What happens when the internet starts reinterpreting childhood cartoons through a much darker lens?

In this episode I explore some of the most infamous cartoon conspiracy theories from the Rugrats imagination theory to the mysterious Squidward creepypasta and look at the psychology behind why people create them in the first place.

https://abc7.com/spongebob-kwarantined-crab-inappropriate-episodes-removed/10462487/

https://www.wired.com/1997/10/in-his-way-john-k-will-challenge-the-world/

https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945-present/crossroads.htm

https://www.atomicarchive.com/media/photographs/testing/us/crossroads.html

https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/operation-crossroads/

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usupress_pubs/35/

https://nyupress.org/9780814742815/convergence-culture/

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/spongebob-squarepants-mid-life-crustacean-episode-removed-from-paramount/1100-6489459/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC80580/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/patternicity-finding-meaningful-patterns/

https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-023-05360-0

https://www.history.com/articles/nuclear-bomb-tests-bikini-atoll-facts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Crossroads

https://time.com/4446927/rugrats-chuckie-mom-nickelodeon/

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/rugrats-never-happened-theory

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/creepypasta

https://www.washington.edu/news/2004/12/06/two-thirds-of-school-age-children-have-an-imaginary-companion-by-age-7/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/patternicity-finding-meaningful-patterns/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050308101309.htm