Far-right Politics | Indoctrination
How the Far Right Perverted the ‘Red Pill’ Into a Symbol of Racism, Misogyny, and Hate
‘The Matrix’ presented some very cool ideas — but then the far right totally co-opted them
Remember the popular 1999 science fiction film ‘The Matrix’? (Of course you do!)
If you’re over the age of ten, you’re probably quite familiar with it — and may have even seen it several times. ‘The Matrix’ became an influential, far-reaching cultural phenomenon, in part because of its oft-quoted sequences involving ‘taking the blue pill’ vs. ‘taking the red pill.’
Famously, ‘The Matrix’ posited that we are all enmeshed or trapped in an illusory, manufactured reality, which is so perfectly convincing that we usually never question its reality.
People who totally believe in and support the reality they see around them are said to have ‘taken the blue pill,’ while others who choose to ‘wake up’ and see through all the illusions — and fight against them if necessary — have ‘taken the red pill.’
So far, so good. This is pretty basic metaphysical imagery, and can even be viewed as a potent impetus for seeking knowledge or enlightenment. After all, what could be wrong with…
