Popular perception has it that just over a century ago, women in the Anglosphere fought long and hard for the right to vote. To gain that right, according to the prevailing story, they battled contempt and misogyny from entitled men.
An examination of the history of this period in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries shows that both the villains and the heroines of the story are false constructs employed to whip up anger at men and faith in the goodness of feminism.
The reality, as always, is more interesting and fraught.
This past week, Evie Magazine unveiled its latest print issue, “The New American Dream,” featuring the striking Hannah Neeleman, who is widely recognized as the face of Ballerina Farm. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour may have become iconic for putting a supermodel in jeans, but she never dared to feature a cover girl milking a cow in a dress.
Neeleman embodies femininity, strength, beauty, and excellence. She’s also a major cultural force that is inspiring a generation. She organically built one of the most engaged audiences on social media — 20 million across TikTok and Instagram — by simply sharing her life. She’s the co-founder and co-CEO of a thriving brand, a devoted wife, and the mother of eight children. She’s also a farmer, a pageant queen, a former Juilliard ballerina, and a talented content creator. She graciously welcomed the Evie team to her farm for a full day, allowing us to capture a glamorous, editorialized version of “a day in her life.”
Alan Partridge provides constructive criticism to his Ukrainian girlfriend Sonia.
My favorite literary character of all time – I refuse to believe he’s not real – privately considers the English Breakfast to be that people’s only serious contribution to civilization. As an Irish medical officer in the Napoleonic era Royal Navy Stephen Maturin keeps this opinion to himself.
Like the terms “liberal” and “right wing/left wing”, “feminism” means nothing very specific now. There are historical elements to the movement – and I’m not sure we’re on the same movement any more – which I certainly support. Property rights, for example. But women were sold a bill of goods in the 20th century, and a lot of them were dumb enough to fall for it. It turns out that much work isn’t glamorous, no-strings-attached promiscuity is actually more of a guy thing (but it’s so liberating! Take that, patriarchy!), most women want children and finding yourself without a family late in life is actually quite horrifying (although there’s nothing wrong with lots of cats). Which, if you think about it, should have been easy to spot from the get go.
