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Both sides have it wrong
Yesterday, I absentmindedly scrolled through TikTok searching for BookTok content. I flicked past videos of twenty-somethings sharing their aesthetically-pleasing perfect days until a video with the headline, “1950’s woman meets 2022 woman.”
I stopped.
It was my first time encountering #TradWife content. For those not familiar, tradwives are mostly young, conservative, white women who choose to be stay-at-home girlfriends, wives, and mothers. Apparently, it’s a huge movement in conservative circles.
As I scrolled, I became obsessed. These mostly twenty-somethings baked, sewed, created gorgeous meals, and shared housecleaning tips. They were all immaculately dressed and their homes were pristine. They talked about creating a sense of peace and calm for their husbands and children, and prioritizing family time.
I also watched videos criticizing the tradwife movement. To my surprise, the counter videos rarely focused on the alt-right and religious component (I only learned about it from reading comments). The creators seemed to be mainly upset about three things: tradwives attaching their financial security to a man, their regressive definition of feminine, and tradwives rejection of feminism as they understand it.
