Given the insane volume on both sides, I think Reddit is a small fraction of the buyers. Professional traders and big firms are probably the bulk of both sides.

Given the insane volume on both sides, I think Reddit is a small fraction of the buyers. Professional traders and big firms are probably the bulk of both sides. And with the price so high, I'm sure there are plenty of retail investors trying to short it. Basically, both groups are on both sides. But also, the subreddit is trying to weaponize anger against Wall Street for the 2008 crisis into a generalized anger against all hedge funds and investment firms, regardless of whether these firms are actually guilty of anything. Melvin Capital didn't exist until 2014, but it doesn't matter. They're automatically guilty because they're a hedge fund. People on WSB are telling stories about how their families suffered in 2008 and therefore they are never going to sell their GME stock. WSB mods are deleting posts advising against holding GME. There is a pretty concerted effort on the subreddit to get people to buy more GME and to hold. And the people that do so are going to be the ones holding the bag when the bubble ends. If you're cynical, you might wonder if redditors are the "mark", and some of these posters are intentionally trying to screw them out of their money. Regardless, the idea that this specifically hurts the people that caused the financial crisis is unsubstantiated.