A Republican influencer has told Newsweek why she thinks the tradwife lifestyle isn’t realistic or aspirational, and she is calling out young women who continue to promote the aesthetic.
Emily Wilson of Los Angeles, California, shared a video on Instagram (@emilysavesamerica) on April 30 in which she said that many of the women on the right are “too young to be promoting this” traditional lifestyle, which she dubs as “cringe.”
The tradwife trend—or traditional wives—is a conservative aesthetic that centers around homemaking and femininity. It has taken the internet by storm, with influencers glamorizing the ultratraditional gender roles in which the woman’s purpose is to be a homemaker. Many of the videos online show women baking, caring for their children, and tending to the home while their husband works.
For Wilson, 31, however, this online discourse has gone too far. She told Newsweek that telling young women to stay at home and be a wife rather than getting an education and a job “inauthentic and bad advice.”
@emilysavesamerica / Instagram
“What these women are promoting is not super-realistic,” Wilson said. “I think there’s an increase of women who promote these lifestyles that aren’t always attainable. I hate to say it because right-wing people don’t want to hear it, but not all women are going to be fulfilled by being moms.
“I support everyone’s personal choices as long as it doesn’t hurt others. I also think there are beautiful aspects of women being educated, going to school, making their own money, and being independent,” she continued.
That isn’t to say Wilson disagrees with all stay-at-home wives or mothers, but predominantly the younger women who may not even be married or have children yet and still romanticize the aesthetic.
In Wilson’s view, it is a prime example of “setting yourself up for failure” as these women are heavily reliant on their partner to make a living. The media personality adds that, if she ever has daughters, she hopes they gain an education and can financially take care of themselves.
The latter half of the 20th century saw great changes in women’s roles throughout society, leading to increased participation in the workforce. While women represent 47 percent of all employees, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce highlights that there are still inequities, with approximately 617,000 women missing from the labor force in 2024.
Indeed, taking care of their home and family remains the leading reason mothers don’t work. The salary gap, in which women earn 16 cents per dollar less than men, and the rising cost of childcare only add to these growing numbers.
After Wilson shared her perspective online with her 506,000 Instagram followers, the video went viral and generated more than 810,000 views and over 13,400 likes at the time of writing.
There was certainly a mixed response, as Wilson said she has received “an extreme amount of hate,” despite sharing what she views as common sense.
Wilson said: “I know Republicans hate to hear that, but tons of my friends live extremely conservative lifestyles, and every single one agrees with me. It’s shaming women who want to be educated and make money. I would never shame women for wanting to progress in life.
“It’s great if you want to put all this trust into a man, but men can lose their jobs, husbands cheat sometimes, sometimes women initiate divorce. The list of things that can happen goes on, so it’s good to be prepared for hard times,” she added.
Plenty of social-media users shared their thoughts, leading to more than 6,500 comments on the Instagram video so far.
One comment reads: “YESSS make women intelligent again.”
Another Instagram user wrote: “Thank you!!!!! Needed to be said.”
Although not everyone agrees, as one person replied: “The only thing cringe is you putting down women who are finding joy in a lifestyle they’ve chosen and a productive hobby.”
Another commenter added: “This just sounds bitter.”
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