Sophie Anna Veelenturf is a master student Drama at the Kask & Conservatory in Ghent and is a left-wing bitch, liberated feminist, a Becky, a sweet Volkskrant girl and surely part of the Oatmeal elite. But her identity seems to be split in two, because although she is a staunch feminist and fights against global warming and anti-immigration policies, her genitals want nothing more than to be dominated by the alpha male, right-wing assholes, frat boys, fils à papa and the capitalist businessman.

If it were up to Hans Teeuwen, Thierry Baudet or Dries van Langenhove, this might be how she should introduce herself. Because: “Right-wing talk, fills left-wing holes”. This sexual and romantic narrative about ‘right-wing boys and left-wing girls’ is something that is used more often in contemporary media, by provocative politicians and comedians. The narrative has a misogynistic underlay and implies a lot of stereotyping about gender inequalities and male-female relationships. Sophie Anna’s master’s thesis aims to question political, sexual and gender-related clichés, as well as herself and her own desire. She deconstructs and explores whether these phenomena might actually contribute to a more personal way of talking across the aisle, as a form of anti-polarisation. After all, what happens when people with different ideologies form personal relationships with each other? What does ideology do to our dating world, desires and relationships? Do online dating apps fuel political polarisation through their algorithm? Or does it offer new opportunities?

Image: Charlotte Jodogne