Stephanie Interviews Dr. Mia Bloom on Pastels and Pedophiles and Q-anon

Stephanie Interviews Dr. Mia Bloom author of the book, Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of Q-anon

They talk about how Q-anon functions. Here’s specific ways to help friends and family members captured by the Republican Party and Trumpism to get out. Get and apply the book Pastels and Pedophiles” Inside the Mind of Q-anon, by Dr. Mia Bloom

Stephanie Miller:
The author of Pastels and Pedophiles, Inside the Mind of Q-anon, Dr. Mia Bloom. Good morning, doctor.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
Thank you so much for having me.

Stephanie Miller:
That was quite a pitch, and I have to say as a woman, Doc, I am fascinated with this. I mean in a horrified way. It really is. You have to explain as you talk in the book about how it started. It starts with one conspiracy theory about that there are people preying on children. So it gets some women to go, oh we have to save the children. Now explain how this all the genesis of Q-anon.

Dr. Mia Bloom
Q-anon itself is a baseless conspiracy theory. That spread on these, you know, chan’s, the 4chan and Hchan, later 8chan, and it’s rehashed and rewarmed anti-Semitism anti-Catholic tropes. This stuff has been around for hundreds of years. Right, but what happened is that Q-anon is tapping into something very visceral for women. Because what it’s doing is it’s telling you, as a woman, that it is your responsibility to save the children. There are all these kids that are being trafficked, and they are being raped, and they are being drained of their blood.

So it’s horrific and what it does is, by activating women, and we saw this with terrorist groups as well. When you get the women, you get the kids, you’re probably going to get the husband, and you get this longevity of a movement. Because you’ve got the next generation on board.

Stephanie Miller:
I’m reading a review of the book, it says.

“the fact that Q-anon defies easy definitions and exactly what makes it so powerful. A recent poll found 15% of Americans believe there is a cabal of liberal elites who worship Satan and traffics children for sex and blood. This is Q-anon’s core tenant, but the movement contains multitudes. Adherents believe Trump is battling the Cabal. Depending on whom you ask, may or may not comprise members of a reptilian alien race disguised as humans. Many followers also embrace conspiracy theories about COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, vaccines, the death of John Kennedy Jr. Skepticism and bigotry, unite these disparate their theories authority expertise. Expertise and otherness are always suspect.”

Stephanie Miller:
So that’s the interesting thing right is, what do you refer to it as? A ball rolling down a hill and it just keeps picking up more and other conspiracies, right?

Dr. Mia Bloom:
Absolutely. It’s a sticky ball right and, what ends up happening. Well, Anna Merlin also from the Atlantic so beautifully. She said, it’s, it’s a conspiracy singularity, you know, like something out of Star Trek. The idea is that for the most part, Q-anon is so adaptable to its environment. It’s the first conspiracy theory that’s been able to either envelop pre existing conspiracies that long predates Q-anon.

Stephanie Miller:
Also, it changes along the way. So we can adapt to the anti-Vaxxer by being anti-Vax, not only are you getting, sort of the Republican base. Because of Trump love in Q-anon, but you’re also getting left wing women. Vegans, people who practice yoga. So you’re widening the base by adding anti-vaccine to Q-anon.

Dr. Mia Boom:
Exactly. That’s what and we joke about it here. We’re like, Santa Monica mom the anti-Vaxxer, to start. With, you know the whole it causes autism, you know, all this nonsense but your right. Like now it’s becoming about COVID It’s all. I love that. You said it’s a sticky ball rolling down the hill. It picks up other conspiracies and their supporters along the way growing ever larger over time. Believers can cherry pick ideas to suit their needs. Because then they can go on to believe that those people are crazy, but I believe these six conspiracies.

Stephanie Miller:
You talk about here, and we’ve heard this a lot. It offers people a false sense of agency and community in an uncertain world. Believers collectively analyzed crumbs of cryptic information. When they reach conclusions followers feel smart, superior and united. Particularly for people who are lonely or disenchanted with their lives. The emotional benefit of believing in Q-anon is arguably more important than the dogma, itself. New supporters were told that spreading a message about the threat of pedophilia made them righteous crusaders. So they’re all united in what they think is a righteous cause, but then that became January 6 and stop the steel. Right?

Dr. Mia Bloom:
Absolutely. I mean if you think about it. On the one hand we’ve gone through multiple crises, we had the global pandemic health crisis. We had a justice crisis after George Floyd was murdered. We had an economic crisis because things were changing. And as a result, we’ve had a mental health crisis. So all these four crises are happening simultaneously.

Now what conspiracy theory offers is, as has been proven by studies, it makes you feel better. It gives you some sort of consolation. So that if someone’s walking across the street and gets hit by a bus, you know, this is so random, but if the bus driver was aiming for that person. So this is where, even though people have been very upset and discombobulated for the last year and a half, plus.

Having a conspiracy theory, even if it’s evil conspiracy is better than these things happening without explanation. That we can’t figure it out. Why is it happening. So with the conspiracy theory, it made people feel like you are figuring it out yourself. We’re not telling you what to believe. Then you feel so smart and clever and I’m the one that figured it out. Then I become a proselytizer. Now I have to tell everybody.

Stephanie Interviews Dr. Mia Bloom on a Q-anon Book about how to gently lead a duped Trumpster out of the cult on their own.

Stephanie Miller:
Yeah. And it’s interesting, this is where you and Malcolm intersect and I’m sure why you you’ve connected. He’s coming up in just a few minutes. You tweeted, foreign powers Russia and China amplified Q-anon conspiracies to sow discord that led to the January 6 failed insurrection. I mean, it’s the same stuff. They jump in on the anti-vaxxers or anything that harms America, basically.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
Not only is it the same, it’s the Internet Research Agency that was involved in the 2016 election. At the outset in October 2017. They were amplifying Q-anon channels, and people like Tracy Diaz, who on her YouTube channel would take a Q drop which was the way that they were preceding their little bits of clues, and then they were ensuring that the word got out, and they were using the sock puppet accounts and the bots.

But, interestingly enough, Q-anon is in 85 different countries, including Russia. Russia now has a Q-anon problem, even though they helped start it.

Stephanie Miller:
Yeah, by the way you had a helpful tweet. You said, no one tell Jim Jordan that his cell phone records will have all the details of exactly when he spoke to Trump on January 6th. Just a little heads up for him.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
I worked in law enforcement. So I’ve used the cell phone records. It tells you who at what time and for exactly how long. If Jim Jordan can’t remember what time he spoke to Trump. We’ll let it clear that up too.

Stephanie Miller:
Sweet, that’s nice. Okay, so let’s get to this part. Because this has been compared to Scientology or any other kind of cult. So when you talk about [deprogramming a Trumpster]. Because we have heard about these people that have gotten out or that have saved friends and families from this going down this rabbit hole. What is your advice in that regard?

Dr. Mia Bloom:
I’m asking. It’s a big ask, I’m asking a lot of who have lost their friends and family. That have cut him off and saying, oh my God. Uncle Henry is wearing a tinfoil hat and believes in Q-anon. We’re saying, don’t cut people off. Because if you cut people off, you’re giving them nowhere to go. You’re giving them no off ramp. I believe they’re gonna feel even more isolated and dependent on this new virtual community that is online.

So what we’re saying is, ask questions, gently. Tug at the thread. It’s one of the reasons why in the last chapter Sophia had these FAQs. Not just because it had the letter Q, but we have the answers. Ask those questions because at a certain point the people believe it will not be able to answer them. Then that will plant the seed of doubt in that. We need them to start to feel like, oh, well that doesn’t make sense.

Because one of the things about conspiracy theories is they have opposite things in them at the same time. Maybe you don’t realize it. You need to have people feel that they are the ones leaving, instead of being pulled out. With cults it’s a little bit difficult to make the comparison. Because with a cult there’s is a clear leader. Q-anon is more like a mass hysterical movement.

Stephanie Miller:
Let’s talk about the two women, Ashley Babbitt and Roseanne Boyland was her name, who was trampled to death. Again, is that’s the other tragedy. As you wish friends or families could have saved them from even being there, but you know. The Republicans now trying to lionize particularly Ashley Babbitt as some kind of hero. When she is a terrorist, you know. They became terrorists, and they are dead because of Donald Trump, period.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
In fact, Roseanne Boylan’s brother blames Donald Trump for the death of his sister. That’s why, by the way, they only talk about Ashley they never talk about Roseanne. Roseanne Boylan’s family are not going to be accompanying him at his rallies. Because they blame Donald Trump.

Roseanne Boylan was the biggest Trump supporter. Her family begged her not to go. And she said it’s my responsibility to stop the steal. Now with Ashley Babbitt what we have is this. We have this combination. Ashley was in Iraq for four tours, she was trained by the US military.

This is where it gets dangerous. Because Flynn, on July fourth of 2020, he pledged allegiance to Q-anon. A lot of people in the military and veterans have followed him. These people have skills that are very dangerous if they’re used against the government. We trained them.

Stephanie Miller:
Yeah, it is scary that the intersection we found in all of that of white supremacist groups and military police, I mean it was a perfect storm on January 6.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
If you look at the people like tie guys, or the people who had the flak gear. The guys, the people who were Q-anon were wearing Q-anon sweatshirts or carrying a flag. The guys tactical gear, those were, the militias, Oath Keepers, Patriot fronts, KKK, Neo Nazis. Those are the really dangerous ones, when they mixed with Q-anon. That’s when Q-anon becomes a threat to our democracy.
Stephanie Miller:
Here’s a little tip I learned is, doc, I’m not as learned as you are, but. When you have time to make a t shirt in advance, it’s generally not spontaneous. Okay. What is your doctorate in, just curious,

Dr. Mia Blooum:
So I have a PhD in Political Science and I’ve been working on terrorism for like 33 years.

Stephanie Miller:
Okay, because I just, even though I know Malcolm. Oh, you’re not a medical doctor, but you are a helper. Because on Twitter you said, so much for alleged MAGA virility. First, data shows no women want to date them because they’re Republican.

Now because they are anti vaccine, they’ll have limp, and then you just put an eggplant emoticon. Coronavirus lingers in penis and could cause impotence, but I think that you’re the first doctor I’ve seen using eggplant emoticon for a penis on Twitter. I do that all the time to my friend Rob.

I just love that. That’s why I feel more in love with you but still. You cannot say broke dick on the radio. That will be the last domino that falls so to speak, is that right, exactly all these he-men going, guess what your penis won’t work anymore when you get COVID. Get the vaccine. As I said before. Stick it in, if you want to stick it in. I think it’s an easy sell isn’t it, Doc.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
It is absolutely, and part of it is my first reaction, a little bit, I think a lot of liberals were like, okay. It’s Darwinian survival of the fittest. You don’t want to take the vaccine get your affairs in order. Bye. What I didn’t realize is that the variants continue to change, as they’re going through these people. So it’s not just them that’s at risk, but it’s also immunocompromised, children, and its own medical professionals. If you don’t want to do it yourself, do it for others.

Stephanie Miller:
Yeah, exactly. The book sounds absolutely fascinating. Pastels and Pedophiles, inside the mind of Q-anon by Dr. Lea Bloom. Doc, thanks so much for taking time for us. Malcolm is never wrong.

Dr. Mia Bloom:
Thank you so much for having me and Malcolm is almost never wrong.

Stephanie Miller:
All right, thank you, Doc. Right. There she goes 19 minutes after the hour we are just moments from Malcom Nance, on the Stephanie Miller Show.

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