'Dark feminine' influencers are selling seduction as liberation

In this inaugural episode, we wade into an internet subculture known as the “dark feminine,” a viral beauty trend turned hetero dating strategy.

Dark feminine influencers promise liberation from fuckboys and toxic straight relationships, with TikTok videos and ebooks that teach women the art of seduction—and not texting men back.

Behind the goth-meets-glam makeup tutorials and affirmations about “pretty privilege,” there lurks sexism, gender essentialism, and a truly dark view of both heterosexuality and feminism.

Remember: You can listen to our episodes on Substack or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcasting platforms.

Show highlights

01:39 Amanda watches some TikToks that we don’t have the rights to play, but you can watch them here

03:00 Selling a fantasy of turning the tables on men

05:56 Dark femininity goes mainstream

07:21 Amanda affirms her “pretty privilege”

11:23 What do these women want?

15:06 The racial dynamics of playing with “darkness”

16:50 Tracy’s embarrassing Angelina Jolie anecdote

18:03 Myths, folklore, “shadows,” and the Carl Jung of it all

20:57 Witchcraft and feminine power

23:39 Dark femininity as a response to patriarchy

25:46 Shitty dating dynamics

30:38 The overlaps of “dark” and “divine” femininity

32:44 What’s this have to do with the femosphere?

34:43 The dark feminine and… sociopathy?

39:32 Feminine ideologies as an alt-right pipeline

50:01 Reimagining femininity beyond stereotypes and heteronormativity

Dire Straights is a 100% scrappy, aging-millennial feminist operation coming to you at exactly the right time in history. We’re not financially dependent on corporate media or advertisers. If we had normal day jobs, this podcast would probably get us fired from them. Paid subscriptions really do liberate us— and so do your little hearts and shares.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.direstraightspod.com/subscribe