Olivia Rodrigo Responds to Criticism of Her Babydoll Dress
Olivia Rodrigo expressed her feelings regarding the backlash related to her choice of babydoll dresses.
“It’s really been upsetting for me,” Rodrigo, 23, stated during a May 27 episode of the “The New York Times Popcast” podcast. “What’s truly disturbing is that I often wear outfits that are revealing on stage. I’ve performed in a sparkly bra and tiny shorts, which is my right. That’s fun, and I feel cool and comfortable in that.”
“Yet being fully covered in a dress that some deem childlike is considered inappropriate,” she continued, addressing the critics head-on.
Rodrigo has embraced this style in several performances, including her recent music video for the song “Drop Dead.” At the Spotify Billions Club event on May 8, she sported a pastel pink babydoll dress adorned with floral patterns and puffy sleeves.
“I think it highlights how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture,” the Grammy winner remarked. “Additionally, it’s this messaging girls receive from a young age, which is, ‘Don’t wear that because a man will sexualize your body, and it’s your fault.’”
Rodrigo found the reaction to her outfit to be “strange” and mentioned that she didn’t even consider it “sexy.” “I thought, ‘This is so cool. I feel like I look like Kathleen Hanna or Courtney Love — all these amazing women I admire.”
She added, “If we start dressing in a way that says, ‘I don’t want anyone to think I look sexy like a baby or something ridiculous,’ we are losing the plot.”
Rodrigo concluded by saying she feels a sense of “protectiveness” over younger girls and wants to prevent them from being influenced by that damaging rhetoric.
Olivia Rodrigo is widely recognized as Generation Z’s It Girl. With her impressive music, Y2K aesthetic, and sparkly outfits, her rise to stardom is undeniable. While the California native first made waves in Disney’s Bizaardvark, her breakout role was in the acclaimed mockumentary High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. In the show, […]
“You shouldn’t bear the responsibility for a man sexualizing you in a manner that was never your intention,” she asserted.
Supporters quickly rallied behind Rodrigo on Instagram, commenting, “An excellent, well-reasoned response.” Another remarked, “I can’t believe she called it out for what it is, but yes!” A third user stated, “This was such an amazing reply to the absurd online criticism 👏👏👏 she’s incredibly articulate and absolutely right; the outrage over the babydoll dress is truly bizarre.”
