The Edgelord Podcast That Defined Dirtbag Feminism
Red Scare launched March 2018 as hosts Anna Khachiyan and Dasha Nekrasova offered contrarian cultural commentary mixing leftist politics, art criticism, psychoanalysis, and anti-liberal provocations. The show pioneered “dirtbag feminism” — rejecting liberal feminism’s respectability politics while embracing transgressive, often offensive humor.
The podcast became soundtrack for “downtown” NYC cultural scene: artists, writers, musicians rejecting both woke progressivism and conservative traditionalism. Red Scare’s politics defied categorization: pro-labor but anti-identity politics, feminist but critical of #MeToo, leftist but skeptical of Democratic Party. This ambiguity attracted devoted following and intense criticism.
The hashtag captured Red Scare’s controversial cultural influence: normalizing edgelord aesthetics in leftist spaces, platforming anti-trans voices, and providing intellectual cover for contrarianism. The show’s $60K+ monthly Patreon revenue demonstrated audience appetite for “saying the quiet part loud” regardless of political correctness.
The hosts’ celebrity grew beyond podcasting: Nekrasova acted in Succession and directed The Scary of Sixty-First (2021 film), while Khachiyan became intellectual influencer. The show launched “Red Scare extended universe” — similar podcasts mixing art criticism, politics, and provocation (The Perfume Nationalist, Wet Brain, The Antifada).
Critics accused Red Scare of grifting — adopting leftist aesthetics while promoting reactionary politics, particularly on trans issues and COVID restrictions. The show’s influence on “post-left” politics — skepticism of progressive movements without offering coherent alternative — raised questions about whether contrarianism was ideology or brand.
By 2023, Red Scare remained influential in niche cultural circles despite (or because of) mainstream media criticism. The show proved podcasting enabled cultural movements outside institutional gatekeeping, for better and worse.
Sources:
- https://www.patreon.com/redscare (Patreon)
- https://www.thecut.com/ (The Cut explainer)
- https://www.nytimes.com/ (NYT profile)