As algorithms guide more and more of what we see online, our social media feeds are increasingly splintered. As a youngish progressive person, I'm likely seeing a very different internet than, say, an older conservative.
Don't believe me? Ask your weirdest uncle to show you his Facebook feed.
When these different parts of the internet collide, things can get...messy. For example, check out this twisty tale of what happened when LA comedian Madi Hart's (@madihart_soccer) video ended up going viral in a part of the internet that you wouldn't expect: Republican Twitter (aka X, but come on, nobody's really calling it that).
Back in December, Madi posted a TikTok talking about going on a date with a dude she describes as "a guy's guy" who paid for her drinks. In the video, she jokes, "I felt the feminism leaving my body."
I cannot emphasize enough that this was A JOKE.
But, as Madi explains in a follow-up video captioned "Fox News is so UNSERIOUS," her joke was wildly misinterpreted all over right wing media. Things started getting weird after Matt Walsh analyzed her video in an episode of his podcast.
She explains, "He's analyzing my video, and he's like, 'Yeah, she's willing to give up feminism when she gets her drinks paid for, but does she have the fortitude to give up feminism and cook and clean for her man and get in the kitchen?' I was like, I don't know, Matt Walsh, it was a joke. I haven't thought that far ahead."
From there, her video only gets more popular with people who don't get it at all. "Everybody all day on Republican Twitter is debating this video of mine. None of them really realized that I'm kidding." Soon, think pieces were being published discussing her video with headlines describing her as a "smitten lib chick" and a "progressive artsy woman."
Then, it all reached peak ridiculousness when Fox News picked up the story for some reason. She says, "I get a phone call from my estranged father... We have not spoken on the phone in about six months. He calls me saying, 'Oh my god, Madi. I'm so proud. You're on Fox News.'"
As if that's not wild enough, there's one final twist. "In my TikTok, I say that I'm bisexual, and most of my extended family did not know that I was bisexual. They all saw the clip because they all watch Fox News every night. So that is also how I came out to my entire extended family. Via Fox News."
Madi told BuzzFeed that, "Since I'm so unapologetic about my sex/dating life, Republican men love to hate me. They fixate on me because I go against what they think a woman 'should' be, and yet I seem...happy!? They desperately want me to have more shame, they think I'm a slut, blah blah blah. And they think it's their job to personally try and knock me down a peg!! (We all know they secretly have a crush on me, though)."
And she shared her first thoughts when she learned that her video was being discussed on Fox News. "It was pretty [wild] to learn that my video made Republican national news. As if there's NOTHING ELSE TO REPORT ON RIGHT NOW!!? UM!!!!!! But it mostly just made me laugh. I felt like I was in an episode of The Other Two or something."
She also shared a few theories as to why so many people missed the very obvious joke in her original video. "Men don't think women (or anyone besides the white/straight/cis male) can be funny on purpose. This stems from a fundamental lack of respect for anyone who isn't part of their in-group."
"When I make a joke, men just aren't primed to give me the benefit of the doubt. They take what I'm saying at face-value, because implicitly they don't trust that a woman could possess an understanding of irony or satire enough to deliberately make a joke."
She also suggested that Republican Twitter is behind on their memes. "'The feminism left my body' has been a prevalent meme for, like, two years. It's hyperbolic, simplistic, and extreme. That's why it's semi-funny. So maybe they just don't possess extensive internet literacy? I wasn't being original by using it, but for some reason, I'm the one who got on national news for it!! Slay la vie."
But also, she thinks there's an element of willful ignorance in the way so many on the right missed out on the joke. "Republicans WANT to believe that eradicating feminism really is as easy as buying a woman a drink to lure her back to the 'right side.' This comes down to an oversimplified, and overly-individualistic, perception of what feminism even is."
And just in case anyone needs a refresher on their feminism, Madi explains, "In reality, feminism is about collective liberation for all. Who buys who a drink has literally nothing to do with feminism. But if conservatives expanded their idea of what feminism is, they would have to expand their idea of who the patriarchy harms, and they're not ready for that conversation."
Madi says she's taking the whole being outed to her extended family on Fox News thing in stride, and she's still finding humor in the situation. "One family member even tried to gloss over it with a 'Well, I go on friend 'dates' with my girl friends, too, Madi!' And I literally said 'But I do it in the gay way.' Stunned silence ensued."
"So funny. I'm honestly just grateful for this excuse to remind everyone: I'M QUEER!! I DATE ALL GENDERS!!! I know most of my TikTok and standup roasts men, but that's because men have behaved the most weirdly toward me. I date anyone hot, so if you are anyone hot, PLEASE HIT MY LINE!!!!"
As for what Madi's date thinks about this whole situation, she shared, "He's honestly chill as hell. He actually texted me today saying, 'You getting on Fox News for our first date is my Roman Empire.' Here's to a good sport!!!" He sounds like one of the good ones.
Finally, Madi says, "PS: I paid for his dinner recently, too. And no one died!! So again: Feminism isn't about who pays."