Item 5 – Reddit Post/community
Collected From: Reddit
Date Posted: April 27th, 2021
Original Poster: u/Stoats1Ily
Collector: Alex Hunt
Analysis of Texture
The first image is taken from the bio of a Reddit community known as QAnonCasualties, where, as stated in their bio, they invite those negatively affected by QAnon to talk about their struggles. The next two images come from the most recent post (as of April 27th, 2021) in this Reddit community, detailing an adverse experience that someone had with their family as a result of QAnon ideals. The speaker seems very distraught throughout this narrative, as they have dealt with a traumatic family experience. Most of the post is them detailing their experiences in typical narrative fashion, starting at the event that started this roll downhill and ending at the most recent occurrence. The final few lines are phrased in a way that seems as though advice is desired, as they list a few options before stating that they do not know what to do. Context
As mentioned previously, this was taken from a community that prides itself in being a safe space for those affected by QAnon ideals. Users are expected to stick to the topic of QAnon, as other communities within Reddit offer similar pages to discuss other theories, interests, and issues. There is a form of etiquette that is expected in this community, as derogatory language is typically not allowed within the comments section. Those who post and comment are supposed to remain respectful whenever communicating with others, as this is meant to be somewhat of a solemn side of Reddit. Those who are not respectful are typically banned from posting by those
who are in charge of the community, though the light tone used within the bio makes me assume that this is not a frequent occurrence.
Interpretation
I believe that this could be viewed as important by folklorists because not only is it a folk group by itself, but it also demonstrates the vast effect that QAnon can have on some people. Looking at what effect a conspiracy movement can have on those who are outsiders to the movement is extremely important to consider when attempting to understand the movement itself, as it can shine a light on a lot of what occurs behind the scenes of the community. The mythical figure of Q and those who operate as ‘QAnon Meme Performers’ rarely (if ever) delve into the consequences that can arise as a byproduct of being a member and understanding what can go wrong contributes to the bigger picture of figuring out how QAnon operates.
Overview
A connecting thread I have noticed while sifting through QAnon cyberlore is that of compliant resistance. This seems to be a common theme that stems from the ideological narrative laid out by Q, but it has been consistently perpetuated by members of the group. The message found in QAnon ideology is that one should always search for the right information themselves, distrusting formal media presentations and instead ‘combat ignorance’ through one’s own processes of research. This is where the resistance is apparent: QAnon’s main assertion is that American media is governed by satanic pedophiles who seek to destroy the country’s values, so they are constantly denying any evidence that is brought forth against them by anyone in media or scientific fields. They resist this ‘tainted’ information through subscribing to Q’s posts before
engaging in digital gatherings in order to talk to one another or post memes that are meant to inform the ‘sheep’ making up society. The cyberlore they create is their form of resistance. There is an inherent contradiction in this ideology, though, as they are preaching that one should search for evidence themselves while simultaneously believing everything an anonymous figure says. They resist one ideology while assimilating themselves with another ideology. This is where the compliance comes in: They are willing to comply with a new belief system in order to resist one that counters their stubborn opinions. Overall, members of QAnon are brought together by resisting what makes them disgruntled, formulating somewhat intricate methods of communication and imagery as method of coping with this frustration. I believe this idea of using cyberlore to cope with reality was a prevalent concept found within Trevor Blank’s The Last Laugh. He talks in great detail about how individuals typically cope with tragedy through online humor, as it operates as a method of extended connection with those are experiencing similar traumas. Those who use the internet do it to escape from the frustrations they face in reality while simultaneously confronting the problems that are pressing in the back of their minds. With this being the case, I believe QAnon is an example of when this escapism can go too far, leading to an attempt at escaping reality through the online world circling back to where the online world dominates one’s reality. Those who first got hooked on QAnon did so in order to avoid/resist the world that was closing in around their outdated ideals, and this resistance led to them becoming compliant in a destruction of their own lives (cutting ties with family members, engaging in hate crimes and riots, etc.). QAnon is a conspiracy theory, and, like most conspiracy theories, they are perpetuated by their ability to help people cope with the uncertainty that is human life.