TROPHY WIVES ARE TRENDING
The Daphne Sullivan Fan Club
TikTok’s #TrophyWife hashtag, which has more than 305M views, is filled with videos of women documenting their daily routines, sharing their dreams of quitting their jobs and finding someone to pay the bills. This countertrend coming on the heels of the demise of the Girl Boss has deep roots. From The Kardashians to the Real Housewives of wherever to White Lotus, pop culture continues to be obsessed with women living the good life. New brands of trophy wives are also cropping up: The “#stayathomegirlfriend” and Trophy Wife Brunette hair trend have arisen as desirable lifestyles among some within the past year sparking debate and discussion about the role of trophy wife within the feminist movement. Ahead, we explore some current trends feeding into this broader conversation.
TRAD WIVES
You might be confused when the first video shows up in your FYP of young women following in the footsteps of the quintessential mid-century housewife, donning showy dresses, fastening an apron around their waist, and letting their husbands provide financially for their households - with their purpose of being the “homemaker”. The TikTok hashtag #TradWife (AKA, Traditional Wife) has garnered more than 157M views, as younger women post in support (or in jest) of the lifestyle. The nostalgia trend has also renewed debate about whether this type of content is empowering or deeply anti-feminist while glamorizing a time that was especially oppressive for many groups of people.
LUNCHBOX WIVES
The hashtag #Lunchformyhusband has more than 2.5B views on TikTok, where women such as @heathercoxzzz and @cheysingh are recording each step, and fitting carefully curated meals into aesthetically pleasing containers…for their husbands. However, despite racking up these billions of views, Lunchbox Wives face significant criticism. Many see the trend as infantilizing men and a step backwards for women’s equality at a time when women are still doing substantially more unpaid domestic labor than men.
VILLAIN ERA WIVES
On the flip side, Cassandra’s most recent report - Parents on Board, revealed that Moms are feeling the pressure, and calling out the lack of support within our society for parents. Fully, 72% of moms agree that there just isn't enough social support for parents compared to 63% of dads. So, in what started as a trend on TikTok, amassing 237M views showing how to squash the selfless mother trope and embrace selfishness, it's no wonder moms are entering their villain era - asserting boundaries, communicating their needs and advocating for themselves —something that doesn’t always come easy to women who are used to prioritizing everyone else’s needs above their own.
_________
Cassandra Daily will be taking an extended holiday, to do some start of summer trend spotting at the nearest beach- frosty beverage in hand. Fear not, we'll be back with more Cassandra Daily goodness on Tuesday.