Wearing a pink headband and blue overalls, Ms Rachel — aka the internet’s favorite childcare teacher — begins most of her videos with her usual greeting, waving excitedly at the camera: “Hi, guys!”
In one video, he opens jumbo-sized plastic crayons to reveal small toys that match the color of the crayon, slowly and enthusiastically describing each toy. In another, she visits a doctor’s office and inquires with childlike curiosity about what to expect at a routine check-up. Sometimes, she simply sings nursery rhymes and dances along, encouraging her audience to join in Mrs. Rachel, in the last five years, 100+ YouTube videos for kidsAnd each is paired with a smile and a song.
If you care for young children, you’re probably already familiar with Ms. Rachel’s toddler learning videos and the little ones in your life hang on to every word she says (or sings). But if you haven’t come across one of his videos yet, you might not know that he’s one of the biggest YouTubers for early childhood education. With 10 million subscribers and 6 billion views on her channel, she creates videos for babies and toddlers that are informed by Her master’s degree is in elementary education and music educationand includes a cast of other recurring musical guests
She posts short videos on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, which are more caring and adult oriented. Many of these videos still incorporate his cheerful and gentle demeanor, such as touching on silly topics. need coffee On serious matters like talking Postpartum depression And Advocating against funding cuts to early childhood education programs in New York City. In most of these videos, she emphasizes kindness and positivity.
So when Miss Rachel posted a video to Instagram and TikTok earlier this month wishing viewers a happy Pride Month, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to her audience. This struck a nerve with some followers and some prominent conservative voices, who are now calling on parents to boycott Ms Rachel’s video.
This response is not very surprising, either. LGBTQ+ rights and issues are at the forefront of the conservative-progressive divide in the United States. Conservative media and movements are particularly focused on pushing back against anything related to LGBTQ+ lives and culture — like when they boycotted Bud Light for paying tribute to Dylan Mulvaney, an influencer and a trans woman, or when they boycotted their Pride targets. . Collection last year.
Those past boycotts were pushed by Matt Walsh, conservative activist and columnist for the Daily Wire. He has previously said that conservatives should be strategic when it comes to boycotting “weak” companies and doing so “Let them pay dearly.” He watched Miss Rachel’s video and Tweet Taking it out with the caption, “Ms. Rachel is a very popular YouTuber who creates content for babies and toddlers. He just posted a video celebrating Pride Month. This is a message for conservatives [sic] Parents he doesn’t want your business. You should respond accordingly.”
This is not the first time Ms. Rachel has faced backlash — just last month, she came under fire for raising money for a charity that could have gone to children in Gaza — but she is the latest focus of the conservative media and movement. He certainly won’t last, especially during Pride Month.
Why react?
Just weeks before calls from conservatives to boycott her video, Ms Rachel had already faced controversy with some viewers. He posted a video on his Instagram and TikTok on May 12 and announced plans to raise funds for it save the children — She is an ambassador for a charity that aims to help children around the world living in conflict, including children in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.
“Children should never experience the horrors of war,” he said in a video His Instagram and TikTok. “These are serious violations of their human rights.”
This led some viewers to resent Ms. Rachel for not including Israeli children in her fundraising. According to Save the Children websiteThey currently do not have a presence in Israel but are contacting “civil society and authorities” to see where they can help.
The next day, Ms. Rachel posted a written statement on her Instagram that said “[C]Children should never experience the horrors of war – or be killed, injured or held hostage.” She also posted a series of videos on the issue, including one expressing her anguish over commenters saying she doesn’t care about all children, another About the plight of the children of Gaza, and his third video of prayers for both Palestinians and Israelis. He continues with his fundraising and says They raised $50,000 in just a few hours.
Then on June 1, the first day of Pride Month, Ms. Rachel posted a video on her Instagram and TikTok, where she posted videos primarily for an adult audience, wishing everyone a happy Pride. “This month and every month, I celebrate you,” he said video. “I’m so glad you’re here, I’m so glad you’re who you are.” Then, the video cuts to another message.
“Those who are going to comment can no longer watch the show because of this support: no worries and love your way so much, God bless,” Ms Rachel said. “I’m not chasing fame or views, I’m standing strong in love.”
The previous message likely stems from Miss Rachel’s previous reaction to being a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Last year, some users on TikTok tried to get #cancelmsrachel trending because her videos featured on YouTube Jules, a nonbinary musician who uses the pronouns they/them. The response did not change Miss Rachel’s videos on her YouTube, but she later took a break from TikTok.
Ms Rachel’s recent comments towards members of the LGBTQ+ community, kind and genuine, are incredibly chilling. Saying you’re glad someone is and they really apply to anyone. But for today’s anti-LGBTQ+ movement, even a 12-second video is too much, and he was right to believe that some people would have a problem with his message. One viewer commented, “Celebrating who you’re sexually attracted to is just weird. It’s not appropriate for children. (Note: It’s highly unlikely that a child or toddler will see this video of Ms. Rachel as it’s on her caregiver-oriented Instagram and TikTok. was posted.) Another said, “Unfollowing … I stand firm in my beliefs too.”
Influential scholars also took notice of his message. Chaya Rychik, founder of popular TikTok Twitter account Libs, Reposted Walsh tweeted and added: “Doing my part to spread awareness so parents know what Ms. Rachel stands for! She says she doesn’t want your business if you don’t subscribe to the baby m*tiIat* on cult. It passes!” (Ms. Rachel never said that people must support LGBTQ+ communities, only that she understood that people no longer wanted to watch her videos because of her support.)
Ms. Rachel, one day after her first post about Walsh Post a thread About Jules attending a family-friend Pride event at X and making it clear that she has a problem with their mere existence and involvement in Ms. Rachel’s videos. “Whether or not they include a clear lesson on gender ideology in your kids’ content, Jules’ ambiguous physical representation on the show is key.”
How effective will the conservative backlash against Ms. Rachel be?
The outcry against Ms. Rachel’s post is consistent with ongoing anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the United States, especially since her work focuses on children, which alienates even more people in conservative circles.
Conservative consumers have had some success in intimidating corporate America, and conservative activists and lawmakers have had success in changing policy. Mrs. Rachel does not fall into these categories. He’s a YouTuber, though, which means an effective boycott could affect his business.
YouTubers can earn money in different ways, but a large part of that money is earned through Google Ads Income. If enough people stop watching Ms. Rachel’s videos, it can certainly affect her income.
So far, it doesn’t seem like that has been the case. For all the negative comments from everyday people and more prominent figures like Walsh and Rychick, there are also many positive comments for their support and appreciation for Ms. Rachel’s support.
While it’s unlikely that people like Walsh will give up on Ms. Rachel anytime soon, she has something the conservative boycott didn’t previously target: a strong fanbase of parents and caregivers. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, when in-person day care was not an option and parents were worried about their children’s development, Ms Rachel was a source of relief for many. She’s still a resource for those who can’t afford to send their kids to daycare, or who just want their children to see educational content — as she did for her own son, who had a speech delay and Inspired him to create his YouTube videos.
We live in an age where even someone like Ms Rachel, who essentially provides free quality primary education content, is facing backlash for advocating for LGBTQ+ families and raising money for children without access to basic necessities like food and water. However, despite the pushback, he’s standing firm on his principles — unlike big corporations like Budweiser and Target.
