Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Phil Knight (person) 1 — Nike billionaire and father of Laika studio CEO Travis Knight, whose wealth funds unprofitable but artistic animation pr...

IRS agent (concept) 1 — Occupation cited as example of terrible job that makes life worse for people, worse than being a therapist.

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (concept) 1 — Annual parade described as a 'shitty consumerist ritual' that was temporarily halted by Palestine protesters, sparking e...

McConnell (person) 1 — Political figure referenced sarcastically in criticism of ineffective liberal protest tactics.

12 Steps (concept) 1 — Sobriety program being worked through by someone who quit alcohol, weed, porn, and vaping.

Slaughterhouse-5 (book) 1 — Novel by Kurt Vonnegut containing a passage about American attitudes toward poverty and self-blame among the poor

Kin Hubbard (person) 1 — American humorist quoted by Vonnegut for saying 'It ain't no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be'

Lima (place) 1 — Capital of Peru mentioned in context of wild cats running throughout the city, particularly in Parque Kennedy

Parque Kennedy (place) 1 — Park in Lima, Peru where over 100 cats live

Kursk (place) 1 — Russian territory that was invaded by Ukraine in 2024, marking the first invasion of Russian territory since World War I...

O-Block (place) 1 — Chicago neighborhood mentioned in context of claims about Venezuelan gang activity

Astroturfing (concept) 1 — Coordinated propaganda and fake online activity by governments to manipulate public opinion, particularly regarding the ...

Twelve Angry Men (film) 1 — Classic courtroom drama film referenced as one of the influences in Joker 2.

Titicut Follies (film) 1 — Documentary film referenced as one of the influences in Joker 2.

Liam Payne (person) 1 — Former One Direction member whose death prompted reactions including being called a cringe figure.

Leica (place) 1 — Premium camera brand owned by the wealthy CEO-type friend discussed in the post.

Hasselblad (place) 1 — High-end camera brand owned by the wealthy CEO-type friend discussed in the post.

No Child Left Behind (concept) 1 — Education policy under George W. Bush cited as one of his failures.

MBS (person) 1 — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, responsible for Khashoggi's murder but now positioned as a voice for human right...

Sargon (person) 1 — Right-wing commentator whose content is reposted by someone who became radicalized and later committed domestic violence...

Mike Cernovich (person) 1 — Right-wing commentator whose content is reposted by someone who became radicalized and later committed domestic violence...

Blackpill Monthly (concept) 1 — Fictional magazine used as satirical example of internet negativity in print format with subtitle 'It's Over'

Neoliberal Realism (concept) 1 — Term used to describe the embarrassing inaugural poem that liberals were enthusiastically praising

Bohumil Hrabal (person) 1 — Czech author whose work 'Too Loud a Solitude' was read by the Red Scare Book Club

Thanatophobia (concept) 1 — Fear of death discussed by a user who experiences it when accidentally getting too high

FWB (Friends With Benefits) (concept) 1 — A relationship arrangement where former sexual partners remain close friends, creating conflict in contemporary dating n...

Silence is Violence (concept) 1 — A rhyming slogan from 2016-2023 associated with activism that the author argues was undermined by reactions to the Israe...

House of Lords (place) 1 — The English upper house of Parliament where John Lavery painted the ratification of the Irish Treaty in 1921.

MJ (Michael Jackson) (person) 1 — Pop music icon referenced as a benchmark for comparing Taylor Swift's chart dominance and cultural impact

Stanley Tucci (person) 1 — Actor mentioned as surprisingly not being gay despite expectations

Grenada (place) 1 — Caribbean island subject of a brief 72-hour US invasion used to give action heroes credibility in post-Cold War films

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) (person) 1 — Supreme Court Justice whose refusal to retire before her death gave Trump an extra court pick

Jeff Kinney (person) 1 — Author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, criticized for creating a sociopathic protagonist that allegedly influenced children's b...

Greg Heffley (person) 1 — The protagonist of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, described as a sociopathic character who manipulates social situations and mist...

Newcastle (place) 1 — A British city where the poster danced with goths until 3am and was offered speed.

Varanasi (place) 1 — An Indian city mentioned as the home of Romesh, a 16-year-old forced into sex bot work who dreams of becoming a YouTuber...

Michelin star restaurant (place) 1 — High-end restaurants mentioned as places that used to employ balding men as waiters and butlers.

RL Grime (person) 1 — Electronic music artist whose live performance was described as underwhelming compared to 1990s rave culture

Deee-Lite (person) 1 — Music group fronted by Lady Miss Kier, known for their 1990s style and DJ work

Austinification of America (concept) 1 — Cultural phenomenon of 2021 involving young people moving to sun belt cities, driven by WFH and tech industry growth

Barbieheimer (concept) 1 — Cultural moment referenced as part of the shift from 2021's woke culture to a new era of gender wars and podcast culture

Merrill Lynch (place) 1 — Financial firm referenced by a drug dealer who compared its business model to methamphetamine distribution

US Marshalls (place) 1 — Federal law enforcement agency described as being sent to arrest the most serious criminals, compared to being drafted b...

Hilary Duff (person) 1 — Celebrity mentioned in celebrity gossip drama context in relation to other Disney stars

Alanna Masterson (person) 1 — Celebrity mentioned in connection with Hilary Duff in celebrity gossip drama

Philando Castile (person) 1 — Black man killed by police whose murder is referenced as an earlier instance of online activism similar to 2020 protests

Amee Terese (person) 1 — Political commentator referenced critically as someone Red Scare hosts are allegedly following without offering their ow...

Speed (film) 1 — Action thriller film praised for its pacing, tight writing, and entertainment value

Cesaro (person) 1 — Swiss professional wrestler cursed at in anti-Switzerland rant

Schengen area (place) 1 — European zone referenced humorously in relation to sparkling water consumption