The Right Stuff (app)
Original author(s) | John McEntee |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Right Stuff App, Inc |
Initial release | September 30, 2022[1] |
Operating system | iOS |
Website | www |
The Right Stuff is a dating app for American conservatives. It was founded by John McEntee, Daniel Huff and Isaac Stalzer[2][3] and is funded by Peter Thiel.[4][5]
History
The Right Stuff was founded by John McEntee, Daniel Huff,[6][7] and Isaac Stalzer.[8] Peter Thiel funded The Right Stuff with a seed round investment of $1.5 million.[4][9] The New York Times reported in February 2022 that Thiel was funding the app as part of a larger effort to also finance "hard-right" political candidates with Trumpian views.[10][4]
The Right Stuff is part of a larger trend among conservatives to create alternatives to a media culture they see as dominated by the political left.[11]
The app was launched on September 30, 2022.[1] The Daily Beast reported that it generated 6,000 and 7,000 downloads in its first two days on the Apple App Store, before falling to 1,000 per day between October 8 and 10.[1][12]
Marketing
Its tagline is "A dating app for the right wing" and "Profiles without Pronouns."[13] A promotional video featuring Ryann McEnany, the sister of former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, was released in August 2022.[14][15]
Reception
The app received mainly negative reviews from users,[16][17][1][18][19] with a 3.9 star rating in the Apple App Store as of October 4, 2022.[18] Criticism was directed at the app's invite-only model,[1][18][19] a lack of female users,[19] and the company's slowness in approving new user profiles,[1] as well as a prompt reading "January 6 was..."; some users said that the FBI contacted them after they answered the prompt.[18][19][20] A spokesperson for The Right Stuff told The Independent that it had determined the reports of FBI contact were false, and attributed them to "people trolling".[18]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Kirsch, Noah; Petrizzo, Zachary (October 13, 2022). "Is the Honeymoon Already Over for Right-Wing Dating App?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Cerullo, Megan (August 11, 2022). "Former Trump staffer launching conservative dating app The Right Stuff". CBS News. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Ritchel, Chelsea (August 12, 2022). "People are mocking new conservative dating app: 'Can't wait to not sign up'". The Independent. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c Fischer, Sara (February 15, 2022). "Peter Thiel backs conservative dating app The Right Stuff". Axios. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Peter Thiel finances conservative dating site The Right Stuff". Fortune. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ Snider, Mike. "Dating app for conservatives backed by Trump supporters to launch in September". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ Fischer, Sara (February 15, 2022). "Peter Thiel backs conservative dating app The Right Stuff". Axios. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ "The Right Stuff, a dating app for conservatives, launches this fall". FOX TV Digital Team. August 15, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ Brooks, Emily (July 4, 2022). "Swipe right (wing): Former Trump aides seek singles for Thiel-backed dating app". The Hill. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Mac, Ryan; Lerer, Lisa (February 14, 2022). "The Right's Would-Be Kingmaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Conservative Americans are building a parallel economy". The Economist. June 1, 2023.
- ^ Ritschel, Chelsea (October 14, 2022). "Downloads of conservative dating app The Right Stuff are reportedly plummeting". The Independent. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "The Right Stuff". The Right Stuff. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "Conservatives could soon be swiping right on Peter Thiel-backed dating app". The Guardian. August 11, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ Snider, Mike. "Dating app for conservatives backed by Trump supporters to launch in September". USA Today. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ Cooper, Alex (January 2, 2023). "The Right Stuff? Peter Thiel-Backed Conservative Dating App Is a Bust". www.advocate.com. The Advocate (magazine). Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Kirsch, Noah (December 28, 2022). "Peter Thiel's Conservative Dating App Floundering After 3 Months". www.thedailybeast.com. Daily Beast. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Ritschel, Chelsea (October 5, 2022). "The Right Stuff users say FBI contacted them after using the conservative dating app". The Independent. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Leffer, Lauren (October 5, 2022). "Right Wing Dating App Prompts Users to Share Details About January 6th". Gizmodo. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Spurs, Terrian (October 6, 2022). "Conservative dating app 'The Right Stuff' is allegedly all guys, users contacted by FBI". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved October 16, 2022.