Sabrina Carpenter In Scalding Hot Oil After Degrading Imagery On Her Upcoming Album

[Mirrion Rizzons 10,732]

My take on it is that people are offended because her aesthetic has become somewhat ‘country/midwestern’ where in the bigger picture, we have seen country music’s popularity Increase since trump took office. 
 

There’s a big divide at the moment because of the rise of conservatism, and puritanical vs. Sexually liberated values. Sabrina fits somewhere in the middle. While her music has been sexually free, as well as her image, the country aesthetic and ‘blondeness’ makes her an American sweetheart. 
 

So while it isn’t her responsibility to represent the values of others, and a lot of the criticism is rooted in misogyny and higher expectations for women in the industry, the cover is causing major controversy because it’s not pleasing either side of the spectrum. 
 

The sexually liberated are berating her because the cover depicts her in a submissive position, comparing herself to a dog that a man is controlling - without the irony to make it seem like a satirical take. At the end of the day, satire only works if it’s obvious to the consumer what the artist is making fun of. I feel as though the joke just hasn’t landed and people just see it as degrading. 
 

On the other hand, while the cover is provocative, the conservatives must love it because it reinforces harmful gender stereotypes, of the man being in control. 
 

I hope she provides more context as the album roll out continues, because this has to be one of the most polarising era’s in a while and it has barely started 

[StrawberryBlond 14,768]

After a long and extensive talk about this with a friend, I've concluded that I'd be a lot more willing to accept this so long as she gives her fans a choice with covers. Most artists stock alternative covers, especially for vinyls aimed at collectors and if ever there was a reason to have a choice of covers, it's this one. But so far, this seems to be only cover. The limited edition vinyl picture disc actually has a drawn image of her on a bed with a man at the end but at least the disc isn't viewable by the public. She only had one variant cover art for her last album before putting out the deluxe, so I don't know though. It just makes me feel really weird that this will be displayed in shops for anyone to see. And it could really deter fans from physically purchasing it. 

Ultimately, I will support the right of an artist to do what they want, as long as it doesn't flout public decency laws. I just think anything more explicit should be more saved for online rather than in full view of the public. And the public really will have the final say on this one. If it causes a dent in sales, it'll be a lesson learned in where the line is. 

21 hours ago, lastpopicon said:

dont we want women’s freedom of artistic expression? I'm so confused sometimes.  

We can't dictate what a pop star can and can't do just because it might affect others negatively, where is all this outrage when rappers sing about their d and banging a lot of women, and treating them like sh*t? You know, the sound boys actually listen to.

We still haven't even heard the album, y'all need to chill with the pearl clutching ngl. 

When women's freedom of expression offends other women and even mirrors what abused women went through, there's a conflict there. It's a problem for your image if you're songs are appreciated by feminists but then you make art that offends them.

And there has been outrage when rappers have sang about disrespecting women. But because of copious amounts of swearing, rap can remain in very specific spaces that not everyone hears. Pop is the most accessible genre in the world that can be played anywhere and its albums are the most mainstream so of course they will be noticed more and commented upon.

9 hours ago, Franch Toast said:

Woman here. I view this as a subversive critique of the way some men degrade women. I don't view it as her intentionally sexualizing or degrading herself. 

That's just my take. I have no idea what her actual intention was, but I don't get the fuss at all. 

How is it subverting it, though? Surely subversion would be her assuming the male role? This looks no different to something you'd see in the most run-of-the-mill p0rn, there's nothing different said here. The issue I really took with it is that is gives me bad vibes as it makes me think of amateur exploitative p0rn, Terry Richardson shoots, sex trafficking victims and women in abusive relationships. All I could think of primarily was those lurid ads from back in the day featuring women being sexualised and depicted as bruised and even dead featured in the documentary, Killing Us Softly, which aimed to show the way the women are objectified in society. Remembering some of those images brought tears to my eyes and this cover art wouldn't have looked out of place with all those ads of a woman's throat being grabbed (Valentino ad), a man's foot being placed on their head (shoe ad) or their dead body hanging out the trunk of a car (Jimmy Choo ad). It just looks like the same objectification that has existed for decades.

7 hours ago, 4BLAiNE said:

Really, truly, do not understand why this is such a fuss for everyone on X.

It’s clearly satire. It’s clearly tongue in cheek. ‘Man’s Best Friend’ is a phrase almost every person who speaks the English language has some idea of. If anything the reaction is precisely the joke. Whoosh. 

Case closed. Enjoy the music.
 

Again, how exactly is it satire or tongue in cheek? I see no evidence of this, just showing the most traditional scene of female submissiveness, no attempts to invert, be camp or be ironic. I sometimes feel these words are thrown around without any knowledge of what they mean.

[RAMROD 108,422]

She is redoing the vibes of sexist 50s ads, and most likely done for a purpose 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jill 30,010]

20 hours ago, River said:

These people will take the time to make a video about a “degrading” album cover, but won’t stay 1 second to volunteer at a women shelter. 

I don't see how this is related. There are a lot of bad people volunteering for those kinds of causes, they're helpful for the victims, but they're not a universal moral code.

[lastpopicon 28,498]

25 minutes ago, StrawberryBlond said:

And there has been outrage when rappers have sang about disrespecting women. But because of copious amounts of swearing, rap can remain in very specific spaces that not everyone hears. Pop is the most accessible genre in the world that can be played anywhere and its albums are the most mainstream so of course they will be noticed more and commented upon.

In the US rap and country are by far the most listened genres, as evidenced by Apple music charts and Spotify charts, even in the hot 100, female pop acts struggle to get high charting hits unless they collab.

This argument that pop is dominating genre isn't true anymore IMO 

[LOVEDRUG 10,527]

I think people are being a tad dramatic online, and it's very obviously tongue-in-cheek. But I had the same reaction a lot of people here had which was to instantly cringe with disgust upon seeing it for the first time. Not because I think it's wrong to play around with domination/submission (in fact I think if she wanted to do this, she should've gone further), but because everything here, from the outfits, to the filter, to the fact he's pulling her hair, it feels more like a reenactment of domestic abuse than anything sexual.

[Shipper 13,041]

15 hours ago, liamgaga said:

If Gaga did this yall would eat it up. I just don’t think it’s that deep 🤷🏻‍♂️ baffling how much hate someone can get for one picture 

Yes, I would because I know Gaga has full decision in the image she portrays AND it comes from a place of power. 

I think kim kardashian made a similar video of her crawling around for a Christmas video and Im fine with it too cause the motivation behind it is sex and money and she loves attention.

Sabrina on the other hand is giving me my label made me do this rap3y photoshoot scene with undertone of violence and it's like some Dr. LUKE type of producer made her do it. 

I would have been more fine if she went ALL BDSM. Going half baked like this and having someone pull your hair is a very demeaning image that makes people unsettled. I feel like im looking at a domestic violence ad and what number to call.

[Shipper 13,041]

1 hour ago, RAMROD said:

She is redoing the vibes of sexist 50s ads, and most likely done for a purpose 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there is a reason why those things should stay in the 1950s.

[Nagini 1,883]

2 hours ago, StrawberryBlond said:

After a long and extensive talk about this with a friend, I've concluded that I'd be a lot more willing to accept this so long as she gives her fans a choice with covers. Most artists stock alternative covers, especially for vinyls aimed at collectors and if ever there was a reason to have a choice of covers, it's this one. But so far, this seems to be only cover. The limited edition vinyl picture disc actually has a drawn image of her on a bed with a man at the end but at least the disc isn't viewable by the public. She only had one variant cover art for her last album before putting out the deluxe, so I don't know though. It just makes me feel really weird that this will be displayed in shops for anyone to see. And it could really deter fans from physically purchasing it. 

Ultimately, I will support the right of an artist to do what they want, as long as it doesn't flout public decency laws. I just think anything more explicit should be more saved for online rather than in full view of the public. And the public really will have the final say on this one. If it causes a dent in sales, it'll be a lesson learned in where the line is. 

When women's freedom of expression offends other women and even mirrors what abused women went through, there's a conflict there. It's a problem for your image if you're songs are appreciated by feminists but then you make art that offends them.

And there has been outrage when rappers have sang about disrespecting women. But because of copious amounts of swearing, rap can remain in very specific spaces that not everyone hears. Pop is the most accessible genre in the world that can be played anywhere and its albums are the most mainstream so of course they will be noticed more and commented upon.

How is it subverting it, though? Surely subversion would be her assuming the male role? This looks no different to something you'd see in the most run-of-the-mill p0rn, there's nothing different said here. The issue I really took with it is that is gives me bad vibes as it makes me think of amateur exploitative p0rn, Terry Richardson shoots, sex trafficking victims and women in abusive relationships. All I could think of primarily was those lurid ads from back in the day featuring women being sexualised and depicted as bruised and even dead featured in the documentary, Killing Us Softly, which aimed to show the way the women are objectified in society. Remembering some of those images brought tears to my eyes and this cover art wouldn't have looked out of place with all those ads of a woman's throat being grabbed (Valentino ad), a man's foot being placed on their head (shoe ad) or their dead body hanging out the trunk of a car (Jimmy Choo ad). It just looks like the same objectification that has existed for decades.

Again, how exactly is it satire or tongue in cheek? I see no evidence of this, just showing the most traditional scene of female submissiveness, no attempts to invert, be camp or be ironic. I sometimes feel these words are thrown around without any knowledge of what they mean.

Always on the money. 

[Quartz 12,511]

It's the hair pulling for me. It's implied violence.

[gumzy3000 7,193]

I like it 

[BornAsUnic0rn 2,063]

The way these people completely miss the point is hilarious 

[elsamars 83]

Grammys announced a new Best Album Cover category just so that this can win 

[BornAsUnic0rn 2,063]

9 hours ago, Shipper said:

And there is a reason why those things should stay in the 1950s.

And there‘s a reason why she‘s not doing that. 
 

Sabrina and Sydney Sweeny are often compared with each other because both are very sexual, but Sabrina is more tounge in cheek, subversive and through the female gaze, and Sydney more traditional through the male gaze.

 

I‘m sure there‘s more to the cover that will make more sense when listening to the album and seeing the era to play out. I‘ll wait and let her cook.

[StrawberryBlond 14,768]

23 hours ago, RAMROD said:

She is redoing the vibes of sexist 50s ads, and most likely done for a purpose 

 

 

 

 

 

This is exactly the images I was talking about. It's so jarring to see them back-to-back but sure paints a powerful message about the overwhelming feeling towards women at the time. Problem is, I don't think she's making fun of those images, this cover art would've fitted perfectly into place with these. I also remember the ad of the man spanking his wife over his knee while she's smiling as a punishment for her buying a sub-par brand of coffee:

The women looking happy while he's spanking her is the dark part of this. Her smile doesn't mean "she's enjoying it, so it's ok," depicting women looking happy while suffering domestic violence is deliberately done to encourage the idea that women secretly enjoy, so it's ok to do it to them and it's not even abuse. It's like the dark joke: "My goldfish enjoys being held out of the water, it's wagging it's tail and everything!" Women have used smiles and laughs to get through pain since time began and some men unfortunately misinterpreted that. Or chose to.

22 hours ago, lastpopicon said:

In the US rap and country are by far the most listened genres, as evidenced by Apple music charts and Spotify charts, even in the hot 100, female pop acts struggle to get high charting hits unless they collab.

This argument that pop is dominating genre isn't true anymore IMO 

I just meant that it's the genre that's the easiest to play anywhere and is the one most talked about in media. If a popstar releases a controversial album cover, it's big news. There have been plenty of far more controversial covert arts from rock and metal bands but a lot of people are unaware because these bands aren't mainstream. And music consumption isn't limited to the US either. Sabrina has been dominating pop since last year and unlike the US, most countries got 3 of her singles to #1 last year. So naturally, all eyes are on her as she announced her new album.