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Sabrina Carpenter accused of ‘glorifying paedophilia’ & ‘acting like Andrew Tate’s tradwife’ after album cover gaffe
SABRINA Carpenter has quickly become the Queen of Pop, but her new album cover has sparked backlash from fans.
The 26-year-old has always been known for pushing the limit, from sexual innuendos in her lyrics to striking suggestive poses while on tour, but fans say her new album cover has gone too far.
Sharing the image of her new album cover, titled Man’s Best Friend, on Instagram, Sabrina can be seen on all fours while a man dressed in black slacks — whose face is not visible — pulls her blonde hair.
The new album will be released in August and comes after Sabrina, who is worth over £8 million, won Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys earlier this year.
While she’s often been praised for daring to show her sexual side, the new artwork has seen her be slammed for appealing to the male gaze and objectifying women.
‘Tradwife’ & ‘Paedophilia’
Furious fans took over the Instagram post to share their thoughts, with one writing: “I get she’s going for transgressive, but this is the opposite of transgressive in this era,” before concluding, “She looks dumb.”
“Pathetic. WTF is she thinking?” said another, while a third quipped: “Dumpster humanity.”
“Album cover setting feminism back 100 years,” another penned, while a fourth chimed in: “How to use violence against women as a bad buzz to make money, disgusting strategy.”
A fourth added: “I get she’s going for transgressive, but this is the opposite of transgressive in this era,” before concluding, “She looks dumb.”
But it seems eagle-eyed fans and critics are not that surprised by Sabrina’s latest stunt.
Many have claimed the pop star has taken inspiration from the controversial film Lolita in recent years.
The film is based on the book by Vladimir Nabokov and explores the ‘relationship’ between a paedophile and a 12-year-old girl who becomes his stepdaughter while he abuses her.
Many have claimed Sabrina has copied scenes from the film multiple times and ‘glorified paedophilia’.
One image of the blonde for W magazine shows her lying in the garden with a tiny sundress on, getting soaked by a sprinkler, much like the garden scene from Lolita.
Others have said the new cover photo of her upcoming album also reminds them of the film.
One took to TikTok saying: “The new Sabrina Carpenter photoshoot made me sick to my stomach because it reminds me of that scene in Lolita and now I’m seeing the comparison, it might have been the inspiration.”
“She’s been Lolitaing for a year a half no one noticed til now??” wrote one viewer.
But it’s not just her racy images that have got her in trouble in the past.
Low key giving normalizing pedophilia and it’s not the first time.
X User
A clip of her supporting Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour in Mexico saw her describe herself as looking like a little girl before making an innuendo about sex.
In the outro to her hit song Nonsense, she said: “I’m full grown but I look like a niña (little girl).
“Come put something neat in my casita (small house).”
Fans took to X to say they were uncomfortable with the lyrics with one saying: “Ooooo idk bout that one. The implications certainly aren’t great, to say the least.”
Another wrote: “She could want “something big” in her “casita” all she wants, it’s the “I look like a niña” part that doesn’t sit well.”
“Low key giving normalizing paedophilia and it’s not the first time I get this vibes from her. I mean, look at her….her whole image is so off-putting,” a third added.
Sabrina Carptenter's Rise to Fame
SABRINA Carpenter's first role was as the lead in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World. Between 2014 and 2017, she appeared in over 70 episodes.
She also signed with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and released her debut single, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, in 2014.
After four albums, she moved to Island Records in 2021.
Her fifth album, Emails I Can’t Send (2022), had her hit singles Nonsense and Feather.
Around that time, Sabrina started to gain notoriety in the UK.
She opened for Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour in 2023 and then achieved wider commercial success with her sixth album Short n’ Sweet, which was released earlier this year.
Number one singles from the album include Espresso and Please Please Please.
Missed the Mark?
Last week, the blonde bombshell released the lead single from the upcoming album, titled Manchild.
It quickly made its way to the top spot on both the Spotify U.S. and Global charts.
While many have criticised the new album cover, others have defended the pop star and said there’s a deeper meaning behind the seemingly submissive image and album title.
Britton Rae, a novelist and poet said Sabrina was using a ‘bait and switch’ move to promote her album, and everyone was falling for it.
She said: “If you find this to be controversial, misogynistic, or offensive to women, then congratulations, you are giving Sabrina the reaction she intended to get.
“What Sabrina Carpenter is doing is absolutely genius.”
The bait and switch technique means enticing people in with one idea (or drawing criticism like Sabrina has done,) only for it to be something totally different when it’s fully presented
She continued: “I think it’s going to be a story about her recognising that she has been doing this to herself due to the pressure of societal norms.
“I think this album is a bait and switch. She is baiting the public to get all riled up, thinking that she is making herself Man’s Best Friend, making herself more palatable to men.
“Really she is just simply personifying how society already sees and views and pressures women into becoming. I think this album is going to tell the story of her recognizing that she has fallen victim to this societal norm as well.”
If Sabrina’s previous albums and lyrics are anything to go by, we’re sure this album isn’t going to be about her love for men or wanting to be submissive to one like the imagery alludes to.
The newest song, Manchild, is all about men being incompetent and not treating women right, and her fans are excited to hear the rest of the album.
One wrote: “This album feels like it’s gonna be a GIANT middle finger to men and I am thrilled for it.”
“Immediately when I saw this cover I thought “she’s saying that men treat women like dogs, like we are sub-human to them” and I was shocked to see the amount of people that didn’t think the same thing,” said another.
Shoppers race to Aldi for ultimate camping & festival £7 buy – it can also be used in a car & packs away to save space
CAMPING connoisseurs are rushing to Aldi to get their paws on the perfect outdoor accompaniment.
With so much stuff and so little space, shoppers are going wild over the space-enhancing product.
Customers are taking advantage of the penny-pinching Premium Camping Storage Box.
For sale at £6.99 for one, the handy cases come in camouflage-friendly green or grey.
They can be used for camping trips and festivals to store all your essentials.
It can also be used in the car to carry any items you want easy access to – or packed away to give you more space.
The product description reads: “A camping must have to keep everything neat and tidy.
“Use the boxes to transport your belongings, then fold down and store away easy when not in use.”
The design folds down completely flat when it’s not in use and has two pockets for smaller items.
The travel essential helps you keep organised – and can be filled with anything from food and snacks to entertainment.
The product is back just in time for summer and festival season and is ideal for groups heading out to camp in the (hopefully) warm weather.
Elsewhere, The Range is selling everything you need for a weekend camping trip for less than £50.
The budget bundle will set you back just £42.49 and offers everything you need.
The camping bundle offers a tent and all the essential accessories in a convenient single purchase.
It can cater for 2-4 people with the tent having enough space for a maximum of 4 occupants.
Alongside the sizeable tent the kit comes with 2 sleeping bags, perfect for keeping warm in the cold outdoors nights.
It also features two mats for sleeping on to protect your back from uneven ground.
The starter set also includes a lantern for lighting the inside of your new tent.
The German retailer has a whole range of outdoor buys coming to stores and you won’t want to miss out.
The impressive collection is part of Aldi’s wider push to offer low-cost garden essentials this season, with the budget supermarket regularly selling out of its Specialbuys aimed at outdoor living.
Like with all Specialbuy items from the store it will only be available while stock lasts.
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