of frustration that it had been such a thrown-together ragbag collection of often only vaguely related materials.

[John Harder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Richard Roeper has managed to complete a poorly written book on a subject of no importance. Mr. Roeper has attempted to explain how virtually all conspiracy theories are without merit. For example he explains why the twin towers were not dynamited. Well, no kidding. Only the incredibly vacuous (imagine a regular viewer of Entertainment Tonight or Judge Judy) would give any credence to these conspiracy theories to start out with, so why would I spend time reading how something that is obviously not true, in fact is not true. This book was a gift, but how can I regift this piece of trash? I need to some slack-jawed simpleton that can also read. Does anyone know someone who is perhaps a WWF fan who accidentally learned his ABC’s?

[Krishna Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author takes a look at many of the conspiracy theories floating around and explains why people are misguided in believing them. Roeper writes well, but in my view, he has not done a particularly good job for a few reasons.

First, he takes on too many topics from sports to politics to religion. And so the book lacks a coherent thread. Each topic is dealt with very quickly, sometimes without really driving the point home. The author’s use of irony may seem humorous, but in fact, reduces the effectiveness of the message. Thus, the book will be more appealing to skeptics than those who already believe in crazy theories.

Because of the essay-length examination of each topic, the author does not consider the motivations and belief systems of the believers in conspiracy theories. He often resorts to mocking them instead of taking every argument at face value and providing evidence to the contrary. This is an unserious book that fails to do justice to the word “debunked”.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Debunked? Oh really! This guy picks some crazy ass conspiracy theory and supposedly debunks it. Some of the ones he picks are so far out there that a fourth grader with a basic education and a firm knowledge of the alphabet could debunk it. I was hoping for this guy to grab hold of one of the big ones and try to convince me that there is no conspiracy behind said theory. Alas I still sit here a firm believer that Madonna and Bigfoot had a secret love child that was a result of a menage with Elvis. Yes the King still lives, on a remote farm deep in the Peruvian jungle. This book is like a big plate of meat and potatoes minus the meat and half of the potatoes.

[yasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I find conspiracy theories fascinating, but not when discussed like this. The author comes off as an entitled prick who cannot take people doubting him, and he spends most of this work basically claiming that his truth is the only truth out there.

[Erik Graff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This looked like a light read suitable to the circumstances of running a used bookstore. Indeed, it's written in bits, refers to material many will be already familiar with, and requires little thought. Sadly, it reflects little thought or preparation.

[Captain_Howdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll admit it was humorous. Beyond that it was just plain stupid.

To throw 9/11 and JFK alongside silly urban legends and "American Idol is rigged" is beyond being pot-smokingly ridiculous.

[Cathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review: dumb (lol) What I learned: nothing but it did reinforce a lot of my preconceived notions.

[Ashley]

Working at the library gives me a problem. I see too many books, think they look interesting, and bring them home. The backseat of my car is like a mini-bookmobile. And I never seem to have time to read any of the books I have out.

I grabbed this book only for the chapter on American Idol. I don't even watch American Idol, never have, but I felt I needed to know if the voting was rigged or whatever. You know what? I never even got to that part, because I reached the point where I knew I wouldn't have time to read the many books I had out, and returned them all. I probably would have liked to try to finish this, but I was overwhelmed with library books, so unfortunately it had to go.

[Vince · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gee no fooling people believe all sorts of stuff that some deem wacky. To anatheistic the Christian believes in unverifiable nonsense. The point is yes I to find much of what conspiracy thoerists believe to be unlikely. But when the author uses logic like, well so many people would have had to have been involved one would surely have talked by now, and other unscientific musings that he seems to be as believable as those he mocks.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, silly, interesting, intriguing. No hardcore conspiracy stuff here, just a lighthearted take on the many aspects of pop-cultural conspiracy mania that dot the landscape.

[Mauoijenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. I laughed a couple of time. Ok. Maybe a little more than a couple. Where do people come up with this crazy crap?!! A fun read if your bored or inbetween books.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I made the mistake of judging it by its title. I was expecting a deep dive into conspiracy theories, something that would logically debunk them, expose the reasoning behind them, and help readers separate fact from fiction. As a naturally skeptical person, I was hoping for a critical and rational perspective.

Instead, what I found was a lot of conditional language and speculation that, in some cases, seemed to leave room for the very ideas it should have been dismantling. In 2025, especially after everything that’s happened since COVID, conspiracy theories still have a strong grip on public imagination, and I believe a book like this could have taken a firmer stand in confronting them.

The section about movies was also a bit disappointing. While I understand that the author has a background in film, I expected more discussion of real conspiracy theories surrounding films (like The Exorcist), rather than just summaries or analyses of the movies themselves.

Overall, I was hoping for more depth and clarity, something that truly challenges misinformation rather than just brushes against it.

[Thomas Radigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read a little of this book, but it was enough to prove it was a waste of paper. All Roeper does is take a list of topics of widely-varying importance, from the 9/11 attacks to Katrina to the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich, and supposedly says what really happened.

But all he does is make a shallow cover of each topic, using rushed and poorly-argued and unsourced "evidence". He talks about various rumors that came out of what happened during Hurricane Katrina, but simply says they are based on racism because many victims were black, and he fails to say what really happened. He also claims the media isn't liberally-biased by listing a few conservative news outlets and columnists-but fails to give an overall picture of the media.

Essentially Roeper editorializes rather than educates, and could at least have provided some sources for his arguments rather than saying "this is so!" with no real evidence. The National Enquirer does a better job.

[Myron M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A not much of anything book redeemed by the final section, reviews of various conspiracy theory movies. I had all of Richard Roeper's books, so I decided to read them all. So now I'm faced with this choice: abandon my plan, or slog through his book about his Chicago White Sox fandom. 10 pages into the introduction, and choice 1 is looking mighty tempting.

[Greg Koontz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glad I did not pay full price for this book!
Some interesting tidbits and way too much of his whiney political views that he drops in. This is a book I would like to send a bill to the author for my time spent reading it.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A breezy read, Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century completes the triumvirate of columnist Richard Roeper's anti-B.S. Book campaign. Alongside Urban Legends and its companion, Hollywood Urban Legends, Debunked! adds a collection of more recent scandals, rumours, and conspiracies – the majority of which prove to be wholly fabricated, or at least with no more than a toe steeped in truth.

Roeper's writing style tends to be decidedly more pointed within this title. Rather than merely presenting the fallacies and then setting about the delicate task of dissecting them, Roeper blasts the false claims on sight (going so far as to decimate a persistent 9/11 theory within the very title of its respective chapter!). The “snark factor” is turned up in this volume, but not to gratuitous levels.

What is excessive, perhaps, is the lengthy concluding chapter, which focuses on Roeper's favourite (and favourite worst) movies dealing with conspiracies and abounding theories. The chapter feels unnecessary, but not unexpected (with Roeper's greatest claim-to-fame being his presence on television's “At the Movies,” alongside Roger Ebert). However, without the supplemental chapter, the book would barely creep past the 200-page mark, and that is the count after the slightly-plus-sized font.

Roeper examines some of the better-known conspiracy theories of the past ten years or so: Starbucks' various “corporate policies,” for instance, or the “mysterious” bulge in the jacket fabric of incumbent President Bush. He also delves into what seem to be a number of “pet interests,” such as the alleged fixing of online gambling sites (which Roeper claims to have frequented regularly prior to the legislation banning them in the United States) and the blood stained sock of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling (which gained some minor notoriety, but to a baseball enthusiast like Roeper, deemed worthy of its own section within a smallish-sized book as this).

Though not a definitive book tackling each and every theory plaguing any given situation, tragedy, or corporation, Debunked! presents lighter fare, glancing through the haphazardly-written Internet diatribes and relying upon common sense moreso than detailed factual evidence disproving the various false claims.

you should go fuck yurself now while you still have the chance

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read, and not really all that long. The author covers a variety of modern myths, some I didn't even know existed. He has a good sense of humor, but also explained his position well. I honestly find it amazing what some people buy into. I'm sure I'm not perfect and probably have believed some urban legends in my day, but I don't remember believing any of the ones in this book, so that was reassuring. I liked that he reviewed some movies from the conspiracy theory genre at the end of the book.

[Mazola1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debunked brings a dose of common sense to many of the most common "conspiracy" theories, from the biggest to the most trivial. The 911 and moon landing conspiracies are looked at along with the belief that the voting on American Idol is rigged. In many, if not most cases, the debunking seems so obvious as to hardly need to be done. I guess the most entertaining part of this book is reading about all the crazy things that some people actually believe.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining refutation of many different conspiracy theories. Most of them are low-hanging fruit, but it's still satisfying to see them so neatly shot down with facts and common sense. Roeper is very occasionally annoyingly arrogant--such as when he smugly points out every time he's called Oprah out--but most of the theories are so senseless that pointing out their foolishness doesn't seem like bragging.

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's kind of like being told there's no Santa. You really want to beleive that our government is organized enough to pull off these elaborated cover ups. Hell, I just want them to send me my tax refund in a timely manner. Is that too much to ask? I guess so!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting short read if you're into urban legends and conspiracy theories and such-which I am in the mood for occasionally. Although the author has left-wing leanings, I still enjoyed reading the uncovering of some of these myths and legends.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick, fun read about lots of conspiracy theories that you have heard of in emails or from that one guy....
i love anything that exposes fraud and uncovers a bit of truth in today's messy world.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun "no-brainer" read on urban myths & conspiracies by the guy who took Gene Siskel's place... he's actually a pretty good writer and has a cynical sense of humor.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

reminds me of Brunvand's "Choking Doberman and other urban legends" - I LOVE this stuff.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snopes is probably still your best source for debunking stuff, but this was interesting too.

[Acme146 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny and informative takedown of some of the biggest conspiracies.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book about concpiracy theories!