why is cottagecore so gay?

a video essay about cottagecore, why the sapphic/wlw/lesbian/queer community is so into it, and a lot more besides! we cover post-colonialism, tradwives, covid-19, sourdough, and animal crossing...

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Help us caption & translate this video!

[lydiajude]

The "nostalgia" element of cottagecore definitely relates to the anti-capitalist reading. Personally, part of the appeal of cottagecore to me is thinking back to my childhood when I had the free time to do things like exploring in the woods and reading novels all day long. The productivity-driven capitalist society robs many people of the "free time" to do these activities. // I should clarify that a person's having nostalgia for the time to do these activities does not mean that that person is anti-capitalist or even is aware of the possible anti-capitalist connotations.

[arlet]

Straight black woman here. Cottagecore is less about escape for me and more about enjoying the little simple things in life. Loving and appreciating the work you do with your own hands.

[jamesoconnor]

As a gay man who grew up in rural Ireland, I really feel the need to de-bigot my cottagecore childhood. Since leaving home I got some houseplants, covered my walls in flower paintings and filled my life with poetry. Even though I'm now locked down in an urban setting, it feels like I'm reclaiming (at least a little bit) the idyllic childhood that I could've had if I hadn't felt so ostracised.

Love this video and your others, the flower crown is an amazing extra touch

[magpiemth]

Anyone who watched Studio Ghibli as a child is now cottagecore and you can't deny it

[nstewart]

I know Rowan says it's a very feminine thing, but I turned my cottagecore dreams into me constantly wearing overalls and Wellies while taking care of the chickens and the constant presence of dirt on calloused hands and knees from weeding the garden. There are some very traditionally masculine aspects to cottagecore which also appeals to wlw, because of the freedom to escape the pressure of heterosexual, pressurized idealism many of them grew up with.

[mgroesbeck]

Give me techno-cottagecore: a nice little cabin in the woods with a fiber-speed internet connection, smart speakers playing relaxing music, and an Arduino project taking care of the watering of my herb garden. Nice for a vacation, at least.

[hollyrose]

We just wanna live a nice, stable, sustainable life full of quaint times. We wanna be away from judgement. We want to be happy.

I’m disabled, and I really wish I could live a nice life that involves being outside, crafting, gardening, and so much more. I wish I could own a home. It’s wish fulfillment for late Capitalism

[itsavonell]

ok but a cottage core lesbian + dark academia bisexual movie where they solve crimes AND do magic AND be gay sounds like a hit to me

[kst]

Cottagecore is such an idealised version of nature, living in the woods and living off the land is way more difficult and no where near as innocent as shown... As someone whose lived in the countryside and in a ‘cottagecore’ way, (making stuff, having chickens and growing my own stuff) it’s a lot more difficult and you often find yourself in difficult situations, such as a fox is killing your chickens... you find yourself dealing with death more often than not... I absolutely love moving back to nature, but the way it’s portrayed in cottagecore is not accurate at all lol... of course cottagecore is just an aesthetic lol

[lcomposemusic]

I think people really love cottagecore because it’s almost the “counter Internet” and instant gratification/fast paced lifestyle. Everyone needs a bit of a break from it all. That basket weaving tik tok clip makes me want to learn how to make one

[maeraich]

I think the good thing about cottagecore is that we are all visualising it with such specific details, that we almost manifest it into our lives. For most of us, it's not possible to live in an old cottage in the English countryside, but by imagining it, it somehow becomes slightly more real. One of my favourite quotes of all time is "true self care is building a life we don't feel the need to constantly escape from" so even though cottagecore is inherently escapist, it's a lifestyle we potentially want to have at some point in the future. (Sorry if that didn't make any sense lol)

[livsigg]

Let's be honest, the original cottagecore lesbians are Liana and Alexa from Barbie & The Diamond Castle

[sweetsadsiren]

I remember like literally yesterday being like:
"I want to live in a cottage in the woods with my butch wife! I want a rabbit! I want a small garden and a kitchen with herbs hanging over the sink! I want to our cottage to be near a small village where we own a bakery and my wife chops wood and helps me bake!"
Except say all of that with a John Mulaney accent.

[rohmahassan]

I took a buzzfeed quiz a while back that said my aesthetic was cottage core, and I felt connected to it for a different reason. I've lived in a foresty area my whole life surrounded by deer and foxes, and I can't imagine a life without them
But on a deeper level, my family is from Pakistan. A lot of the aspects I found associated with cottagecore reminded me of what my mother tells me about her childhood. Bread making (roti in her case), and girls putting small flowers in their braids. Those stories made me interested in bread making and putting flowers in my hair.
Not to mention people cite pride and prejudice and Anne of green gables as cottagecore inspo. When I read those books I connected with them because of my pakistani heritage.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is cottagecore is an aesthetic that anyone can enjoy and should enjoy, especially if it's capable of bringing them so much joy.

[cosmic_seabunny]

Ah yes, the sexualities of lifestyles:

-Lesbian CottageCore
-Bisexual DarkAcademia
-Pansexual Witch work
- Gay CoffeeShop
And -Asexual CabinCore
(The last one is my idea..)

[anniecoxdraws]

Here to watch as fast as I'm ready to come out and U Haul into an adorable log cabin.

[ubixl]

I just wanna live in a studio ghibli movie, why is that so hard?

[shockingheaven]

When I think of cottagecore, I often picture a Ghibli film

[atopodentatus]

Cottage core is fun unless you live in a tropical area. The “walking in the woods” becomes getting your hair stuck in a branch on the dense rainforest while you escape from a snake in the middle of a thunderstorm. The mountainous land doesn’t help either

[sophiefan]

Li Ziqi is a Chinese youtuber who has this lifestyle, but Chinese. She makes traditional Chinese foods and makes traditional Chinese arts. Chinese cottagecore is pretty sweet too.