The editors of the conservative fashion magazine ‘The Conservateur’ have argued that the fashion industry and other cultural elements have been ‘coded’ left or right-wing politically. This is due to the industry leaning left in the current ‘parallel economy’, which they say has led to a ‘dual economy’ where cultural expressions are seen as aligned with political ideologies.
Jayme Franklin, founder and CEO of The Conserv’ateur, stated that there has been an ‘uglification’ where modern art and progressives are pushing women to reject men, dye their hair blue, and wear septum piercings. She founded the magazine in 2020 after graduating from UC-Berkeley, citing the fashion industry’s left-leaning sentiments.
Caroline Downey, editor-in-chief, argued that male-led podcasts are seen as right-wing for being ‘fundamentally irreverent.’ She highlighted that Joe Rogan’s podcast style, which involved asking questions of experts and having stimulating conversations, was considered provocative during the ‘cancel culture’ era.
Their comments followed a discussion with Emma Goldberg of The New York Times about the cultural coding in a polarized country. Examples like ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Rent’ being ‘left-coded’ and comedy and wrestling being ‘right-coded’ were cited. Downey claimed this coding has led to a ‘dual economy’ and that the ‘coded’ term is pervasive due to the political polarization.
Franklin emphasized the motivation behind launching The Conservateur, which is to appeal to women with traditional values. She believes that many fashion brands lean left and that The Conservateur’s lifestyle promoting marriage, family, hard work, and patriotism offers a more successful and happier life for women.