The sexualization of women is nothing new. From music to the media, women have been sexualized from what they wear to who they date. But what happens when women themselves embrace the sexualization in their art?
Sabrina Carpenter is facing backlash for her “Short n’ Sweet Tour,” as the pop star’s performances are not catered to a young audience. Many parents, who have bought tickets for their young children, have taken to social media to share their outrage. Despite Carpenter’s response of “don’t come to the show” if you can’t handle the content, the debate of whether Carpenter’s shows should be kid-friendly continues online.
Carpenter started her career as an actress on Disney, starring in the “Boy Meets World” spinoff, “Girl Meets World.” After acting she started her career in the music industry, releasing her first album “Eyes Wide Open” in 2015. While Carpenter had a few big hits, like “Thumbs,” she experienced a rapid boost to fame in 2024 with the hit single “Espresso.” “Espresso” served as the lead single to Carpenter’s sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet” (though Carpenter referred to “Short n’ Sweet” as her second “big girl” album in an interview).
The “Short n’ Sweet Tour” began in September 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. Carpenter performs in lingerie-esque costumes while dancing around arenas across the country. The show is set up to take the audience through a day in the life of Carpenter as if the audience is watching her on a talk show. While many long-time fans of Carpenter were not surprised by some of the risqué lyrics and dance moves seen on stage, it wasn’t long before some started to criticize the show for not being “kid-friendly.” One viral tweet circulated X criticized Carpenter’s sexual dance moves during her song “Juno,” “I’m literally disgusted by this, her audience is full of young people, why is she doing this? I love Sabrina but this is weird as hell…”
The response to tweets similar to this led to a serious discussion on whether Carpenter’s shows should or shouldn’t be appropriate for children. Many made arguments that Carpenter never gave off the impression that her album was intended for children, “Seven of the 12 songs on her most recent album are marked ‘Explicit.’ What made you think her music is appropriate for children?” one X user posted. Parents who choose to bring their children to this show have no reason to be surprised by the content. Carpenter’s song “Juno” is full of lyrics about desiring to be impregnated. This leads to the question: why would anyone expect Carpenter to be kid-friendly in the first place? After all, this is not the first time social media users have had issues with the lack of kid-friendliness of female artist’s shows.
Why does society expect women to be age-appropriate? J-Lo and Shakira faced backlash for their Super Bowl LIV halftime performance. Some people were upset that the outfits they wore were too revealing and that they should not have performed such inappropriate dances. Interestingly enough, Adam Levine did not receive the same amount of criticism for his Super Bowl LIII Halftime show where he stripped shirtless. Like Carpenter, there was no reason for J-Lo and Shakira to put on a show that mothers in America would show to their children. It is up to parents to decide what they expose their children to, not pop stars.
As with many stereotypes in society, there is a strong difference between how women are expected to appeal to children and how men are expected to. One might argue that parents assume that Carpenter’s show are appropriate for young children based on her history as a Disney actress (despite the sexual themes in her music). However, former Disney star Ross Lynch has not faced the same levels of backlash for his recent tour, “The Driver Era.” Lynch’s tour also includes risqué dance moves that many parents would feel uncomfortable with. One X user pointed out how Carpenter’s backlash seemed uncalled for, “ok but where was this energy for Ross Lynch who was on Disney for longer than Sabrina btw.”
While Carpenter should not be criticized for choosing to perform non-PG-13 shows, a correlation can be made between the stereotype that women need to be sexual to be successful and Carpenter. Many women in the music industry have been encouraged to appear as sexual as possible in hopes that their music will be more appealing to the general public. This directly correlates with what Billboard deemed the largest issues for women in the music industry, sexual harassment or objectification. Critics of Carpenter may worry that she is becoming a victim of the music industry’s reoccurring cycle of sexualizing young women before neglecting them come age 35.
It is true that society often encourages the sexualization of women, yet still shames them for being sexual in front of children. But what is wrong with women being proud of their sexuality? Carpenter has made a brand of being “short and horny.” Many fans attend her shows knowing this is her brand because they enjoy the approach Carpenter takes with her music.
Women in music are being held to two conflicting standards. They are sexualized constantly yet if they own their sexuality they are scrutinized. Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet Tour” sold out arenas across the county; she does not need young children attending her shows to make a living.
Women should be allowed to be as sexual as they want in their art without the expectation that children will be at their shows. Next time you find yourself raising your eyebrows at a woman’s decision to express their sexuality, remember that she does not need to censor herself for anyone’s expectations.
