Internet Culture

Mother Jones roasted for ‘dapper white nationalist’ description of racists

Meet the publication glowingly writing about a white nationalist’s clothing.

Photo of April Siese

April Siese

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The innocuously named but racist as hell white nationalist group National Policy Institute held an alt-right victory party over the weekend, toasting President-elect Donald Trump, and just generally being abhorrent. And a whole lot of ink was spilled about the gathering.

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The Daily Dot’s Chris Tognotti summed up why the alt-right’s meager D.C. takeover should do more than just raise eyebrows, stating that it “straddles the line between flagrant expressions of racial hatred and a subtler fixation on white identity that nonetheless achieves the same end… taking some very old ideas but presenting them from well-groomed white men in sharp-cut business suits instead of raving skinheads.”

And what did other outlets do? Why, zero in on that alt-right aesthetic in the worst way possible.

https://twitter.com/Flames_Baldwin/status/800695188893077504

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That Los Angeles Times tweet is still up but the equally incriminating Mother Jones tweet has since been deleted. It nonetheless lives on in meme form. 

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https://twitter.com/CAAHHRL_KOOORL/status/800571287919685632

https://twitter.com/Spacekatgal/status/800738813593210880

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https://twitter.com/Jmullan86/status/800593153891979268

The L.A. Times chose to focus on the conference itself while Mother Jones put out a lengthy profile on National Policy Institute Chairman Richard Spencer and his racist rhetoric, which includes the fetishizing of Asian women. Oh, and lots of colorful descriptions about his mannerisms  and appearance. (Deftly using chopsticks—what a lede!)

Give the piece a read if knowing your enemy by way of a spread in Tiger Beat is important. Or just contemplate a mayonnaise jar for five minutes. That should do the trick.

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