Against the backdrop of the presidential election, a British journalist travels from Liverpool to the US, to meet a new wave of women using social media platforms to champion extreme views, including content that is shocking and anti-feminist
“I wanted to meet the women that had suddenly taken over my social media feeds posting increasingly inflammatory content – girls my age with huge online platforms who seemed nostalgic for an era where women had less rights.” — Layla Wright
(Image: Alana McVerry/Mindhouse Productions)
August 19, 2024 — BBC Factual today announced a one-off documentary for BBC Three and iPlayer, America’s New Female Right (1×60). Produced by the BAFTA award-winning Mindhouse Productions, the documentary will take viewers inside the latest iteration of the American right, populated by a growing community of content creators posting highly inflammatory content online.
Against the backdrop of the presidential election, 27 year-old British journalist Layla Wright travels from her hometown in Liverpool to the US, to meet a new wave of women using social media platforms and podcasts to champion extreme views on social media, including content that is increasingly shocking and, surprisingly, anti-feminist.
From Nashville to the Arizona/Mexico border, Layla will immerse herself with the ultra-conservative influencers who see themselves as on the frontline of a war against progressive politics. She will attempt to understand exactly what is driving young women, including some close to her own age and others as young as 16 years-old, to advocate for a movement that is looking to roll back the clock on hard-earned rights.
Layla Wright is currently Creator in Residence at Mindhouse Productions since joining the company in 2022 and has worked alongside Mindhouse co-founder Louis Theroux, who serves as the programme’s Chief Creative Officer.
Layla Wright says: “I wanted to meet the women that had suddenly taken over my social media feeds posting increasingly inflammatory content – girls my age with huge online platforms who seemed nostalgic for an era where women had less rights. It surprised me just how unapologetically controversial they were and despite living just a plane ride away, the views they promoted seemed worlds apart from me and my friends back home. It’s been a fascinating to follow in the footsteps of my mentor, Louis Theroux, and to try and understand what drives behaviour that on the face of it seems extreme.”
Tom Coveney, BBC Commissioning Editor, says: “With the proliferation of inflammatory opinions online and the rise of real world extremism, it’s more important than ever to understand where these views are coming from and why they’re spreading. In this documentary, Layla Wright gives us a powerful insight into a surprising trend in America’s social media landscape: young women who are not only sharing extreme views, but who are also often arguing against women having their own careers, or even the right to vote.”
Arron Fellows, Exec Producer, says: “It’s important to us all at Mindhouse to support young, journalistic talent and we are proud to be working alongside Layla on this documentary. There couldn’t be a more appropriate time to explore the female right in America and the effects that content being posted online is having on the real world.”
‘America’s New Female Right’ is released on Monday 2 September on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. It was commissioned for BBC Three and iPlayer by Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC iPlayer and Youth Audiences and Jack Bootle, Head of Specialist Factual Commissioning. The BBC Commissioning Editors are Tom Coveney and Anna Dickeson. Executive Produced by Arron Fellows and Nancy Strang for Mindhouse Productions. The Producer/Director is Alana McVerry (Stalkers – Stacey Dooley and Emily Atack: Asking For It?).
Source
BBC Three
