(Reviewed by JD Jung)
I’ve been amazed how CNN correspondent Elle Reeve has put herself in risky situations to get a story as well as to obtain the perspective of potentially dangerous people. This is even more evident in her latest book, Black Pill.
Through these interviews, we see the dangers of the far-right groups on the internet and how the expressed ideas have influenced mainstream thought. Many participants are social outcasts and possess a deep hatred towards women. However, they find an accepting community online and power in anonymity. Some were libertarians who subsequently fell into this dark place of the alt-right.
Though I have read articles and books about many of the key players, such as 8Chan creator Fred Brennan (who didn’t realize the monster that he created) and neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, these in-depth interviews give further insight to their thoughts and motives.
I found that in the beginning, there was too much detail, and it was hard to concentrate. However, I’m glad I stuck with it as I discovered her section on alt-right women, especially her interviews with ex-neo-Nazi and Identity Evropa member Samantha Froelich particularly fascinating. How could women find comfort in a community with so much misogyny?
The book reaches a climax with Reeve’s recounting of her experiences at the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and subsequently at the January 6 riot. These sections read like a thriller, with tension and danger at every turn. I found myself gripped by the harrowing details and the sheer audacity and persistence of Reeve and her crew’s immersion in such volatile environments.
Fascists hope to spread a nihilistic outlook, the “black pill”, among citizens, thus encouraging disengagement and resignation. This makes Black Pill an essential and timely read for anyone seeking to understand and combat the rise of extreme right-wing ideology.
