It was 2017. The "culture wars" on YouTube weren't just background noise; they were a full-blown inferno. If you were online back then, you knew the camps. On one side, you had the "Social Justice Warriors" (SJWs), led by voices like Laci Green, a sex-positive feminist who basically raised a generation of teens on sex ed and progressive politics. On the other side? The "Skeptics" and anti-feminists, a group of snarky, often abrasive creators who spent their days dismantling feminist arguments.
Chris Ray Gun (Chris Maldonado) was a heavyweight in that second camp.
Then, the unthinkable happened. They started dating.
The internet didn't just notice. It exploded. It was like seeing a star athlete defect to the rival team in the middle of the playoffs, except the stakes felt like the very soul of the internet. To understand why Laci Green and Chris Ray Gun became the most controversial couple in digital history, you have to look at the wreckage they left behind—and the weirdly quiet way it all ended.
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The "Red Pill" Video That Started the Fire
Before anyone even knew about the relationship, Laci Green dropped a video that felt like a glitch in the Matrix. It was titled "TAKING THE RED PILL?"
In the world of online politics, "the red pill" is a specific, loaded term. It usually refers to the moment someone rejects progressive "woke" culture in favor of more conservative or "anti-SJW" viewpoints. Laci wasn't becoming a MAGA-hat-wearing conservative, but she was saying something her fan base found unforgivable: she wanted to talk to the other side.
She started appearing on streams with people like Blaire White (a trans conservative) and Sargon of Akkad. To her old allies, this wasn't "open-mindedness." It was a betrayal. They saw it as her platforming people who, in their eyes, spent their careers mocking marginalized groups.
Then the rumors started. People noticed Laci and Chris were hanging out. A lot.
The Most Unlikely Couple on YouTube
When they finally confirmed they were dating, the reaction was pure chaos.
- Laci's fans felt abandoned. They accused her of being "brainwashed" by her new boyfriend or, worse, switching sides because the "anti-SJW" niche was more profitable at the time.
- Chris’s fans were mostly confused. They spent years watching him make fun of exactly the kind of person Laci Green was. Was he "trolling" her? Was he a "simp"?
- The Drama Channels had a field day. This was the ultimate crossover episode.
Honestly, it’s hard to overstate how much this broke the internal logic of 2017 YouTube. You weren't supposed to date the enemy. You were supposed to make a 45-minute "response video" debunking their existence.
Chris, for his part, stayed mostly true to himself. He’s of Puerto Rican descent and always identified as more of a "liberal skeptic" than a right-winger, but his brand was built on mockery. Seeing him next to Laci—who was known for her earnest, pedagogical approach to social issues—was like seeing a cartoon anarchist holding hands with a school librarian.
Why Did It Actually Matter?
It wasn't just celebrity gossip. The Laci Green Chris Ray Gun saga was a microcosm of the political polarization happening everywhere.
Laci argued that the feminist community had become "cannibalistic" and that the harassment she received from the left for just being willing to talk was worse than anything she'd dealt with from the right. This is a common refrain now, but in 2017, it was a bombshell.
She began criticizing things she once championed. For example, she pushed back against some of the language used by Teen Vogue regarding trans-inclusive anatomy. She started arguing that there were only two genders—a massive departure from the "gender is a spectrum" education she’d provided for years.
Critics like Kat Blaque and Marina Watanabe pointed out that Laci wasn't just "opening a dialogue." She was actively attacking her former friends while shielding her new "anti-SJW" peers from criticism.
The Quiet End of the Relationship
People expected a massive, fiery breakup video. They expected Chris to make a "The Truth About Laci Green" song or Laci to write a 10-part essay on how he "changed" her.
Instead, they just... stopped.
The couple officially split in 2019. By that time, Laci had already pulled back significantly from the internet. She went from being the face of YouTube sex education to a ghost. She eventually moved to Los Angeles, pursued higher education, and largely stayed out of the culture war spotlight that once defined her life.
Chris Ray Gun moved on too. He relocated to New York for a bit, then back to California, and continued his career in gaming and commentary. He’s currently in a new relationship and seems to have settled into a niche that is less about "anti-feminism" and more about general cultural commentary and music.
What Can We Learn From the Fallout?
Looking back, the whole situation feels like a fever dream from a different era of the web. But there are real lessons here for how we handle "wrongthink" and online relationships.
1. Personal is Political (Until it Isn't)
The "Laci Green phenomenon" proved that for many people, your choice of partner is the ultimate indicator of your values. If you date someone with "bad" views, you are assumed to share those views. Whether that's fair or not doesn't matter; that's how the digital court of public opinion works.
2. The Danger of the Middle Ground
Laci tried to be a "bridge builder," but she ended up in a no-man's land. She lost her original audience and was never fully embraced by the "skeptic" community, who remained suspicious of her past. Being a "moderate" in a polarized environment often just means you get shot at from both sides.
3. The Life Cycle of YouTube Stars
Both Laci and Chris were defined by a very specific moment in time (the 2014-2018 era). As the platform changed and the "SJW vs Anti-SJW" content became stale, they both had to evolve. Chris did this by diversifying his content; Laci did it by essentially leaving.
Actionable Takeaways for Navigating Online Discourse
If you find yourself caught in a polarized online space—whether you're a creator or a viewer—keep these things in mind:
- Audit your information diet. Laci's "red pilling" happened because she stepped out of her echo chamber. Regardless of whether you agree with her final conclusions, there's value in understanding why the other side thinks the way they do.
- Recognize "Audience Capture." Many people believe Laci changed her views to please her new boyfriend's audience. This is a trap many creators fall into. Always ask if you're saying something because you believe it, or because you know it will get "claps" from a specific group.
- Separate the person from the "brand." It’s easy to forget that behind the H2 headings and the 1080p cameras, these are just people. Dating is messy, people change their minds, and sometimes a relationship is just a relationship, not a political manifesto.
The Laci Green and Chris Ray Gun era is over, but the questions it raised about who we're "allowed" to talk to—and who we're "allowed" to love—are still very much alive.