Amanda Marcotte

Amanda Marcotte
Amanda Marcotte in May 2013
Born	Amanda Marie Marcotte (1977-09-02) September 2, 1977 (age 39) El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Blogger
Citizenship	American
Alma mater	St. Edward's University
Subject	Feminism, politics
Partner	Marc Faletti

Amanda Marie Marcotte (born September 2, 1977) is an American blogger who writes on feminism and politics.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Marcotte was raised in the small town of Alpine in the west of the state. She graduated summa cum laude from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas with a degree in English literature. Around 2004, she began writing for the liberal blog Pandagon.net, then later for Slate and The Guardian.

In 2004 she won a Koufax Award for her "Mouse Words" blog.

Time magazine described her as "an outspoken voice of the left," and said "there is a welcome wonkishness to Marcotte, who, unlike some star bloggers, is not afraid to parse policy with her readers." Time also described Marcotte's blogging as "provocative and profanity-laced."

In January 2007, Marcotte made several controversial statements about the Duke lacrosse case including calling people who defended the accused "rape-loving scum" and writing on her blog "Can’t a few white boys sexually assault a black woman anymore without people getting all wound up about it? So unfair." The post, which Marcotte later deleted, attracted criticism, was mentioned in The New York Times. The Duke lacrosse players were eventually found to have been falsely accused, and their accuser, Crystal Mangum, was later convicted of an unrelated murder.

On January 30, 2007, the John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign hired Marcotte to act as the campaign's blogmaster despite the criticism, responding that while Edwards was "personally offended" by some of Marcotte's remarks, her job as their blogmaster was secure.

Further controversy resulted on February 12, 2007, when the Catholic League criticized Marcotte's review of the film Children of Men as "anti-Christian." Following the criticism Marcotte announced her resignation from the Edwards campaign. In an article for Salon a few days later, she said the reaction to her comments on the Duke lacrosse case was the first in a series of "shitstorms" that prompted her resignation.