What happens when a lifestyle becomes an aesthetic, and an aesthetic becomes a political message?
This week on Beyond the Aesthetic, we’re unpacking the trad wife fantasy: from Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm to the history of the “perfect housewife”, and the dangerous line between personal choice and prescribed gender roles, we discuss what happens when a personal choice becomes a mandate for how all women should live.
We’re also talking about Yesteryear, a novel that follows a trad wife and social media influencer who suddenly finds herself in the 1800’s, facing the harsh realities of her trad wife aesthetic. The novel sparks an array of questions about motherhood, gender roles, religion, and our biggest question: what actually remains of the trad wife fantasy when you take away the pretty dresses, sourdough starters, and flower-filled kitchens?
And of course, we end with our Obsession Report: highlighting our must-watch shows, current music obsessions, and pop girlies we can’t get enough of.
This is Beyond the Aesthetic.