A tradwife drops a racist slur: Why the right's trolling economy made Lilly Gaddis' rise inevitable

A tradwife drops a racist slur: Why the right's trolling economy made Lilly Gaddis' rise inevitable
Cashing in as a "cancel culture" martyr is getting harder, so attention addicts have to get more extreme

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED JUNE 17, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Let's stipulate up front that it is theoretically possible that Lilly Gaddis, wannabe "tradwife" influencer, did not realize what she was doing when she used the n-word in a recent cooking TikTok. Her defenders, far more numerous now than in her more anonymous past, offer an "innocence by ignorance" excuse. But even not knowing the story, you'd be right to be skeptical. After all, she didn't just let the word slip — she filmed, edited, and posted the content online. If you actually watch the clip that has gone viral, it becomes even harder to ignore the likelihood that it was a deliberate word choice.

In the video, Gaddis is decked out in the standard tradwife gear of a cleavage-baring sundress and a cross necklace to justify the sexualized marketing. She is vaguely arranging food while providing a rant tailor-made to tickle the reactionary male brain. She accuses immigrants and Black women of being "gold-diggers," while insisting Christian white girls like herself will love you, pathetic male viewer, solely for your masculine might, even if you are "broke." She is going for maximum shock value, dropping not just the n-word, but other five-dollar curses that are clearly meant to to offer a transgressive thrill, coming from a young woman playing at being a more scantily clad June Cleaver.

Link to tweet

But just in case there was any lingering doubt that this was a deliberate play for attention, Gaddis soon confirmed it in a tweet responding to the outrage: "Thanks black community for helping to launch my new career in conservative media! You all played your role well like the puppets you are."

This wannabe Christian influencer is so obviously out for attention, so it's tempting to ignore this story in hopes of not letting her have it. Still, Gaddis is an important illustration of the vicious cycle of greed and far-right radicalism driven by the social media ecosystem. The field of strivers wishing to be America's next top troll is growing faster than can be maintained by the existing audience of incels, white supremacists and other miscreants radicalized online. Becoming the next big thing means attracting the coin of the authoritarian realm: liberal outrage. Yet as liberals get numb to the constant barrage of fascist provocation, the trolls have no choice but to up the ante. So this is how we get a woman in an apron pretending to cook on TikTok while dropping the most notorious of racial slurs. .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/06/17/a-tradwife-drops-a-slur-why-the-rights-trolling-economy-made-lilly-gaddis-rise-inevitable/