Olivia Rodrigo has condemned the 'really disturbing' online backlash over her babydoll dress outfits. The singer said her style was inspired by riot grrrl icons and that the controversy highlights how society normalizes pedophilia.
Singer-songwriter and actor Olivia Rodrigo has spoken out against online criticism surrounding her recent babydoll dress outfits, calling the backlash "really disturbing," according to Page Six. During an appearance on The New York Times' "Popcast," the Grammy-winning singer addressed the controversy sparked by some of her recent stage and music video looks.
'I Didn't Think I Looked Sexy'
"I didn't think that I looked sexy in that at all," Rodrigo said while discussing the discourse surrounding her outfits. "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 added, referring to the iconic riot grrrl musicians whose fashion style inspired her latest era. Rodrigo further criticised the way people reacted to her fully covered outfits. "I just think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture," she said, as per the outlet.
The 'Controversial' Outfits and Online Backlash
The controversy began after Rodrigo wore a powder-blue Chloe ensemble with bloomers in her "Drop Dead" music video and later appeared in a floral Generation78 top styled as a babydoll mini dress during Spotify's Billions Club Live concert in Barcelona earlier this month. Videos from the performance circulated online, showing Rodrigo crawling across the stage and revealing ruffled bloomers while performing her song "Brutal," which explores themes related to the exploitation of teenage girls. Several users on social media criticised the outfit, with some calling it "pedo bait" and comparing the styling to "Lolita," the controversial 1955 novel, according to Page Six.
Rodrigo on Double Standards
Addressing the criticism, Rodrigo pointed out the contrast between the reaction to the babydoll dresses and the acceptance of more revealing performance outfits. "I've been on stage in... little shorts, which is my right, that's fun, I felt cool and comfortable in that," she said. "And that wasn't inappropriate, but me fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be childlike was inappropriate," she added.
Rodrigo also argued that changing one's clothing choices based on how others may interpret them shifts focus away from the actual issue. "I just think if we start dressing in a way that's like, 'I don't want some...freak to think that I'm sexy like a baby' or some crazy thing like that, I think it's losing the plot a little bit," she said, according to Page Six.
Potential Smear Campaign
According to Rolling Stone, some supporters have suggested the backlash may resemble recent bot-driven online smear campaigns previously directed at artists like Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan, though no coordinated attack against Rodrigo has been confirmed.
Upcoming Album and Tour
Rodrigo's upcoming third album, 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,' is scheduled to be released on June 12. Her 65-date 'Unraveled Tour' will begin on September 25, according to Page Six. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)