Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Tarot (concept) 1 — Divination practice using cards, mentioned alongside astrology as popular among women.

The Plague of Fantasies (book) 1 — A book by Slavoj Žižek that includes his famous analysis of toilet designs as expressions of German, French, and English...

Penguins Memory - Shiawase Monogatari (film) 1 — A Japanese animated film described as like The Deer Hunter if all characters were adorable Sanrio-esque cartoon penguins...

Robert Kramer (person) 1 — Director of the 1970 film Ice, which depicted underground revolutionary warfare in an alternate fascist America.

American Film Institute (place) 1 — Film organization that financed Ice (1970) as its first film, a bold choice that allegedly isn't listed on their website...

The Last War (film) 1 — A 1961 Japanese film about the Cold War turning hot with nuclear war, featuring impressive special effects and including...

It's a Small World After All (album) 1 — Disney song that appears multiple times in The Last War's English dub soundtrack after Disney managed to claw the rights...

Bugman (concept) 1 — Pejorative term used in the subreddit to describe tech-obsessed nerds who buy expensive gadgets and optimize their lives...

Brooklyn Rollerdrome (place) 1 — Rollerskating venue in Brooklyn where a memorable encounter with a stoned man in an emerald green satin jumpsuit occurre...

Smiling Friends (film) 1 — TV show praised for its bits and payoff but predicted to be ruined by mainstream merchandising and a Rick and Morty-type...

Dawn (place) 1 — Brand of super concentrated dish soap that should only be used in drops to avoid food tasting like soap

ER (film) 1 — A 1990s television medical drama referenced as an example of bland, functional cinematography.

VitaDAO (place) 1 — A crypto-funded biotech organization conducting longevity research mentioned as part of concerning developments in biote...

Technophobia (concept) 1 — A fear or anxiety about advanced technology including AI, biotech longevity research, and synthetic biology that may fun...

Dopamine Addiction (concept) 1 — A pattern of compulsive behavior characterized by seeking constant dopamine hits through technology, gaming, social medi...

Chef's Table (film) 1 — A Netflix documentary series criticized as formulaic restaurant advertising that focuses on maudlin chef narratives rath...

Memories of Murder (film) 1 — A highly recommended Korean film described as badass and really good.

Martin Sheen (person) 1 — An actor praised for his performance in Badlands.

Fallen Angels (film) 1 — A Hong Kong film praised for its tight action scenes, neon nighttime 1990s Hong Kong aesthetic, and stylish outfits, con...

Chungking Express (film) 1 — A Hong Kong film compared unfavorably to Fallen Angels by the same director.

Serial Novels (concept) 1 — A historical publishing practice where novels were released in installments, considered a charming cultural tradition th...

Richard Gere (person) 1 — Actor referenced in connection with a famous urban legend about a gerbil removal surgery

A Tribe Called Quest (album) 1 — Hip-hop group whose name convention is used as a joke comparison to OnlyFans

Leopold Bloom (person) 1 — Protagonist of James Joyce's Ulysses, known for his humorous interactions with his cat

Francisco Lindor (person) 1 — Baseball shortstop for the Mets who turned a double play with Luis Guillorme, used as an example in a baseball scoring t...

The Phillies (place) 1 — Philadelphia baseball team whose games were religiously scored by the author's Aunt Ruth on the radio from childhood

Walt Disney Concert Hall (place) 1 — Los Angeles landmark mentioned in a story about a microaggression accusation involving an Asian tourist with a camera

Toronto airport (place) 1 — Airport mentioned in a story about being called out for a microaggression for noting it was full of Asians

Affective Fallacy (concept) 1 — Literary critical term tentatively invoked to describe the phenomenon of readers dismissing works because they can't ide...

r/books (place) 1 — Reddit forum criticized for having poor media literacy, with users dismissing classics over superficial objections like ...

Ethan Slater (person) 1 — Theater actor involved in a relationship scandal with Ariana Grande, described as a charming but dangerous type of man w...

I Used to Be Funny (film) 1 — A film starring Rachel Sennott about a stand-up comedian with PTSD that contains an apparent reference to the Red Scare ...

Dicks the Musical (film) 1 — A musical film that features Bowen Yang in the cast.

Sitka (place) 1 — A city in Southeast Alaska featured in travel photography.

Tracy Arm Fjord (place) 1 — A fjord in Southeast Alaska featured in travel photography.

Mendenhall Glacier (place) 1 — A glacier located outside Juneau in Southeast Alaska featured in travel photography.

Juneau (place) 1 — The capital city of Alaska in the southeast region, near the Mendenhall Glacier.

Trump Administration (concept) 1 — The administration under Donald Trump (2016-2020), referenced as an employer that hired the poster's mother for a white-...

Sober October (concept) 1 — A month-long abstinence challenge from alcohol, referenced as an opportunity for accountability and sobriety check-ins o...

Vinyl Records (concept) 1 — Physical music format critiqued as wasteful hobby due to PVC environmental impact and ego-driven collecting culture.

Motorola RAZR (concept) 1 — A flip phone from the early 2000s used as a symbol of pre-smartphone technology in a proposed anti-technology cult.

In Da Club (album) 1 — A song used as a ringtone reference representing early 2000s culture in an anti-technology lifestyle proposal.

SpEd (concept) 1 — Special education programs that children may have been assessed for via IQ tests rather than being identified as gifted.

Embry (person) 1 — A composer who created the soundtrack for Mishima's film Yukoku.

String Theory (concept) 1 — A theoretical physics concept that was once popular but seems to have faded from public discourse.

Moon Unit Zappa (person) 1 — Author of a memoir about growing up in Frank Zappa's household, depicting a dysfunctional family life marked by her fath...

Gail Zappa (person) 1 — Frank Zappa's wife, characterized in Moon Unit's memoir as a vindictive and cold mother who turned her children against ...

Conceptual Continuity (concept) 1 — A theme in Frank Zappa's work that is noted as largely absent from his daughter's memoir about family life.

Guelph (place) 1 — Canadian city referenced as the origin of milquetoast Canadians who are now posting xenophobic content.

Social Credit Score (concept) 1 — Surveillance system that the post suggests Americans would accept in exchange for effective crime prosecution.