I saw a post on here years ago about retro futuristic setting based on the bush post 9/11 years. I had chat gpt re-create it but does any of this ring a bell?


Genre Guide: “Post-9/11 Retrofuturism” (or Bushpunk)

Core Concept

An alternate near-future—or alternate-present—where early 2000s U.S. culture, politics, and fears never evolved. Religion, militarism, propaganda, and pop culture remain locked in a semi-apocalyptic Ayatollah-era loop—bloated on media obsession and performative patriotism.

Key Themes & Mood
• Perpetual War on Terror: The “forever wars” are both distant and omnipresent—seen in propaganda, news cycles, and public art.
• Surveillance State: Cameras, ID programs, dubious media, endless disclaimers, intrusive checkpoints everywhere.
• Media Saturation: Reality TV, infotainment, faux celebrity worship, scripted outrage—news battles entertainment for authority.
• Cultural Stagnation: Pop stars, megachurch logos, SUVs, and evangelical marketing populate every visual sign—capsule frozen in the Bush era.
• Absurdist Satire: Dystopia gets turned up to 11—with surreal visuals, religious zealotry as theater, and conspiracies taken as gospel.

Aesthetic & Visual Language
• Icons & Props: Yellow-ribbon stickers, postered patriotic slogans, co-opted evangelical symbols, surveillance drones disguised as pop-stars.
• Tone & Texture: Bright, glossy, washed-out visuals with hyper-real smog, bleach-washed consumer goods, and pastel propaganda.
• Narrative Structure: Nonlinear, glitch-scarred media broadcasts, overlapping public service announcements and faux reality snippets.