Taylor Swift recently showed her support for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign by referencing the term ‘childless cat lady’ used by Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance. Journalists Elle Hunt and Helen Pidd discuss their experiences as cat owners and how the stereotype of the ‘childless cat lady’ is losing its power in 2024. Prof Diane Purkiss explains the historical context of women’s relationship with cats and how the trope of a lonely cat-obsessed woman has been a misogynistic insult. She views Vance’s comments as part of a misogynistic mindset that devalues women who do not fit into narrow stereotypes established by men. The history of women’s relationships with cats has long been used to discredit and demean them.
The idea of a ‘childless cat lady’ has been used as a way to belittle women who do not conform to societal expectations of motherhood and marriage. By embracing this term, Swift is reclaiming it and challenging the sexist assumptions behind it. The power dynamics around the trope of the ‘childless cat lady’ are shifting, and women are refusing to be defined by outdated stereotypes. This article sheds light on the misogynistic history behind the term and explores how women are pushing back against it. The conversation around gender stereotypes and the treatment of women continues to evolve, and Swift’s use of the term in her support for Harris is just one example of women reclaiming their narratives and challenging harmful stereotypes.
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