When it was kindergarten Ariel Fodor, a teacher and TikTok creator, joined presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ Zoom fundraiser, titled “White Women: Answer the Call,” assuming her short speech would be a helpful introduction for women who don’t know how to navigate the contentious world of talking about politics online. Instead, her simple statement — including quotes from her popular satirical TikTok account — sparked a backlash from right-wing media outlets, and Fodor says the “perfect storm of toxicity” proves exactly her point.
“People are losing their minds because Kamala Harris is a candidate, and they are holding on to a lot of really harmful and bigoted ideas,” Fodor says. Rolling Stone. “Public school teachers are under attack right now. Public education is under attack. So I think I just [happen] “To be at the intersection of that.”
While teaching kindergarten and aggressive right-wing politics may seem incompatible, this isn’t the first time Fodor has received backlash for her videos. She started her TikTok account, @mrs.frazzled, in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she created short, lighthearted clips about kindergarten, like how to get a chaotic classroom’s attention during virtual sessions and how to deal with teacher burnout. But after a casual joke with friends—“Wouldn’t it be so funny if we talked to our partner like they were a kindergartener, or a road rage person like they were a kindergartener?”—Fodor’s biggest videos became “spoofs” about talking to former President Donald Trump in a fake “teacher” voice. After its success, she quickly added more political content to her repertoire, using her educational satire to poke fun at the absurdity of major political events or controversial decisions — building a loyal following of 1.3 million followers.
“[My content] “It exposes the absurdity of the things people are prejudiced against,” Fodor explains to rolling stone“When you treat them like children, and talk to them with derision, the things that some people spend their time and hatred on lose their value. [their] power.”
Fodor was invited to speak at the fundraiser because of her humorous way of blending comedy with online activism, even being introduced as someone who could “gently care for Zoom participants” during the election. “We are here because BIPOC women have benefited from us to stand up and participate in this election season,” she said on the call. “As white women, we need to use our privilege to make positive changes. If you find yourself talking about BIPOC people or speaking on their behalf or, God forbid, correcting them, just stop, and instead, we can lend a listening ear.” But right-wing commentators and far-right commentators quickly took her speech and signature phrases out of context, calling Fodor arrogant and racist.
Since clips from the Zoom call began circulating, one of which has racked up over 6 million views on X (formerly Twitter), Fodor has been targeted by right-wing creators who have called her “crazy” and “racist” and said she “shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a public school classroom.” Even X owner Elon Musk weighed in, calling the video “extremely embarrassing,” while others took aim at Fodor’s interracial marriage to an Indian American man. Fodor says it’s frustrating that people have so grossly misunderstood both the comedy and the speech, but what’s been harder are the personal attacks she and her family have received.
“The thing I get the most is that I’m racist because I speak up for people of color and I say I know what’s best for them, and I’m so confused by that, because my whole speech has been about not speaking above people,” she says. “My interracial marriage is something that’s always come from this far-right group. They’ve terrorized my relatives, people have had the cops sent to their house. I can’t stand for the most important people in my life to be treated that way.”
Shannon Watts, Zoom call organizer and founder emeritus of Moms Demand Action, an anti-gun violence organization, says, rolling stone Fodor says she has been subjected to unfair “discrimination” since her speech, which she sees as unjustified and an example of the rampant misogyny in political spaces.
Our call made $11 million. [for Harris] “She broke Zoom attendance records,” Watts says. “There’s always an attempt to minimize women’s success, to single them out like Ariel did,” she says. “I learned very early on that women’s opinions are not valued, especially by right-wingers and extremists, and that’s just an unfortunate consequence of being out there. I’m really proud of Ariel for putting herself out there. The backlash was quick and maybe hurtful, but I really appreciate her standing up.”
Since Zoom, Fodor has been a regular on right-wing sites like Fox News and Evie Magazine, where contributors compare her to failing public schools, accuse her of being a sham plant or call her a race-obsessed cultural appropriator. But she says rolling stone This experience made her even more determined to share her opinions online.
“I don’t want to rethink the content I create. I always knew this was a possibility to talk about the issues I talk about, especially human rights. My audience often doesn’t feel seen because their family members or people in the community make them feel small,” she says.[People] “They’ve called me ugly, they’ve called me childless, they’ve called me single. They’ve painted a whole picture in their minds. And that doesn’t bother me. And I don’t want to stop because it proves that point to me. That’s why my content is necessary.”
