Love this! I guess it’s also the paradox of heterosexual relationships in patriarchy, love and hate for men. Maybe also the people are uncomfortable because of the inherent violence of heterosexual sex and you can’t ignore it; even if it’s actually really tamed.
interesting, i agree that SC being hetero is a huge part of the backlash but disagree that hetero sex is inherently violent. i think it is certainly framed that way tho. also interesting how much of the backlash includes statements like "catering for the male gaze" or "male centred" which to me just read like codes for socially acceptable slut shaming
This is such a great article, thank you for writing it!
I find literalism so fascinating, and I wonder if on the flip side to what you've said, the reason that so many people are interpreting Sabrina's image in this way is because her work (so far, of course we don't know the new album yet!) is so literal itself. It also refuses to play with subtext. Manchild is literally about a man who acts like a child. Please, Please Please is literally begging a man not to humiliate her. Every fun and boppy lyric is manufactured to be exactly what it says on the tin. Every music video displays exactly what the song says.
I've seen comparisons to Madonna, or Lana Del Ray. Why could they do something like this, but Sabrina can't? I think you are so right – the difference here is the subtext. Madonna's image would be read in a more ironic, subtextual way because we have a body of work that invites us to interpret every piece of media she produces in that way.
Really interesting stuff to think about. (Also love a good Henry Jenkins moment!)
thank you for such a thoughtful comment! i'm not sure if i can agree that SC's work is super literal tbh — is all it takes for a work to be literal is that its titles reflect its message? i'm sure there are all manner of interpretations of her work out there, as we are seeing right now. Which is kinda mine (& henry jenkins!) point. to be fair, i'm not an SC fan so i'm not across all her media and can't make sweeping claims about how much subtext she uses all the time, but i also want to point out that britney spears was severely slut shamed and accused of being male centric for a lot of her overtly sexual media & I fear the sabrina carpenter backlash reminds me of it. lana del ray too has been accused of normalising abuse in relationships and shamed for wanting a sugar daddy or dominant partner, so i don't think its true that women before sabrina got away with this!
Satire is not reproduction. Being sexual gave her the best two years of her career, the general public wouldn't lose this so-called context of her persona if she ever was radical enough to be called feminist in any way. Truth is that with the rise of conversatism, stay at home girlfriend, and loss of women reproductive rights in america, putting herself on her knees for a man is culturally tone death for young women who felt alienated, and personally humiliating to a women who "owns her sexuality".
This image isn't more sexual than ones released before by her, you're ignoring public change of perception the same behavior. If she's doing the same thing, is the general public only now too literal to understand or is that this image is a reproduction of opression to similar to status quo to connect?
Just found your writing and I love your perspective! Im over here reading like "yes girl! ...So right! ...Jurassic park is one of the best movies ever yes!... Im all ears" looking forward to reading more of your thoughts!
I hadn't come across the term literalism before which much more convenient than saying ‘conflating depiction with endorsement’
Great writing as always!
Such a great piece! 👏❤️
Love this! I guess it’s also the paradox of heterosexual relationships in patriarchy, love and hate for men. Maybe also the people are uncomfortable because of the inherent violence of heterosexual sex and you can’t ignore it; even if it’s actually really tamed.
interesting, i agree that SC being hetero is a huge part of the backlash but disagree that hetero sex is inherently violent. i think it is certainly framed that way tho. also interesting how much of the backlash includes statements like "catering for the male gaze" or "male centred" which to me just read like codes for socially acceptable slut shaming
This is such a great article, thank you for writing it!
I find literalism so fascinating, and I wonder if on the flip side to what you've said, the reason that so many people are interpreting Sabrina's image in this way is because her work (so far, of course we don't know the new album yet!) is so literal itself. It also refuses to play with subtext. Manchild is literally about a man who acts like a child. Please, Please Please is literally begging a man not to humiliate her. Every fun and boppy lyric is manufactured to be exactly what it says on the tin. Every music video displays exactly what the song says.
I've seen comparisons to Madonna, or Lana Del Ray. Why could they do something like this, but Sabrina can't? I think you are so right – the difference here is the subtext. Madonna's image would be read in a more ironic, subtextual way because we have a body of work that invites us to interpret every piece of media she produces in that way.
Really interesting stuff to think about. (Also love a good Henry Jenkins moment!)
thank you for such a thoughtful comment! i'm not sure if i can agree that SC's work is super literal tbh — is all it takes for a work to be literal is that its titles reflect its message? i'm sure there are all manner of interpretations of her work out there, as we are seeing right now. Which is kinda mine (& henry jenkins!) point. to be fair, i'm not an SC fan so i'm not across all her media and can't make sweeping claims about how much subtext she uses all the time, but i also want to point out that britney spears was severely slut shamed and accused of being male centric for a lot of her overtly sexual media & I fear the sabrina carpenter backlash reminds me of it. lana del ray too has been accused of normalising abuse in relationships and shamed for wanting a sugar daddy or dominant partner, so i don't think its true that women before sabrina got away with this!
Satire is not reproduction. Being sexual gave her the best two years of her career, the general public wouldn't lose this so-called context of her persona if she ever was radical enough to be called feminist in any way. Truth is that with the rise of conversatism, stay at home girlfriend, and loss of women reproductive rights in america, putting herself on her knees for a man is culturally tone death for young women who felt alienated, and personally humiliating to a women who "owns her sexuality".
This image isn't more sexual than ones released before by her, you're ignoring public change of perception the same behavior. If she's doing the same thing, is the general public only now too literal to understand or is that this image is a reproduction of opression to similar to status quo to connect?
Thanks for wording these thoughts so well ✨
Just found your writing and I love your perspective! Im over here reading like "yes girl! ...So right! ...Jurassic park is one of the best movies ever yes!... Im all ears" looking forward to reading more of your thoughts!
Loved this!!!!