In this inaugural episode, we wade into an internet subculture known as the “dark feminine,” a viral beauty trend turned hetero dating strategy.
Dark feminine influencers promise liberation from fuckboys and toxic straight relationships, with TikTok videos and ebooks that teach women the art of seduction—and not texting men back.
Behind the goth-meets-glam makeup tutorials and affirmations about “pretty privilege,” there lurks sexism, gender essentialism, and a truly dark view of both heterosexuality and feminism.
Remember: You can listen to our episodes on Substack or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcasting platforms.
Show highlights
01:39 Amanda watches some TikToks that we don’t have the rights to play, but you can watch them here
03:00 Selling a fantasy of turning the tables on men
05:56 Dark femininity goes mainstream
07:21 Amanda affirms her “pretty privilege”
11:23 What do these women want?
15:06 The racial dynamics of playing with “darkness”
16:50 Tracy’s embarrassing Angelina Jolie anecdote
18:03 Myths, folklore, “shadows,” and the Carl Jung of it all
20:57 Witchcraft and feminine power
23:39 Dark femininity as a response to patriarchy
25:46 Shitty dating dynamics
30:38 The overlaps of “dark” and “divine” femininity
32:44 What’s this have to do with the femosphere?
34:43 The dark feminine and… sociopathy?
39:32 Feminine ideologies as an alt-right pipeline
50:01 Reimagining femininity beyond stereotypes and heteronormativity
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