Chronically online parents have been bashing pop star Sabrina Carpenter for her racy Short n’ Sweet tour. The problem with these complaints is that Carpenter isn’t exactly known for her kid-friendliness.
Even during my first listen to “Short n’ Sweet” I quickly realized it’s not something I would let the kids I babysit listen to; “Short n’ Sweet” just isn’t geared towards them. Carpenter doesn’t make music that’s for kids, if you even just glanced at the album you would see the explicit symbols next to every song or titles like “Bed Chem.” It is not Carpenter’s job to parent children. Her job is to make fun and lighthearted music that people that are not children can enjoy. The criticism shouldn’t be for Carpenter, but rather the cognitive abilities of these parents who obviously lack the common sense that allows competent parents to understand that they are responsible for what their children watch.
Carpenter’s shows showcase her music. She does a phenomenal job connecting her music and making her shows reflect the story told in the music. For example, for the song “Sharpest Tool,” she goes into the bathroom of her set for that song. The entire concert takes place during the night and you can see the set changing and the background getting darker to represent night. During the song “Juno” when Carpenter sings “wanna try some freaky positions,” she gets into a new position for every concert that she does. Carpenter did an amazing job reflecting on the “Short n’ Sweet” album, which is inappropriate for children, during the concert, making sure every set perfectly reflects the songs and that everything can be put together perfectly.
In interviews, Carpenter has clearly stated that she has been trying to move away from her Disney star past and into her name as a pop artist. Despite this, some parents won’t let her forget that she was once the edgy, kid-friendly Maya Penelope Hart on Disney’s sitcom “Girl Meets World”. If changing her aesthetic and her music aren’t enough for these parents to see she’s left her Disney persona and leave their young children at home there are still other signs. She includes a parental advisory warning, and a quick Google search will say that this concert is not suitable for young children. How much more do these parents need to understand that they don’t get to blame their kid’s “ruined innocence” on Carpenter?
If you think that the suggestive “Juno” pose is inappropriate for their kids, then keep your kids home. These parents need to learn how to parent, they should not blame a 20 year-old for doing an inappropriate dance move that is both on theme for the music and never advertised for young kids. Really the only takeaway is that the chronically online parents who complain about Carpenter lack common sense. Learn to do the research before taking children to concerts.
