Episode 2: It’s the (Creator) Economy, Stupid!

In Episode 2 of Who Killed the Female YouTube Star, we examine how YouTube’s evolving monetization model has deepened gender disparity on the platform. Beginning with Heather Armstrong, the pioneering “mommy blogger,” we trace how early female creators laid the groundwork for today’s influencer economy and revisit some of the top female YouTubers from the platform’s early days. Despite these foundations, women now earn less and are underrepresented among top creators. Host Shoshana Eilon interviews industry experts Jessy Grossman and Taylor Lorenz to uncover structural biases in brand deals and VC investments—and how YouTube’s growing profitability shifted the balance against women creators.