Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Rubik's Cube (concept) 1 — Puzzle cube used to test cognitive abilities, mentioned as 4x4 variant

Apollonian (concept) 1 — Classical concept of rational order and beauty invoked ironically by a poster describing their third day of sobriety

Rhett and Link (person) 1 — YouTube comedy duo whose livestream a poster watched with their date's disabled brother after an awkward sexual encounte...

Greek homosexuality (concept) 1 — Classical Greek same-sex practices invoked as having aesthetics and dignity in contrast to contemporary gay hookup cultu...

Idpol (concept) 1 — Identity politics blamed for damaging the left's optics and causing working-class men to reject leftism despite agreeing...

EECS (concept) 1 — Electrical Engineering and Computer Science major field threatened by H1-B visa expansion according to poster who previo...

Aragorn (person) 1 — Lord of the Rings character referenced as example of positive masculinity

Dora the Explorer (film) 1 — Children's show used sarcastically to criticize infantilizing approaches to masculinity debates

Abu Zubaydah (person) 1 — Person tortured by CIA in 2002 who created drawings documenting his torture and is still imprisoned without charge

John Yoo (person) 1 — Lawyer who wrote the 'Torture Memos' providing legal justification for CIA torture techniques and is now a law professor...

Jay Bybee (person) 1 — Assistant Attorney General who signed the Torture Memos and now serves as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals f...

Gina Haspel (person) 1 — Former CIA Director who ran a black site in Thailand during the torture program before retiring in 2021

Marriage Equality (concept) 1 — Legal recognition of same-sex marriage fought for primarily to allow gay couples hospital visitation, funeral attendance...

James Somerton (person) 1 — Figure referenced dismissively in a discussion about the materialist origins of marriage equality

Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (book) 1 — Historical book about Nazi Germany that a commuter was afraid to read on public transit due to the swastika on the cover

Robert Habeck (person) 1 — German Green Party minister whose photograph prompted a police raid when a grandpa called him a 'moron' on Facebook

Winter Soldier (film) 1 — Documentary featuring Vietnam veterans recounting atrocities committed during the Vietnam War

Ho Chi Minh (person) 1 — Vietnamese revolutionary leader who the population wanted in power before US intervention

Mi Lai massacre (concept) 1 — Well-known Vietnam War atrocity that represents only a small part of the broader violence according to the post

Agent Orange (concept) 1 — Chemical weapon dropped by US forces in crowded areas during the Vietnam War

Stanley cups (concept) 1 — Reusable cups that became a consumerist trend despite being promoted as sustainable

Mosque (place) 1 — Islamic place of worship attended by a blonde Polish teenager with his Pakistani friends

Ōllamalīztli (concept) 1 — Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican ball game referenced as potential recreational activity

Davis Polk (place) 1 — Law firm mentioned for rescinding job positions from students who participated in pro-Palestine protests.

Mac (person) 1 — Character from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia who lives in an action movie fantasy world, used as comparison for wome...

Ne Zha 2 (film) 1 — A movie referenced as being enjoyed by someone named Peanut

Museum of Tolerance (place) 1 — Holocaust museum discussed as part of broader effort to educate about genocide and prevent future atrocities

Anne Frank House (place) 1 — Museum dedicated to Holocaust education, cited as example of how Jewish groups document genocide to prevent future atroc...

Schrödinger Equation (concept) 1 — Quantum mechanics equation used metaphorically to describe someone staring at a flat tire with confused incomprehension.

Depo-Provera (concept) 1 — Hormonal birth control injection discussed as having caused long-term harm to a woman who used it as a teenager.

Punisher (concept) 1 — Comic book character whose logo is worn by Chris Kyle in American Sniper, symbolizing vigilante justice.

Hindi (concept) 1 — Indian language referenced in the context of workplace communication preferences and ethnic hiring practices.

Ghost jobs (concept) 1 — Job postings that don't represent actual hiring opportunities, cited as a barrier facing young job seekers.

Anya Taylor Joy (person) 1 — Actress discussed on the subreddit in posts with varying levels of horniness.

r/HelloFresh (place) 1 — Reddit community for HelloFresh meal kit service where financially irresponsible millennials are discussed.

SeaTac (place) 1 — Seattle-Tacoma International Airport where a plane was stuck on the tarmac.

Deloitte (concept) 1 — Major consulting firm used as a metaphor for Taylor Swift's corporate blandness.

Eurozone crisis (concept) 1 — Economic crisis starting around 2010 that Germans are criticized for misunderstanding their role in.

Third Reich (concept) 1 — Nazi Germany referenced in discussion of German historical memory and colonial history.

OJ Simpson (person) 1 — American football player and celebrity whose cultural impact extends globally across continents.

Franz Joseph (person) 1 — Austrian Emperor referenced in comparison to global cultural synchronization.

John Mearsheimer (person) 1 — Political scientist and realpolitik theorist discussed in context of explaining international relations theory on Lex Fr...

Realpolitik (concept) 1 — Political theory focused on practical considerations rather than ideological notions, discussed in context of internatio...

Google Glass (concept) 1 — Failed consumer product referenced as precedent for why camera-equipped glasses from tech companies should be stigmatize...

Literotica (place) 1 — Online erotic fiction website where a college student believed they discovered their acquaintance's fanfiction involving...

Pelican Bay (place) 1 — Maximum security prison in California referenced in satirical post about typical Reddit revenge fantasies.

Kia Sorrento (concept) 1 — Vehicle model referenced in observational post about oblivious young women and the global supply chain disruption.

r/TheCapitalLink (place) 1 — A subreddit focused on urban street culture and music in Washington DC, described as part of 'hood reddit' where the rac...

r/NYStateOfMind (place) 1 — A New York City-focused subreddit that is part of 'hood reddit' culture, featuring street life, music, and urban content...

r/PhillyWiki (place) 1 — A Philadelphia-based subreddit representing 'hood reddit' culture, featuring street music and urban life content from th...