A new trend is causing a lot of scandal through TikTok: Tradwife, content mainly made by women that has become a success among men, but has been completely rejected by many users around the world. What is this trend about and why is it polarizing the audience?
Tradwife: What is it and Why is it Becoming so Love-Hated on TikTok?
At a superficial glance, tradwife videos may seem like a celebration of love between couples cooking elaborate homemade dishes, and taking care of home and family. However, controversy about this trend arises when the deeper implications are been analyzed.
Criticism surrounding tradwife comes mainly from users who argue that this trend reinforces gender roles. These videos not only glorify a past where women were relegated to the home, but they also perpetuate the idea that a woman’s value lies in her ability to serve her husband and family.
This view, in other words, minimizes the achievements and capabilities of women in other areas of life, such as careers and personal development.
Additionally, many critics point out that this trend contributes to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, such as the idea that women should be primary caregivers and that their happiness and personal fulfillment depend on their ability to care for the needs of their husband and children.
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Despite the above, there are those who defend this trend, arguing that being a tradwife is a personal and valid choice. For these women, the traditional role of wife and mother is not a yoke, but a source of satisfaction and fulfillment. They defend their right to choose a home life and emphasize that feminism should be about having the freedom to choose any path, whether inside or outside the home.
Men who support this trend often see it as a return to traditional family values (although this thinking could be anti-progressive to current struggles and thinking), where stability and dedication to the home came first. For them, the appeal of a tradwife lies in the idea of a close-knit family and a well-kept home, aspects that have evolved or “been lost,” according to them.
