Scene
SNP’s word of the day: Neo-housewife
Illustration by Lewis Mirrett
Word: Neo-Housewife
Meaning: A new breed of woman whose housewifeliness is basically independent from marriage, chores, and domesticity, and instead revolves around dieting, gossiping, and shopping while drunk.
Usage: “Yet across the various spinoffs, the real housewives reliably engage in all kinds of confusing, contradictory, neo-housewife behavior: they proudly show off their incompetence in the kitchen (as when Adrienne Maloof of Beverly Hills washes a chicken with hand soap) or their lack of interest in sex (as when her neighbor Lisa Vanderpump jokes about treating sex as a twice-annual gift to her husband) or their limited patience.” — from this past weekend’s New York Times Magazine
You should know it because: It’s always good to know what you don’t want to be, and who wants to be a neo-housewife? Nobody who also wants to be my friend, I’ll tell you that. Of course, for most of you that is not in fact a punishment. Still, although Carina Chocano‘s New York Times Magazine piece was well-done and nicely provoking, I only agree with her notion that Housewives of the Real or Desperate variety are “post-feminist” insofar as I think “post-feminist” is mostly code for “I don’t really know what feminist means.” Had we achieved a world—and not just a white upper-class nanny society—in which most mothers aren’t still (to get all Shulamith Firestone on you) child-bearing, child-rearing, overworked, underpaid inferiors to men, maybe then we could talk about “post”-feminism. But when reproductive rights are a partisan issue, no, we’re not there yet.
Yeah, it’s great that these ladies don’t feel the need to do the dishes or change the diapers. It’s a shame they don’t feel the need to do anything else, either. No matter how I try, I can’t read that as even remotely subversive or empowering. It doesn’t look post-feminist so much as it does post-real.
Join the discussion
Neither the author nor FASHION Magazine necessarily agrees with the comments posted here. Editors will not correct spelling or grammar. FASHION Magazine reserves the right to edit or delete comments entirely.
Brand New on Fashion
Marion Cotillard vs. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Who wore the little white dress best at Cannes?
Wedding day beauty: Whether you’re the bride or a guest, 10 tips for romantic makeup and hair
Discounts for all! Kate Spade, J.Crew, Hudson’s Bay and more will open at Toronto Premium Outlets
Behind the scenes at Tanya Taylor’s wedding: From her haute couture wedding gown to the tropical paradise venue
What to wear on holiday: 41 shopping must-haves for the summer’s most stylish events
