Olivia Rodrigo is hitting back at criticism over her new attire!
The Drop Dead singer has taken on a new look for her latest era, donning babydoll dresses in several recent performances and music videos. And while she’s into the look, many others have called her out for dressing like a “sexy baby.” The Disney Channel alum has seen the controversy, and she has thoughts!
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In Wednesday’s episode of The New York Times’ Popcast, the 23-year-old strongly slammed her haters, saying:
“That’s been making me so upset. … What’s really disturbing is, I feel like I actually wear — I have worn outfits that are revealing on stage. I’ve been on stage in a sparkly bra and little shorts, which is my right. That’s fun [and] I felt cool and comfortable in that.”
But now that she’s more covered up, she finds it strange that she’s getting blasted for it:
“And that wasn’t inappropriate, but me fully covered up in a dress that people deem to be childlike was inappropriate.”
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star continued:
“I just think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture. Also, it’s just this rhetoric that we’re fed as girls since we were so little, which is, ‘Don’t wear that because then a man is gonna sexualize your body, and it’s your fault.’”
Olivia thought the reaction to her outfit was “so weird,” especially because she didn’t think she looked “sexy,” she explained:
“I was like, This is so cool. I feel like I look like Kathleen Hanna or Courtney Love — all these people who are my heroes.”
She furthered:
“I just think if we start dressing in a way that’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t want some freak to think that I like am sexy like a baby or some crazy thing like that,’ it’s losing the plot a little.”
She also stressed how she feels “protective” of her young female fans and doesn’t want them to be “fed that rhetoric,” she urged:
“You shouldn’t be responsible for some guy sexualizing you in a way that was never your intention.”
Ch-ch-check out everything she had to say:
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Fans have largely cheered on her response, writing on social media:
“Just an excellent, well-thought-out answer.”
“holy s**t I didn’t expect her to call it out for what it really is but f**k yeah”
“This was an incredible response to the silly online discord
“And she’s 10000 percent right because how do you even look at those outfits and get anything remotely pedophilic from them? They’re just old style clothing, which made perfect sense because the MV was filmed in f**king Versailles. People just want engagement and a villain.”
“people are so hypocritical because when Sabrina Carpenter did it it was okay and a non issue?”
But not everybody sees it the same way:
“why is she defending these diapers with her life? so f**king weird”
“‘Don’t sexualize me’ while crawling on the floor flashing panties in a babydoll dress. Make it make sense”
“Girl, YOU WERE THE ONE SEXUALIZING THE BABY DOLL DRESS. That’s what people found disturbing, not the dress itself. The video that circulated literally showed you touching yourself on stage while wearing it.”
“‘I don’t think I look sexy’ yet she was pulling up her dress on stage”
Always two sides to every situation!
Watch more of her interview (below):
What do YOU think of this controversy? Let us know (below).
[Image via Olivia Rodrigo/Spotify/YouTube]
