In this thought-provoking episode of the Call Her Daring Podcast with host Kelley Daring, we delve into the controversial world of Tradwives. We examine the tradwife lifestyle through three critical lenses: the performance aspect of tradwives running social media as businesses, the influence of fundamentalist Christianity—particularly Mormonism—on their narratives, and the constraints on women's choice and agency within this lifestyle.

Explore how the tradwife phenomenon is often marketed as a performative act for profit, with social media accounts doubling as business ventures. Discover the impact of conservative Christian values on the tradwife movement, and the implications of these values on the portrayal and reality of tradwife life. This episode also challenges listeners to consider the broader systems of oppression that shape these choices and the responsibility of tradwives in representing their lifestyles accurately.

Tune in for an eye-opening discussion on the intersection of performance, religion, and autonomy in the tradwife movement.

 

Links

• Times article #1: https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/meet-the-queen-of-the-trad-wives-and-her-eight-children-plfr50cgk

• Times article #2: https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/my-day-with-the-trad-wife-queen-and-what-i-really-thought-of-her-qmbmmhkp8

• Tia Levings’ Substack: https://substack.com/@tialevings

• Mikki Kendall’s TikTok video: https://www.tiktok.com/@karnythia/video/7396092172530912543?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7403770687036982830

• Orna Donath’s Regretting Motherhood: https://www.amazon.com/Regretting-Motherhood-Study-Orna-Donath/dp/1623171377/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OBWO7P4QPD8N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0SL403aO1jA22MNmoWYsOclfytAI0nbyZD59i-zH8qEiQw-gCiN737o1KMwYgYs-zuDx0m0bqmdYYoAWD2trp9dgNDc_atYdbfvlNInc08UvU9gNOjq0Vf4L9wB7Ikwv.WB_DYaXViFXu6xCsDVikkaT7ok32N_XtvoCV9v8dDIg&dib_tag=se&keywords=regretting+motherhood+by+orna+donath&qid=1723824940&sprefix=regretting+mother%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-1

 

Takeaways

• Tradwives are performers running a business, and their lifestyle is a performance for profit.
• The role of fundamentalist Christianity, particularly Mormonism, must be examined in any conversation about tradwives.
• The tradwife lifestyle limits choice and agency for women, and the systems of oppression in which they exist deserve attention.
• Feminism is about engaging with systems of oppression and understanding how they control women's choices.

 

Sound Bites

• "The tradwife lifestyle is not a lifestyle. It is a performance and a business."
• "Tradwives are businesses that sell a fictional lifestyle and make millions doing it."
• "The central religion in tradwife content is Mormonism, and it serves as propaganda for recruitment."