On Tiktok, users created Tanaland, a fictional country of 18 million users reserved for women. The goal of this trend? Divert a popular insult on the networks to fight against sexist behavior.
A pink flag, sunshine all year round, Aya Nakamura as Prime Minister and above all… no men. These are the promises of Tanaland, a fictional country reserved exclusively for women.
It all started with an insult on social networks. The word “tana” (probably from the Spanish “putana”, which means “whore”) is in fact used by more and more users to insult women in the comments section of their Tiktok videos. In some cases, these behaviors turn into cyberbullying.
“It’s simply wanting to live peacefully”
“Two weeks ago, men started using this term under girls’ videos on social networks for anything and everything,” highlights influencer Toomuchlucile to Tech&Co.
A makeup video, a storytime video (a format where the user tells an anecdoteeditor’s note) or a simple dance: “As soon as there’s a girl, you’re sure to find at least five comments from people who insult Tana.” The content creator followed by 1.3 million subscribers on Tiktok was herself the victim of these insulting comments.
However, “this is not the first time that men have invented a misogynistic trend on Tiktok,” she recalls.
Annoyed by these recurring behaviorssome users have therefore decided to reclaim the meaning of the word by inventing Tanaland, a “safe place” for women. Here, only two rules are in force: the country is closed to men and everything must be rosy.
The advantages of this imaginary city are numerous. Without men, there is no need to pay attention to your outfit, for example. Women can express themselves freely, without judgment and without fear of being attacked.
“Being a Tana is simply wanting to live peacefully. It is living without the gaze of men to restrict us in our actions and insult us with all the names,” summarizes Toomuchlucile. “All women can come to the country and be a tana, since we all get insulted,” she smiles sadly.
A flag, an anthem and 18 million residents
Using hashtags and montages, several users and content creators share videos on the platform to show what the country would look like. The videos are directly inspired by the world of Barbie, with pink buildings and landscapes to back it up.
Gradually, the community structured itself and created its own flag, its own anthem, and even its own map.
We thus find the “Brook-Tana”, “Tana VIP Quarter” districts and a metro line with stops like “Porte de polska” or “Tribunale de Lucie-sur-Tana”. There is also a Tiktok account, called Tanaland info, which serves as national media. As for the weather, the sun shines every day in this imaginary world, guaranteeing its occupants a perfect tan all year round.
Since then, a government has been created. It was Aya Nakamura, one of the most listened to French-speaking singers in the world, who was proposed as Prime Minister. ToomuchLucile, for her part, was elected president of the country, alongside the influencer Polska. They thus govern a country of 18 million users from Tana City, the country’s capital.
A political message
Because beyond this humorous response, the message is above all political. Tanaland is a spontaneous outburst of feminism which aims to counter a new wave of sexist comments on platforms. As a reminder, according to the 2022 survey by the Feminists Against Harassment association, 84% of victims of cyberviolence are women.
“The idea is to denounce the misogynistic behavior of men and use it to make it a force. We turn their weapon against them to make it a force and show them that it does not affect us,” insists Toomuchlucile .
“From the moment we no longer care about men’s views and their insults, we no longer give them importance, and we redefine their insults, all the power is in our hands “, underlines content creator Kriplusfort on Instagram. “They can’t do anything anymore, they no longer have any power!”
To highlight street harassment or men’s comments on their outfits, women, for example, film their outfits while explaining that they are “on their way to Tanaland”, a place where they can dress as they want without fearing a misogynistic comment. . “I’m joining you in Tanaland because I dared to wear leggings during the day,” quips an Internet user.
The scale of the movement is such that it goes beyond the simple framework of social networks. Users came together via WhatsApp groups or discussion groups on Instagram to communicate with each other and help each other. Some even plan to organize Tanaland evenings, reserved only for women.
Tanaland VS Charoland
An initiative which has, despite everything, generated its share of sexist comments.
“It made me laugh to be designated president,” says Toomuchlucile. “The downside is that I have become the target of people who criticize the movement. They only understand that Tana is no longer an insult, on the contrary.”
To respond to Tanaland’s trend, some men created Charoland, an imaginary land filled with women… where they could act as they wished. In short, a world not very far from reality according to some users. Other men on the social network, however, have spoken out to defend Tanaland and are even trying to apply to obtain a visa for the candy pink country.
This is not the first time that social networks have invented a country. In 2022, a handful of Internet users on Twitter had created Listenbourg from scratch, a fictional country to mock the geography level of Americans.
