Conservative Author Blames Her ‘Woke’ Flub on Host’s ‘Nasty’ Hot Mic Moment
Bethany Mandel claimed a host’s “colorful and nasty” remarks about parenting before they went on air led to her freezing up when asked to define conservatism’s favorite buzzword.

The Hill
Right-wing commentator Bethany Mandel on Wednesday blamed “hot mic” remarks made by a left-leaning host for her now-infamous inability to define the word “woke” on live TV, claiming she was thrown off by “nasty” comments made about parents minutes earlier.
“Just before we went on air, Briahna Joy Gray was on a hot mic,” Mandel tweeted. “I heard her demeaning parenting in general in colorful and nasty terms, stating parents only have kids in order to perpetuate their own narcissism.”
She continued: “As a mom of six, including a newborn, this threw me off just a bit. Not an excuse, just a reality. I’m human!”
LOL: Briahna Joy Gray BREAKS the brain of Rising guest Bethany Mandel by asking her to define "wokeness" pic.twitter.com/uwRSSH0LaM
— The Vanguard (@vanguard_pod) March 14, 2023
Mandel, whose latest book is all about how “wokeness” is destroying and indoctrinating America’s youth, then insisted that she does indeed know what the term means.
“A radical belief system suggesting that our institutions are built around discrimination, and claiming that all disparity is a result of that discrimination,” Mandel wrote. “It seeks a radical redefinition of society in which equality of group result is the endpoint, enforced by an angry mob.”
During her appearance on The Hill’s online program Rising on Tuesday, the Stolen Youth author was pressed by Gray to give a definition of “woke,” a word conservatives have used as a catch-all pejorative to complain about all things vaguely liberal.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Completely freezing up, Mandel stammered while failing to outline a meaning for the term she based her entire book around. “This is going to be one of those moments that goes viral,” the conservative commentator presciently said at one point.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog

