Sabrina Carpenter’s new album cover

[TERFlawnBOY]

I don’t want to post the photo as it is risqué…

For those who don’t know, Sabrina Carpenter is a sexy young pop singer. Her new album cover was shared this week and it depicts her being held down at a man’s crotch by her hair.

To be honest, the image did shock me. Sabrina’s music is poppy and fun, so to go with such an aggressive image seems off-brand. Moreover, her fans are mostly young girls…

What do others think?

The new album is called "man's best friend" so I guess she's on all fours like a dog and the man is holding her hair like a lead? I haven't listened to the songs on the album so don't know if it's supposed to be irony or she's really promoting being subservient to men. The cover does make me uncomfortable but agree it's nothing new in the world of female pop stars who are encouraged to do that kind of thing to sell albums... all in the name of sex positivity, ha.

The only Sabrina Carpenter song I know is Busy Woman... I secretly like it🤫

Choices don’t happen in a vacuum. Girls in particular are very vulnerable to social contagion and peer pressure. Denying that doesn’t help. You said yourself that you had depended on male attention as validation.

This with bells on.

Nothing new with this. Nothing different than what Madonna was doing almost 40 years ago . They know what they are doing it sells their music.

I disagree in that it’s much more demeaning and submissive. Madonna wasn’t operating in such toxic porn-soaked world. Don’t forget she was also older than SC is now when she had her first hit. She was much more savvy and world-wise.

Such a point-missing response. The OP is talking about her album cover not the music

This thread has been really good and thought provoking
It has made me really think about my own behaviour and what drives it

She moved into the more sexual stuff. See the video for "Holiday" - not sexy at all. Am watching 1985 songs on BBC2 atm and the women - Kirstie McColl, Christie Hynde, Alison Moyet, Jaki Graham etc - are not remotely sexed up.

Okay, it’s actually about women being perceived as equal to men, and plenty of men openly like sex and have album covers with sexual under or over tones.

And this is a woman doing the same as many men before her. Which is what feminism is about.

It’s fine to not like it. It’s not really very feminist to complain specifically because it is a woman doing it, which a lot of this thread is.

I guess most of us have to play to our strengths. If she thinks being sexualy alluring is the best thing about her then that is what we are going to see. I'm always depressed when I see someone exploiting their sexuality though as it seems such an unimportant thing.
What is really unique about you Sabrina? What are you most proud of? Lets see some of that.

I don’t recall seeing many if any men in such a sexually demeaning pose on an album cover. Of course, over the years men have included women in demeaning poses.

Feminism is about equality and also liberation from the patriarchy. Playing into toxic misogynistic male sexual fantasies is neither.

Equality and liberation would be women pop stars looking just as scruffy as Ed Sheeran as a standard thing.

And of course feminists can critique what world famous women are doing. Again, saying that they can’t is playing straight into the hands of the patriarchy, who certainly want women who can see clearly, who’ve been there, done that and got the t shirt to shut up. They certainly don’t want young women to listen to those old hags with all their wisdom.

It's pretty typical female pop-star rely on sex to sell kind of stuff. Madonna was doing all of it back in the 80s and 90s.

Ugh, she/her image comes across as a bot designed to tick a whole load of boxes. Like a dog whistle.

I mean - it also wasn't great imo when Madonna was doing it. But she at least was being slightly original pretending to masturbate on stage at a major pop concert.

The FWR board is great for that!

What I’ve learned is that of course not everything I do is feminist and that’s fine - just being aware makes a difference.

Have u listened to her lyrics? Its very on brand.

well it’s made me think about my neediness and desire to be validated. I’m not going to blame that on men, it’s my problem
and as a boy mum I am very against the constant demonisation of ‘people with a penis’ on here
but this thread has made me uncomfortably question my own self worth, and what I’m really about

Eww it’s the dog reference that’s worse for me - why is she calling herself mans best friend, and she looks like she’s being led around by her hair? Pathetic - nothing adult about that, she just looks desperate imo.

As the album is (apparently) called 'Man's best Friend' is she supposed to look like a dog and he hair a bit like a lead?

Yes, I agree she’s pandering to men, and as a result I don’t think she’s an amazing role model for young girls. I’m just not at all shocked she’s finding it an effective way to market her music. I am more concerned about how she is going to be dealing with the after effects in 20+ years (hello, Brittney Spears!) than I am about what it means for “society and feminism in 2025.”

I think it’s grim, so does teen dd.

In regards to “man’s best friend”, she often uses a puppy in her recent branding that wears that tag, I believe?

I think it looks a bit shit. Is not something I want my daughters to aspire to but also this is passé. Madonna was selling sex thirty years ago and doing it more interestingly. I’m honestly bored of women sometimes. There must be more to us than this. Surely? No point is being made any more. Gone are the days of Yoko Ono….

Agree with this. I find the whole “if you don’t like it, don’t look” line a bit tiresome.

As for the album cover, I’ve just looked it up, so I had read the description here before I saw it.

I was surprised at how dated and seedy it looks. It looks physically uncomfortable and her hair looks like it’s getting very tangled and will probably snap. The whole thing looks very “unpolished”, but I guess that’s not accidental, that’s obviously the aim.

I agree it looks like he is pulling her up rather than pushing her down….but being pulled up by the hair is PAINFUL. So I don’t think that’s makes it any better really.

i agree it’s all about the shock factor with her. She’s found her niche and she’s going to keep doing it. I find it seedy and a bit uncomfortable.

People keep comparing her to the likes of Madonna. I’ve never been critical of Madonna’s overly sexual imagery / persona.

The difference for me is that although people constantly bleat “Sabrina’s an adult, she’s making music for adults, if parents let their kids listen to her music that’s on them”….its just not true. There’s no denying that Sabrina is targeting young kids with her music and image - and THAT is why I find her highly sexualised nature uncomfortable.