MEN’S RIGHTS

Dylan Mulvaney’s Paper Doll Flop: The Manufactured Rise and Public Rejection of a Corporate Creation

By Imani Caldwell

New York, NY - Before transitioning, Mulvaney was an aspiring actor whose career was stagnant. He had no significant recognition or success in the entertainment industry. However, once he began documenting his transition online, his profile skyrocketed overnight. What had been a struggling career as a man was suddenly given new life under the label of “trans woman.” From interviews on mainstream talk shows to endorsement deals with major brands, his career catapulted in a way that simply would not have happened had he remained identifying as a man. His story follows a growing pattern: white men who fail to achieve success in traditional male spaces suddenly claim womanhood and are handed opportunities that real women spend their entire lives working for. This is not the marginalized experience that trans activists claim—it is privilege, plain and simple.

Corporate America has showered Mulvaney with endorsements that have repeatedly resulted in backlash. Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney led to one of the most infamous consumer boycotts in recent history, costing the company nearly $400 million in sales and its spot as America’s top-selling beer. Nike handed him a sponsorship to model women’s athletic wear, drawing criticism from female athletes who train tirelessly for the same opportunities only to see them handed to a biological male. Tampax chose to align with Mulvaney, a biological male who will never experience menstruation, sparking widespread outrage. Ulta Beauty featured him in a discussion about girlhood, causing immediate backlash from women who felt mocked and dismissed. Despite the negative reception, corporations continue funneling money into promoting Mulvaney, refusing to acknowledge that public sentiment has shifted away from this forced narrative.

Recently, Dylan Mulvaney’s recent book flop is the latest example of how corporate America continues to push a failing narrative despite clear evidence that the public is not interested. Despite being backed by nearly every Fortune 500 media company, receiving endless corporate sponsorships, and amassing a supposed 10 million followers on TikTok, Mulvaney’s book debuted to dismal numbers. Ranking in the mid-600s on Amazon and selling only around 300 copies, this failure exposes the manufactured nature of his so-called influence. If he truly had the dedicated following that corporations claim he does, his book would have been a bestseller. Instead, the numbers tell the truth—Dylan Mulvaney is a product of artificial corporate promotion, not genuine public interest.

The reality is that corporations are not pushing Dylan Mulvaney because of any exceptional talent, but because they benefit from promoting this agenda. Instead of uplifting people with genuine skills, these companies invest in individuals like Mulvaney who serve as convenient mascots for their ideological and marketing strategies. By championing figures that embody the trans narrative, they virtue-signal their progressive values while distracting from real societal issues, including their own unethical business practices. Rather than highlighting talented individuals who have worked hard to hone their craft, they prioritize figures who fit their manufactured cultural script, knowing that any criticism can be labeled as transphobia rather than legitimate dissatisfaction.

Mulvaney claims to have over 10 million TikTok followers, yet engagement on his content suggests otherwise. A glance at his comment section reveals a lack of genuine interaction, exposing a discrepancy between his reported influence and actual audience interest. If his following were as enthusiastic as it appears on paper, his book sales would reflect that reality. Instead, the dismal numbers prove that much of the support surrounding Mulvaney is artificially inflated and driven by corporate interests rather than grassroots admiration.

One of the most blatant displays of this privilege came during International Women’s Day. Instead of using his platform to uplift women, Mulvaney made the event about himself, overshadowing the very people the day is meant to honor. This self-centered approach further highlights the absurdity of elevating someone who has no lived experience as a woman to be a spokesperson for womanhood. Women who have spent decades fighting for recognition now find themselves pushed aside in favor of men who simply decide to adopt their identity.

The prevalence of white men adopting trans identities to catapult their careers is an undeniable trend that has only accelerated in recent years. While many argue that this phenomenon is rooted in gender dysphoria, the evidence overwhelmingly points to a different motivator: personal gain. When their careers stall, when the fame they crave eludes them, many of these men recognize that identifying as a woman grants them immediate social currency. From awards and endorsements to media visibility and corporate backing, the advantages are undeniable. The entertainment industry, political movements, and major brands are all eager to embrace them, showering them with opportunities that many biological women spend their entire lives fighting to attain.

Beyond the career benefits, the influence of pornography and a deep-seated desire for attention cannot be ignored in the rise of this trend. The consumption of fetishized portrayals of womanhood in media has fueled a fantasy that is now being enacted in real life. Rather than confronting their shortcomings as men, many white males are now opting for an escape into an identity that they believe will grant them admiration and validation. The intersection of modern social media culture and the obsession with visibility only amplifies this, as individuals realize that adopting a trans identity guarantees a spotlight that their previous selves could never achieve.

Dylan Mulvaney’s book failure is a wake-up call to the corporate world: the public is no longer buying what they are selling. No amount of forced promotion, endorsements, or media saturation can manufacture genuine interest where there is none. The myth of Mulvaney’s influence is crumbling, exposing the wasteful spending and hollow marketing strategies behind his forced rise to prominence. White male privilege has taken on a new form, and it is time we call it out for what it is.