Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura
Encyclopedia
Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura is an American
television series hosted by Jesse Ventura
and broadcast on truTV (a US cable television channel formerly known as Court TV). It premiered on December 2, 2009, and is produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions. A second season premiered on October 15, 2010. A third season is being created and will be aired in 2012.
, professional wrestler
, actor
, and Minnesota
governor
Jesse Ventura
teams up with a group of investigators consisting of skeptic Alex Piper, reporter June Sarpong
and investigator Michael Braveman, and examines various conspiracy allegations involving numerous controversial subjects such as global warming
, the September 11 attacks, secret societies
, government surveillance, and secret weapons projects.
In season two, Alex Piper is replaced by investigator Daniel Kucan
in a few episodes.
Reviews by critics included Linda Stasi of New York Post
who called the show; "Mindless, good fun and a hoot to watch aging action stars still taking action"; and Robert Lloyd of The Los Angeles Times who wrote, "Whatever truth is out there, it's filtered here through what is arranged more as an adventure series than a documentary."
from Tennessee, who was interviewed in the episode, called for the removal of this program from truTV's lineup. He called the episode "outrageous distortion and an outright lie," as well as "dangerous and irresponsible." He stated "when the media purposely distort the facts to create confusion and mislead people, they must be held accountable. Unless we actively debunk false and misleading reports, we risk leaving the public with a dangerously skewed vision of this country." Cohen said he was "shocked and appalled" that Time Warner
would air a program "so full of inaccuracies and irresponsible distortions."
The "Police State" episode surmises that various prison-like facilities built around the country will be used during martial law
for the internment of citizens who are deemed a threat to national security. However, officials have stated the facilities are emergency FEMA camps for the housing of civilians displaced by hurricanes or other natural disasters. Cohen, whose district covers most of Memphis, created legislation aimed at creating temporary FEMA camps for the housing of people affected by any earthquake
that could occur in the area
.
Another allegation that focused around a private facility outside Covington, Georgia
, was the stockpiling of thousands of plastic bins alleged to be used for mass burials. The company that runs it is Vantage Products, the country's largest manufacturer of grave liners, and the facility is their storage site.
In a response to the criticism, Misty Skedgell, a Turner
spokesperson, described Conspiracy Theory as an "entertainment program that appears on an entertainment network."
announced that Ventura had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA), for what he calls "warrant-less and suspicion-less scans and body searches." Ventura, who has a titanium hip replacement
, claims that he sets off metal detectors and is always pulled out of line for lengthy pat downs. The same day of the announcement, Alex Jones
stated on his show that he had personally witnessed an embarrassing pat down of Ventura at the Atlanta International Airport while filming for Conspiracy Theory, during which Ventura loudly protested that "America is turning into East Germany." Jones also stated on air that Ventura, who flew two to three times a week for Conspiracy Theory, refuses to fly commercially again and may not be able to continue hosting Conspiracy Theory, and left the production of a third season of the program in doubt.
In September 2011, it was revealed that Ventura will host a third season that will be completed and launched on TruTV sometime in 2012.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series hosted by Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
and broadcast on truTV (a US cable television channel formerly known as Court TV). It premiered on December 2, 2009, and is produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions. A second season premiered on October 15, 2010. A third season is being created and will be aired in 2012.
Format
Former Navy UDTUnderwater Demolition Team
The Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
, professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
teams up with a group of investigators consisting of skeptic Alex Piper, reporter June Sarpong
June Sarpong
June Sarpong MBE is an English television presenter of Ghanaian descent.-Education:Sarpong was born in London to Ghanaian parents. She was educated at Connaught Girls School in Leytonstone and Sir George Monoux College in Walthamstow....
and investigator Michael Braveman, and examines various conspiracy allegations involving numerous controversial subjects such as global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, the September 11 attacks, secret societies
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
, government surveillance, and secret weapons projects.
In season two, Alex Piper is replaced by investigator Daniel Kucan
Daniel Kucan
Daniel Charles Kucan is a carpenter, artist, interior designer, actor, and television personality on the Emmy Award-winning TV series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition....
in a few episodes.
Ratings and reviews
The premiere episode was watched by 1.635 million viewers, TruTV's biggest audience for a new series launch. The next two episodes were watched by 1.586 million and 1.301 million viewers. Over the first three episodes the series averaged 1.5 million viewers, up 60% from the same time slot a year prior. During the month of January the show averaged 1.6 million viewers helping truTV deliver its biggest month ever in primetime.Reviews by critics included Linda Stasi of New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
who called the show; "Mindless, good fun and a hoot to watch aging action stars still taking action"; and Robert Lloyd of The Los Angeles Times who wrote, "Whatever truth is out there, it's filtered here through what is arranged more as an adventure series than a documentary."
'Police State' criticism
Shortly after the season two episode "Police State" aired, U.S. Representative Steve CohenSteve Cohen
Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
from Tennessee, who was interviewed in the episode, called for the removal of this program from truTV's lineup. He called the episode "outrageous distortion and an outright lie," as well as "dangerous and irresponsible." He stated "when the media purposely distort the facts to create confusion and mislead people, they must be held accountable. Unless we actively debunk false and misleading reports, we risk leaving the public with a dangerously skewed vision of this country." Cohen said he was "shocked and appalled" that Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
would air a program "so full of inaccuracies and irresponsible distortions."
The "Police State" episode surmises that various prison-like facilities built around the country will be used during martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
for the internment of citizens who are deemed a threat to national security. However, officials have stated the facilities are emergency FEMA camps for the housing of civilians displaced by hurricanes or other natural disasters. Cohen, whose district covers most of Memphis, created legislation aimed at creating temporary FEMA camps for the housing of people affected by any earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that could occur in the area
New Madrid Seismic Zone
The New Madrid Seismic Zone , sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the...
.
Another allegation that focused around a private facility outside Covington, Georgia
Covington, Georgia
Covington is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 13,118. The city is the county seat of Newton County...
, was the stockpiling of thousands of plastic bins alleged to be used for mass burials. The company that runs it is Vantage Products, the country's largest manufacturer of grave liners, and the facility is their storage site.
In a response to the criticism, Misty Skedgell, a Turner
Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. is an American media company founded by Ted Turner. Now owned by Time Warner, the company is largely responsible for overseeing its library for worldwide distribution Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. (commonly known as Turner Entertainment Co.) is an American...
spokesperson, described Conspiracy Theory as an "entertainment program that appears on an entertainment network."
Future of the series
On January 25, 2011, the Drudge ReportDrudge Report
The Drudge Report is a news aggregation website. Run by Matt Drudge with the help of Joseph Curl and Charles Hurt, the site consists mainly of links to stories from the United States and international mainstream media about politics, entertainment, and current events as well as links to many...
announced that Ventura had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
(TSA), for what he calls "warrant-less and suspicion-less scans and body searches." Ventura, who has a titanium hip replacement
Hip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...
, claims that he sets off metal detectors and is always pulled out of line for lengthy pat downs. The same day of the announcement, Alex Jones
Alex Jones
Alex or Alexander Jones may refer to:*Alex Jones , U.S. radio host and filmmaker*Alex Jones , Major League Baseball pitcher from 1889 to 1903...
stated on his show that he had personally witnessed an embarrassing pat down of Ventura at the Atlanta International Airport while filming for Conspiracy Theory, during which Ventura loudly protested that "America is turning into East Germany." Jones also stated on air that Ventura, who flew two to three times a week for Conspiracy Theory, refuses to fly commercially again and may not be able to continue hosting Conspiracy Theory, and left the production of a third season of the program in doubt.
In September 2011, it was revealed that Ventura will host a third season that will be completed and launched on TruTV sometime in 2012.
Season one (2009–10)
| Episode | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
Season two (2010)
| Episode | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|