It’s exceedingly difficult for a regular person to emulate the ultrahomespun lifestyle pushed by content creators like Hannah Neeleman and Nara Smith—at least, unless that person happens to have access to inherited wealth and an intricate but invisible human support system. This observation is not exactly a groundbreaking one. But it did surprise me to learn that even some Christian influencers are starting to agree that tradwife content has gotten out of control. Erin Vanderhoof interviewed a few of them for a fascinating look at the fissures beginning to crack apart the conservative womanosphere. Could a Betty Friedan–esque feminist awakening be far behind? Probably not—though as Kase Wickman points out in her survey of this year’s White House Christmas decorations, Melania Trump does seem to be planting a few clues about how she really feels about her husband and/or the state of the union.
Elsewhere, King Charles gets a new portrait, Donald Trump’s Cabinet meetings get weirder, and Luigi Mangione gets his day in court. More tomorrow… |
HILLARY BUSIS,
SENIOR EDITOR |
A new wave of online personalities are pushing back against the unrealistic ideals pushed by the likes of Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm: “If you are a stay-at-home mom who makes the sourdough and only homeschools, you feel like you’re better than everybody else.” |
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The first lady, who previously didn’t seem to “give a fuck” about Christmas stuff, unveiled her holly, jolly Plasticine holiday decor this week: Was she going for whimsy, or a warning? |
A new portrait of King Charles, created entirely out of materials found in a dumpster, flowers from the royal gardens, and coffee will tour the world at the monarch’s request. |
Flatter the boss and you may get the crown. But it doesn’t always work. Just ask Mike Pence. |
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In 1956, the novel Peyton Place shocked America with its tale of secrets, sex, and hypocrisy in a small New Hampshire town, becoming one of the best-selling dirty books ever, a hit movie, and TV’s first prime-time soap. It brought fame and misfortune to Grace Metalious, the bawdy, rebellious housewife who wrote it, and outraged the citizens of Gilmanton—“the real Peyton Place.”
From the March 2006 issue, Michael Callahan charts the tumultuous celebrity, emotional flameout, and sordid death of an unlikely cultural trailblazer. |
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