Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Angela Carter (person) 2 — Author described as a secret genius, with Heroes and Villains and Infernal Desire Machines of Dr. Hoffman recommended.

Kant (person) 2 — A philosopher whose works are being read and memed by young teens online, potentially leading to a philosophical renaiss...

Laura Palmer (person) 2 — A Twin Peaks character whose arc is debated between being a victim of abuse who self-sacrifices versus a mystical messia...

Northern England (place) 2 — A region of England encompassing towns like Huddersfield, Burnley, and Rochdale, and cities like Leeds and Manchester, k...

Riyadh Comedy Festival (place) 2 — Comedy festival in Saudi Arabia where comedians perform despite the authoritarian regime's human rights record.

Jamal Khashoggi (person) 2 — Saudi journalist whose murder was referenced by comedian Jim Jefferies, leading to his expulsion from a comedy festival.

CCRU (place) 2 — Cybernetic Culture Research Unit, referenced alongside CIA as potential source of funding for disturbed psychosexual con...

NAFO (concept) 2 — Pro-Ukraine online movement referenced through a t-shirt worn by an elderly wife of an oil executive, characterized as r...

Timothy McVeigh (person) 2 — A domestic terrorist referenced as an archetype for a certain profile of domestic terrorist/shooter.

William Makepeace Thackeray (person) 2 — British author of Vanity Fair, discussed in connection with picaresque narrative style and sardonic narration

Francisco Goya (person) 2 — Spanish artist whose etchings are presented with their original Spanish titles and translations, depicting dark and sati...

Minions (film) 2 — Animated characters that are extremely popular in China, possibly due to their yellow color according to one observation...

Streisand effect (concept) 2 — Phenomenon where attempts to hide information paradoxically increase awareness of it, referenced regarding Chappell Roan...

British Museum (place) 2 — Museum in London criticized for possessing stolen artifacts, though the poster notes all museums have similar issues

iShowSpeed (person) 2 — Internet personality whose 'suppressing his laughter' gif is cited as an example of repetitive, unfunny internet memes

27 Club (concept) 2 — Cultural phenomenon of musicians dying at age 27, cited as evidence of youth culture's dominance

Sean Hannity (person) 2 — Conservative political commentator whose books the poster read during a conservative phase

The Bold and the Beautiful (film) 2 — Soap opera referenced as an example of the melodramatic writing quality found in fake Reddit posts.

Dr. Oz (person) 2 — Television personality from Oprah's show running as Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Senate, representing celebrity...

Trad Cath (concept) 2 — Traditional Catholic aesthetic and lifestyle trend among certain demographics that is seen as burning itself out by over...

RRR (film) 2 — Indian film praised for having a sense of hope and goodness with over-the-top action that resonates as an escape from bl...

Logan Roy (person) 2 — Character in Succession who built an empire from nothing and has disdain for his entitled children who have no understan...

Acid house (concept) 2 — Subgenre of house music that the post author has a particular preference for.

University of Pennsylvania (place) 2 — Elite university where Luigi Mangione was a student and member of a fraternity before dropping contact with classmates

Bella Thorne (person) 2 — Celebrity who joined OnlyFans platform, discussed as an example of gentrification of sex work by wealthy people dominati...

Nespresso (concept) 2 — Coffee machine that a tech worker refused to allow on his counter due to minimalist ideology, forcing his girlfriend to ...

Libs of TikTok (person) 2 — Social media account whose fans called in bomb threats after a Reddit post about school diversity programs

The Remains of the Day (book) 2 — Novel by Kazuo Ishiguro about an English butler reminiscing about his career serving Lord Darlington, praised for its pr...

r/PoliticalCompassMemes (place) 2 — A Reddit community characterized as a space for socially ostracized teens consumed by reductive political ideology and p...

Ta-Nehisi Coates (person) 2 — Author of Between the World and Me who wrote a book about Israeli apartheid in the West Bank, risking his status as a li...

Between the World and Me (book) 2 — Book by Ta-Nehisi Coates that was enjoyed despite being co-opted by liberal discourse, written before his book on Israel...

Christian Socialism (concept) 2 — Political movement combining Christianity with socialist principles, theorized as potentially being the biggest politica...

La Vita Nuova (book) 2 — Dante's 1225 work describing his idealized infatuation with Beatrice and used as an example of solitary romantic obsessi...

Bath (place) 2 — Beautiful heritage-listed English city with walkable streets and historic architecture where a first date took place

The Trial of Julian Assange (book) 2 — Book about Julian Assange that the poster was reading while observing public hostility toward him

Bee Gees (person) 2 — Pop group whose music was played during a father-child drinking session

Thomas the Tank Engine (film) 2 — A children's television series referenced as a marker of childishness or mental disability in the context of a therapy d...

Rugby (concept) 2 — A contact team sport promoted as superior to martial arts for providing physicality, camaraderie, and team spirit while ...

Autobahn (album) 2 — German highway system referenced in description of retirement-age boomer lifestyle involving high-speed driving.

The Runaways (person) 2 — A band featuring Sandy West on drums, mentioned in an appreciation post for female drummers.

Tom MacDonald (person) 2 — A Canadian rapper with face tattoos who creates conservative-themed music videos that receive millions of views

Dubai chocolate (concept) 2 — A trendy chocolate product criticized as being overly sweet with mild pistachio flavor overwhelmed by chocolate

Leighton Meester (person) 2 — American actress mentioned as an example of past TV actresses with charisma and unique looks.

One Piece (film) 2 — Anime series that a hospice volunteer is obligated to watch with a recovered patient despite not enjoying it.

Stack Overflow (place) 2 — A programming Q&A website used as a metaphor for the entire internet's increasingly strict and arbitrary moderation poli...

Nicholas Tomalin (person) 2 — Journalist quoted cynically describing the qualities needed for success in journalism as ratlike cunning and the ability...

Sun Tzu (person) 2 — Ancient Chinese military strategist referenced alongside Machiavelli in discussion of women's competitive romantic tacti...

Les Stroud (person) 2 — Host of Survivorman, mentioned in comparison to Bear Grylls as a more authentic survival show host

dyspraxia (concept) 2 — Developmental coordination disorder mentioned as one of several diagnoses alongside autism-related conditions.

Gaddafi (person) 2 — Libyan dictator who came to power after the Bongo family dynasty began in Gabon