Another day, another TikTok trend that has the internet collectively sighing into the void. This time, it’s “princess treatment,” and one woman’s definition of it has seriously rubbed people the wrong way.
Courtney Palmer, a 37-year-old influencer, recently went viral for sharing a video about what she believes is the ultimate feminine lifestyle: Saying nothing at restaurants, not opening doors, and letting her husband literally speak for her. Because silence is elegant, apparently.
In a video called “Princess Treatment Dining Edition,” Courtney casually explains that when she goes out with her husband, she doesn’t talk to the hostess. She doesn’t order her own food. She doesn’t even open the menu. All eyes are on the man, thank you very much.
@jojoejoelle Princess Treatment Dining Edition
#princesstreatment #princesstreatmentonly #husbandwife #marriage #marriedlife #husband #healthymarriage
“If the waiter addresses me first, I just look at my husband. He speaks for me,” she says. Sorry, is this the 1950s or a really niche Bridgerton spin-off?
Courtney, who calls herself a “feminine wife” and has been a stay-at-home mum for the past year, says it’s all about softness.
She says, “You’re not going to be laughing loudly, speaking loudly, demanding the attention of the room when you’re at a restaurant.”
Cool. But also, aren’t women constantly being told to stop shrinking themselves? This trend seems to be romanticising what women have literally spent decades pushing back against.
And now, she’s getting dragged for it
For obvious reasons, people were not thrilled by Courtney’s ode to passivity. The video, which now has over five million views, has been duetted, stitched, mocked, and picked apart faster than you can say “soft girl era.”
One person commented: “Who’s gonna tell her this isn’t princess treatment?” Another wrote: “As a former waitress and an actual girls’ girl, I would have slipped you a note and asked if you’re okay or if I should call the police.”
Others pointed out the obvious that refusing to speak to the hostess or server is just plain rude.
@kcrward10 I want zero part of this. Ever. My husband would think I was having more strokes. And this wasn’t even the worst part of the video #noprincesstreatment #ew
The backlash isn’t just because Courtney’s routine feels outdated. It’s because she frames it as aspirational, like this is what every woman should strive for if she wants to be “treated like a princess.”
Except, most people don’t want to feel like background characters in their own lives. And being quiet so your boyfriend can feel more “masculine” isn’t giving royal. It’s giving unpaid emotional labour with a side of avocado toast.
And while Courtney says in her video that she knew her video would be “ripped apart” and that “people just take things seriously, in the wrong way.”
Anyway, if you need me, I’ll be over here loudly ordering my pasta. Like a peasant.
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