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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Murray State chapter.

Welcome to the Conspiracy Series

This week we will be diving into the conspiracy that Stevie Wonder isn’t really blind.

Stevie Wonder is a world-famous singer and songwriter who was popularized in the 1960s. Some of his most popular songs are “Isn’t She Lovely”, “Superstition”, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and “ Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”. Stevie was born six weeks premature which resulted in him developing retinopathy of prematurity, a condition where his retinas detached, leaving him blind.  Because he was blind at such a young age he should not remember colors or what anything looks like. 

Behind the Conspiracy

Many people say that Stevie isn’t blind because of certain occasions where he looked at something or recognized that an object was near him, which seemed suspicious to some people. When he was younger he liked to prank people, and some found it odd that he could tell where they were.  Several other occasions cause people to be suspicious.  In an episode of Oprah Stevie reached out to a person singing next to him. People found this suspicious because he was standing next to him, and they didn’t think that he would be able to tell he was there.  Another example is on Paul McCartney’s Christmas Special in 2010. During the performance, Paul McCartney knocks over a microphone stand right in front of Wonder. What surprised most everyone is that Stevie reached out to grab the mic stand. Obviously, this is suspicious because he wouldn’t have been able to see it falling.  Some other arguments towards the conspiracy are that Wonder once tried to get on Dancing With the Stars and that he also ordered plasma televisions at one point. He attends NBA games frequently and seems to understand what’s going on. There’s also a picture of him taking a picture of Michael Jackson. Why would he ever need a picture of Michael Jackson if he can’t see?

Debunking

Stevie was born with low vision which progressively grew worse. It’s also important to remember that he is 69 years old. He has been living without vision for a long time which has enabled him to adapt accordingly. His other senses are probably stronger and he only knows how to live without sight. He can sense what is happening around him which makes it seem that he can see. 

What I Think

I don’t think this one is real. I feel like the theories are not as convincing as the others we’ve looked at. I mean if you look at the science behind it, the reasons people thought he could see make sense. For instance on Oprah, he could probably hear the guy next to him and that’s why he was able to reach out to him. Maybe he was ordering televisions for his family or guests that came over to his house. Or he could just listen to the programs. 

Overall, I give this theory a 0 out of 5 stars. The theories are a stretch and I just don’t believe it. 

gif sourced from reddit

Come back next week to see if Katy Perry is actually Jon Benet Ramsey.   

Hannah Kamman

Murray State '22

Hannah Kamman is an elementary education major at Murray State University. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies, spending time outside and cuddling with her cat. She is a dance teacher and a tree hugger.