Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Viola Davis (person) 1 — Actress mentioned in connection with sharing a viral video on Instagram that gained traction on black Instagram.

Nara Smith (person) 1 — Public figure known for giving her children unconventional names including Rumble Honey, Slim Easy, and Whimsy Lou.

Tang China (place) 1 — Historical Chinese dynasty referenced in connection to a 1300-year-old quote from a 12-year-old student.

Bu Tianshou (person) 1 — 12-year-old student from Tang China 1300 years ago who wrote homework pleas to his teacher.

Venice Boulevard (place) 1 — Los Angeles street where a coworker encountered an injured stray dog.

Northern New Mexico (place) 1 — Region where a supernatural encounter with a glowing orb was reported.

American Sign Language (concept) 1 — Sign language system discussed in context of its historical signs for Chinese referencing Mao's jacket buttons.

Discovery Capital (place) 1 — Investment fund run by Robert Citrone that allegedly benefited from Scott Bessent's Argentina bailout.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (place) 1 — US public media organization whose shutdown caused mass layoffs of public journalists.

Ukraine/Russia war (concept) 1 — Ongoing military conflict whose combat footage is shared as gore content on social media platforms.

Intersectional Feminism (concept) 1 — A framework of feminism that examines how various forms of social stratification and identity categories intersect, disc...

Frida (film) 1 — A 2002 biographical film praised for its visual beauty and cinematic lighting, held up as an example of superior film ae...

Domino Kirke (person) 1 — Founder of Carriage House doula training center in Brooklyn, involved in racial conflict within the doula community.

Shishi Rose (person) 1 — Black doula in Brooklyn who accused white doulas of causing mental harm and appropriating black culture, triggering raci...

Carriage House (place) 1 — A Brooklyn doula training center founded by Domino Kirke that became the site of racial conflict and accusations of cult...

LeVar Burton (person) 1 — Television personality discussed as a controversial candidate for hosting Jeopardy, with mixed reception

Kazuo Umezu (person) 1 — Legendary manga creator behind 'Drifting Classroom' and 'Cat Eyed Boy' known for super creepy art style

The Curse of Kazuo Umezu (film) 1 — Horror film featuring two spooky tales with creepy art style that makes it look cursed

Bill Paxton (person) 1 — Actor who made his film debut in Taking Tiger Mountain as a hippie layabout who undergoes brainwashing and sex change

Taking Tiger Mountain (film) 1 — Bizarre experimental 1972/83 film adapted from William S. Burroughs' novella after the movie was shot, featuring feminis...

Vinegar Syndrome (place) 1 — Blu-Ray distribution company that released Taking Tiger Mountain

The Ruling Class (film) 1 — 1972 jet-black satire of British upper class featuring Peter O'Toole as a paranoid schizophrenic who believes himself to...

Flashing Lights (album) 1 — Kanye West song described as hitting different with lyrics that are quintessentially Kanye while still being enjoyable

All of the Lights (album) 1 — Kanye West song with intricate, expensive-sounding production that has a lot going on without being messy

Father Stretch My Hands (album) 1 — Kanye West song featuring his favorite use of a sample

IFC (place) 1 — Independent film television channel where a viewer discovered the film Happiness late at night

Normie (concept) 1 — Defined as people who conform obsessively out of fear of appearing different, exhibiting conformity without critical thi...

Caral-Supe (place) 1 — Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Peru that hotep YouTubers falsely claim was built by Egyptians

Ethos (concept) 1 — Greek rhetorical concept of establishing speaker credibility, used to argue that ad hominem is not inherently fallacious...

The Plot Against America (film) 1 — Trump-era dystopian TV series that came and went without leaving much cultural imprint

Hasbullah (person) 1 — Internet personality described as adorable, confused with Bashar al-Assad by someone unfamiliar with both

GameMasterAnthony (person) 1 — An online personality who posted about fictional birthday parties with cartoon characters, representing a fear of loneli...

Mickey Mouse (person) 1 — Disney character mentioned as one of GameMasterAnthony's fictional friends in his imagined birthday parties.

United States Postal Service (place) 1 — Government postal service that Nick Mullen describes as losing his packages and providing an outlet for his aggression.

The Simple Life (film) 1 — Reality TV show referenced in connection with Paris Hilton's potential comeback.

Von Dutch (concept) 1 — Early 2000s fashion brand associated with Paris Hilton's celebrity era.

Unconditional Positive Regard (concept) 1 — A cornerstone of therapeutic practice where therapists maintain non-judgmental acceptance to help clients feel at ease.

Karmaloop (place) 1 — Website referenced as inspiration for young people starting streetwear brands in their late teens/early 20s.

BigCartel (place) 1 — E-commerce platform used by aspiring streetwear entrepreneurs to create online storefronts.

Bal du moulin de la Galette (book) 1 — An 1876 painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir depicting a dance scene at the Moulin de la Galette in Paris.

El Jaleo (book) 1 — An 1882 painting by John Singer Sargent depicting Spanish flamenco dancers.

The Egg Dance (book) 1 — A 1552 painting by Pieter Aertsen depicting a traditional dance game.

Dance (book) 1 — A 1910 painting by Henri Matisse depicting figures in a circular dance.

At the Moulin Rouge, the Dance (book) 1 — An 1890 painting by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec depicting dancers at the famous Parisian cabaret.

Nightlife (book) 1 — A 1943 painting by Archibald John Motley Jr. depicting an energetic scene of Black American social life.

Children Teaching a Cat to Dance (book) 1 — A 1679 painting by Jan Steen depicting a whimsical domestic scene with children and a cat.

The Dinner at the Ball (book) 1 — An 1878 painting by Adolph Menzel depicting an elaborate ballroom dinner scene.

Ballet (book) 1 — An 1876 painting by Edgar Degas depicting ballet dancers.

Stonewall Inn (place) 1 — A historically significant LGBTQ+ landmark in New York City that a college freshman from rural Oklahoma accidentally enc...

Polyester Zine (place) 1 — An online publication that wrote an article about Reddit communities that hate their namesakes.