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Steven Crowder
Crowder in 2019
Born
Steven Blake Crowder

(1987-07-07) July 7, 1987 (age 37)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
CitizenshipCanada · United States
Occupation(s)Political commentator, media host, comedian
Years active1999–present
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHilary Crowder (m. 2012)
Websitelouderwithcrowder.com

Steven Blake Crowder (/ˈkraʊdər/; born July 7, 1987) is an American-Canadian neo-fascist and far-right political commentator, media host, and comedian.[1][2] He hosts Louder with Crowder, a daily political podcast and YouTube channel. He is particularly notable for a recurring segment called "Change My Mind". He is also a former contributor at Fox News.

In June 2019, Crowder's YouTube videos were investigated over his repeated use of racist and homophobic slurs to describe journalist Carlos Maza.[3][4][5] YouTube did not suspend the channel and said the channel did not violate the site's policies, but demonetized the account the following day, citing "a pattern of egregious actions [that] harmed the broader community".[6] In August 2020, his channel was re-monetized after Crowder addressed his behavior and content.[7] In March 2021, his channel was once again demonetized after violating YouTube's presidential election integrity policy.[8]

Early life

Crowder was born on July 7, 1987 in Detroit, Michigan. Crowder's mother was French Canadian, and at the age of 3, his family moved to the Montreal suburb of Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada where he would live for the rest of his childhood.[9] Crowder attended Centennial Regional High School, and at the age of 18, he moved back to the United States.[10] Crowder attended two semesters at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.[11]

Career

Early career and Fox News

Early in his career, he worked as a voice actor for the character Alan "The Brain" Powers on the children's television series Arthur.[12] He began performing stand-up comedy at age 17. He then acted in a number of films, including the role of Doug Moore in the 2009 movie To Save a Life. From 2009 to 2012, Crowder worked for Fox News.[11]

By 2009, Crowder regularly posted satirical videos on politically conservative media, including Pajamas Media[13] and later at Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood. Crowder served as the master of ceremonies at the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference,[14] and generated some controversy with a rap video he premiered at CPAC 2012.[15] In October 2012, Crowder's YouTube video parodying Lena Dunham's ad endorsing Barack Obama was mentioned in the conservative magazine The American Spectator.[16] In 2016, Crowder created a short video for the conservative media company PragerU in which he criticizes democratic socialism as bearing little to no difference from Marxism.[17]

December 2012 union protest

In December 2012, Crowder and members of Americans for Prosperity were involved in an altercation at a demonstration in Michigan concerning the state's recently passed right-to-work law.[18] The incident began with an attempt by union activists to tear down the Americans for Prosperity tent, which was eventually successful. During the altercation, Crowder was punched several times by a union activist. Crowder posted an edited video of the incident to his YouTube channel that cut footage of the alleged assailant being pushed to the ground and getting back up, right before throwing the punches at Crowder. However, Fox News' broadcasts of the incident included footage of the man being pushed. The New York Times stated, "The same footage also shows that Mr. Crowder had his hand on that man's shoulder just before he tumbled to the ground, but, while the camera does not capture the whole sequence of events, it seems likely that the man was knocked to the ground as members of the two sides pushed against one other, not shoved down by Mr. Crowder."[19] Crowder later released an unedited copy of the video.[20]

An AFL–CIO spokesman, Eddie Vale, stated that the organization did not condone the tearing down of the Americans for Prosperity tent or the violence against Crowder and his group.[21]

Crowder speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland

In March 2013, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III declined to press charges against anyone involved in the December 2012 altercation. According to Dunnings, his office was originally sent an edited version of the video of Crowder's altercation. However, upon reviewing the unedited version, the prosecutor's office decided not to pursue the case because the union member had acted in self-defense.[22][11]

Louder with Crowder

In October 2013, Fox News ended its relationship with Crowder. This was announced shortly after Crowder made negative statements about Fox News host Sean Hannity and about Fox News.[11] In 2017, the Louder with Crowder program, featuring mainly comedic content and political commentary, became a daily program featured on Conservative Review's new streaming service, CRTV. On December 3, 2018, CRTV merged with Glenn Beck's TheBlaze, where Crowder continues to be hosted,[23] alongside his YouTube channel, which has existed since 2009.[11][24][25]

Francesca Tripodi, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that Crowder is "very popular, especially among young, conservative voters".[26] Becca Lewis, a Stanford researcher who studies extremism on YouTube, told Bloomberg News that while Crowder stays away from expressing white nationalism directly, his channel "has some of the most overt racism of any of the shows I've looked at".

"Change My Mind"

"Change My Mind" is a regular segment conducted by Crowder in which he sits at a table with a sign including the phrase "Change My Mind" and invites people walking by, often students on university campuses, to change his mind on a controversial subject. One of these segments, in which Crowder was seated behind a sign that read "Male Privilege is a Myth / Change My Mind" outside the campus of Texas Christian University, became an Internet meme based on a photograph of Crowder.[27][28][29][30] After Crowder uploaded it on his Twitter account on February 18, 2018, the photograph quickly became a means for others to change the signs about different situations, often mocking and parodying Crowder.[31] In June 2018, Complex rated the meme at 18 on their list of "The Best Memes of 2018 (so far)".[32]

Violations of online policies

In June 2019, YouTube investigated Crowder for using racist and homophobic slurs targeting Carlos Maza in multiple videos reacting to the Vox series Strikethrough, which Maza hosts. Crowder referred to Maza as "Mr. Lispy queer", an "angry little queer", and a "gay Mexican", and mocked him with a stereotypical gay voice, sometimes while wearing a t-shirt with Che Guevara on it that said "Socialism is for f*gs [sic]".[3] In addition, Maza said that Crowder's fans have doxxed and harassed him.[33] Maza said Crowder's videos about him are "dehumanizing, and it's something I thought YouTube would be more protective about because it brands itself as being a queer space".[3] According to an analysis by Vox Media's The Verge, Crowder's videos "routinely contain egregious violations of YouTube's policies against cyberbullying".[34]

Crowder responded with a video where he said his use of slurs was "playful ribbing" and that "it's funny, it's a comedy show". He said that the investigation was a "war we will fight to the bitter end" and that "this is an example of a giant, multinational media conglomeration ... attempting to squash a competitor". He also stated that he is opposed to doxxing and harassment.[35][36]

YouTube concluded that the language used by Crowder "was clearly hurtful", but "the videos as posted don't violate our policies". It determined that Crowder had not encouraged his viewers to harass or dox Maza either on YouTube or other platforms and that the main point of his video was to respond to opinion.[37] The decision to not suspend the channel drew considerable criticism.[3] The next day, YouTube suspended the channel's monetization, blaming "a pattern of egregious actions [that] harmed the broader community".[38] Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who had previously appeared on Crowder's show, criticized YouTube's demonitization of Crowder's account, and Crowder stated on his Twitter account that, "Vox is still going to be pissed" because he was not removed from the platform.[39][40]

In August 2020, YouTube re-monetized some of Crowder's content on the site, stating that Crowder had satisfactorily addressed the issues with his behavior and content.[41]

Crowder announced in February 2021 that he filed a lawsuit against Facebook for allegedly unfairly censoring him.[42]

In March 2021, YouTube suspended Crowder's channel for one week for violating its presidential election integrity policy by questioning the legitimacy of the election results in Nevada and again indefinitely demonetized the account.[43] The next month, his account was given a second strike on the platform for "reveling in or mocking" the killing of Ma'Khia Bryant in a video he posted; the following month, Crowder announced that he filed a lawsuit against YouTube seeking an injunction.[44]

Personal life

He married his wife, Hilary, in August 2012, and wrote about the benefits of remaining abstinent prior to his marriage.[45]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2000–2001 Arthur Alan 'The Brain' Powers Voice
2000 Arthur's Perfect Christmas
2001 Two Summers Friend
2004 Arthur's Halloween Alan 'The Brain' Powers Voice
2005 3 Needles Depanneur Manager
2006 The Covenant Party Kid
2007 The Secret Classroom Boy
2008 Bend & Break Blake
The Velveteen Rabbit Baseball Boy #1
Greek Jace
2009 To Save a Life Doug Moore
2017 A YouTube Carol Ebenezer YouTube

References

  1. ^ Steven Crowder [@scrowder] (February 20, 2014). "Allow me to clarify. I have dual-citizenship with the USA and Canada" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 19, 2018 – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Ernst, Douglas (June 20, 2016). "Steven Crowder, conservative comedian, draws Prophet Muhammad on YouTube channel". The Washington Times. Retrieved April 14, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c d Rosenburg, Eli (June 4, 2019). "A right-wing YouTuber hurled racist, homophobic taunts at a gay reporter. The company did nothing". Washington Post. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "YouTube Says Homophobic Harassment Doesn't Violate Its Policies". Time. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (June 10, 2019). "YouTube CEO Apologizes Over Handling of Homophobic Content". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Nett, Danny (June 8, 2019). "Is YouTube Doing Enough To Stop Harassment Of LGBTQ Content Creators?". NPR. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Ghosh, Shona (August 13, 2020). "YouTube restores Steven Crowder's ability to make cash from videos, a year after the conservative star was accused of homophobic harassment". Business Insider. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  8. ^ Hollister, Sean (March 30, 2021). "YouTube has removed Steven Crowder from its Partner Program indefinitely". The Verge.
  9. ^ Shapiro, Ben (September 16, 2018). "Steven Crowder: The Ben Shapiro Show Sunday Special Ep. 19". The Ben Shapiro Show. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "THE 'LOUDERWITHCROWDER' TEAM REMEMBERS: WHERE WE WERE ON 9/11". louderwithcrowder.com. September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e Dickson, Caitlin (November 3, 2013). "The Unmaking of a Conservative Pundit". The Daily Beast.
  12. ^ "Behind the Voice Steven Crowder". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  13. ^ "Pajamas TV Reporter Tracks Stimulus Spending". Hannity. Fox News. August 11, 2009.
  14. ^ "CPAC 2011: Schedule of events" (PDF). Conservative Political Action Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2012.
  15. ^ Crowder, Steven (February 13, 2012). "Stop Lying and Let Racism Die". Huffington Post.
  16. ^ Kaminsky, Ross (October 27, 2012). "Steven Crowder Wrecks Lena Dunham". American Spectator. Archived from the original on December 1, 2012.
  17. ^ Kangadis, Nick (November 1, 2016). "Prager U Video: 'Democratic Socialism is Still Socialism'". Media Research Center. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  18. ^ Wemple, Erik (December 11, 2012). "Fox News contributor attacked at Michigan union protest". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  19. ^ Mackey, Robert. "Selective Editing by Fox News Contributor Revealed by Fox News". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  20. ^ "Fox News contributor releases unedited footage of fight at union rally". Fox News Channel. December 20, 2012.
  21. ^ McMorris-Santoro, Evan (December 11, 2012). "AFL–CIO: 'Of Course We Do Not Condone' Ripping Down Of AFP Tent In Michigan". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  22. ^ Wemple, Erik (March 8, 2013). "Fox News's Steven Crowder fistfight case: No charges". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  23. ^ Bond, Paul (December 2, 2018). "TheBlaze and CRTV Merge to Create Conservative Media Powerhouse (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  24. ^ "Popular comic to help raise funds for county GOP women". The Courier. February 20, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  25. ^ "Bloomberg - Are you a robot?". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved July 19, 2021. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  26. ^ Bergan, Mark (October 12, 2020). "A Conservative YouTuber Thrives By Pushing Conflict With Site". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  27. ^ "Man defending male privilege just became the intenet's newest photoshop battle". Rare. February 24, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  28. ^ Studios, Mashable. "The 'Change My Mind' meme is revealing a lot about the internet's strongest beliefs". Mashable. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  29. ^ "15 examples of the Change My Mind meme that show the Distracted Boyfriend has been usurped". Independent.ie. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  30. ^ "Conservative comedian changes mind, will make scaled-down appearance at UI". News Gazette. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  31. ^ "Steven Crowder Made a Dumb 'Male Privilege' Sign that Got Parodied". The Daily Dot. February 26, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  32. ^ "The Best Memes of 2018 (So Far)". Complex. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  33. ^ "Vox Host Carlos Maza Is Blasting YouTube For Not Adequately Enforcing Its Hate Speech Policies". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  34. ^ Alexander, Julia (May 31, 2019). "YouTube investigating right-wing pundit Steven Crowder for harassing Vox.com host". The Verge. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  35. ^ Asarch, Steven (May 31, 2019). "Carlos Maza, a journalist for Vox, speaks out about the harassment he's received from Steven Crowder and his fans". Newsweek. Retrieved June 1, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ^ EDT, Rachel Frazin On 6/1/19 at 11:24 AM (June 1, 2019). "YouTube investigating conservative commentator Steven Crowder". The Hill. Retrieved June 3, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ Gajanan, Mahita (June 5, 2019). "YouTube Says Homophobic Harassment Targeting a Popular Host Doesn't Violate Its Policies". Time. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  38. ^ "Update on our continued review–we have suspended this channel's monetization. We came to this decision because a pattern of egregious actions has harmed the broader community and is against our YouTube Partner Program policies. More here". YouTube. Retrieved June 28, 2020 – via Twitter.
  39. ^ Concha, Joe (June 6, 2019). "Ted Cruz throws support behind Steven Crowder: 'YouTube is not the Star Chamber'". The Hill. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  40. ^ Re, Gregg (June 5, 2019). "YouTube ends monetization of conservative commentator Steven Crowder's channel, several others after left-wing outrage". Fox News. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  41. ^ Ghosh, Shona (August 13, 2020). "YouTube restores Steven Crowder's ability to make cash from videos, a year after the conservative star was accused of homophobic harassment". Business Insider.
  42. ^ "A new report says social media doesn't censor conservatives. Comedian Steven Crowder would like a word". deseret.com. February 2, 2021.
  43. ^ Hollister, Sean (March 30, 2021). "YouTube has removed Steven Crowder from its Partner Program indefinitely". The Verge. Retrieved March 31, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ "Steven Crowder Sues YouTube for Silencing Conservatives: 'This Is the Big One'". cbn.com. May 18, 2021.
  45. ^ "Waiting till the wedding night—getting married the right way". Fox News. September 14, 2012.
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