2024 has been a big year for pop culture. The Eras Tour ending, the election, large box-office hits in theaters and so many more notable events. However, one thing has remained constant these past few years: women in the media are being unfairly criticized.Â
Every month, it feels like a new woman is being harassed and criticized for something she said, how she looks or her political standing. Men are typically exempt from this form of attack. In “I Did Something Bad,” Taylor Swift sings, “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one,” referring to how women are villainized for their actions and subject to rumors that are often false. Over the summer it was Blake Lively with many disapproving of her promo for the movie “It Ends with Us” and then it swiftly moved to Swift herself with many people upset with her appearance at Chief’s football games to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce. Many NFL fans complained about her stealing the spotlight at games. These are just a few examples of women who have fallen victim to intense scrutiny.
Sabrina Carpenter
The 26-year-old singer, who embarked on her first international tour this year, has been widely criticized by many people online for being “overly sexual” while performing. Carpenter’s latest album, “Short n’ Sweet” was filled with innuendos and is an inherently sexual album, which is different from her previous projects. This criticism came mainly from parents who took their young children to her show thinking that since she was a former Disney star, the concert would be more family-friendly.Â
This same criticism is not usually given to male performers though. For example, Ross Lynch, also a former Disney star turned performer, also known for his sexual image while performing has not received the same criticisms as Carpenter.Â
One of the most recent criticisms of Carpenter’s tour was her Los Angeles night 3 “Juno Position,” which many viewed as too vulgar for a concert. The “Juno Position” is a trend that Carpenter started during her tour. While performing her song, “Juno,” Sabrina hits a new sensual pose during the bridge. But, posing during her third concert in LA garnered much negative attention. However, President-elect Donald Trump was seen doing a similar act at one of his rallies and was not met with the same disapproval.Â
Vice President Kamala HarrisÂ
When President Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris to become the new democratic candidate, the sexist comments started flooding in. The biggest champion of these attacks was none other than her opponent Donald Trump. Trump has already been known for his demeaning comments towards women, and Harris was not exempt. Many comments he made were about her laugh, particularly how she has the laugh of a crazy person, and also how she was “unqualified” to be president.Â
These remarks were made despite her being the current Vice President and her status of being the only candidate in history to serve in all three branches of the government, whereas Trump was impeached twice during his presidency and has been found guilty on 34 felony charges. Harris ultimately lost the election, bringing new meaning to the Taylor Swift lyric, “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man.” This lyric was from Swift’s song, “The Man,” and was used by Harris during her campaign and it refers to how women consistently have to go above and beyond to receive the same respect as their male counterparts. In Harris’ case though it was not enough.
Rachel ZeglerÂ
The 23-year-old actress has been subject to intense ridicule online after she was cast as Snow White in the upcoming live-action adaptation of the 1937 classic. It started as racist comments stating that she could not portray this character because she is part Columbian, and the hate only grew after she made some comments during an interview saying that her version of Snow White “isn’t going to be saved by a prince and is instead dreaming of being a great ruler.” This and many other comments were taken out of context and she was ridiculed profusely online.Â
Earlier this year, she made a comment voicing her disapproval of Trump winning the election and this fueled the fire on her hate-train. Male actors do not typically have the same issues. For example, actor Jacob Elordi has spoken many times about how he does not value his role in “The Kissing Booth” trilogy, the films that launched his career, but most people have since forgotten about that.Â
Ariana Grande and Cynthia ErivoÂ
In the midst of the “Wicked” hype train, both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been called overly emotional during the press tour. Both actresses have become overcome with emotion and gratitude over their experiences filming the musical stating how much that process has meant to them. Despite this, many online have called them annoying and made fun of them for openly expressing how they are feeling.Â
Additionally, there have also been comments made about their bodies during the press tour, most of it directed toward their weight. It seems that no matter the accomplishments that women make in their field, there will always be those who think it’s necessary to comment on women’s bodies.Â
Overall, 2024 has certainly been a big year. However, that does not detract from the fact that women are still being made the butt of the joke, especially when they are big in the media. It does not matter if you are at the top of your field, there will always be somebody who finds a reason to hate them. It can be really disheartening to be a woman watching your favorite singer or actress receive criticism on their body or personality, especially if they are someone they relate to. It can also feel like society is telling us that we will never be good enough. If there’s a silver lining to be taken from this, it is that women are much stronger than people think, simply because they have more ceilings to break.