Dear Gossips,   

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” has topped the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week, after days of controversy and debate about the images released to promote her upcoming new album, Man’s Best Friend, due out in August – and with the lead single making this much of an impact, it’s a great sign that the album will do well. 

 

In Sarah’s post last week about how people were big mad over Sabrina’s “submissiveness”, or what they perceived to be her submission, Sarah argued that what Sabrina’s actually doing is subverting the tradwife trend, and that she is “getting all of it right now, response and attention and desire and disgust, and she’s the one calling the shots on all of it. This is what Sabrina Carpenter wants, this is how she wants to be seen. Is it submissive? In appearance, sure. But really, who has the power in this exchange, because it’s not us, the audience. We’re just along for the ride. Sabrina Carpenter is the one in control.”

 

She’s now controlling from the #1 spot on the chart and while people continue to complain, she seems unbothered. Yesterday she responded on Twitter to a comment from someone with a rhetorical question about her personality. This response is excellent and funny. 

 

Interesting too that she chose to do it on this platform. I mean all social networks have become toxic, no doubt, but Twitter in particular is the most notoriously misogynist, but Sabrina’s more active on Twitter than so many if not most popstars, and especially pop girlies. That too might be something to consider as we unpack what she may or may not be trying to say with this upcoming album. And not just five minutes after it comes out either but over time, after it settles, and in a larger context. If, that is, we’re even still capable of that anymore. 

Yours in gossip, 

Lainey 

Photo credits: Abaca Press/ INSTARimages

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