The same far-right audiences that have helped right-wing extremism become the dominant political voice on YouTube have been carrying out an intense harassment campaign against two of their once-favorite female pundits, Lauren Southern and Tara McCarthy, for failing to abide by “traditionalism” and have multiple children in order to further white supremacy and combat changing ethnic demographics in the Western world.
Lauren Southern, a conservative activist and media personality who is frequently praised by the alt-right sympathizers on YouTube and 4chan, thought it was necessary to explain to her viewers earlier this month why she was not married and did not have children despite being one of the most prominent new media voices promoting “traditionalist” lifestyles where women marry early and are relegated to housekeeping and child-rearing. In her video, Southern claimed that she advocates the views because “there needs to be a balancing” against liberal views pushed by mainstream news outlets.
“I don’t usually respond to comments because in my opinion comments don’t represent what I say, however I have gotten so many comments lately that have misinterpreted the message I’m trying to put out there that it’s gotten to a point where unfortunately I think I do need to address it,” Southern said, going on to explain that she is not married at 22 years old for many of the same reasons other women do not get married in their early 20s and that it would actually be “degenerate” of her to get married right now.
Southern described the attacks against her as “shocking” and “insane,” which is a bit odd given that she has conditioned her audience with video after video promoting traditionalism among women, mocking women who are happy being single, attempting to embarrass protesters marching for women’s rights, among other generally anti-social-justice messages. When her most ideologically devoted fans tested her commitment to the views she espouses, Southern conceded that she speaks in “generalities.”
Tara McCarthy, a YouTube pundit who describes herself as an ethno-nationalist and a member of the alt-right, has been facing similar attacks. McCarthy received so many comments attacking her for not having children that she locked her Twitter account right after posting that she was going to “take a break from Twitter because I need to think without being inundated by notifications.” In an earlier tweet, she expressed her surprise to learn that the alt-right, a movement that includes rampant misogyny in its philosophy, was a “male space” and threatened to “happily leave” the movement:
Tara McCarthy, a YouTube personality who sings the praises of the alt-right and warns of "white genocide," somehow just discovered what the alt-right thinks of women pic.twitter.com/XlbQ16rzm5
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) December 4, 2017
Last year, McCarthy and her husband were outed by the YouTube vegan community as insane racists, spurring a backlash that forced McCarthy to delete her channel. Since then, McCarthy has created a newer YouTube presence to provide a platform for white supremacist activists who openly identify as neo-Nazis, such as Greg Johnson and Andrew Anglin, to advocate that women produce as many white children as possible, and to decry feminism and encourage women to get married early.
