Things are complicated right now. A quick scroll on the New York Times shows headlines about former President Donald Trump’s racist and sexist remarks, photos of violence and destruction in Gaza, and the latest updates about North Korean troops expecting to attack Ukraine. Even at Tamalpais High School, the end of the semester is approaching, bringing with it anxiety about final grades and, for many seniors, college deadlines.
A lot of people, including myself, want a break from all the chaos. Lucky for us, we can open up our phones to catch quick breaks from reality in the endless scroll on social media and the infinite amount of TV shows available on platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO. TikTok and Instagram show us 30-second to a minute-long videos – some of many are girls doing their skincare, taking luxury baths, and lounging around in their minimalist, clean apartments; pushing a narrative of romanticizing ‘self-care’ and simplicity – often with many unnecessary expensive products. The simplicity of it all contrasts with the busyness of the outside world.
The modern era has been defined by the ‘minimalist’ aesthetic: neutral colors, organization, clean spaces, and open concepts. Simplicity is materialized and sold to the masses of Americans desperate to recreate the aesthetic in their own home, to bring some sort of peace to their lives. Minimalism is supposed to be a way of slowing down, appreciating the bare necessities, and consuming as little as you can for the good of yourself and the environment.
For example, there are the girls on social media participating in the ‘#cleangirl’ trend, defined by slicked-back buns, plain colors, morning routines, and the minimalist aesthetic. Videos with the hashtag #cleangirl have over 8 billion views as of January 2024, according to the Business of Fashion, a website for fashion news and analytics. The prevalence of this trend can easily lead people to believe that adopting this lifestyle will bring simplicity into their lives.
This lifestyle does have its faults, aside from its unaffordability for the average person. Ariane Resnick, writer for the Byrdie online magazine, points out the harm in the #cleangirl aesthetic in an article published in 2022. According to the article, ‘The Clean Girl Aesthetic Is All Over Social Media—But It’s Not Exactly Harmless’, the clean girl aesthetic perpetuates fatphobic, racist, ageist, and classist ideals. The trend attaches youthfulness, Whiteness, skinniness, and wealth to cleanliness and beauty. This may suggest that anyone who does not fit all of those categories cannot attain the lifestyle of a ‘clean girl’, and therefore cleanliness itself.
The digital media lifestyle website PureWow published its piece on the topic, “Why the ‘Clean Girl Aesthetic’ TikTok Trend is Problematic”. “The trend alienates BIPOC women, fat women, women with acne-prone skin, women with disabilities, older women, and so forth. Also, adding ‘girl’ to the name limits non-binary folks from feeling welcome to participate in the look. And as one PW editor recently wrote, ‘girl’ trends, in general, can diminish who we are as women, or worse, perpetuate the fear of aging,” wrote Chelsea Candelario, writer and editor at PureWow. The article also stated,“The popular trend makes wearing a full face of makeup or having textured skin seem less desirable. It also makes you wonder if having acne, natural hair or even body hair puts you in the ‘dirty’ category. Again, the aesthetic punishes those who don’t fit this very specific idea of what ‘clean’ means and looks like.”
On the other side of media, in the form of popular television shows, the desire for simplicity shows up in what’s popular. Aside from the always popular true-crime and horror shows such as Stranger Things, shows such as Brigerton, Young Sheldon, Nobody Wants This, Heartstopper, Sweet Magnolias, and Gilmore Girls feature light-hearted atmospheres and comforting storylines.
One could even argue that Stranger Things could fit into this discussion, with its romanticized eighties vibe. Associate professor of narratology at the University of Sydney Tom van Laerargues in a piece published by The Conversation – a website that publishes articles written by academics and researchers – that Stranger Things invokes something called pseudo-nostalgia. Although Gen Z fans of Stranger Things have never lived in the eighties, the marketing of Stranger Things makes the era seem desirable to those viewers. It promotes a longing and a nostalgia for a simpler time, before social media and before stereotypical minimalism. This effect can be seen with other shows too, such as with the English regency era of Brigerton, 1990’s suburban Texas of Young Sheldon; and the cozy small-town vibes and Y2K era of Gilmore Girls – though Gilmore Girls is unique as it was originally aired in the early 2000s.
However, things weren’t necessarily better in the 80’s of Stranger Things, the 90’s of Young Sheldon, and the 2000’s of Gilmore Girls. We have made so many progressive advancements in societal attitudes since then, particularly surrounding women’s equality, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, and the rights and respect for other minority groups. Think of that one great-uncle at the Thanksgiving dinner table who keeps reminiscing of the ‘good old days’; when times were simpler, when people didn’t get offended as much, when men could freely assault women’s bodies.
Too much focus on the ‘simpler times’ can be dangerous. As we yearn for simplicity, we risk taking steps back in the march toward progress. This is happening in front of our eyes on TikTok, through influencers who claim to be “traditional wives” (tradwives). Jessica Grose wrote an opinion piece published by the New York Times, defining tradwives as women, usually right-leaning Christians, who choose to take part in the traditional gender roles in heterosexual marriages. They are stay-at-home moms who believe that the woman’s place is at home, while men should be the breadwinners of the family. It is not unusual for these tradwives to make content of their home-baked meals and daily homeschool routines.
Choosing to be a stay-at-home mom, homeschooling your kids, and enjoying cooking elaborate meals is by no means a“bad” thing. If this is what will bring you joy, good for you! But, it is important to take a look at the messages tradwife influencers are trying to push through their content. Christy Campion and Kiriloi M. Ingram of Charles Sturt University wrote a Conversation article on tradwifes, particularly those who express far-right political ideology on their platforms.
“There’s no problem with women valuing “traditional” roles as mothers and wives. What’s dangerous is when these roles are weaponized to advance the far right’s racially focused agenda – or when women are coerced into conforming, and punished when they transgress its narrow construction of a “good” woman,” they wrote.
Johns Hopkins News-Letter published an opinion piece titled “An incel’s fantasy: Into the world of tradwives,” which describes the potentially harmful effects of tradwife content. The author, John Hopkins student Isabella Madruga, argues that the popularity of the trend may be harmful politically, and slow down the women’s rights movement.
“The tradwife movement has deep roots in Nazism, anti-feminism, anti-college, and fundamental Christian theories. Because it utilizes the image of a 1950s housewife, right-wing demagogues are milking tradwifeism to devolve American politics back to the 1950s, starting with reproductive freedoms,” Madruga writes. “With politicians and influencers making the tradwife into the ideal female image, more women will buy into the ideology. They will get swept into right-wing politics without knowing they’ll lose all the freedoms they didn’t know they enjoyed – until they don’t have them anymore.”
So what do we do? If I am trying to convince you that yearning for simplicity to escape a complex world is dangerous, what do you do instead? I believe what we all need to thrive is balance. Maybe don’t devote your life to homesteading in Utah, or redecorating your house the perfect shade of white. Instead, take moments to ‘stop and smell the roses’. Go on a walk and listen to the sounds of wildlife. Set aside moments to journal, write a gratitude list, or cozy up with a book. If baking from scratch is your thing, devote a few hours from your weekend to exploring that. Maybe don’t make a TikTok of yourself doing it. While sharing these moments on social media is tempting, it’s also important to disconnect and be present in the moment. It is important to slow down to practice gratitude and mindfulness; but not slow enough that we completely stop, or start walking backward.
