The Rise & Fall of WAGs (these ladies deserved better)

In 2006, the wives and girlfriends of the England squad became household names after their press coverage during the world cup. Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole & Coleen Rooney are some of the most recognisable faces in British pop culture, and today i'm exploring how it all happened, why the lifestyle fell off, and if we might be seeing it comeback!
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Timestamps:
00:00 intro
02:58 the rise of WAGs
05:31 the baden-baden trip of 2006
14:15 the fashion of WAGs
18:21 the sexism & classism of WAGs
28:36 the fall of the WAG
35:30 the return of the WAG

[@shantalmbaziira2563]

Another thing to point out is that Cheryl and Victoria already had established and highly successful careers before meeting their husbands with Victoria already a household name with the Spice Girls before she met David Beckham so the fact that the newspapers thought that they were spending their husbands' money and name to further themselves is ridiculous because they already HAD money and fame and didn't need the exposure from their football husbands to further their careers because they already had established themselves. Additionally, I think it would have been a lose-lose situation because if the girls had not gone out and enjoy themselves in Baden Baden then they would probably be labeled boring or not engaging with the culture or acting as if they didn't want to be there but then again they got ridiculed for going out even though that was something totally normal because what else were they gonna do? Go kick about with their boyfriends?? I don't really think we are going to get back the WAG era we saw in the mid-2000s because that era is so deeply associated with the troubling misogyny of tabloid media and pop culture and I think that the WAGs being focused on now are women who are highly established (Taylor Swift, Simone Biles, Gabrielle Union etc) as opposed to the likes of Colleen Rooney who had more humble beginnings and that these women are bringing more exposure to their husbands rather than the other way round. I think the WAG fashion will come back but that is more to do with the cycle of trends that is happening right now. Nostalgia has a funny way of romanticizing things and I think people are looking back to that time because it was a "happier" time in the sense when you look at COVID-19 and the recession we are going to right now. The hyper bling that was seen in these WAGS is something you don't really see anymore and 2006 was kind of the last year before the 2008 global economic crisis where people could be flashy and enjoy their wealth and look at life through rose tinted glasses.

[@mariast.4877]

obsessed with these video essays!

[@lookingforlewys]

thank you honey!

[@aliyahhaynes]

Knew this was going to be a class videoessay when the von Dutch remix intro played 😂x

[@lookingforlewys]

screaming TASTE

[@ravenn532]

love the vid! don’t remember if u mentioned it but wags r also huge in f1. there are only 20 drivers and so any partners are often huge among the fans with breakups or new love interests often being bigger news than the races with certain fans. it’s only become bigger since social media etc

[@rachelwilson1979]

love thiss would love you to do the history of big brother

[@tylerc0790]

I remember 2006 very well, I was in the middle of my GSCEs when all of the wag stuff was going on and boy did I love it!!! Peak Nostalgia for me! ❤

[@jessmayh]

So excited to sit down and watch this, wish I was old enough to have experienced peak wag culture coz wag Cheryl and Victoria are literally my idols!!! Also we need a video essay on Geordie shore

[@TheMrsapplecake]

thank you for covering this! i recently dove deep into wagatha christie and this was so so interesting

[@pragna.r]

screamed when i saw you had posted

[@pinkpantherofthesouth1855]

Colleen Rooney is such an iconic genius she deserves allllllll the accolades and more. It was Rebecca Vardys ACCOUNT. You tell em 💅🏼

[@margaridaleal587]

don't really watch video essays anymore but I love yours!! I think you're quite good at storytelling which make these way more enjoyable

[@zo_mar777]

18:17 “almost two decades later” …now hold on

[@katierobinson5824]

I can’t believe these don’t have more views! So good

[@mavy1990]

Add these deep dives to the history curriculum 👏🏼

[@milliebanksy7759]

This is what makes Alisha Lehmann so interesting - she herself is a premier league footballer and is also dating a premier league footballer, Douglas Luiz. On top of this (and this is what really takes her relationship status from coincidence, to hybrid feminist “wag-ery”) Alisha confidently wears designer brands, maximalist jewellery, bleach blonde hair extensions, etc. She’s iconic - combining her throwback look to the 2000s with being an excellent player for Aston Villa. Another fabulous video essay Lewys darling, thank you! Love you! P.S. Unsurprisingly, Alisha is still the victim of a lot of misogynistic jibes online. Like what more do you want from us girls?! She’s literally performing at the premier league level and her appearance is still up for contention and/or sexual objectification for football hooligan blokes, probably shouting their abuse down the pub with a Stella?!

[@florencxe]

I don’t watch much soccer but I always see pics of Alisha and think she looks AMAZING. I love that’s she’s not afraid to get dolled up for each match

[@husyadaedee6475]

Love this video essay! Subscribed! ❤

[@Emily-sm6px]

loved this vid!!!! when’s the pod back? xx

[@chloescott7908]

this is a WHOLE first class dissertation

[@antsfromuphere]

oh these videos are everything

[@dapu571]

funny how not one kid today is able to recognise david beckham but will absolutely sing wannabe from the spice girls

[@Chelsss703]

Yaaaass the show on Amazon Prime, Married to the Game that came out this year was about 5 different wags and it was so interesting!

[@lookingforlewys]

yesss i want to watch that!!

[@TacTwo]

Oh okay it's a british thing too. I thought it was exclusively Australian and was *super* confused why someone from up there was even aware of Australian Rules Football and the players partners.

[@Kupsae532]

Love this video

[@asli9812]

I’ve BEEN wanting someone to make a video about this 😂

[@kayleighbreslin9459]

please do a video essay on big brother

[@husyadaedee6475]

Petition for a deep dive breakdown of wagatha christie!!

[@nonameface90]

You may look up Jordan Theresa's video on this topic :)

[@liliasnow9160]

you should do a whole video on the rise and fall of cheryl cole lol

[@brokendoll4886]

Ahh yes appreciate the video essays

[@CLBrierley]

These women are interested, and the obsession the press has with them and other celebs, is also strangely interesting. But, one thing that shouldn’t happen is these women shouldn’t be overshadowed and their accomplishments shouldn’t be overshadowed by their husbands, and they should have their privacy etc respected when and if they want them. Their relationships shouldn’t be hated on for no reason too, and people who just want to be with athletes for the money and attention shouldn’t get that.

[@user-eu3hi2vo3e]

Was thinking the same thing. Many of them were very accomplished themselves!

[@emilycox6560]

You just know what I want to watch.

[@hyesterical]

I'm seated ☺️

[@lookingforlewys]

as you should 💋

[@FatimaSurti]

13 year old me were obsessed with these woman I wanted to be a WAG so badly lmao

[@emilycox6560]

Also Rebekah Vardy did say that to Piers Morgan so you were right

[@jacobthejuuler]

Being gay but also being into football this video is my dream! 🤣

[@riskibiznu]

Cant believe im so early!

[@lookingforlewys]

yaaaaas

[@riskibiznu]

@@lookingforlewys LOVE YOU(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

[@emmasmith3115]

❤❤❤