A few months ago, the concept of the “tradwife” emerged in the digital world. Since then, women who present themselves online as defenders and practitioners of traditional values have gone viral. It was only a matter of time before this female archetype also reached porn.
What’s a tradwife? Tradwives are women who embrace values and gender roles reminiscent of the mid-20th century, including tradition, family, elegance, and a sense of classism. They prioritize the kitchen and their (often large) families, embodying a return to the values of the past. While not all tradwives have explicitly taken a political stance, many are being utilized by the right to promote conservative beliefs.
Some well-known tradwives include Estee Williams, Nara Aziza, Hannah Neeleman, and Alena Pettitt.
Tradwife in the mornings… porn star in the evenings. According to Pornhub’s annual review, tradwives have become popular on the site. The top trend in 2024 was “demure desires.” In fact, searchers for “demure” saw a 133% increase. Meanwhile, the terms “modesty” and “modest MILF” rose by 47% and 45%, respectively. Other terms, such as “traditional sex” and “traditional clothes,” also gained popularity.
The Secret Lives of Pornhub Wives. Pornhub has identified a second trend marked by significant increases in search terms such as “amateur wife” (up 21%), “traditional wife” (up 34%), and “tradwife” (up a striking 72%). The fascination with tradition extends into more explicit content, with a notable rise in searches for “mormon wife” and “mormon sex.” This phenomenon highlights a clash between the ideals of traditional Mormon life and explicit sexual content, further fueled by the popularity of Hulu’s reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
No contradiction at all. How does the desire for sex that is more bound to tradition fit in with porn? Adult actress Siri Dahl is known for her parodies of the tradwife aesthetic on Instagram. She told 404media that the concept of traditional wives is “just a fantasy after all” and has followed a path similar to other fetishes. In the 1950s and 1960s, the image of the “perfect American housewife” presented its own visual and thematic conventions, making it a target for parody, whether in pornographic content or otherwise.
Demure woman wanted. Another porn actress, Lotus Lain, points out that these trends are part of the cyclical nature of taste. After adult films were dominated by extreme and aggressive content for years, the rise of platforms like OnlyFans has led to more “normal” girls participating in explicit content. This shift has unsettled some men, who “would prefer women not being in charge of their sexuality.” As a result, there’s been a resurgence in interest in “‘good girls’ or what is now known as ‘tradwives.’”
Clinical psychologist Eric Sprankle notes that this search for traditional femininity is entirely logical, fitting within long-existing patterns: “These guys are aroused by women displaying modesty, chastity, or virginity who are being tempted, teased, degraded, or ‘spoiled’ by pleasures of the flesh. It’s really no different than porn that has been around for decades that has sexualized the Amish and Catholic nuns.”
Image | Amber Maxwell Boydell
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