---
title: "Did An Alternate Reality Game Gone Wrong Predict The Rise of QAnon?"
url: "https://josephmatheny.com/2020/10/28/did-an-alternate-reality-game-gone-wrong-predict-the-rise-of-qanon/"
language: "en-US"
updated: "2023-09-02T13:10:03+00:00"
---

# Did An Alternate Reality Game Gone Wrong Predict The Rise of QAnon?

In this fragment of [SCHISM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brijcd-8oWE) we interview the creator of ‘Ong’s Hat’, the first Alternate Reality Game, and ask what his experiences can teach us about the rise of QAnon. Is it possible that the ability to co-create and distribute our own narratives about reality could be altering its basic fabric? And has Noam Chomsky’s concept of ‘manufactured consent’ produced by centralized authority and corporate media now been outmoded by a new era of ‘manufactured dissent’, powered by networks, meme culture and supercharged shitposting?

**LINK**: [https://youtu.be/brijcd-8oWE](https://youtu.be/brijcd-8oWE)

 Episode sponsored by Joystream, the video platform DAO: [https://joystream.org](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFJUdjhBY3BRM0lRMW0xZWUwRjY3b0FRa25TQXxBQ3Jtc0trU2NZVFN6dS14eW5vcnRhai1Edk1xdmJ5SEJFSWY1cVI2VUFOX19QN1Frdy11RXhOcVJTWlcwRTMtaHBNQ3YtRVBsTmUzN0FyQVdETWJQZzFHbElFR25WVnBfMWdMaENxUjg1S21HOUhZclpvdXlUcw%3D%3D&event=video_description&v=brijcd-8oWE&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjoystream.org)

  Support us on Patreon [https://patreon.com/schismfilm](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2N3Z20xSlctVHBJekVnd2lrQlQ5enpLX1o3d3xBQ3Jtc0tsMjJETGE1Y0JPZ25Udi12Yzh2X0dyNGcxN1FIQmM2THhXSm92cDBWVUVOZjhGOXdoM3dRcnlDbFJ1MHZ0aC0wNXlCc3VwN2RaWTZtYjYyY2pjN25zdTl2YUp1VzJjRFlQVGU5a3V2bVViNWw2RDFadw%3D%3D&event=video_description&v=brijcd-8oWE&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpatreon.com%2Fschismfilm)

  Credits, references & more [http://schism.film/illusorytruths](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHdBOUtOdGJ4czhGcE9DZzVtRzJtc3VZbktFZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsUGRRN1kxY3BvMmdvcGpNS3E2aDUtT2hkd2k2VHV2ZFF5bmtKajhrM0oxUGUtQ3QxU3lPMTBPNE9ET1R1UmkzZU12V21lemlQNkZMeEE4c0k0ZC1ub21icUFsVzdSQ2lqcWRPbkJvWGo2MWI2STJySQ%3D%3D&event=video_description&v=brijcd-8oWE&q=http%3A%2F%2Fschism.film%2Fillusorytruths)

  Help share this episode, earn goodies: [http://mop.to/schism3](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHJoeW1RMnZ4d3NFd2NFb1QwbjdtaXprelp3UXxBQ3Jtc0ttLUlNM00tenVQNHNQaHppdWF2QVFpZlRweGRWbk9mS2l3NXQyLVlKV0hFeXI1b1AyTXJabXhTVGZuNGl6WDZhd05KYnV3dS1PNDZPcEFnemtyNTBNYmVZcVV2Y1puN2FEclh0UnJ0S2RDMVNVSWtIYw%3D%3D&event=video_description&v=brijcd-8oWE&q=http%3A%2F%2Fmop.to%2Fschism3)