The Hyaena and the Bluestocking Meet the Tradwife
Becoming "accomplished" is more than just aesthetics
This week, Beatrice Scudeler makes the case that eighteenth-century rivals Hannah More and Mary Wollstonecraft found common ground when they critiqued the predecessor of today’s internet tradwife. Both women agreed that the intellectual and spiritual development of women is more important than mere aesthetic performance.
The Hyaena and the Bluestocking Meet the Tradwife
Beatrice Scudeler
The accomplished lady of More and Wollstonecraft’s time could attract the admiration of an even wealthier, high-status suitor. Once married, she could command a powerful role in fashionable society. Just so, the internet tradwife gains approval and accumulates wealth through broadcasting her lifestyle. She may incidentally end up cooking wonderful food for her family and keep a beautiful home, but that is not the primary intention. It’s about attracting admiration and developing a viable business model based on that admiration.
This Week in Sex-Realist Feminism: Forced Marriage, an IVF Vibe Shift, and Not All Men
This week: Yasmine Mohammed on forced marriage in Islam, Ari Schulman on a coming vibe shift on IVF, and Caroline Criado Perez on the Gisèle Pélicot case and the response of good men. Plus: digital masks, sex as binary, the mixed legacy of #metoo, Oberlin lacrosse coach and women’s sports, FD recommends a book—and more!
From the Archives:
Felix Miller writes on how tradwife influencers shortchange their husbands.
Of Tradwives and Men
Felix Miller
Ultimately, their plan is not radical enough. It asks us to return to the 1950s, when women spent their days tending to the home and men were only there during nights and weekends. Instead, we ought to foster a culture and an economy that encourages both women and men to be meaningfully present in the home.