I think the fact that #tradwife is trending in any country is scary. My mother drilled into her 4 girls that there is nothing wrong with staying home with the kids as long as it’s a free choice and you have education and a career that will bring on a decent wage. In other words, don’t depend entirely on a man - even if you love him. And if he isn’t good to you, my mother would say, “Ditch the dog!”good advice, then and now.
These trad-wife influencers, particularly the good looking ones, are minting some serious coin through their online trad-wifing. There's also the #SAHGF trend (stay at home girlfriend), but most of them negotiate a salary from their boyfriends. Believe me, in today's economy there is no way these women will settle for not being paid. Not when the good looking among them could just become an out and open sugar baby or get "flewed out" to Dubai. Uh huh. These "trad" and "stay at home" influencers are making more than us.
"I’m all for parents staying home if they can afford it, because fuck capitalism, and the unpaid labor we do is really the most important, but putting on pretty dresses and doing your part for authoritarian fuckers like Mike Johnson or Donald Trump ripples out in the world"
"our own Mike Johnson and all his evangelical, anti-democratic misogynist buds in our fascist far-right wing"... "These leaders are using oppression of women and “traditional family values” to rise to power and cement their place as authoritarian, anti-democratic leaders."
-- It's not working. Gen Z is the least interested in marriage and having kids. They are also the least interested in Capitalism or climbing the corporate ladder. Many of them would be ok with just living at home with their parents for the rest of their lives, working part-time (from home if possible) and travelling when they can. Or having a self-curated "influencer" career. Cottagecore is basically trad-wife life without being a wife. So while a lot of young women are not interested in being careerists or activists and would prefer a quiet life of simple living, gardening and "soft life" hobbies, they don't see the need to connect this to marriage or kids.
Let's start a new hashtag--#Don'tTradOnMe
I think the fact that #tradwife is trending in any country is scary. My mother drilled into her 4 girls that there is nothing wrong with staying home with the kids as long as it’s a free choice and you have education and a career that will bring on a decent wage. In other words, don’t depend entirely on a man - even if you love him. And if he isn’t good to you, my mother would say, “Ditch the dog!”good advice, then and now.
Completely agree!!
These trad-wife influencers, particularly the good looking ones, are minting some serious coin through their online trad-wifing. There's also the #SAHGF trend (stay at home girlfriend), but most of them negotiate a salary from their boyfriends. Believe me, in today's economy there is no way these women will settle for not being paid. Not when the good looking among them could just become an out and open sugar baby or get "flewed out" to Dubai. Uh huh. These "trad" and "stay at home" influencers are making more than us.
"I’m all for parents staying home if they can afford it, because fuck capitalism, and the unpaid labor we do is really the most important, but putting on pretty dresses and doing your part for authoritarian fuckers like Mike Johnson or Donald Trump ripples out in the world"
Yes! Also also the art in this is fantastic.
Great work, as usual. And what great artwork by Kiersten!
Thanks for this essay Emily, a welcome acknowledgement of the role women play in our enslavement by the patriarchy.
Have you covered the #SAHGF influencer grift yet? That's "Stay At Home Girlfriend".
"our own Mike Johnson and all his evangelical, anti-democratic misogynist buds in our fascist far-right wing"... "These leaders are using oppression of women and “traditional family values” to rise to power and cement their place as authoritarian, anti-democratic leaders."
-- It's not working. Gen Z is the least interested in marriage and having kids. They are also the least interested in Capitalism or climbing the corporate ladder. Many of them would be ok with just living at home with their parents for the rest of their lives, working part-time (from home if possible) and travelling when they can. Or having a self-curated "influencer" career. Cottagecore is basically trad-wife life without being a wife. So while a lot of young women are not interested in being careerists or activists and would prefer a quiet life of simple living, gardening and "soft life" hobbies, they don't see the need to connect this to marriage or kids.