Big Ideas Tradwives — cosy cottage core fantasy, or something more sinister? With Megan Agnew, Rosie Waterland, Beverley Wang and Nakkiah Lui
Aug 28, 2025
Megan Agnew, a Senior Features Writer for The Times of London, joins comedian Rosie Waterland and ABC's Beverley Wang to discuss the complex tradwife phenomenon. They explore how this movement romanticizes traditional domestic roles while debating its implications for feminism. Topics include the contradiction of using social media for empowerment versus promoting outdated ideals, the allure of rustic living against real-life challenges, and how these narratives shape women's identities in today's society.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Tradwifery As Performance
- Tradwife content is primarily a public performance and marketing product rather than private domestic reality.
- Megan Agnew argues these performances act as propaganda for a specific worldview and generate income for creators.
A Reaction To Burnout
- Tradwife appeal stems from reaction to burnout, hustling and expensive chaotic modern life.
- Beverly Wang and Megan Agnew note the aesthetic calm and simplicity draw exhausted people toward that fantasy.
Influencing Is Hard Work
- The tradwife economy is produced on platforms where content creation itself is lucrative and labour-intensive.
- Rosie Waterland highlights the contradiction where 'leaning out' becomes a demanding entrepreneurial role.
