Just seen Billie Eilish report on news. What a load of bollocks...

[ssd]

Honestly it must he a total head nip being young these days. 19 yr olds telling us not to body shame then appearing in vogue in a corset. But said 19 yr old being an expert in telling us how to feel, and of course that stupid trendy word 'empowerment ' used as much as possible. Maybe it was the same in my day, but then social media wasnt about to give eedgits a platform to be an expert on everything. Pop stars always got too much attention, but now with sm it must be increased tenfold.
Thank fuck I'm old and middle aged.

I don’t think Billie Eilish has proclaimed to be an expert in anything. Screaming and crying at celebrities has always been ridiculous.

As an aside, I don't even get what the issue is with the corset - it's not particularly provocative or sexualised. It's just clothes

Seriously?

Are you part of Billie Eilish's publicity team? Keep up the good work :)

Disagree with the fact she isn't a 'role model'. She is. To many young girls, just like little minx, Ariana Grande etc. With fame comes the responsibility. They chose that life, and with it comes responsibilities.

I must admit I was dismayed when the photos popped up on my Apple feed. It was refreshing to see a teen star who eschewed the sexy image, she would have been an idol for me when I was a teen. I did roll my eyes at the 'empowerment' speech, but I know i'm BU, she is right in that 'it's all about how you feel', however much a cliche that sounds.

@Oblomov21

Disagree with the fact she isn't a 'role model'. She is. To many young girls, just like little minx, Ariana Grande etc. With fame comes the responsibility. They chose that life, and with it comes responsibilities.

Little Minx

That name would have been soooooooo much better than Little Mix!

I think you shouldn't underestimate the pressure from the industry for young female artists to sexualise themselves.

I didn't look at those pictures and victim blame. I just thought 'they' have got her - the corporate bods at her record company, her management, the Vogue photographers and editorial team etc.

She's 19 years old - it's very hard to stand up to a bunch of adult men telling you this is what you should do at that age. And it will be mostly men. The industry thinks all young female artists should be hypersexualised to sell music.

And so it is - a teenager is dressed up as a 50s prostitute, looking mightily uncomfortable.

I would be very surprised if Billie does not regret it when she is older.

@Roominmyhouse

I hate all the 'role model' bullshit. She doesn't owe it to anyones children to be a role model for them, she's a singer and a teenager. She can wear what she likes.

Exactly, plus why would anyone want to make these teens role models, they are plastic and manufactured, and believe me, their management agree a set of questions before interviews. Luckily my dd hasn't heard of any of them, just isn't interested.

These were the days,

Totally disagree with you there. We weren't fair game in my day, older men coming onto young girls were sent packing then, same as now.

That was not my experience. Had a 13 year old friend going out with a 30 year old male, common occurrence were grew up. My boyfriend at 18 was aged 30.

And if Bananarama had suddenly turned up on TOTP in their knickers I would have been so disappointed as a teenager.

Why are you so patronising and ageist?

*Little Minx

That name would have been soooooooo much better than Little Mix!*
That was their original name but they had to change it for legal reasons.

@PlanDeRaccordement

19 yr olds telling us not to body shame then appearing in vogue in a corset. But said 19 yr old being an expert in telling us how to feel,

I fail to see the hypocrisy here. Nothing wrong with a corset. In fact corsets are more comfortable than a modern bra and have just as much support. They also act as a back brace which was needed when housework was heavy physical labour....eg doing the laundry. I also think they are more modest than a lacy bra as well.

I also dont think Billie Ellish is telling anyone how to feel. She’s just talking about her feelings.

Yes, the corset thing - over the centuries it's become sexualised, yet another aspect of a woman's body and female-sex-specific clothing we've now been trained to see only through the 'male gaze'. It was a woman's support garment: I remember old working-class women of my grandmother's generation practically held together by them because their bodies had been damaged by multiple childbirth and physical work.

I just think she looks like she's sold out. She seemed to promote wearing baggy clothes as she didn't want to be defined by her figure. And that must have appealed to a lot of people who felt the same. Then she turns up in vogue in a corset. Its probably meant to be ironic or something, but it just comes across as like everyone else before her. Its like they start with their own ideas then end up like everyone else.

I'm with you ssd. It's startling how whenever a young woman in the spotlight decides to "empower" herself by dressing a certain way, the style happens to conform to that judged sexually desirable by men. Of course we are all subject to patriarchal influences when we live in a patriarchal society. It's not rocket science. It may be Vogue and it may be stylish, but she's still being photographed in her underwear.

People have different opinions on their own body day to day, why should Billie be any different?
The difference is they are not saying or standing for one thing and doing another. And influencing their young fans while they are at it. She's not a private figure, she has a platform. And the picture is not on her phone, it's in the spread of a renowned fashion magazine bought by young women the world over.

@TatianaBis

I think you shouldn't underestimate the pressure from the industry for young female artists to sexualise themselves.

I didn't look at those pictures and victim blame. I just thought 'they' have got her - the corporate bods at her record company, her management, the Vogue photographers and editorial team etc.

She's 19 years old - it's very hard to stand up to a bunch of adult men telling you this is what you should do at that age. And it will be mostly men. The industry thinks all young female artists should be hypersexualised to sell music.

And so it is - a teenager is dressed up as a 50s prostitute, looking mightily uncomfortable.

I would be very surprised if Billie does not regret it when she is older.

I think there is an element of this, and her wanting to experiment as well. She is also intelligent and knows sex sells.

It seems to be be getting harder for young women, not only do they need to be thin, wuth a flat stomach, they also need big bobs and bog things and butt. How does that work for most?!

big bobs and bog things

Big boobs and big hips

I've got mixed feelings on the photoshoot, but these days one has become so used to hearing young female celebrities with spark rejecting their female bodies, declaring their pronouns are now 'they/ them' or 'he/them', and hearing from friends in the fashion industry that the 'androgynous' model is what they're being asked for again and again, young women who look like boys, that this sort of thing now genuinely does look empowering.

As a young woman I shrouded my body because I'd been assaulted and harassed when I 'dressed up', and looking back on photos of myself from back then I'm angry that the 'male gaze' made me feel safer as a shapeless blob. I feel that same helplessness playing into this generation of teenaged girls' desire to 'identify out' of harassment from males by declaring themselves 'trans'.

Big thighs not hips sorry

No hypocrisy here. Billie is a teen, a celeb and a girl who plays with image, she is free to wear whatever she damn well pleases. You shouldn't need the "perfect" siliconed, honed body to show it off in public, baggy clothes are fine too.

She looks great in the corset pictures. But she would have kept her integrity with her sweatshirt kept on.
Still, I'm sure she couldn't give a rats arse on my middle aged opinion.

@SSD

I just think she looks like she's sold out

Sold out or pressured out?

She actually predicted this sort of response if you read the article. Have you read it @ssd?

Of all the things she could have worn and empowered others with she chose to wear that outfit, and conform like everyone else.