Invisible string(s): Exploring conspiratorial participatory practices among Swifties

This study explores how Taylor Swift fans, so-called “Swifties,” engage in playful, conspiratorial participation by interpreting hidden messages and developing fan theories, especially around Swift’s queer identity (the “Gaylor” discourse). Drawing on interviews with 18 fans, this article presents an in-depth perspective, demonstrating how speculative fandom blurs the line between interpretive play and conspiracist logic. This helps reveal how participatory practices mirror the structures of (political) conspiracies. Fans organize around theory-building, decipher cryptic clues, and negotiate interpretive boundaries, which echoes behaviors found in extremist communities. These findings suggest that conspiratorial thinking and practices are no longer confined to fringe groups but are embedded in everyday cultural participation, including mainstream pop-culture fandoms. By tracing these participatory practices among Swifties, this research contributes to a broader understanding of how conspiratorial play becomes normalized, offering a cultural lens into the mainstreaming of extremism in today’s societies.