Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Ebenezer Scrooge (person) 1 — Charles Dickens character used as metaphor for Trump's speech, comparing an expected redemption arc to continued villain...

Inside the Mind of BTK: The True Story Behind the Thirty-Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer (book) 1 — True crime book about serial killer BTK found in the bag of a Brazilian mass shooter.

BTK (person) 1 — Serial killer Dennis Rader (BTK - Bind, Torture, Kill) who is the subject of a true crime book carried by a Brazilian sh...

James Potter (person) 1 — Harry Potter character whose bullying of Snape takes on racist implications if Snape is cast as Black.

Sirius Black (person) 1 — Harry Potter character whose bullying of Snape becomes racially problematic if Snape is cast as Black.

Barry Goldwater (person) 1 — Conservative Republican politician whose positive characterization by a professor sparked a campaign by woke students to...

Jazz (concept) 1 — American musical genre cited as an example of music that could not have originated anywhere else and is a product of the...

Sexyy Red (person) 1 — Female rapper dismissed as a trashy grifter.

City Girls (album) 1 — Female rap duo described as trashy and compared to a Taco Bell manager having a rap career.

Tory Lanez (person) 1 — Male rapper dismissed as a 'never-was hobbit' who feuded with Megan Thee Stallion.

Nanjing (place) 1 — A city in China where the "Red Uncle" case took place, involving a man who pretended to be a woman online and filmed sex...

American Boy (album) 1 — A song by Estelle featuring lyrics about a 5 foot 7 man, discussed as a rare positive depiction of short men in popular ...

Estelle (person) 1 — A singer who performed "American Boy" with lyrics about a 5 foot 7 man, noted for sometimes changing the lyric in live p...

Tom Homan (person) 1 — A border czar caught on camera accepting a bribe from FBI agents, with charges being dropped by the DOJ.

Iran Contra (concept) 1 — A political scandal discussed on Joe Rogan's podcast as part of rambling discussions that avoided substantive coverage o...

Open relationships (concept) 1 — Non-monogamous relationship arrangements that are critiqued as a form of continuing hookup culture within committed part...

Hidden Brain (film) 1 — NPR podcast that featured an episode about a couple adopting a child with Down syndrome from China.

Joe Louis (person) 1 — Heavyweight boxing champion cited as an example of letting performance speak louder than personality.

Rocky Marciano (person) 1 — Heavyweight boxing champion referenced as an example of merit-focused boxing before Ali's era.

George Foreman (person) 1 — Heavyweight boxer who fought Muhammad Ali in the famous 'rope-a-dope' fight in Zaire.

Lennox Lewis (person) 1 — Heavyweight boxing champion described as the last truly complete champion who retired in 2003.

Emanuel Steward (person) 1 — Boxing trainer who trained Lennox Lewis in mastering fundamental boxing skills.

Deontay Wilder (person) 1 — Heavyweight boxer cited as an example of prioritizing raw power and marketable charisma over technical mastery.

Zaire (place) 1 — African country where Muhammad Ali's famous 'rope-a-dope' fight against George Foreman took place.

Haaretz (place) 1 — Israeli news publication that reported on Israel's influencer outreach program.

r/braincels (place) 1 — Now-banned Reddit community mentioned as part of depraved but hilarious Reddit culture from 2015-2019.

r/milliondollarextreme (place) 1 — Now-banned Reddit community for Million Dollar Extreme fans, part of depraved Reddit culture from 2015-2019.

r/trufemcels (place) 1 — Now-banned Reddit community for female incels, mentioned as part of depraved Reddit culture from 2015-2019.

r/fatpeoplehate (place) 1 — Now-banned Reddit community dedicated to mocking overweight people, part of depraved Reddit culture from 2015-2019.

r/shoplifting (place) 1 — Now-banned Reddit community about shoplifting, part of depraved Reddit culture from 2015-2019.

r/iceposeidon (place) 1 — Now-banned Reddit community for Ice Poseidon streamer fans, part of depraved Reddit culture from 2015-2019.

Helldivers (film) 1 — Video game referenced in connection with a shooter who left meaningless messages

Handel (person) 1 — Baroque composer whose Largo was performed by a German soldier during the 1914 Christmas Truce.

1914 Christmas Truce (concept) 1 — Historical event during World War I when opposing soldiers fraternized, exchanged gifts, and celebrated Christmas togeth...

Silent Night (album) 1 — German Christmas carol sung during the 1914 Christmas Truce that had a spellbinding effect on opposing troops.

Twenty-third Psalm (book) 1 — Biblical text read in both English and German during a burial ceremony in the 1914 Christmas Truce.

Punch (book) 1 — British magazine that was exchanged for German cigars during World War I fraternization, later satirized by Owen Seaman.

Owen Seaman (person) 1 — Writer for Punch magazine who wrote a satirical poem about the magazine being traded for German cigars during WWI.

Daily Telegraph (place) 1 — British newspaper that published a letter about Punch magazine being traded for German cigars during WWI.

Palm Beach (place) 1 — Florida location where Jeffrey Epstein was initially caught

The Dog Of The South (book) 1 — A novel by Charles Portis criticized in a Goodreads review for allegedly misrepresenting the titular bus

Charles Portis (person) 1 — Author of The Dog Of The South whose work was poorly reviewed on Goodreads

Viet Thanh Nguyen (person) 1 — Author whose book 'The Committed' received a one-star Goodreads review from someone who hadn't read the first book in th...

The Committed (book) 1 — A sequel novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen that received a confused one-star Goodreads review

Joel Pashcow (person) 1 — Financier who made a drawing found in the Epstein scrapbook

Leon Black (person) 1 — Financier who wrote a poem found in the Epstein scrapbook

Darien Scheme (concept) 1 — Failed Scottish attempt to colonize Panama that led to Scotland's bankruptcy

West Lothian question (concept) 1 — Political quirk where Scottish MPs can vote on English domestic affairs but not vice versa

Panama (place) 1 — Country that Scotland attempted to colonize through the Darien Scheme

Venom (film) 1 — A CGI superhero film franchise featuring violent imagery that young children are watching in decontextualized YouTube co...