Is Sabrina Carpenter's new album art anti-feminist? Or is it proof the internet needs to grow up

The first picture is certainly evocative, and it took no time whatsoever for it to spark up the usual discourse surrounding the "Espresso" singer.

There are people of all ages lobbing criticisms at Carpenter, but there's the impression that a lot of it is coming from Gen Z. It's hard to say whether this is accurate or not, but it wouldn't come as a surprise that the generation pushing for less sex in movies and TV (in an era that's already regressing on that front), obsessed with age gap discourse, and against kink at Pride would struggle with Carpenter's whole schtick.

Last year, "Im 17 and AFRAID of Sabrina Carpenter" became a whole meme after someone someone complained about Carpenter being too sexy during her concerts. Things like this only seem to reinforce the claim that Gen Z liberals have gone full "horseshoe theory" and ended up with politics that appear similar to rightwing extremists. In this case, that means embracing the belief that if something offends them, personally, rather than simply sit out and acknowledge that they aren't the target audience, they believe it simply shouldn't exist at all.

Adding another dimension to the seemingly endless discourse is the question of intent. Many of Carpenters fans have repeatedly pointed out that there's a level of satire to just about everything she does. Her songs are frequently somewhat dismissive of men, her expressions of sexuality seem to be done for her own enjoyment, and so it would stand to reason that an album titled Man's Best Friend featuring album art of her being treated like a dog is more commentary on how men treat women than anything else.

But media literacy amongst the generation that fast forwards through the "boring" parts of movies and TV and then insists they made no sense isn't doing so hot. Combine that with social media's ability to platform knee-jerk reactions and controversy gaining clout and it's no wonder folks are failing to give Carpenter the benefit of the doubt.

And even some folks who might get it seem to think it doesn't matter. In their world, there's no time to sit with art or the discomfort it might create. All that matters is what's on the surface. If it gives the appearance of misogyny, then it is misogyny, and it should be squashed. There's no room for nuance here.

Perhaps the most egregious part of any of this is that none of it feels worthy of discourse. Carpenter is an extremely talented artist, and she's clearly having a fun time putting her music out into the world, but her aesthetic and imagery isn't revolutionary. It isn't — or at least shouldn't be — pushing boundaries, regardless of whether you view it as satire or scandal.

Make no mistake: that's not a criticism. Not everything has to inspire think pieces or revolutionize music. There should always be room for art that is fun and clever and that means something to individuals without changing entire landscapes. If anything, the fact that Carpenter's insistence on being exactly who she wants to be in this moment is causing such a stir is a depressing indicator that society is regressing from all the progress made by previous generations of artists who fought for exactly that.

"I don’t want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I’ve never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinized in every capacity," Carpenter recently told Rolling Stone. "I’m not just talking about me. I’m talking about every female artist that is making art right now."

It ultimately doesn't really matter whether Carpenter is sexualizing herself as satirical commentary on societal norms, or if she's playing into the male gaze, or if she's doing something else entirely — let alone whether she succeeded at any of these things or not. At least, it shouldn't matter through the lens of feminism, which is where so much of the criticism originates. All that matters is that she's doing what she wants to do. She isn't insisting her way of expressing femininity and sexuality is the only way or the "right" way, and she isn't hurting anybody in the process, no matter how much some folks would like to proclaim otherwise.

So let's all just sit back and enjoy the music — or don't. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't exist.