The Venture into Fae and Frogs during Quarantine: Cottagecore Edition

Being locked in one’s house really can make one feel trapped into their bubble. For those of us that are more introverted, we probably thought this wouldn’t be as difficult to cope with. Turns out, when we are locked against our will in less than favorable conditions most of us will crave external stimuli.

For some of us, that means turning to a fantastical world of mushrooms, fairies, and by proxy, frogs. This aesthetic is also known as “Cottagecore”.

In the beginnings of quarantine, a game was released that provided the boundless covid-free vacation many so craved. A game where an entire island was your oyster. A place where the player is the only human amongst talking animals. A land where a tanuki demanded your money, but you don’t care because it’s cute. This game was “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. Many rushed to buy the game, begged for an early release, and I, like many others, turned to it as well.

Very soon after its release, many unleashed their creativity in ways unimaginable. Many made aesthetically pleasing fairy-esque and cottage-core islands. To much of the public’s pleasure, some of the creators of these islands proudly showcase their handcrafted islands via island tours and sometimes dreamcodes like this island, Kumori, created by player Beth and shared by YouTuber iHasCupquake.

Many have locked in hundreds of hours in Animal Crossing. While I have personally locked in about 400 hours of gameplay, my island doesn’t look like much. In fact, my island resembles a cutesy garbage dump.

While many have chosen to venture into a magical world digitally, others have chosen to employ it into their style choices as well. Or rather, we would if we had the means.

Oh, The Strawberry Dress, by designer Lirika Matoshi. How we all wish we could frolic to our moss covered cottages in it. But that’d be very unwise to do, being that the dress is $490.

This dress exploded in popularity in quarantine. The ethereal frills and daintiness of the dress made many feel as if they were elsewhere, somewhere where the sad reality of 2020 is not. The dress’ popularity was also fueled by its popular wearer, Marzia Kjellberg.

But the dress is not the only strawberry oriented entity that gained majority over the past few months. It has a very unlikely contender. That is the “Strawberry Frog”.

The song, “Strawberry Frog” is a version of “Strawberry Blond” by Mitski with a froggie twist. The original version, by goodtimeal on tiktok has been covered by ratfwyfe and gained popularity.

With this popularity, came a growing cult appreciation of frogs. Strawberry frogs.

The frog you see linked above, is a dumpy tree frog. Also known as the White’s Tree Frog. Many have finally come along to adore their cute clueless faces and dumpy bodies. Many have taken this a step further to frog ownership, and while they are medium maintenance pets, they still require maintenance and nutrition. It is an important thing to remember when caring for any animal! Pets are not impulse buys, but long commitments and these frogs can live up to 20 years old! (They may meet your kids). They definitely deserve recognition and love, but also efficient care.

Any way, happy hopping into the woods.