Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (film) 1 — A Japanese cyberpunk film described as 'insane' that was watched before a first kiss scenario involving a 'freeze' game ...

Invincible (film) 1 — An animated superhero series satirized as 'dark Superman' content that appeals to a certain type of viewer who also supp...

Mohammad Atta (person) 1 — One of the 9/11 attackers who allegedly had an interaction at a San Diego Home Depot before the attacks

Chris Christie (person) 1 — Politician referenced in hypothetical attack strategy for Trump's campaign

Ibo people (concept) 1 — Nigerian ethnic group cited by Vonnegut as example of extended family structure with hundreds of relatives

Lil Yachty (person) 1 — Rapper whose concert was deemed too young for 24-year-olds by overly cautious hometown friends

Jacob Sartorious (person) 1 — Young social media star from 2016 referenced as comparison point for age-appropriate concerts

God Only Knows (album) 1 — Beach Boys song analyzed as baroque love song that elevates teenage devotion to the sacred realm

Wouldn't It Be Nice (album) 1 — Beach Boys song discussed as musical expression of sexual frustration disguised as wholesome wish

Ryokan (concept) 1 — Traditional Japanese inn mentioned in discussion of encountering Indian tourists throughout Japan

TMC (concept) 1 — Opposition party controlling West Bengal accused of involvement in attacks on doctors protesting a rape and murder

r/GymMotivation (place) 1 — Reddit community for fitness motivation where users share workout progress and seek encouragement

r/AppearanceAdvice (place) 1 — Reddit community where users seek advice about their appearance, described as frequented by Tate bros, potheads, and por...

Tarantino (person) 1 — Film director whose work is discussed as both entry-level and impenetrable arthouse cinema depending on shifting definit...

Babel (book) 1 — Dark academia novel by R.F. Kuang set at Oxford exploring British imperialism, criticized for anachronistic modern polit...

The Poppy War (book) 1 — Grimdark fantasy trilogy by R.F. Kuang reimagining the Sino-Japanese War and rise of Mao, criticized for rewriting Mao a...

Yellowface (book) 1 — Novel by R.F. Kuang featuring a self-insert Asian female author character who is harassed for dating white men, based on...

Booker Prize (concept) 1 — Literary award that The New Yorker suggested R.F. Kuang should receive

Sino-Japanese War (concept) 1 — Historical conflict where Japan massacred millions of Chinese civilians, reimagined in R.F. Kuang's Poppy War trilogy wi...

Kuomintang (concept) 1 — Political party to which R.F. Kuang has her Mao Zedong character willingly hand over power in The Poppy War trilogy

Death by Lightning (film) 1 — Media production criticized for featuring Mary Sue female and black characters held back by bigoted white men

The Pitt (film) 1 — Medical drama featuring a doctor claiming weight has nothing to do with health and troubled white male characters who wo...

British imperialism (concept) 1 — Historical phenomenon explored in R.F. Kuang's Babel through anachronistic modern political discourse

Han privilege (concept) 1 — Concept that R.F. Kuang believes Chinese people should apologize for, influencing her rewriting of Chinese history in Th...

Top Gun 2 (film) 1 — Blockbuster sequel mentioned as being pretty good and a refreshing blockbuster experience.

Zapruder film (film) 1 — Historical footage of JFK's assassination, mentioned as the only violent death the author had viewed up close before rec...

Treadwell tape (concept) 1 — Audio recording of Timothy Treadwell's death by bear attack that Werner Herzog listened to but refused to let circulate ...

CHP (place) 1 — California Highway Patrol, law enforcement agency whose officer's testimony was dismissed by some jurors who believed al...

Kim family (concept) 1 — North Korean ruling dynasty surrounded by a cult of personality that prevents serious online discussion about the countr...

Rick Steves' Europe (film) 1 — PBS travel show praised for being soothing and educational bedtime viewing

Rick Steves (person) 1 — PBS travel show host appreciated for his consistent and educational European travel content

Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Shrine (place) 1 — Religious site in Herat, Afghanistan featured in Google Maps user uploads

Herat (place) 1 — Afghan city home to the Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Shrine

ChoghaZanbil Ziggurat (place) 1 — Ancient Iranian archaeological site featured in Google Maps user uploads

Bentiu (place) 1 — City in South Sudan featured in Google Maps user uploads

Dena Protected Area (place) 1 — Iranian nature preserve featured in Google Maps user uploads

Awsard (place) 1 — Settlement in Western Sahara featured in Google Maps user uploads

Western Sahara (place) 1 — Disputed territory mentioned as location of Awsard

Peppa Pig (film) 1 — Children's show mentioned in a post about befriending neighborhood kids

Boeing 767 (concept) 1 — Aircraft model mentioned in a post about Chinese airline passengers attempting to switch seats

TripAdvisor (place) 1 — Online travel platform criticized for spoiling the sense of discovery by documenting every 'hidden gem' before travelers...

Codependency (concept) 1 — Pattern of behavior critiqued in millennials who move from one emotionally dependent relationship to another instead of ...

Heinrich Himmler (person) 1 — Nazi official referenced in context of AI-generated controversial content.

Dallas Buyers Club (film) 1 — Matthew McConaughey film watched as part of a couple's filmography project.

The Prestige (film) 1 — Christopher Nolan film that a poster's wife disliked during a filmography viewing project.

Pretty Woman (film) 1 — Film referenced as a template for 'saving' a homeless woman through romance.

YA novel (concept) 1 — Young Adult fiction genre criticized as the type of low-quality art that aspiring creators expect to make a living from.

Everclear (concept) 1 — A high-proof grain alcohol brand mentioned in a satirical post about alcohol strength

Heartbreak High (film) 1 — A Netflix reboot of an Australian teen drama that is criticized for being sterile and sex-positive only in a superficial...

BarstoolU (concept) 1 — A social media account associated with Barstool Sports that posts content aimed at college students