Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Casablanca (film) 2 — Classic film referenced as an example of cool smoking aesthetics, with Humphrey Bogart invoked to argue vaping is lame

Christian Louboutin (person) 2 — Luxury shoe designer whose dress shoes were purchased by an unemployed NEET with their last unemployment money.

Nasreddin (person) 2 — Historical figure whose fables are recited by an Iranian communist who spent ten years in prison

Philosopher-King (concept) 2 — Platonic ideal to which an Iranian communist woman compared the Ayatollah

Brugge (place) 2 — European city praised for having excellent food superior to American cuisine

Nahuatl (concept) 2 — Mesoamerican culture whose sacrificial practices involving burning organs and preserving ashes mirror Hebrew rituals.

Document (album) 2 — An R.E.M. album praised as exceptionally good and listened to three times in a row by a user rediscovering the band's fu...

Radical Chic (book) 2 — A work by Tom Wolfe describing how wealthy Manhattanites would try to make it appear they prepared dinner parties on the...

Crumb (album) 2 — A contemporary indie band criticized as part of a boring, formulaic era of music focused on melancholy and failed relati...

Alvvays (album) 2 — A contemporary indie band criticized as formulaic and boring compared to classic bands from earlier eras.

The Tenderloin (place) 2 — San Francisco neighborhood cited as an example of extreme homeless redlining and urban dystopia in modern California.

Weapons (film) 2 — Contemporary film about domestic violence and suburban crisis described as combining elements of Fargo and Salem's Lot w...

Counterculture (concept) 2 — Cultural movements that oppose mainstream values, questioned whether they still exist or have been recuperated by global...

The Joker (film) 2 — Film compared unfavorably to the cornholio scene in the 2022 Beavis and Butt-Head movie

Tiny Tim (person) 2 — A musician remembered for his cameos in cartoons and shows, whose cultural presence has faded over time, particularly no...

Léon: The Professional (film) 2 — A 1994 film criticized for its pedophilic undertones, depicting a young girl wearing a choker and falling in love with a...

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (film) 2 — Martial arts film recommended for viewing alone in theaters as an old movie experience

Throbbing Gristle (album) 2 — A band name cited as one of the poster's favorites when discussing what makes good band names.

John Tavener (person) 2 — Composer referenced in connection with a philosophical quote about grace and nature from what appears to be The Tree of ...

Funeral Canticle (album) 2 — Musical composition by John Tavener used to accompany a philosophical meditation on grace versus nature

Nicaragua (place) 2 — Central American country featured in 1985 National Geographic photographs documenting banana pickers and contra rebels

House (film) 2 — Medical drama that was hugely popular during its run but lacks lasting cultural impact despite its influence.

Hindenberg (concept) 2 — Historic blimp disaster from nearly 100 years ago still used as reason not to pursue large blimp projects.

Brendan Gleeson (person) 2 — An actor who appears in Joker 2, discussed in the context of playing a character who violently rapes the Joker in prison...

Globalization (concept) 2 — Economic and cultural integration discussed in relation to US-China relations and its potential unraveling, with nostalg...

Lola Young (person) 2 — Musician whose song 'Messy' was played at a party where a drunk woman claimed it was about her.

Pittsburgh Pirates (place) 2 — Baseball team mentioned in context of one of its players being romantically linked to Taylor Swift.

Continental philosophy (concept) 2 — Philosophical tradition the poster wants to study more substantially, particularly phenomenologists and philosophers who...

Golden Globes (film) 2 — Awards show where actors are noticeably frightened of being made fun of during the opening monologue.

Poetry Foundation (place) 2 — Poetry institution whose entire leadership was ousted during 2020 social justice upheaval

The Grapes of Wrath (book) 2 — John Steinbeck novel about working class exploitation during the Depression that sparked the poster's leftist politics, ...

Jeffrey Eugenides (person) 2 — Author mentioned alongside Donna Tartt as an example of 'highbrow lowbrow' literature that provides accessible reading w...

The Machine Stops (book) 2 — 1909 short story by E.M. Forster depicting a dystopian future where humans live isolated in underground pods, dependent ...

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (person) 2 — Twin celebrities known as 'The Olsen Twins,' referenced in a story about sibling pranks and misconceptions.

WorldCantWait (concept) 2 — An anti-war protest organization active during the Iraq War era, mentioned in connection with a 2006 protest.

Napoleon complex (concept) 2 — A psychological phenomenon attributed to short men, invoked to explain the conflict between Putin and Zelensky who are b...

Gerald Ford (person) 2 — Former U.S. President mentioned as having been MVP of his college football team, exemplifying a past era of accomplished...

Revolutionary Girl Utena (film) 2 — An anime series compared to Evangelion for its progression from light to dark psychosexual themes, postmodern visual flo...

Rose of Versailles (film) 2 — An anime featuring sword-fighting lesbians that predated Revolutionary Girl Utena by 20 years.

Hideaki Anno (person) 2 — Anime director who supposedly based the character Kaworu on Ikuhara after sharing a night of emotional and possibly phys...

This Land is Your Land (album) 2 — A classic folk song written by a communist that is actually critical of the USA despite being perceived as patriotic.

The Waltons (film) 2 — A TV show whose grandfather character was portrayed by a communist actor.

Hilary Baldwin (person) 2 — Alec Baldwin's wife who speaks fluent Spanish with native pronunciation despite internet accusations of faking her Spani...

Samantha Morton (person) 2 — Actress who delivered a surprisingly great performance in The Whale.

The Carpenters (album) 2 — A musical group featuring Karen Carpenter on drums, mentioned in an appreciation post for female drummers.

A History of Modern Iran (book) 2 — Book by Ervand Abrahamian containing quotes from Ruhollah Khomeini distinguishing Islam from communism.

Pee-Wee Herman (person) 2 — Character and performer whose iconic red bicycle is being permanently displayed at the Alamo

Mattress Girl (person) 2 — Controversial Columbia University student who carried a mattress around campus in 2015 as a performance art piece about ...

Robbie Williams (person) 2 — British pop artist who had minimal cultural impact in the US, subject of a musical biopic where he is portrayed as an ap...

Live Through This (album) 2 — Album described as a masterpiece about painful, fragmented experiences, referenced as someone's favorite album of all ti...