In the wake of Tuesday’s election results, some women frustrated by President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House are using a centuries-old metaphor about women poisoning their husbands to channel their disappointment, causing a stir online.
The “Make Aqua Tofana Great Again,” or MATGA, movement is a recent online trend in which some women humorously advocate for “reviving” Aqua Tofana—a 17th-century poison used by women to kill and escape their abusive husbands.
Aqua Tofana, named after its alleged creator Giulia Tofana, was a deadly, undetectable poison used across Italy, gaining notoriety for its stealth and potency.
The MATGA trend has become synonymous with Tofana, seemingly emerging as a satirical expression of frustration over certain political issues, mainly targeting Trump and men who support conservative policies that affect women.
In a video posted on Grabien, women embracing the trend appear with captions such as: “Sure, my body, your choice,” before pouring unknown liquids into drinks.
This is juxtaposed with medieval images of women pouring potions, while the captions tell the story of Tofana who was “responsible for the deaths of over 600 abusive husbands in 17th-century Italy.”
One woman in the video leans toward the camera and whispers: “Aqua Tofana, am I right? Aqua Tofana. If you know, you know.”
Some have framed the trend as a modern-day reminder of the long-standing fight for women’s rights. Meanwhile, critics argue that referencing a deadly poison, even in jest, can send the wrong message.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) shared the video, referring to the 4B movement which saw a surge after Trump’s win: “First, Karens on TikTok and Instagram kicked off the 4B movement, refusing to marry, have children, date, or have relationships with men.
“They started wearing blue bracelets and getting blue heart tattoos to recognize each other in public as [Kamala] Harris voters, and this soon evolved into the MATGA movement. W***?!! The first video got over 1.3 million LIKES!!”
