The Colosseum on the silver screen : the allure of Hollywood gladiators for the alt–right

Abstract

The ‘alternative right’ (alt–right) is a political movement originating in the United States around 2008, whose extremist ideologies are rooted in white nationalism. Initially a fringe online community, they gained notoriety in 2014 for their involvement in ‘Gamergate’, a conservative backlash to feminism in the video game community. The incident led Neiwert to describe them as “an Internet presence beset by digital trolls, unbridled conspiracism, angry–white–male– identity victimization culture, and, ultimately, open racism, anti–Semitism, ethnic hatred, misogyny, and sexual and gender paranoia. A place where human decency and ethics are considered antiquarian jokes, and empathy is only an invitation to assault.” They then entered mainstream discourse for their fervent support of the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. [excerpt]