‘How I love being a woman’ TikTok trend, explained

My bedside table now has a calendar designed by my aunt.(opens in new window) And for Christmas he gave me a pink clip, a candle, a little empty purple bowl, a bright blue coat check claim ticket, a bunch of credit cards, an unfinished book, a pencil, a pen, And it was a small lamp precariously stacked in two. A notebook and two books. On TikTok, this scene would reveal something profound about my femininity.

Back in August, TikTokker @starlingblue(opens in new window) Uploaded a fan edit to Hozier’s “Would That I.” The video starts with the following clip. Anne of E A character says, “Oh, I love being a woman so much,” followed by a montage of beloved female characters, including Joe March little womanSam’s the perks of being a wallflowerand Penny Lane from most famous.

combination of Anne of E The quote and “Would That I” quickly became the go-to sound for videos about women. Used over 155,000 times.When it first appeared on the platform, the creators used it to celebrate the intricacies of women and ironically share the pitfalls of being a woman.In one video @jamec0zzie(opens in new window) List things she likes as a woman: homosexuality, mornings in bed after sleepovers, implied solidarity, going to the bathroom in big groups.(opens in new window) I posted a video of myself leaving my hair on an Uber with the caption, ‘Because TikTok girl said she was leaving [sic] All her Ubers have hair and fingerprints.” The video has over 4 million likes.

This sound was also utilized to honor female creators(opens in new window) It has become a go-to sound for talking about what’s trending among women on TikTok. For example @harrysguccidress(opens in new window) posted a video of Diet Coke, Chicken Caesar Salad, and French Fries. It has received over 1.4 million likes.

But like most TikTok sound plights, it’s devolved into consumerism these days. What was once a tool for discussing femininity has ostensibly become the soundtrack to women showing off their nightstands. Pan to a nightstand littered with trendy products with captions such as “I heard you were there.”

One Creator @drag0nballsno_z(opens in new window)The bedside table is decorated with fake flowers, trick mirror Works by Jia Tolentino, lots of necklaces and mittens. Another creator, @jeanbean2780(opens in new window), six candles, fuzzy coasters, flowers and some hair clips belong to her. I can understand the lure in seeing something as private as a bedside table, but many of the women who post these videos have very cute setups… tough. This trend made me sit on the sidelines of my nightstand and critically examine whether furniture designed for convenience represented me. I brought that desire to my private space.

I love reading, candles, mittens and necklaces.
Credits: TikTok / @jeanbean2780, @drag0nballsno_z

Nightstand videos are another way to encourage TikTok women to define themselves through their stuff and wrap their lives up into a highly readable aesthetic.

And it doesn’t stop at the nightstand. TikTok has also been embroiled in a heated debate over the state of a messy girl’s room. Creator @latenightwar(opens in new window) said, “When a girl’s room is messy, it’s Sofia Coppola. It’s Lindsay Lohan from the Hell Is a Teenage Girl. Early 2000s movie. It’s indie. It’s hot.” Like the sound of “I love something so much,” the woman cleverly posts videos of her cluttered bedside table and room in a satirical clip.

Only time will tell what parts of your life are very specific that TikTok needs to fit your aesthetic next.