“But as far as I know, that’s part of the deal of being a feminist. It means women should have the agency to choose paths that you personally might not choose for yourself”
No Instagram. No Twitter or Facebook either. I can relate to all of this, Rosie, by sharing my delight in walking outside every day and soaking in nature, in all of its awe. Sometimes I add an hour to this step away from the screen walk by finding a favorite tree and reading one of my books by Henry Thoreau, who showed us nature is the source of all inspiration.
I think it’s very admirable how you manage to depolarize a topic that easily divides people into one of two extremes. I, for one, am searching for ways to “spend more time engaging with the seasons, the place I live, and the land that I live on”. It’s easy for me to fall into the thought pattern that I either need to become a self sufficient leftist hippy who doesn’t need a connection to the electricity grid or any money at all; or that I need to find a rich man and give up my ambitions to become a stay at home mum. Oh, how our brains love to make things black and white. Thank you for bringing some gray tones into this online conversation and my thinking!
Quite a few people have said the same via DM / email and I am SO glad I wasn't the only one who felt this way! Makes me feel better about all the real estate it's taken up in my brain lol
I think the criticism of Ballerina Farm is that it's all aesthetic. If you aren't rich and good looking, no one cares. If Hannah gains weight or gets frumpy, it's all over. Look what happened to model Marisa Miller - she was a beauty that was everywhere, then gained a bit of weight after kid number two and now is totally ignored.
I don’t really have opinions about Ballerina farm, have never been on their IG (tho I believe Monfluenced author and substacker Sara P talks about journalists trying to reach out to her.) But this the idea that feminism is about the agency of individual choices- AKA “choice feminism”- and therefore that such choices don’t deserve critique, especially when the choices/privileges named are rooted in oppressive systems... doesn’t really seem like feminism at all.
This is a very fair, well written, and insightful take. As a small farmer, what bugs me most is that as small farms raising livestock struggle for public engagement and support, are dedicated to soil and animal welfare and transparency, Ballerina Farm is presenting herself as an advocate, but show me the advocacy. Basically she has created an expectation that fantasy farming like this is possible and shares zero info about her animals or her ingredients, or the sourcing of any of the housewares. She claims to be not an Influencer for herself, but for agriculture while doing nothing of the sort, just like the pagent details . She is bafflingly deflective of any real engagement with agricultural awareness or transparency at all. Which is fine, free country and all, but small farms are struggling, and it ain't beautiful. People sense the presence of a hollowness or some thing that they cannot place and it is disturbing. Even if you know nothing about farming, many people are frustrated and triggered by the Influencer movement overall, and Hannah has poked that.
I’ve never heard of it and I am on the fence as to whether to click... there’s a similar vibe to an “influencer mum” in the UK although the children are less there are still a lot and I’ve heard lots about the team that curates her Instagram life - I still like to watch it though... not because it’s aspirational, because it’s soothing... I think? ✨
YES 🙌
“But as far as I know, that’s part of the deal of being a feminist. It means women should have the agency to choose paths that you personally might not choose for yourself”
No Instagram. No Twitter or Facebook either. I can relate to all of this, Rosie, by sharing my delight in walking outside every day and soaking in nature, in all of its awe. Sometimes I add an hour to this step away from the screen walk by finding a favorite tree and reading one of my books by Henry Thoreau, who showed us nature is the source of all inspiration.
I think it’s very admirable how you manage to depolarize a topic that easily divides people into one of two extremes. I, for one, am searching for ways to “spend more time engaging with the seasons, the place I live, and the land that I live on”. It’s easy for me to fall into the thought pattern that I either need to become a self sufficient leftist hippy who doesn’t need a connection to the electricity grid or any money at all; or that I need to find a rich man and give up my ambitions to become a stay at home mum. Oh, how our brains love to make things black and white. Thank you for bringing some gray tones into this online conversation and my thinking!
My brain occasionally falls into those camps too! I’m glad this helps. Thanks for reading 🙏🏼
I had somehow never heard of Ballerina Farm until now. What a fair, broadminded introduction.
Thank you that is such nice feedback to hear!
Gosh I knew something was icky about all the criticism, you captured it so well!
Quite a few people have said the same via DM / email and I am SO glad I wasn't the only one who felt this way! Makes me feel better about all the real estate it's taken up in my brain lol
I think the criticism of Ballerina Farm is that it's all aesthetic. If you aren't rich and good looking, no one cares. If Hannah gains weight or gets frumpy, it's all over. Look what happened to model Marisa Miller - she was a beauty that was everywhere, then gained a bit of weight after kid number two and now is totally ignored.
I don’t really have opinions about Ballerina farm, have never been on their IG (tho I believe Monfluenced author and substacker Sara P talks about journalists trying to reach out to her.) But this the idea that feminism is about the agency of individual choices- AKA “choice feminism”- and therefore that such choices don’t deserve critique, especially when the choices/privileges named are rooted in oppressive systems... doesn’t really seem like feminism at all.
Loved this. Thank you!
Such a brilliantly written article...I cannot help thinking many of the progenitor's detractors are jealous of her!
This is a very fair, well written, and insightful take. As a small farmer, what bugs me most is that as small farms raising livestock struggle for public engagement and support, are dedicated to soil and animal welfare and transparency, Ballerina Farm is presenting herself as an advocate, but show me the advocacy. Basically she has created an expectation that fantasy farming like this is possible and shares zero info about her animals or her ingredients, or the sourcing of any of the housewares. She claims to be not an Influencer for herself, but for agriculture while doing nothing of the sort, just like the pagent details . She is bafflingly deflective of any real engagement with agricultural awareness or transparency at all. Which is fine, free country and all, but small farms are struggling, and it ain't beautiful. People sense the presence of a hollowness or some thing that they cannot place and it is disturbing. Even if you know nothing about farming, many people are frustrated and triggered by the Influencer movement overall, and Hannah has poked that.
This is a very fair and interesting critique. I can totally see what you mean.
I am hoping this line is a joke? Who are these specious “right wingers”?
“It was swiftly politicized by right wingers who prefer all women stay home and have many children.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/style/ballerina-farm-mrs-world-hannah-neeleman.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
Never clicked a link so fast in my life lol
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-trad-wife
I’ve never heard of it and I am on the fence as to whether to click... there’s a similar vibe to an “influencer mum” in the UK although the children are less there are still a lot and I’ve heard lots about the team that curates her Instagram life - I still like to watch it though... not because it’s aspirational, because it’s soothing... I think? ✨