So I realize I write a LOT about Ballerina Farm - maybe too much for some people’s taste! But for the past few years, the BF Instagram account has been a lightning rod for me to work through ideas about whiteness, idealized motherhood, gender, and domesticity. When I first started paying attention to BF, Hannah only had 100 or so thousand followers, and now she has nearly 10 million. It’s wild. And when I first started following her, I was very much personally invested. I felt feelings! Now, though, my interest is so much more removed, so much more professionally curious about what analysis of the BF universe can reveal about bigger issues.
So I want to know - who do you follow online that’s well past due for a deep dive? Which accounts should I be researching in order to better understand something complicated about America, feminism, or even sourdough?
This one might be niche, but Kelly LeVeque, celebrity nutrionist and now very glamorous mom of three. I struggle with her, because I have found a lot of her advice super useful over the years and good counterprogamming during the era of "ALWAYS EAT LESS" but increasingly I'm seeing more Huberman-y stuff creeping in, stuff about balancing hormones, extreme anti-sugar attitudes particularly for kids, and of course an interview with Gwyneth's guy Dr. Will Cole. I can easily look at a Ballerina Farm and be like "ABSOLUTELY NOT" but I struggle with some of this in between content which is partially helpful (TBH we all feel better if we eat plenty of protein, fat, fiber & greens), but it can be slippery when these folks move further into the conspirituality pipeline and/or complete control over their kids' lives/diets/activities/etc. Anyway, help me with my Kelly issues! https://www.instagram.com/bewellbykelly/
Tara Moni , Arielle Charnas - the intersection of fashion and mothering as it relates to consumerism and looking a certain way. Also , maybe a look at the positive side ? I Love accounts like Emily oster and Lucie Fink and momwell - I think they are the positive side of it and it might be fun to do a deep dive on that end of it!
I have been wondering about Shea McGee - both a design and mom influencer, I guess? Ok, there is the company. There is the husband (who always seems a bit silly like Hogfather guy even though he does all the finances). But she is clearly earning a lot of money, she is the brand, she works hard and creates a lot of social media content. Her kids were in the show and on her social media feed. But those kids are always so perfectly put together. Their rooms, which she showed on the YouTube channel, are too clean for a kid’s room and there are like…no toys etc? It doesn’t look like child would like this kind of space (but who knows) Shea seems like a nice person though but I wonder how everything is SO CLEAN (and beige) with three kids.
She's not a mom, but I am fascinated by Campbell (Pookie) Puckett and her husband Jett. There's something charming, but also unsettling about their relationship
sarah therese... 30 with five kids, homeschools, home makes, extremely religious and anti-choice. i genuinely don't know why i'm fascinated but i can't look away.
Rachel Parcell (and her sisters) - started years ago as a typical Mormon mommy wife following the success of Love Taza and co, launched her fashion line, but has been posting less lately and seemingly not trying to "sell" her stuff quite as hard, basically just does Chanel unboxing videos now. Wonder what's going on.
Also, a newer one: Brooke Raybould - if Tim Ferris were a trad wife. She has 4 little kids, homeschools, and seeks to optimize every aspect of her life/minute of her day (wakes up at 5am to drink lemon water and read, then work out, do cold plunge, makes every bed in the house/puts on a full face of makeup/outfits. does strange diets suggested by her husband).
Rachel Brathen (@yogagirl) and Kathleen Ashmore (@kancancook). The yoga girl evolution from fairly normy yoga pretty hippie girl to back-to-the-land so left she’s almost right mama bear is interesting. Kat is delightful, but the collagen shilling and the shameless zero guilt capitalism undermine her mom-friend vibe?
Recently saw Savannah LaBrant post that they bought a farm. Such a shift from the lifestyle she was promoting previously. My first thought was "tradwife/farming life trend is profitable" so she's on it? It made me wonder if she's at the beginning of BF transition. Ha. Your take would be great.
Dani Austin - owns a seemingly pretty successful scalp care brand, almost definitely got a secret unacknowledged boob job recently, she and her husband said publicly one time that their values are that its grandparents' job to raise their kids. There's an intersecting race/culture thing happening (they are hispanic) that I feel like their followers are weird about
Laura Beverlin - has very publicly struggled with infertility, owns farm animals. Her subreddit is MEAN and accuses her of lying about some of the infertility logistics
Mallory Goldman - very likable 20 something fashion influencer with endless money - she is personally v sweet and yet I feel so many things about people’s access to endless cash
Not sure if she counts since she primarily does comedy videos vs selling things, but Emily Morrow (really very crunchy on Instagram).
The algorithm has stopped serving her to me, and I'm ok with that. She's added her husband, who I don't really care to see (lol) to most videos. The bloom came off the rose for me when she did an anti vax video parodying a doctor's office voicemail. I commented on it that I thought the account was comedy/parody and I was swiftly corrected by her followers.
@nurturingnovas for a momfluencer/spiritual hippy business woman who successfully launches a million different crazy products and ideas. I’m obsessed and have followed her for years.
Late to this, but mildly obsessed with the trad wife -> trad mom -> homestead -> COLLAGEN POWDER of it all around the extended Wilson Family Homestead/Savannah LaBrant universes
When I was still on instagram I got a lot of Australian momfluencer content and I’d be so curious to hear more about their similar but different version, especially Chloe from Life with Beans https://www.instagram.com/chloeandbeans/?hl=en
I'm not sure if they would completely qualify as a momfluencer, but some of the Beachbody coaches are momfluencer-adjacent. Plus, they're in a MLM which is always fascinating. An Amy Bailey deep-dive is much-needed. Just Google her and her husband, Storm...
Stacy Martino and relationship development. I love her but wondering if I’m missing something . She’s on FB and Instagram and does podcasts with her husband Paul as well as runs paid classes.
GOTTA be Nara Smith. I don't know why, but I can't stop watching her videos. I think it's because she doesn't act like she's in on the joke, but she's gotta be in on the joke to some degree. One of my favorites was "my toddlers were hungry for grilled cheese" and she proceeds to bake the bread and MAKE THE CHEESE for the grilled cheeses 😆 like be serious!
This doesn't answer your question and it may have been discussed in other posts. But - is that picture real? A ballerina on a farm with a pig on a beef label? The font, the woman dressed like a child and holding a bucket for some reason (to catch the blood when they slaughter the cow?), a pig instead of a cow - everything is so disconcerting.
What about the Go Clean Co lady? She got big at the beginning of the pandemic for her "tough love" approach to disinfecting your home, including using demonized cleaning chemicals like bleach. As she has grown her brand/business she's leaned into Amazon affiliate stuff and sponsored posts. Occasionally she'll throw in wellness/natural language when a product has that marketing, which I find surprising given her origins
I am not on instagram, so I'd very much like to get a critical take on what's happening there. I feel that your hyper focus on Ballerina Farm is a bit trollish though. It's time to move on.
This comment section is full of such good info! Here to 2nd that I can’t look away from Rudy Jude. While her parenting / cute activities / lifestyle isn’t something I’d ever try to recreate, I still WANT to be as cool as her. And ditto for the parenting accounts — I also followed Karrie Locher closely, I bought some of her breastfeeding training videos, and saw her as a real expert. The shift to merch is really interesting and a little sad to me.
One other thought generally, is more like the evolution of a lot of these influencers as they grow their following. The fine line between selling their lifestyle and then selling products and then selling opinions and ways of thinking. You generally touch on this all the time but I’d love more of this in a deep dive. Is there a pattern?! Where’s the line between this and the way cults influence beliefs? (Obviously many differences - but I’d be curious about this!)
@drcourtneykahla (granola chiropractor) and @wildflora.wellness (gained followers by being a leader in Young Living and now talks a lot about beef liver supplements).
Sorry haven’t read others suggestions so apologies if a repeat but Brooke Raybould. She adopts this kind of productivity-bro language and shtick to talk about “winning motherhood” - she has 4 boys and homeschools. I think she has a nanny possibly or other childcare who is never mentioned tho not sure. Anyway- love your work!
I think I'd like to see a dive into other types of 'momfluencers' like Big little Feelings ladies or mothercould.
bekah, rudy jude
Turtle Creek Lane and the whole TCL family of influencers
This one might be niche, but Kelly LeVeque, celebrity nutrionist and now very glamorous mom of three. I struggle with her, because I have found a lot of her advice super useful over the years and good counterprogamming during the era of "ALWAYS EAT LESS" but increasingly I'm seeing more Huberman-y stuff creeping in, stuff about balancing hormones, extreme anti-sugar attitudes particularly for kids, and of course an interview with Gwyneth's guy Dr. Will Cole. I can easily look at a Ballerina Farm and be like "ABSOLUTELY NOT" but I struggle with some of this in between content which is partially helpful (TBH we all feel better if we eat plenty of protein, fat, fiber & greens), but it can be slippery when these folks move further into the conspirituality pipeline and/or complete control over their kids' lives/diets/activities/etc. Anyway, help me with my Kelly issues! https://www.instagram.com/bewellbykelly/
Julia Berolzheimer
Megan Stokes
Liz Adams
Tara Moni , Arielle Charnas - the intersection of fashion and mothering as it relates to consumerism and looking a certain way. Also , maybe a look at the positive side ? I Love accounts like Emily oster and Lucie Fink and momwell - I think they are the positive side of it and it might be fun to do a deep dive on that end of it!
I have been wondering about Shea McGee - both a design and mom influencer, I guess? Ok, there is the company. There is the husband (who always seems a bit silly like Hogfather guy even though he does all the finances). But she is clearly earning a lot of money, she is the brand, she works hard and creates a lot of social media content. Her kids were in the show and on her social media feed. But those kids are always so perfectly put together. Their rooms, which she showed on the YouTube channel, are too clean for a kid’s room and there are like…no toys etc? It doesn’t look like child would like this kind of space (but who knows) Shea seems like a nice person though but I wonder how everything is SO CLEAN (and beige) with three kids.
Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone
She's not a mom, but I am fascinated by Campbell (Pookie) Puckett and her husband Jett. There's something charming, but also unsettling about their relationship
I am always looking for ink to be spilled about anyone in the family of the Jordan Ferney universe. Or Jen Gotch...
sarah therese... 30 with five kids, homeschools, home makes, extremely religious and anti-choice. i genuinely don't know why i'm fascinated but i can't look away.
Rachel Parcell (and her sisters) - started years ago as a typical Mormon mommy wife following the success of Love Taza and co, launched her fashion line, but has been posting less lately and seemingly not trying to "sell" her stuff quite as hard, basically just does Chanel unboxing videos now. Wonder what's going on.
Also, a newer one: Brooke Raybould - if Tim Ferris were a trad wife. She has 4 little kids, homeschools, and seeks to optimize every aspect of her life/minute of her day (wakes up at 5am to drink lemon water and read, then work out, do cold plunge, makes every bed in the house/puts on a full face of makeup/outfits. does strange diets suggested by her husband).
Rachel Brathen (@yogagirl) and Kathleen Ashmore (@kancancook). The yoga girl evolution from fairly normy yoga pretty hippie girl to back-to-the-land so left she’s almost right mama bear is interesting. Kat is delightful, but the collagen shilling and the shameless zero guilt capitalism undermine her mom-friend vibe?
Recently saw Savannah LaBrant post that they bought a farm. Such a shift from the lifestyle she was promoting previously. My first thought was "tradwife/farming life trend is profitable" so she's on it? It made me wonder if she's at the beginning of BF transition. Ha. Your take would be great.
Dani Austin - owns a seemingly pretty successful scalp care brand, almost definitely got a secret unacknowledged boob job recently, she and her husband said publicly one time that their values are that its grandparents' job to raise their kids. There's an intersecting race/culture thing happening (they are hispanic) that I feel like their followers are weird about
Laura Beverlin - has very publicly struggled with infertility, owns farm animals. Her subreddit is MEAN and accuses her of lying about some of the infertility logistics
Another vote for Farmhouse on Boone
@noellekovary
Mallory Goldman - very likable 20 something fashion influencer with endless money - she is personally v sweet and yet I feel so many things about people’s access to endless cash
Rudy Jude- I know you covered Julie in your book but I’m still so interested.
This may date me but I am forever fascinated with the McKinney Mommy Mafia, esp queen bee Shay Shull, sister of former Bachelor Sean Shull.
Not sure if she counts since she primarily does comedy videos vs selling things, but Emily Morrow (really very crunchy on Instagram).
The algorithm has stopped serving her to me, and I'm ok with that. She's added her husband, who I don't really care to see (lol) to most videos. The bloom came off the rose for me when she did an anti vax video parodying a doctor's office voicemail. I commented on it that I thought the account was comedy/parody and I was swiftly corrected by her followers.
Emily Vondy
Not Mormon, but Audrey Roloff. She’s FASCINATING
@nurturingnovas for a momfluencer/spiritual hippy business woman who successfully launches a million different crazy products and ideas. I’m obsessed and have followed her for years.
Late to this, but mildly obsessed with the trad wife -> trad mom -> homestead -> COLLAGEN POWDER of it all around the extended Wilson Family Homestead/Savannah LaBrant universes
Tieghan Gerard/Half Baked Harvest and Kelly LeVeque (agree with all PP said)
When I was still on instagram I got a lot of Australian momfluencer content and I’d be so curious to hear more about their similar but different version, especially Chloe from Life with Beans https://www.instagram.com/chloeandbeans/?hl=en
She has ten kids and she’s like 31…
I'm not sure if they would completely qualify as a momfluencer, but some of the Beachbody coaches are momfluencer-adjacent. Plus, they're in a MLM which is always fascinating. An Amy Bailey deep-dive is much-needed. Just Google her and her husband, Storm...
Stacy Martino and relationship development. I love her but wondering if I’m missing something . She’s on FB and Instagram and does podcasts with her husband Paul as well as runs paid classes.
Sam Ozkural, she’s a YouTuber
So curious what happened with Love Taza…
Also please this woman, who I can’t tell if she’s running a parody account or not. I love her: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C28sIhZLr6t/?igsh=bXlvYTRocTRveGli
The Collins Kids https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4WdU19gLN6/?igsh=MWJlcHZkNmJhN2RrNQ==
GOTTA be Nara Smith. I don't know why, but I can't stop watching her videos. I think it's because she doesn't act like she's in on the joke, but she's gotta be in on the joke to some degree. One of my favorites was "my toddlers were hungry for grilled cheese" and she proceeds to bake the bread and MAKE THE CHEESE for the grilled cheeses 😆 like be serious!
This doesn't answer your question and it may have been discussed in other posts. But - is that picture real? A ballerina on a farm with a pig on a beef label? The font, the woman dressed like a child and holding a bucket for some reason (to catch the blood when they slaughter the cow?), a pig instead of a cow - everything is so disconcerting.
MCKINLI HATCH ARE YOU KIDDING?! There is only one answer!!! The MESS.
Nara Smith on TikTok
What about the Go Clean Co lady? She got big at the beginning of the pandemic for her "tough love" approach to disinfecting your home, including using demonized cleaning chemicals like bleach. As she has grown her brand/business she's leaned into Amazon affiliate stuff and sponsored posts. Occasionally she'll throw in wellness/natural language when a product has that marketing, which I find surprising given her origins
I am not on instagram, so I'd very much like to get a critical take on what's happening there. I feel that your hyper focus on Ballerina Farm is a bit trollish though. It's time to move on.
This comment section is full of such good info! Here to 2nd that I can’t look away from Rudy Jude. While her parenting / cute activities / lifestyle isn’t something I’d ever try to recreate, I still WANT to be as cool as her. And ditto for the parenting accounts — I also followed Karrie Locher closely, I bought some of her breastfeeding training videos, and saw her as a real expert. The shift to merch is really interesting and a little sad to me.
One other thought generally, is more like the evolution of a lot of these influencers as they grow their following. The fine line between selling their lifestyle and then selling products and then selling opinions and ways of thinking. You generally touch on this all the time but I’d love more of this in a deep dive. Is there a pattern?! Where’s the line between this and the way cults influence beliefs? (Obviously many differences - but I’d be curious about this!)
@drcourtneykahla (granola chiropractor) and @wildflora.wellness (gained followers by being a leader in Young Living and now talks a lot about beef liver supplements).
A second ago I discovered americanfamilyroadtrip (JD & Britney), and now I’m beside myself. Vanlife meets eight children meets god meets chiropractic.
Sorry haven’t read others suggestions so apologies if a repeat but Brooke Raybould. She adopts this kind of productivity-bro language and shtick to talk about “winning motherhood” - she has 4 boys and homeschools. I think she has a nanny possibly or other childcare who is never mentioned tho not sure. Anyway- love your work!
Did anyone say @noellekovary on ig?
Posts about her unassisted home birth (free birth), proudly proclaiming that she never even had an ultrasound. So reckless.
Karrie Locher for sure!
I may have missed this, but more Nara Smith please!
What about Joanna Gaines? Have you deep dived (dove?) into her - and the Chip of it all - yet?
How about Kelly Havens Stickle? I feel like her IG text can be very layered and speaks openly to her own challenges in being a trad wife.
Mommy Farmer.
Nara Smith