This article was originally written for the COMM720 Theories of New Media course by Erkan Saka at Istanbul Bilgi University.
This text examines Anthony Dannar’s 2024 article, ‘Every adventure begins with a cup of coffee’: Black Rifle Coffee Company, reactionary fandom, and the tactical body’. I will analyze how white supremacist discourse and conspiracy theories are constructed, how they proliferate through media, and their subsequent impact on consumer behavior. Furthermore, I will explore the anti-vaccination movement in Türkiye during the Covid-19 pandemic as a localized case study of conspiracy theory dissemination.
In his research, Dannar demonstrates that Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is more than a mere coffee retailer providing physical spaces for consumption. The brand actively adopts and promotes far-right political rhetoric. They propagate these views through branded merchandise (such as hats and t-shirts featuring their logo), a digital newspaper, podcasts, and YouTube videos (Dannar, 2024, p. 347). Moreover, the brand’s consumers and fans—predominantly white males—record and publish videos featuring these products in both physical and digital spaces. In the anti-vaccination context, the “Disinformation Dozen” played a pivotal role in generating negative discourse and conspiracy theories regarding Covid-19 vaccines. According to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), figures like Dr. Joseph Mercola promoted nutritional supplements as alternatives to vaccines while advertising various brands (2021, p. 12).
The concept of “cosplay”—typically associated with performing as characters from anime, manga, or games—is expanded in this article through the lens of the “tactical body” (Dannar, 2024, p. 349). Within this framework, we are no longer discussing simple product sales. Instead, consumption becomes an act of taking sides in a political war. We observe a similar pattern in anti-vaccination movements. The CCDH report indicates that twelve key individuals utilized platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to mobilize anti-vaxxers (2021, p. 4). In Türkiye, these groups organized to form the Nehir Hareketi (River Movement). This group later began producing content similar to platforms like the Büyük Uyanış Hareketi (Great Awakening Movement). Their shared slogan reflects this mindset:
“(Nehir Hareketi) represents the path of struggle toward a clear world where we can live ‘humanely.’ Led by our intellectuals and alongside our ‘awakened’ people, we unite like a river flowing toward the seas and our freedom, standing against the Antichrist’s poisonous liquids and murky plans” (Daldal et al., 2023, p. 48).
This digital organization materialized physically during the “Great Awakening Rally” in Maltepe, Istanbul (Daldal et al., 2023, p. 47). The “tactical body” manifested by wearing BRCC-logo gear finds a parallel here in what could be termed the “political body.” I would like to elaborate on how the preference of white males for BRCC is reflected in the brand’s rhetoric. Through its digital media channels, BRCC suggests that inclusivity and tolerance are “feminine” traits. They argue that American men adopting these traits leads to “emasculation” (Dannar, 2024, p. 384).
Additionally, they develop counter-arguments against social movements such as LGBTIQ+, feminism, and Black Lives Matter. These arguments often align with the “Great Replacement” narrative. BRCC communities frequently harbor the belief that individuals from these social movements will eventually “dominate the world” and exclude those who do not belong to their groups (Dannar, 2024, p. 385). This is, of course, a fundamentally flawed perspective.Regarding anti-vaccination in Türkiye, the Nehir Hareketi promotes the narrative that the Covid-19 pandemic is a hoax. They claim “global powers are controlling the world’s population under the pretext of health.” According to this discourse, global powers intend to enslave the public through the pandemic and vaccination (Daldal et al., 2023, p. 49). Consequently, the pandemic is transformed from a public health issue into a political battlefield. This shift, facilitated by various opinion leaders, creates entities that threaten collective public health.
Alongside the concepts of cosplay and the tactical body, white supremacist discourse and conspiracy theories contribute to the creation of unique “transmedia storyworlds” in both the BRCC case and the Turkish anti-vaccination movement. A white male wearing a BRCC hat becomes a “tactical body” within this transmedia world. He adopts narratives regarding the emasculation of American men and the loss of power due to social movements led by perceived enemies. In this way, discourse and conspiracy theories become embodied (Dannar, 2024, p. 388).The transmedia storyworld of anti-vaxxers includes Erkan Trükten’s book Deccal-Derin Devlet (Antichrist-Deep State), tweets using the “plandemic” hashtag, and various WhatsApp and Telegram groups (Daldal et al., 2023, p. 51). The “echo chambers” formed within these transmedia storyworlds inevitably bring about specific behavioral patterns.
Both BRCC examined by Dannar’s article and the Turkish anti-vaccination movement have expanded their influence through popular media. In the BRCC example, this occurs through branded merchandise, user-generated videos, and the founder’s podcasts. In the anti-vaccination case, it spreads through social media posts by the “Disinformation Dozen,” published books, and private communication groups. In both instances, conspiracy theories did not remain confined to their creators; they reached a broader public and became “flesh and blood.” Opinion leaders—including the founders of BRCC and the leaders of the Nehir Hareketi—have shaped the views of their fanbases through fictional threats. Disinformation has not only misdirected ideas and beliefs but has also functioned as an ideological apparatus that transforms the physical body itself.
REFERENCES
Daldal, A., Conker, A., & Nas, Ç. (2023). Aşı Karşıtlığı ve Covid-19 Pandemisi Sürecinde Türkiye’deki Yansımalarına Kuramsal ve Sosyo-Politik Bir Bakış: Bilimselliğin Reddi, Tıbbileştirme ve Komplocu-Popülist Söylemler. Amme İdaresi Dergisi, 56(3), 35-57.
Dannar, A. (2024). ‘Every adventure begins with a cup of coffee’: Black rifle coffee company, reactionary fandom, and the tactical body. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 30(1), 375–394. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565231205868
The disinformation dozen: Why platforms must act on twelve leading online anti-vaxxers. Https://counterhate.com/research/the-disinformation-dozen/. (2021). Center for Countering Digital Hate.