#MATRIX RED PILL BLUE PILL POSTER MOVIE#
#MATRIX RED PILL BLUE PILL POSTER SERIES#

Echoes of contemporary red pill narratives underpinned all these beliefs for this type of thinking long predates the specific motif. Hitler even believed the British people would become his staunch allies if only they destroyed the “Judaic forces” controlling them. Central to Nazi ideology was the theory of “Jewish-Bolshevism”, which held Jews invented communism as a means of world conquest. In early-1900s conspiracy theories, which would later fuel the the rise of Nazism, it was claimed a cabal of Jewish elders were infiltrating and corrupting social institutions in a plot for global dominion. Narratives of malevolent hands pulling strings behind the scenes are far older, and deeply tied to antisemitism. In the often competing worlds of conspiracy theorists, drinking urine or injecting bleach are variously presented as the real cures for COVID-19 rather than the vaccines developed by governments in a bid to control their populations.īut is The Matrix to blame for modern conspiratorial thinking? No. The idea of being duped by the mainstream is evident in much anti-vax thinking. Conspiracy theories paved the way for last year’s attack on the US Capitol, and continue to inflame tensions a year on. In worlds corrupted by unseen forces, radical action is easily justified. There are many other examples beyond incel culture, and they should strike a foreboding chord.

Eventually the positions and beliefs of the community only make sense in the worlds which adherents have constructed for themselves. Shared narratives can quickly diverge from reality when left unchallenged. Red pill narratives naturally encourage echo chambers, which are an ideal environment for radicalisation. Inevitably such communities become insular, seeing the outside world as brainwashed and themselves as uniquely virtuous for having the strength of character to face reality. Facts must conform to this truth to be legitimate, and all contrary evidence is dismissed. Within these narratives “truth” is presupposed rather than tested. The danger of red pill narratives is the type of thinking it imparts. The choice between the red pill and blue pill is a central theme to many conspiracy theories. They see themselves as a resistance movement against it. In “taking the red pill” manosphere adherents believe they are awake to this inequitable world order. Feminism, or the myth of female oppression, is a means to trick men into accepting exploitation and ceding ever more power. They see feminism as having corrupted socio-political institutions and established a society structured to the advantage of women and the detriment of men. To demonstrate, take the online “manosphere”, a loosely affiliated network of misogynistic groups united by a shared red pill conspiracy theory. It is perhaps ironic that in the film the red pill reveals reality for what it truly is while in conspiracy theories it allows adherents to construct their own reality – one which tends to reinforce and rationalise their own preconceptions. By “taking the red pill” believers “wake up” to this truth. A nefarious enemy is working behind the scenes, having concealed their harmful activities from the population. Red pill conspiracy theories follow the same basic logic. This cultural motif is now a cornerstone of conspiratorial thinking. The blue allows the protagonist to remain in a comfortable delusion spared from facing the horrors beyond. The red reveals the world for what it truly is an artificial construct of machines which have enslaved humanity. In the original Matrix, the protagonist is invited to choose between a red and blue pill.

The idea of the red pill is a key example.

#MATRIX RED PILL BLUE PILL POSTER MOVIE#

Ahead of the film’s release, two of its writers described themselves as approaching the movie with the intent of reclaiming the “red pill” trope from its hijackers. The problem is so widespread that the new Matrix film is being taken by some as a rejection of the trend. A mass shooter in the UK, for example, was found, after his death, to have been using Matrix imagery in online discussion forums before committing his crimes. Incels, or involuntary celibates, are particularly engaged with Matrix-style “philosophy”. Motifs from the film have been adopted by online groups to reinforce their messages, which are often hateful and violent.

#MATRIX RED PILL BLUE PILL POSTER SERIES#

Nearly 20 years since the third film in the series premiered, a fourth chapter, The Matrix Resurrections, was released in December to great excitement.īut one of The Matrix’s most enduring cultural contributions has been to conspiracy theories. The Matrix is among the most influential science fiction films of all time.

Matrix red pill blue pill poster