The Private Implosion and Quest for Redemption of a Notorious Public Figure

Lauren Southern’s This is not Real Life – A Memoir in Review

Review by Luke Schulz

 

Bono once wrote of the King’s fate that: “Elvis ate America before America ate him.” You might say that Lauren Southern ate the internet before it ate her. The same mechanism that propelled her to notoriety is now that which will likely never set her free. Her audience and critics alike expect a certain persona and demand that the leopard cannot change its spots. Elvis’ real passion was gospel music, but the weight of infamy, the demands of the industry, and the expectations of his followers incentivized his continued portrayal as the King of Rock and Roll, until, it seems, his private sorrow consumed him. Lauren’s fall from conservative grace-land has been along those same lines. She always wanted to get to something deeper, more meaningful, but in some ways felt pressured to churn out the content she was known for. Her desire to move on to still waters and green pastures is today hotly debated online.

 

When I first heard of the project, I naturally thought “what business does a 30-year-old have writing an autobiography?” Au contraire, This is not Real Life is part Guy Ritchie film, part Greek tragicomedy, part espionage thriller. It contains an incredible trove of behind-the-scenes moments that shed light on the inner-workings of influencer media. Tea has been spilled. Even if you know nothing about Lauren Southern, many of the chapters of this book will fascinate you.

Through it all, comes the tale of a young millennial propelled by, then consumed by, the then new phenomenon of YouTube fame. Deep beneath the provocative public persona lays the story of a woman yet to truly know herself, the nature of new media, or the cynicism of the political realm. She has run what famed music producer Daniel Lanois dubbed “a twisted mile.” For a person with such a concretized online image, there are no straight paths here.

 

This is not Real Life reads like the cathartic confession of a formerly naïve but fearless adrenaline junkie and provocateur who is now desperately looking to turn the page. It is a journalled attempt to expel the toxicity of the past and break through into the next chapter of life. There is a clear longing to outlive a legacy fraught with contradictions, a raw lament at errors made, and an attempt to, despite courting controversy, set certain records straight. Lauren does not hold back from self-criticism and expressions of regret. The authentic, emotional, reflective style of the writing compel the reader onward.