This article does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, The Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication.
Known mainly for television shows and movies like, ‘Girl Meets World’ and ‘The Hate U Give’ as well as popular songs like ‘Espresso,’ Sabrina Carpenter has become a household name over the last few years.
Her rise to fame is not without controversy, as Sabrina’s performances involve plays on traditional gender roles and femininity itself.
Some recent controversies include filming a music video within a church wearing a short black dress and creating a racy cover for her new album, ‘Man’s Best Friend’. Many have questioned why a woman wearing a short dress in a church has sparked such backlash, especially given the Church’s own controversies in recent years.
This criticism of women who embrace their sexuality is nothing new, as seen in past controversies surrounding figures like Britney Spears, Madonna, and now, most recently, Sabrina Carpenter.
When asked to comment on the unfair standards set by the entertainment industry upon women, Melissa Lees, Director of the McCauley Women’s Center said the topic is often over simplified.
“Mainstream media isn’t talking about the barriers Sabrina Carpenter overcame, the main narrative presented is about how she looks,” said Lees.
This highlights another issue within mainstream media’s perception of women: even when a woman is conventionally attractive, she is often reduced solely to her appearance.
Grace McCarty, an administrative assistant at the Women’s Center, also noted the hypocrisy in how women of high status are often reduced to their appearance.
“Yet how many people comment on their appearance when men of high status look like they can’t get out of bed?” she said.
When considering public reactions to artists like Billie Eilish, it becomes clear how deeply gender expectations shape our perceptions. If Eilish, known for her more androgynous, ‘tomboy’ style, had been assigned male at birth, her clothing choices would likely draw little to no attention.
In contrast, when celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter or Beyoncé embrace a more traditionally feminine style, they often face criticism for being ‘too sexual’ or ‘attention-seeking’. This double standard reveals a larger issue: no matter how women choose to present themselves, society always finds a way to judge them.
The public’s need to vocalize every thought about a woman’s appearance goes beyond politics. In professional industries, such as business, politics, and the arts, women are consistently held to a higher standard than their male counterparts when it comes to appearances.
Referencing Hollywood’s double standard of women, Lees pointed out the difference in media treatment of Millie Bobby Brown and her male counterparts.
“The media continuously comments on how Millie Bobby Brown looks too old or looks too young, yet the same reporters wouldn’t make this comment about Noah Schnapp [one of her male-costars],” she said.
Growing up as a Disney channel star, the feeling of being reduced to her looks is not unfamiliar to Sabrina Carpenter, as she uses her music videos to subvert these expectations. Although Sabrina Carpenter’s stage attire is similar to that of a 1950’s housewife, her actions are anything but ‘ladylike’.
Within her music videos, Sabrina Carpenter often portrays herself as a vigilante, seeking revenge on the men who have wronged her as a form of retributive justice. By being this vigilante, Carpenter acts as a foil to the pop culture standard that women are best positioned for the roles that society deems them capable of.
“I feel like it goes beyond the world of music as a whole,” Lees said when referencing the gender politics that often accompany this type of categorization of ‘conventionally’ attractive women as less qualified than their male counterparts.
One can see this mistreatment of women in a variety of industries as well, including but not limited to our own government. This can be seen most clearly with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Throughout her time as a congressperson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has faced many hurdles that her male counterparts will not face, specifically due to her ethnicity and gender identity. This is including, but not limited to, being consistently talked over during congressional hearings. Ocasio-Cortez also said she was worried she would be sexually assaulted during the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
With the continued mistreatment of women within the public consciousness, Sabrina Carpenter’s music may seem like typical ‘bubblegum’ pop. But, the deeper purpose of the music itself is to take aim at the many ways in which women are being wronged by men within society in a lighthearted manner.
