Not Your Man’s Best Friend: Sabrina Carpenter Flips the Script on the Male Gaze

The provocative cover art for Sabrina Carpenter's new album, Man's Best Friend, has caused a cultural uproar before it has even been released on streaming services. The image shows Carpenter on her hands and knees in a black mini dress and stilettos, her hair being tugged by an unseen figure.The picture immediately came under fire for appealing to the masculine gaze and is evocative of dominance and surrender. The backlash online has accused Carpenter of promoting “insanely misogynistic imagery”. Others counter that she is merely exploiting shock value to promote a narrative that confuses female liberation with sexual degradation.Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

This controversy stems from a larger cultural discussion that pop music frequently returns to: the hazy boundary between patriarchal fantasy and feminine sexual liberation. One celebrity who uses her sexuality as a tool for performance is Madonna. But since the audience has evolved, Carpenter's strategy feels different—not necessarily because it's more provocative. Young listeners today are more critical of how empowerment is framed, and less willing to accept hyper sexualised imagery as inherently liberating.

Nevertheless, there is a strong case to be made that Carpenter is aware of the joke. Attracted to and disappointed by men, her current persona is openly horny and playfully disillusioned with them. Depending on your point of view, Carpenter is either supporting or making fun of sexist stereotypes. In any case, the picture has done what pop does best: forcing a reaction.

The concern is not just aesthetic but ideological—some believe this kind of imagery can threaten women’s safety by normalising domination and objectification. Glasgow Women’s Aid, a domestic abuse support charity, publicly condemned the image as “regressive,” accusing it of reinforcing misogynistic stereotypes and promoting imagery that could be harmful to women, especially those affected by abuse.

The issue is not merely aesthetic; some believe this kind of imagery can threaten women’s safety by normalising domination and objectification. The image was publicly denounced as "regressive" by Glasgow Women's Aid, an organisation that supports victims of domestic abuse, which claimed it promoted imagery that might be harmful to women, particularly those who have experienced abuse, and reinforced misogynistic stereotypes.

However, pop has never been a place where clear-cut moral messages can be found. The approach taken by Carpenter and even Addison Rae are indicative of a larger change in popular culture, where female musicians use sexiness without apology, each with their own unique impact and purpose. Their type of open sexuality combines performance and genuine desire in a funny yet serious way. 

With two Grammy Awards under her belt and a sold-out Short n’ Sweet tour. Her influence in pop culture is undeniable, even if her methods spark debate. What this moment reveals is less about Carpenter herself and more about the culture watching her: its expectations, its contradictions, and its discomfort with female artists who refuse to ask permission. Whether she's flipping the script on the male gaze or just reading from an old one with better lighting, Carpenter is fully aware of the power she’s wielding—and for now, she seems more than happy to keep us guessing.

Despite the controversy surrounding her tactics, her impact on popular culture cannot be denied. This scene tells more about the culture that is observing Carpenter than it does about her: its expectations, its contradictions, and its discomfort with female artists who refuse to ask permission. Carpenter is completely aware of the power she has; whether she's reading from an old one with better lighting or flipping the script on the masculine gaze- and for now, she seems more than happy to keep us guessing.

Like it or not, Man’s Best Friend shows that Sabrina Carpenter is pulling the strings—and she knows exactly what she’s doing.