Is it any wonder women are sexually objectified when so many celebrities volunteer to be?

[Notsosure1]

I’ve posted about this topic before , but after seeing two pop up shortly after scrolling, I am staggered by the number of articles that pop up on yahoo news that have headlines ‘celebrating’ (objectifying) female celebrities, young and old - here’s the first two of many -

‘Sabrina Carpenter is completely naked in new magazine cover, posing in nothing but thigh high socks’ (Cosmopolitan)

‘Stacey Solomon is the ultimate Bond girl in slinky swimsuit as she holidays without Joe Swash’
(Hello)

We’re trying to teach the younger generation of girls not to accept being viewed simply as sexual objects but there’s an abundance of mainstream female celebrities doing just that and are being cheered on for doing it. Talk about mixed messages. Yeah to body confidence and positivity, of course you can be viewed as sexy as well as intelligent, kind, independent etc. but I can’t believe there are still so many of these out there with such sleazy titles. There are a few focussing on men (I presume) but way down in number by comparison.

Am I over-reacting?

No, same here and I did wear A line short skirts in the 90s but my Mum's were shorter! I see lots of this 60' length at DD's school but to be fair with shorts on underneath mostly and usually teen girls not 11/12 year olds!

When I was younger and very attractive I used to wear short skirts (1980s), I remember someone at work saying to me, that’s not a skirt that’s a pelmet (had to look pelmet up ☺️). But although I liked showing off my legs (they were really good) I never ever showed of my boobs (never wore anything low cut). I didn’t even wear bikinis, always a one piece. I guess I’ve always been at heart a modest dresser, despite my penchant for short rara skirts 😁 so it never really sits right with me when I see girls publically wearing very skimpy clothes (I’m not a fan of the g-string swimming costumes). I wonder what I would think of Sabrina if I was 21, would I be more nonchalant about it, although Madonna used to get on my nerves with her shenanigans.

Clothes might be a start?

When I was younger if I got a compliment from a man it was just another day, but if I got a compliment from a woman it would really mean something. One compliment from a woman was worth ten from men, for me.

Yes, that is what I was saying

She’s wearing a dress, maybe it’s not to your liking but she can wear what she likes. Maybe if men and women stopped with the idea that a short skirt equals Bimbo/Bad example ect ect women could dress how they want without the world having an opinion.

'doesn't give men the right to act in a boorish way or regard any particular way of dressing as an open invitation.'

Does that apply to the album cover as well?

I was concerned about this. When my DS reached a certain age I spoke to him about how porn is not normal. Luckily we have a good relationship and he also didn't react in an embarrassed way. There is so much porn out there.

My Mum did wear very short skirts in the 70's and I did in my clubbing days in the 90's.

I love clothes and looking nice mainly for myself but it's nice if my DH thinks I look good too.

I just find it really depressing and unimaginative. I was a huge Madonna fan and she was so refreshing in the early days although even she got a bit silly with her desire to shock.

Sabrina isnt doing anything new but we could really do with some better female role models - preferably ones that don’t imply we’re just here to cater to male fantasies. The pornification of everything is just horrible.

Just pondering some more after reading everyone's insights....

The whole choking/strangling/poking objects in unconventional orifices/smacking/slapping/biting/spitting during sex.... It horrifies me, when on earth did we go from sex being an act of expression of desire and love (or really really fancying someone at the very least !) to it becoming violent, abusive, and seedy. I'm going to add tawdry practices too such as "fuck buddies" "fwb" "hook ups".

My generation and above ones are lucky : sex wasn't advertised like that or indeed expected to be like that. Sex was a progression of your budding feelings for someone. Now it's got nothing to do with the relationship or person , but is considered a "sport" and singular act in it's own right. So reductive and crude. I would happily never have sex again if that was the option. The poor young women and girls of today, will only know sex as the depravity listed above. Unless we change things in society.

But with many women willing to fly the flag for the "50 shades" era , I think it'll be hard to do.

On that note: am I the only one who felt absolutely no desire whatsoever reading 50 shades ? I found Grey repulsive and predatory. Zero chemistry between them. Like watching a paedo teacher praying on a vulnerable young person.

I am sorry but this is a gross misrepresentation of Sabrina Carpenter's rise to fame. She became famous for her incredibly catchy songs. You might not have heard of her prior to Espresso but some of us have been listening to her for a few years and she makes fantastic pop music.
As for your assertion that female pop stars "these days" have to dance around scantily clad to get any attention, I can only assume you've paid no attention to the last sixty years of pop music if you think risque stage costumes are a recent occurance!
In fact, we are living through a fabulous era for female pop stars, most of whom write, produce and play instruments as well as singing and dancing. Of course there's my pop queen Taylor Swift, but artists like Chappel Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams and Charli XCX are also dominating the pop charts at the moment and all have total control over their music and image and, if that occasionally involves skimpy outfits, I don't see why it should detract from their talent. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, all of the best music of the 2020s has been made by women, though I've thought that of most eras, I just don't really enjoy male singers.
One last thing, you do realise that the vast majority of people who stream songs and buy tickets for these female artists gigs are ovverwhelmingly female dont you?

I don’t think young women have necessarily bought into “my body, my rules”, but it’s clear what sells (young female, barely dressed, behaving provocatively). The suggestion that this is all about cool female self expression is shown to be horseshit when you look at Britney Spears who is now ridiculed for the sort of “self expression” she was lauded for as a late teen. What could be the difference..? Could it be (shock!) the blokes don’t want to see what she’s now offering? If so, this “self expression” is clearly about pandering to the male gaze and nothing more, IMO.

I’m not sure where the “these days” quote came from, but not me. It’s fine for you to love today’s music but the female pop stars from my era ( blondie, Tracey chapman, Joan armatrading, Suzanne Vega) really didn’t take most of their clothes off and simulate sex acts and I don’t personally see why women should and men don’t feel the need to (unless it’s gay men, who are also pandering to the male gaze). I don’t see Sam Fender gyrating in a spangly jock strap, funnily enough.

Too true !

Exactly this. It’s interesting that the males in the music industry manage to be strong, confident and in control of their music without dancing about in their underwear. Women have been sold a lie and the men in control are having the last laugh. Meanwhile, girls are growing up believing that female over sexualisation is the norm and in order to support female artists they have to accept that. It’s time for women to take back control and say nope, if men manage to keep their clothes on and shift millions then so can we.

I think you have a good point, However were Madonna and kylie any better? I think as we get older we become more aware. As young girls it’s easy to think we have to wear the crop tops and super tight outfits because Sabrina is. I was shocked and normally I’m quite laid back by sabinas underwear performance with legs in the air on tv recently while watching it with my teen. Even doing the high school run and I see yr 7/8 girls looking about 25 due to makeup and hair effort. It’s not all kids but a lot think that’s how they have to be and they follow suit due to peer pressure. I can’t remember many people making much makeup effort when I was at school many years ago! I worry about girls hiding behind their natural beauty with a mask to give off a different persona perhaps. Then there is the aesthetic trend who knows what many of us will look like when old if we all fall into Botox and filler lips for years to come. Perhaps not who we were meant to look like. It is selling that aging isn’t ok but mostly for women.

I am about to play Devil’s advocate a bit. I suppose the hair metal era saw a lot of men baring their torsos and wiggling their hips… were they sexually objectifying themselves ? Thinking of W. Axl Rose, Skid Row frontman, Motley Crue and the like, and some of the long haired Led Zep era bands.

I think with women being overwhelmingly the victims of sexual violence it feels a bit different. I’m pondering. Thoughts welcome. Doesn’t really seem a current trend among male celebs tho - Harry Styles excepted.

Unclutch the pearls! Carpenter is not flashing the flesh for cash, she's a sex positive artistic genius with layers!
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sabrina-carpenter-album-cover-mans-best-friend-b2769374.html

“Get a grip” - yes, I’m sure many of her male fans are doing just that…

Axl Rose et al were wearing tight trousers as we all did in those days, male and female, and bared their torsos as men do in public. They weren’t performing in their skimpy underwear and weren’t photographed in sexually submissive poses - because they are the dominant sex as we all know.

I totally see what you’re saying, but I guess the difference is - their genital area was mostly covered - they’d be wearing jeans or cargo pants etc wouldn’t they? If they were marching around the stage in thongs or tight-fitting y-fronts for their while performances it would be along the same lines more.

edited - hadn’t read the post above! Yes

Yes I agree with this - if young girls form the majority of their fan base - why do they (their managers) feel they need to sell their sex appeal? Because they’re aspirational figures and young girls/women want to feel desirable and associate it with fame and success?

Also good point about vast majority of male singers not trading off their overt sexuality when they perform or in their music videos.

No doubt a lot of the women are extremely talented in their own right, we know this, but what does it say to men, as well as women, boys and girls that the focus is on predominantly on their sexuality through costume and performance - the emphasis isn’t solely on their vocals like it is for men.

It kind of says there’s something lacking and they are not enough.

Great message for the younger generation.

Absolutely agree @Notsosure1 The message is loud and clear - you can be a successful female artist writing the most insightful and meaningful lyrics, but don’t forget that you’re also here for the male gaze. Any girl or young woman thinking of coming into the music industry also has to accept they’ll have to be prepared to get their kit off as sex sells, doll - being a musician simply isn’t enough if you want to get ahead.

Lol. She knows there’s money, fame and success in it, it’s a sure fire win for her. She can do all that, give the impression of being as provocative and sexy and desirable as she wants to be, but to me she’s the girl who, despite all that ‘sexiness’, the weird looking bloke wasn’t interested. It’s nothing deeper than a marketing ploy and it makes $$$. I will keep my pearls firmly clutched 😁

This is why I feel women who present themselves in overly sexual ways in music are really letting girls down. Is Sabrina maybe the most extreme at the moment or are there others? (I don’t keep up). She seems to get the most attention about it.

I don’t know much about Taylor Swift but I get the impression that she has a good balance between wearing skimpy costumes (but not tacky ones) and not putting on a soft porn show at her concerts.