The Demise of Jezebel: A Controversial Feminist Outlet Meets Its End
The parent company for the far-left feminist online news and opinion magazine Jezebel shut down the website Thursday after a round of layoffs at G/O Media forced the paper’s closure.
The Daily Beast reported 23 people were laid off, including G/O Media’s editorial director, Merrill Brown.
“Unfortunately, our business model and the audiences we serve across our network did not align with Jezebel’s,” CEO Jim Spanfeller wrote in a staff memo. “And when that became clear, we undertook an expansive search for a new, perhaps better home that might ensure Jezebel a path forward.”
Jezebel was founded under Gawker in 2007 and sold to Univision in 2016. The outlet was acquired by G/O Media in 2019.
For years, the feminist website defended female genital mutilation, blind accusations of sexual misconduct, and the elimination of free expression.
In 2014, then-Jezebel writer Anna Merlan mocked skeptical coverage of Rolling Stone’s infamous fraternity gang rape story by a pair of male writers, including Reason Magazine’s Robby Soave, as “two guys who have no idea what they’re talking about and don’t believe it.”
“‘Is the UVA Rape Story a Gigantic Hoax?’ Asks Idiot,” read Merlan’s headline.
In 2017, Rolling Stone ultimately reached a legal settlement with fraternity members who were wrongly accused of “the most significant false accusation of rape since the Duke Lacrosse hoax.”
Merlan wrote off Rolling Stone’s initial story in 2014 as a “case closed.” (Merlan also apparently finds cheap, reliable heating in the winter as an offensive exercise to “enrich a small group of evil s**theads.”)
Jezebel also became a popular outlet to cheer on overweight pop star Lizzo and the movement to glorify obesity under the banner of “body positivity.” The magazine published take after take after take after take after take, celebrating the queen of body positivity as a cultural icon for women to admire. Heart disease, meanwhile, remains the leading cause of death for women in America.
In 2014 Jezebel ran a feature on the all-girl Japanese pop group, “Chubbiness,” apparently dedicated to “being happy eating whatever the f**k they want in that Japanese cute ‘fuwa fuwa’ style as opposed to having assets that boys like to hold onto.” The writer, however, criticized the J-pop group as not going far enough in their commitment to plus-size activism.
“I’m not sure how body positive these groups are given that their identities and some of their dance moves in their videos are restricted to their appetites and not much else,” the author wrote. “But on the other hand, how often do we see big happy women singing and dancing without a godd-mn care in the world?”
About the Author
Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.
What were some of the criticisms directed towards Jezebel’s coverage and content?
Rel=”noreferrer noopener”>take, promoting the idea that bodies of all sizes should be celebrated and that any criticism or concern about obesity was purely fat-shaming.
However, Jezebel’s extreme positions and controversial content drew criticism from many quarters. Some argued that the website’s coverage often lacked nuance and relied on sensationalism to push its feminist agenda. Others accused Jezebel of being hypocritical by claiming to champion free expression while shutting down dissenting voices and promoting censorship.
Jezebel’s demise is not surprising considering the shifting landscape of online media. As public opinion becomes more divided and polarized, there is less room for platforms like Jezebel that cater to a specific ideology. Audiences are increasingly seeking out diverse viewpoints and balanced reporting, and outlets like Jezebel that prioritize activism over objectivity struggle to maintain relevance.
Furthermore, Jezebel’s financial struggles highlight the challenges facing digital media in the age of social media dominance. With platforms like Facebook and Google controlling the majority of online advertising revenue, independent publishers are finding it difficult to compete. Jezebel’s closure could be seen as a cautionary tale for other niche publications that rely heavily on ad revenue.
Jezebel’s controversial legacy will undoubtedly continue to be a topic of discussion. While some laud the outlet for its efforts to promote feminist causes and challenge societal norms, others view its demise as a necessary step towards a more inclusive and balanced media landscape.
As feminist discourse and activism continue to evolve, it is clear that outlets like Jezebel will need to adapt and find new ways to engage with their audiences. Whether Jezebel’s demise signals a broader shift in feminist media or simply marks the end of a particular brand remains to be seen.
