Steven Crowder Tackles Conservative Commentator Controversy and Sex Appeal in Media
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Steven Crowder Tackles Conservative Commentator Controversy and Sex Appeal in Media
Steven Crowder addresses the recent controversy surrounding a conservative commentator who allegedly uses sex appeal to promote OnlyFans while discussing political topics like Ilhan Omar. He argues this isn't new in conservative media, pointing to Fox News' clear desks and the "leg chair," and suggests women have leveraged physical attractiveness in political commentary for decades. Crowder contends that truly brilliant female voices in politics often get overlooked because they don't fit the conventional attractiveness standard that dominates the industry.
Steven Crowder begins by addressing a viral controversy involving a conservative political commentator who appears to be using sex appeal to promote an OnlyFans account while discussing political topics, specifically criticizing Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The commentator claims Omar is a fraud who came to the USA to corrupt its people and resources, alleging she went from negative $65,000 net worth to over $30 million.
Crowder acknowledges the person is likely using controversy to sell OnlyFans subscriptions, describing it as potentially AI-scripted content with no real value or talent. However, he challenges the outrage from other conservative female commentators, asking why this particular instance is so shocking when sex appeal has been used in conservative media for decades.
Fox News and the History of Sex Appeal in Conservative Media
Crowder points directly at Fox News and its practices, specifically mentioning the clear desks that show commentators' legs and what he refers to as "the leg chair" - something he claims everyone who worked at Fox News knew about. He questions why newscasters would need see-through desks with no front panel, suggesting there's only one reason for this design choice.
He displays a collage of conservative female commentators and asks his audience if they can really claim to be surprised that someone would use sex appeal in political commentary. Crowder argues this has been standard practice in conservative media for years, from Fox News to the podcast space to organizations like Turning Point USA.
The Advantage Women Have in Social Media
Crowder explains that being attractive gives women a significant advantage in social media and political commentary. He states that women make up three-quarters of social media content creators and argues that a woman of medium talent can build a decent following if she's attractive, whereas the same doesn't apply to men. According to Crowder, a good-looking man might see only a 5% viewership increase, and that boost would primarily come from female viewers, not male ones.
He suggests that while attractive women can cluster in the middle tier of talent and still maintain success, when it comes to the very top positions, they face more competition. Crowder compares this to female comedians, stating that many shouldn't be at the top because they've relied on an advantage that men don't have - their physical appearance.
The Restaurant Analogy
Crowder uses a humorous analogy about going to dinner with an attractive woman who's dressed elegantly but in a revealing way. When another, objectively prettier woman enters wearing something even more revealing, the first woman becomes critical of the second woman's outfit. Crowder's point is that the criticism isn't really about the revealing nature of the clothing - it's about being "out-competed" in the sex appeal department.
His co-host admits to being the one who typically does this, pointing out attractive women while pretending to be scandalized by their outfits. The discussion highlights what Crowder sees as hypocrisy in the outrage over the OnlyFans commentator.
Clear Desks and Spandex Pants: What's the Difference?
Crowder challenges his audience to identify the difference between the OnlyFans commentator's approach and conservative female pundits wearing spandex pants and halter tops at conservative conferences. He acknowledges there is a difference but argues it's not as significant as people claim.
He questions whether most forward-facing political pundits on the right can honestly say they gained their audience solely because they were the most qualified, most interesting, or most insightful - or whether physical attraction played a role. Crowder concludes that many of these commentators have been "out-sex-appealed" and are now upset about it.
The Male Perspective
Crowder presents a humorous sketch showing how ridiculous it would be if men tried to use sex appeal in the same way. The sketch shows a man attempting to pose seductively on various pieces of furniture while being coached by someone off-camera, highlighting the absurdity of the concept when applied to male commentators.
He explains that men understand they need to compete on merit and talent because physical appearance won't give them the same advantage. When men see other men succeed without being the best in the room, they accept it as reality and focus on improving their skills rather than complaining about unfairness.
The Brilliant Women Being Overlooked
Crowder argues that the most brilliant female political commentator is probably not conventionally attractive and challenges women to make her a star. He guarantees that the best woman for these political commentary positions is likely not as attractive as the many people who currently hold those positions.
He specifically mentions several women he considers brilliant, including a voice on YouTube known for foreign policy analysis, Rachel Wilson, Karen Straughan, and Ann Coulter. Crowder points out that while Ann Coulter is both brilliant and successful, many equally talented women remain unknown because they don't fit the conventional attractiveness standard that has dominated the industry.
His central argument is that the same women who have benefited from using their physical attractiveness to build their platforms are now upset that someone is simply being more blatant about the same strategy. He suggests this is less about moral standards and more about competition in the attention economy of political commentary.
