An upcoming BBC documentary, America's New Female Right, will take on the complexities of far-right politics – meeting the women in the US who are spreading its message as content creators online, predominantly on social media.
UK journalist Layla Wright – who has been mentored by docu king Louis Theroux – flew to the States to get to know these women, and why they are rejecting progressive politics and the hard-won rights that it has given them in the last century.
In the aftermath of the viral “trad wife” trend, where women are talking about leaning into traditional gender roles, and the fact that the US presidential election looms over us all, this documentary is shaping up to be super fascinating. Here's what we know about America's New Female Right documentary.
What is America’s New Female Right documentary about?
The documentary's synopsis reads: “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,” it continues. “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 has opened up about her documentary journey, as well as what working on the America’s New Female Right documentary meant to her and what she learned, including how far these points of view felt from her own life and the impact social media has had on these messages circulating so widely.
“There were rather a lot of outside conversations that didn't understand what we were doing there."
“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," she said in a statement.
"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.”
America’s New Female Right documentary release date
It will drop on the BBC on 2 September.
America’s New Female Right documentary trailer
A trailer hasn't dropped yet, but we'll keep you updated when it does.
