Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Xhamster.com (place) 1 — Adult website accidentally displayed on manager's car infotainment system during awkward carpool

Whataburger (place) 1 — Fast food restaurant where post author got food after a breakup during a late-night walk

James Corden (person) 1 — Actor who plays a rat in the new Cinderella remake, mentioned with the note 'aptly'

Ever After (film) 1 — Cinderella adaptation praised as 'the best version' of the fairytale

Brandy (person) 1 — Actress/singer who starred in a Cinderella version with Whitney Houston, described as 'the most entertaining'

Meretz Party (concept) 1 — A left-leaning, joint Arab-Jewish progressive political party in Israel that the author's parents voted for

Dolfinarium attack (concept) 1 — A terrorist attack during the Second Intifada that hit Tel Aviv

Haifa (place) 1 — A mixed-religion city in Israel frequently visited by the author during childhood

Takeshi Kitano (person) 1 — A Japanese filmmaker admired by the author's mother

Moshe Faiglin (person) 1 — An Israeli extremist politician who supported the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin and whose politics became popula...

Antkind (book) 1 — A Charlie Kaufman novel that brilliantly satirizes the archetype of neurotic, dogmatic humanities academics

Ophelie Beu (person) 1 — A French actress from a softcore movie, used as a reference for a conventionally attractive woman who was described as f...

Ali vs Inoki (concept) 1 — A historical clown match between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki, referenced as a precedent for absurd sporting events

Manufacturing Consent (book) 1 — A book analyzing media's creation of worthy and unworthy victims, referenced in discussion of how violence against Uyghu...

Harambe (person) 1 — Gorilla referenced sarcastically as a nonbinary name idea in a humorous post

The Blackpill (concept) 1 — Ideology referenced as twisting men into self-doubt and inferiority complexes despite their actual attractiveness

Crowd Killing (concept) 1 — Violent moshing culture in hardcore shows where people punch indiscriminately including those not in the pit

Sodom and Gomorrah (concept) 1 — Biblical cities of sin used as comparison for Baghdad as supposedly the gayest and most violent city

Vicente Fernández (person) 1 — Mexican superstar considered the greatest in Mexican history but relatively unknown outside Mexico and the Mexican diasp...

Corrido (concept) 1 — Mexican music genre mentioned as one of many created by Mexico that hasn't achieved global recognition

Banda (concept) 1 — Mexican music genre mentioned as one of many created by Mexico that hasn't achieved global recognition

Mariachi (concept) 1 — Mexican music genre mentioned as one of many created by Mexico that hasn't achieved global recognition

Ranchera (concept) 1 — Mexican music genre mentioned as one of many created by Mexico that hasn't achieved global recognition

Ring Doorbells (concept) 1 — Surveillance technology criticized for destroying privacy and dignity in service professions like postal delivery.

Alexander Graham Bell (person) 1 — Inventor of the telephone referenced in discussion of how surveillance technology has evolved beyond what early innovato...

Yevgeny Prigozhin (person) 1 — Russian paramilitary leader with a dramatic life arc from petty criminal to hot dog vendor to children's author to comma...

Elle Woods (person) 1 — Fictional character from Legally Blonde referenced as an analogy for people receiving opportunities based on appearance ...

Princess Mononoke (film) 1 — Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, discussed as near-perfection with tender human interactions and sublime n...

Nausicaa (book) 1 — Manga by Hayao Miyazaki, mentioned alongside his films as one of his best works.

Toronto Raptors (place) 1 — NBA basketball team mentioned in the context of a successful date at a game.

Lifestyle creep (concept) 1 — Economic concept referring to increasing spending as income grows, applied to friends preferring expensive cocktail bars...

1 Samuel 16:7 (book) 1 — Biblical verse stating that the Lord looks at the heart rather than outward appearance, cited in discussion of lookism i...

BBL Drizzy (album) 1 — AI-generated soul track with trap drums that became a viral meme and trending song, marking a turning point in AI music ...

Santa Catalina Mountains (place) 1 — Mountain range in Arizona referenced as part of the Western U.S. landscape

Sedona (place) 1 — An Arizona destination known for hiking and natural rock formations

Monument Valley (place) 1 — A location in Utah known for its distinctive rock formations

Pied Piper (concept) 1 — Legendary figure used as metaphor for Michael Jackson's ability to attract children through his music

Professional Managerial Class (concept) 1 — Middle-to-upper middle class suburban types characterized by specific cultural behaviors including emotional reservation...

Sadiq Khan (person) 1 — British political figure who is simultaneously hated by the poster's father and by people the father also hates

The Needledrop (place) 1 — Music review platform by Anthony Fantano, argued to have more cultural capital than traditional publications like Pitchf...

Kumail Nanjiani (person) 1 — Actor/comedian used as example of how mainstream magazine recognition no longer has cultural capital

Eglin Air Force Base (place) 1 — U.S. military base referenced in connection with mysterious Reddit activity

Brooklyn Dad (person) 1 — Social media personality mentioned as a crossover social media star with unclear Reddit connections

Fawlty Towers (film) 1 — British comedy series referenced for its pattern of overreacting to small problems and underreacting to big disasters

John Cleese (person) 1 — British comedian and actor known for his role in Fawlty Towers where he portrayed mismatched reactions to crises

Skyfall (film) 1 — James Bond film featuring Naomie Harris as a more badass version of Moneypenny

Naomie Harris (person) 1 — Actress who played a well-received version of Moneypenny in James Bond films

Lashana Lynch (person) 1 — Actress who played a controversial 'strong black woman girlboss character' in a recent James Bond film

Against All Odds (album) 1 — Tupac song where he directly called out major gangsters in New York and threatened war.

Mumsnet (place) 1 — British online parenting forum cited as an example of toxic women's online spaces.