While scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, I see many "soft life" videos full of slow mornings, Pilates classes, beige everything, matcha lattes, and protecting your energy. At first, these videos seem empowering, and it makes a soft life seem possible for everyone as they promote rest, self-care, and boundaries. When taking a deeper look, is a "soft life" truly accessible self-care, or is it a performance of class privilege?
When looking at a neo-Marxist perspective, popular culture usually presents certain lifestyles as the "norm" or what should be desired, but it doesn't show what is required to achieve and sustain these lifestyles. The soft life aesthetic does this by framing calm, leisure, and health and wellness as personal choices rather than outcomes tied to wealth, flexible work schedules, job security, and access to resources. These videos rarely show how much is actually required to allow for a slow morning, fancy coffees, and expensive exercise classes.These types of videos can create subtle but powerful messages. They portray peace and balance as choices, insinuating that stress, exhaustion, and struggle are personal failures. Many people cannot afford to romanticize their life and they may feel like they are doing something wrong and have failed after seeing these videos. In reality, they are doing what they can to survive and do not have the luxuries, resources, and money that those making these videos do.
Anti-hustle messages are also being delivered through consumerism. These soft life influencers are selling products they claim bring them peace, like skin care products, supplements, planners, or workout memberships. This turns rest and relaxation into something you have to buy. These videos appear to be a rejection of the busy capitalist society we live in, but the lifestyle still depends on consumption and material wealth.
I am not saying rest and self-care are not important. They are ESSENTIAL. It is when popular culture separates wellness from the economic reality of people that it can turn self-care into a status symbol. I am not rejecting a soft life; I am just recognizing that it does not include everyone and trying to figure out why.
Does the soft life challenge capitalist hustle culture, or does it simply repackage it in more aesthetic ways?
Hey Hadli! As I was scrolling through the class blog I noticed your post and immediately had to read it. I recently had a conversation with my mom about the "soft girl" aesthetic and it has been on my mind a lot recently. To answer your question, I think that this aesthetic does nothing to combat capitalism. If anything, it pushes the idea that certain beauty products, exercise equipment, and supplements have the power to dramatically change your life. I love that you pointed out that having access to this way of living is a privilege. Not everyone can attend Pilates class at 10 AM on any given Wednesday. This life style equates with having the resources to live in this way. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have also been thinking about this a lot lately! It is shocking how influencers say that all you need is to slow down and practice self-care when, in reality, you need an unlimited money resource and no responsibilities. I’ve also found this duplicate classist content from “trad-wife” influencers like the Ballerina Farm. She claims that their family lives a traditional farm lifestyle and that anyone can live as they do; however, a single mom working two jobs to put food on the table cannot be expected to bake sourdough bread in a $95 Ballerina Farm apron. These influencers create unrealistic lifestyle expectations, often in an effort to sell products.
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