Red Scare Canon — Cultural References from the Subreddit

Planned Parenthood (place) 3 — Reproductive health organization that liberal activists demand proof of donations to as a prerequisite for social engage...

Drive (film) 3 — Film referenced for its song 'Real hero,' which became eerily prescient foreshadowing before a cardiac emergency at work...

Up (film) 3 — Pixar animated film jokingly interpreted as Jewish propaganda against reproduction in a conversation about Nazi ideology...

Eliezer Yudkowsky (person) 3 — High school dropout without technical credentials who positions himself as AI expert despite lacking formal education or...

Rationalism (concept) 3 — Intellectual movement connected to effective altruism and Eliezer Yudkowsky's online community.

Ottawa (place) 3 — Canadian city where public incidents of homeless men masturbating have become a topic of discussion

Viggo Mortensen (person) 3 — Actor referenced in 2002 Charlie Rose interview for protesting war, activity described as quaint compared to today

The Menu (film) 3 — A 2022 buzz film discussed as an example of modern films that contain too many self-conscious directorial decisions that...

Misanthropy (concept) 3 — A philosophical concept and emotional state discussed by a bartender who struggles with dislike and fear of other people...

Sandy Hook (concept) 3 — School shooting that Alex Jones claimed was a hoax, leading to harassment of parents and referenced in criticism of Red ...

Wings of Desire (film) 3 — A 1987 Wim Wenders film described as one of cinema's loveliest city symphonies, about an angel who falls in love with a ...

Femcels (concept) 3 — Female incels, discussed in context of sexual trauma, depression, and narcissistic negativity preventing romantic relati...

V for Vendetta (film) 3 — Graphic novel by Alan Moore mentioned alongside Watchmen as his popular work that serves as gateway to his deeper catalo...

West Texas (place) 3 — A harsh desert region described through vivid imagery of melted birds, dust storms, and extreme heat, where people strug...

Sun Kil Moon (person) 3 — Musical artist whose song "I Watched The Film The Song Remains The Same" is described as hypnotic and associated with li...

Birth of a Nation (film) 3 — 1915 film about the Civil War that portrays the KKK as heroes and features white men in blackface as villains, cited as ...

Fast Car (album) 3 — A song discussed as having lesbian themes and romanticism, with a cover by Luke Combs that is criticized as strange give...

John Cena (person) 3 — A professional wrestler who followed a Twitter user with only 88 followers, prompting speculation about follow-for-follo...

Carmela Soprano (person) 3 — Fictional character from The Sopranos whose psychology is analyzed in YouTube video essays with more depth than real peo...

Mark E. Smith (person) 3 — Musician compared to Slavoj Žižek for having a prolific output, opaque political ideology, and incomprehensible speaking...

REI (place) 3 — Outdoor retail store characterized as Bass Pro Shops for liberals, selling items like 'You are on native land' hats

Joshua Citarella (person) 3 — An artist who discusses the intersection of technology and late-stage capitalism on his podcast, compared to early Red S...

Promising Young Woman (film) 3 — A critically acclaimed film that left at least one viewer with a sick feeling and no redeeming qualities.

Kony 2012 (concept) 3 — A 2012 viral campaign that represents the last time there was a collective global outrage over a nothingburger issue bef...

Satanic Panic (concept) 3 — A moral panic in the 1980s involving widespread false beliefs about satanic ritual abuse, compared to contemporary fears...

Intermittent Fasting (concept) 3 — Weight loss practice involving restricted eating windows, discussed as method for losing 8 pounds in three weeks

Boardwalk Empire (film) 3 — An HBO television series implicitly referenced through Paz de la Huerta's notable role in the show.

Steampunk (concept) 3 — Aesthetic genre critiqued as lacking depth compared to cyberpunk, just wallpaper aesthetic without thematic substance.

Polymarket (concept) 3 — Prediction market platform that offers betting on median house prices, criticized as grim for allowing gambling on housi...

MF DOOM (person) 3 — Hip-hop artist whose lyrics are celebrated for their wordplay and imagery, including lines about bikers, snipers, and th...

Bella Poarch (person) 3 — A TikTok/e-girl influencer criticized for having a hyper-cutesy, childlike aesthetic with annoying facial expressions.

Divine (person) 3 — Drag performer and actor referenced as an iconic figure of earlier gay culture with greater artistic significance than c...

Ernest Cline (person) 3 — Writer blamed alongside Marvel and Tarantino for contemporary literature being full of references to other media rather ...

Kristen Stewart (person) 3 — Actress cited as an example of subtle 'lesbian jaw' phenotype characterized by greater distance from bottom of mouth to ...

Tracy Chapman (person) 3 — Artist whose song 'Fast Car' was covered by Luke Combs, sparking discourse claiming she was unfairly barred from country...

Abu Ghraib (place) 3 — An Iraqi prison where torture and abuse by American soldiers occurred, described as 'soul-crushing' and carried out by p...

Christopher Moltisanti (person) 3 — Character from The Sopranos praised as a well-written loser protagonist who is an average guy not cut out for mob life b...

WEF (place) 3 — World Economic Forum described as part of a predicted alliance with IMF and World Bank that will explicitly exert power ...

The Lord of the Rings (film) 3 — J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy that instilled wanderlust in the poster, particularly during a road trip to the Ro...

Apichatpong Weerasethakul (person) 3 — Director whose deliberate pacing style is compared to Sion Sono's approach in The Whispering Star

Aphrodite (concept) 3 — Greek goddess referenced in discussions of body type preferences and historical beauty standards

The Dark Knight (film) 3 — Batman film identified as ground zero for the gritty, washed-out aesthetic trend in media from 2006-2013

Heated Rivalry (book) 3 — Popular hockey romance novel that has brought unexpected mainstream cultural attention to NHL hockey.

Barenaked Ladies (person) 3 — A band referenced in a humorous post about autism genetics, with the poster's father having seen them live nearly a doze...

Nina Simone (person) 3 — Musician mentioned as a bonding point between the poster and a woman who turned out to be recruiting for SGI

Rae Klein (person) 3 — Contemporary painter known for winged ethereal creatures and dogs, cited as influence.

Ramadan (concept) 3 — Islamic holy month during which Gulf Arab women wear traditional dresses called Jalabyas or Mkhaweer, discussed in conte...

Hamnet (film) 3 — A theatrical production criticized for its corny approach to depicting Shakespeare's creative process, particularly show...

Dolores O'Riordan (person) 3 — Referenced for her complexion, contrasted with someone who mispronounces "ukulele."

David Hume (person) 3 — Philosopher referenced as someone whose world-changing thoughts occurred during a billiard game, contrasted with the bla...