In Claude Monet's Camille Monet and a Child in the Artist's Garden, a woman in an elegant blue dress tends to the embroidery on her lap as she perches among bright red and pink flowers. A rosy-cheeked child in matching attire sits serenely at her feet.

It is a vision of pastoralLand used for grazing sheep or cattle or, in the Christian church, appropriate to the giving of spiritual guidance. bliss. Captured with vivid ImpressionistA 19th Century art movement known for small but visible brush strokes. brushstrokes and vibrant colours, it sings with the calm and warmth of a peaceful relationship between mother, child and nature.

You might see this and feel a pang of longing to loiter about the foliage and the flowers. After all, the modern world does not enable such peace often.

If you feel this way, consider yourself among the target audience of some of TikTok's burgeoningBeginning to grow or increase rapidly. superstars: the tradwives. From Nara Smith to Hannah Neeleman, these wives with "traditional values" are making the patriarchyA system of society where men hold power and women are excluded. seem cool again.

They sell a life that looks idyllic. They dress in expensive, feminine designerwear while churning their own butter and speaking about the benefits of raw milk. Their target audience is women, and the loudest part often goes unsaid: your life could be better if you stayed home and allowed a man to provide for you.

But there is an irony to this fringeOn the edges of an area or group. Not mainstream. subculture. The tradwives may glamourise 1950s aestheticsThe branch of philosophy looking at the nature of beauty and taste. , describing themselves as homemakers, but they are working women. They upload their videos to millions of views and likes. They score expensive brand deals. They are often the breadwinners, not just the bread-makers.

They are not advocating for a lifestyle. They are selling it. Behind their beautiful clips is a cynicalNot trusting in the goodness of others. sales strategy built to exploit your dissatisfaction.

So why do the tradwives appeal to so many? Some say it speaks to our atomisation. Women fought long and hard to (re-)enter the workplace. But far from finding freedom there, they have only found exploitation. Instead of fighting for a better world, they are falling for a reactionary fantasy which teaches them that feminismCalling for women's rights with the aim of achieving gender equality. is the problem, rather than unfair working conditions.

And society is cruel to women. FemicideAn intentional killing of a woman with a gender-related motivation. cases have been rising for two decades, as have sexual offences against women. The gender pay gapWomen currently earn 77% of what men earn.  remains stark. The thought of retreat to an isolated homestead has a guilty appeal for many.

So, some argue, the tradwives are emblematic of a societal failure. Domestic work is possibly the most essential work there is, but it is not the sole preserve of women.

Is this a threat to feminism?

Yes: Women have fought long and hard for the right to a life beyond the home. It is okay if your life's calling is to stay at home, but you should never romanticise surrendering your dreams to tend to a man.

No: People will always choose different lifestyles. There are some families with traditional structures, and some with more modern or non-traditional structures. Nowadays, there is room for both, and we can celebrate both.

Or... The tradwife movement has strong links to fascismA political ideology that rose to power in 20th-Century Europe. It stressed militarism and order over personal freedom, and often divided society according to racial hierarchies. and the far-rightA range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents.. We should analyse the kind of messaging that they are sending to young people from this angle, rather than making it all about gender.