SAU Students are providing their thoughts on the increase of TradWife content across social media, and are split on the impact shows such as ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ are having.
The New Cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County poses together Photo courtesy of Maya Dehlin and Disney
The hit Hulu TV show ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ is getting a new spinoff. When the series premiered in 2024, it quickly became Hulu’s most-watched unscripted season premiere. It follows nine Utah-Based influencers known as “Momtok”. While the show revolves around breaking away from traditional Mormon gender roles, it coincides with the rise in “Tradwife” content across social media.
“Tradwife” is short for “traditional wife,” and social media content is characterised by women who aim to practice conventional gender roles in their relationships. Tradwife influencers have seen a growth in their followers, as their content spreads to a wider audience.
SAU Students that the Buzz spoke to say they have noticed the rise in content containing Tradwife themes. Katie Brewer, senior Nursing major, says, “I have seen the rise of Tradwife content. TikTok is where I see most of it since they are filming day in their life’s or cooking videos. They try to portray things as being perfect, which is just not how the world is. They always want us to think they don’t work and just do everything for their family and husband.”
Similarly, junior Elementary Education major Anna Hurning specifically mentions seeing the content on TikTok, “I feel like the gender norms of women are reverting. Now women are made to be influencers and look for likes and social media attention, whereas women used to have dreams and ambitions, not that being an influencer isn’t a dream or ambition.”
Senior Bella Robinson says she’s neutral, “I’ve seen that kind of content from certain influencers, I don’t share the Mormon religion, so I don’t necessarily understand their traditions completely. I think that the ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ show does bring a lot of attention to it, but I’ve also heard that they don’t always represent the community or church in the most accurate way.”
So, does the popularity of shows ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ and its spinoff correlate with the rise in Tradwife content? SAU students do not necessarily agree. Ryan Russo, a Senior Marketing and Public Relations major, says, “The show has actually been the opposite of the ‘tradwife.’ The women in that show are breaking barriers in the Mormon church. They make way more money than their husbands, who are stay-at-home dads now. The show shows women who are not afraid of mixing things up in the Mormon church.”
An SAU Sophomore who wishes to remain anonymous says, “Everyone is entitled to their own life, so how they want to spend it is none of my business. I don’t feel like the show plays into the Tradwife stereotype; most of the women talk a lot about speaking out.”
Katie Brewer also questions the truth behind Tradwife content and the ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’, “But they make a living off posting the videos and getting all the views. So is it truly real or all for show?”
While the show is dramatized, a psychological investigation conducted by Forbes shows that the Tradwife movement can have dangerous effects. According to Forbes, exploring rigid gender roles, such as those perpetrated by the Tradwife movement, negatively impacts self-esteem: “The pressure to conform to rigid gender norms, often strongly perpetuated by tradwives, can create a psychological burden that compromises individual well-being.”
Hurning says the show does not impact her personally, “I have a good grasp of consciousness, and I am good at separating my own life and why I want for myself from what I see online from shows like the ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’.” However, this is not the case for everyone consuming online content.
According to Forbes, another danger of Tradwives is the alignment with the “alt-right” community. The alt-right community is described as an online right-wing movement that aims to reject ideas found in mainstream politics, often opposing racial, religious, and gender equality. Tradwives are an appealing part of the alt-right community, as they are able to present the aesthetic of femininity and beauty with extremist politics.
Ryan Russo also touched on a similar idea, “If women want to be a housewife and take care of their husband, they should be able to and show on social media to others because it’s very interesting to hear more about others’ lives. I know many ‘tradwives’ despise feminism, but feminism gives women the choice to be whoever they want to be.”
While the members of Momtok have expressed their wish to push boundaries in the Mormon church, there are moments within the show where they have mentioned Tradwives and even referred to themselves in such a way. With the upcoming spinoff being released, SAU students are hopeful for the new direction.
As Anna Hurning says, “The latest season is starting to go more away from Tradwives with figures like Mayci and her book tour and Whitney chasing her Broadway dreams!”
The boom in Tradwife content is one that will likely have a larger impact than expected, and shows like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives are walking the line between female empowerment and traditional values.
