I loved this episode. It really confronted the horror and perniciousness of the tradwife movement in a way that most other media on the subject has not fully engaged. I grew up in an evangelical household that was not fundamentalist in this way, but sidled up against it, and I definitely encountered this way of thinking quite a bit in my youth. It’s so important to emphasize that it’s not just about a cute aesthetic or the joy of motherhood, it’s pushing a dangerous political agenda.
I really felt sick to my stomach reading her memoir. I grew up evangelical too, and this was totally the water I swam in. I think most of the adults I encountered as a kid would've said that the ideas were basically right, even if certain people took them to an extreme.
Thanks for a really interesting episode. Honestly, it made me wonder if my mother might be a British version of a tradwife?! Or is there something generational about the term?
Between your conversation and thinking about my mother, there's a lot of food for thought about the way traditional gender roles are constructed as better than the alternative, about how women are made to feel they have to choose between security and freedom, between living a pastoral idyll or having time with your kids, and having bodily autonomy. I think there is lots of work for feminists to do in making the alternatives more possible and more diverse, so that those become both/and instead of either/or.
I grew up ostensibly not religious but perhaps Christian-lite would be more accurate. Church here and there to please a grandparent. I went to an episcopal elementary school that was considered liberal. I'd say that my mom was a second-wave feminist who championed my talents and encouraged me to be independent. Most of my chosen environments and peers have always been liberal, artistic, progressive and decidedly non-conformist yet I still get tripped up by outdated gender roles, ESPECIALLY now that I'm married to a cishet man and we have a child. The irony being that he is a great partner that is concerned with equality in all the ways. I think parenthood really brought out some ingrained gender roles and some of these stories are definitely coming from within myself. It was difficult to listen to this episode and recognize the echo of the Patriarchy within my own experience of starting a family. I read and listen to a lot of culty content and am always surprised at the realization that given just a few circumstantial differences , I could find myself in the same position.
Outstanding episode. Topical and timely. I grew up in a non-religious home in the PNW, so I felt the trad wife movement was not for me, but also not that prevalent. I was in the to each her own camp. But last year I had a high school friend escape a church/abusive spouse. Prior to her escape, on social media she seemed like a happy florist whose house was featured on local TV programs. She’s safe now, but that story and this conversation make me realize there’s something more sinister afoot. Looking forward to reading Tia Levings’ book!
Amazing episode, thanks for that! As a (queer) woman, I find it incredibly hard to have empathy for the tradwives. I feel like they know what they are doing and are pushing this really dangerous ideology for all women... But this episode and the BF profile made me see it through another lens: in many cases, these women are in very abusive situations! I still resent them and look at them as the "Serenas Joy" of this world, but it made it a little easier to have empathy (in some cases, at least)
I loved this episode. It really confronted the horror and perniciousness of the tradwife movement in a way that most other media on the subject has not fully engaged. I grew up in an evangelical household that was not fundamentalist in this way, but sidled up against it, and I definitely encountered this way of thinking quite a bit in my youth. It’s so important to emphasize that it’s not just about a cute aesthetic or the joy of motherhood, it’s pushing a dangerous political agenda.
I really felt sick to my stomach reading her memoir. I grew up evangelical too, and this was totally the water I swam in. I think most of the adults I encountered as a kid would've said that the ideas were basically right, even if certain people took them to an extreme.
Thanks for a really interesting episode. Honestly, it made me wonder if my mother might be a British version of a tradwife?! Or is there something generational about the term?
Between your conversation and thinking about my mother, there's a lot of food for thought about the way traditional gender roles are constructed as better than the alternative, about how women are made to feel they have to choose between security and freedom, between living a pastoral idyll or having time with your kids, and having bodily autonomy. I think there is lots of work for feminists to do in making the alternatives more possible and more diverse, so that those become both/and instead of either/or.
I grew up ostensibly not religious but perhaps Christian-lite would be more accurate. Church here and there to please a grandparent. I went to an episcopal elementary school that was considered liberal. I'd say that my mom was a second-wave feminist who championed my talents and encouraged me to be independent. Most of my chosen environments and peers have always been liberal, artistic, progressive and decidedly non-conformist yet I still get tripped up by outdated gender roles, ESPECIALLY now that I'm married to a cishet man and we have a child. The irony being that he is a great partner that is concerned with equality in all the ways. I think parenthood really brought out some ingrained gender roles and some of these stories are definitely coming from within myself. It was difficult to listen to this episode and recognize the echo of the Patriarchy within my own experience of starting a family. I read and listen to a lot of culty content and am always surprised at the realization that given just a few circumstantial differences , I could find myself in the same position.
Outstanding episode. Topical and timely. I grew up in a non-religious home in the PNW, so I felt the trad wife movement was not for me, but also not that prevalent. I was in the to each her own camp. But last year I had a high school friend escape a church/abusive spouse. Prior to her escape, on social media she seemed like a happy florist whose house was featured on local TV programs. She’s safe now, but that story and this conversation make me realize there’s something more sinister afoot. Looking forward to reading Tia Levings’ book!
Amazing episode, thanks for that! As a (queer) woman, I find it incredibly hard to have empathy for the tradwives. I feel like they know what they are doing and are pushing this really dangerous ideology for all women... But this episode and the BF profile made me see it through another lens: in many cases, these women are in very abusive situations! I still resent them and look at them as the "Serenas Joy" of this world, but it made it a little easier to have empathy (in some cases, at least)