Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Livia Soprano (person) 3 — Character from The Sopranos referenced as exemplar of manipulative mother who plays victim and emotionally damages her c...

Roger Federer (person) 3 — A retired tennis player celebrated for his grace and feeling in play, contrasted with modern sports' focus on statistics...

King of Queens (film) 3 — German-popular American sitcom about working-class characters that never gained major traction in the US compared to sho...

Francis Fukuyama (person) 3 — Political theorist referenced as 'Fukuyamacels' whose prediction that connecting China to international order would libe...

Bach (person) 3 — Classical composer whose easier piano pieces are mentioned as part of the author's musical education.

The View (film) 3 — Daytime talk show reimagined with alternative female panelists from various political perspectives

Into the Wild (book) 3 — Film about Christopher McCandless's journey to Alaska that is criticized for romanticizing his story but defended for it...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (concept) 3 — A condition listed among potentially psychosomatic diseases being used as cover for psychiatric illness

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (concept) 3 — Connective tissue disorder discussed by someone with the condition defending its legitimacy against people who fake or e...

Chronic Lyme Disease (concept) 3 — A controversial medical condition discussed as potentially psychosomatic and representing the use of infectious disease ...

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (person) 3 — Former Iranian president mentioned as an example of an entertaining Twitter personality alongside Chen Weihua, with hope...

Noel Gallagher (person) 3 — Oasis guitarist and songwriter known for caustic quotes about musicians including Jack White, Victoria Beckham, Kaiser C...

Kobo (place) 3 — Non-Amazon e-reader brand mentioned as an alternative to Kindle for reading .epub files.

The Year of Magical Thinking (book) 3 — Joan Didion memoir about grief that a user turned to after their uncle's death from cancer.

Cannes (place) 3 — Film festival where the crowd used to boo films but now gives standing ovations because cameras are present

Uruguay (place) 3 — South American country whose national soccer team's intense play and post-match fighting with Colombia was praised as ex...

10 Things I Hate About You (film) 3 — Late 1990s film whose character Kat is referenced as an aspirational persona for someone who feels like a social outcast...

Fire Walk with Me (film) 3 — A Twin Peaks film where Laura Palmer's arc as a victim of abuse who breaks the cycle through self-sacrifice is discussed...

Kyrgyzstan (place) 3 — Central Asian country visited by user to meet traditional instrument makers, illustrating how specialized crafts have sm...

Olympia (place) 3 — Washington city that was a center of indie music in the mid-1990s alongside Seattle, home to influential independent lab...

The Young Turks (concept) 3 — Media outlet where Ana works, referenced in discussion of leftists shaming women for calling police on minority men

RedLetterMedia (film) 3 — A film review and commentary channel discussed as being adjacent to Red Scare podcast's sensibilities for their pro-Davi...

Ken Block (person) 3 — Personal brand owner of Hoonigan, which was acquired and subsequently bankrupted by private equity firm Clearlake

The Lancet (place) 3 — Medical journal that published research on dramatic declines in global fertility rates and their implications for popula...

Shudder (place) 3 — Streaming service referenced as cheaper alternative to supporting local theater for watching The Scary of Sixty-First.

Danny McBride (person) 3 — Creator of The Righteous Gemstones who grew up heavily involved in church through his family

DFW (place) 3 — Writer who discussed at length the way mass communication shapes the social order in absolute and highly intrusive ways.

New Hollywood (concept) 3 — American film movement from 1967-1980 also known as American New Wave or New American Cinema, characterized by its depar...

Castro (person) 3 — San Francisco neighborhood known for its gay community where older gay men regularly socialize.

Ship of Theseus (concept) 3 — A philosophical thought experiment about identity and change, invoked to understand personhood in the context of dementi...

Avatar: The Last Airbender (film) 3 — An animated series popular with art hoes that the poster finds nice for kids but inappropriate for 19-year-olds to watch...

PragerU (concept) 3 — Conservative media organization mentioned as what Amber Frost's therapist watched, representing an unlikely political al...

North Georgia (place) 3 — A suburban area that has become highly populated with Indian immigrants, particularly Brahmins, creating tension with ot...

Aaliyah (person) 3 — R&B singer who died in a plane crash, subject of conspiracy theories about her death being orchestrated by other celebri...

Edward Said (person) 3 — Postcolonial theorist referenced critically in discussion of discourse around the Queen's death and colonialism

Timbaland (person) 3 — Influential music producer celebrated for his creative output from the mid-1990s to mid-2010s and his impact on R&B, hip...

Krautrock (concept) 3 — Experimental rock music genre that emerged in West Germany in the late 1960s and 1970s, characterized by motorik rhythms...

Doom (film) 3 — Video game referenced by Columbine shooters as being similar to their shooting, discussed in context of violence and rea...

Joel Kim Booster (person) 3 — Actor and comedian who stars in and directed Fire Island, described as becoming one of the reviewer's least favorite Hol...

MyFitnessPal (concept) 3 — A calorie tracking app where a user logs half their calories as vodka, presented as showing accountability while still k...

Ralph Fiennes (person) 3 — Actor referenced for his portrayal of Nazi officer Amon Goeth in a discussion about haircut styles

AuDHD (concept) 3 — Portmanteau term for co-occurring autism and ADHD that has become prevalent in self-diagnosis culture on TikTok and dati...

Latin Mass (concept) 3 — Traditional Catholic Mass served by a priest who formed a young adults group to marry young couples, successfully facili...

Anchorage (place) 3 — Alaskan city described as car-dependent with ugly built environment and declining public services despite natural beauty

Vikings (concept) 3 — Norse seafarers discussed in the context of historical appropriation debates, with the observation that white liberals p...

Turkmenistan (place) 3 — Central Asian country mentioned as a potential relocation option but rejected due to difficulty in obtaining residency.

Blackpill ideology (concept) 3 — Extremist incel worldview focused on physical attractiveness as determinative, which attractive autistic men may gravita...

Esther Bubley (person) 3 — Photographer who documented Washington D.C. life during World War II including boardinghouse life and church rehearsals

Skinamarink (film) 3 — A film with an interesting-sounding premise mentioned in passing by someone reflecting on poverty and jealousy.

VH1 (place) 3 — Cable channel that created an ecosystem of trashy D-List celebrity reality TV shows in the 2000s that collapsed after a ...