Olivia Rodrigo pushed back hard against critics of her babydoll-style stage dresses in a preview of an upcoming New York Times Popcast episode. The preview aired ahead of the full episode, due out Thursday, May 28.
Rodrigo was asked by co-host Joe Coscarelli to respond to criticism of the babydoll dresses she wears in performance and on the cover of her upcoming album. She did not hold back.
"That's been making me so upset," she said. "Not even for me. People can say whatever they want. What's really disturbing is I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage."
According to Billboard, Rodrigo pointed to a specific contradiction. She noted that she has performed in what she described as "a sparkly bra and little shorts" without drawing the same criticism. The babydoll dress covered more of her body and still drew complaints.
"Which is my right," she said. "I felt cool and comfortable in that. And that wasn't inappropriate, but me fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be childlike was inappropriate?"
Rodrigo said she did not feel she looked sexy in the babydoll dress at all. She said the look was inspired by artists she admires, including Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna and Hole's Courtney Love. For her, it was about connecting to a grunge tradition, not making a statement about her body.
She then made a broader point about the cultural message being sent to young women. "I just think it really shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture," she said. "And also it's just this rhetoric that we're fed as girls since we're so little, which is, 'don't wear that because then a man is going to sexualize your body and it's your fault.' It's so weird."
Rodrigo said she worried about younger women absorbing that message. "I just think if we start dressing in a way that's like, 'I don't want some f–king 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. "I'm just very protective of younger women, girls, and I don't ever want them to be fed that rhetoric."
Co-host Jon Caramanica also weighed in, echoing Rodrigo's point about protecting young women's right to dress as they choose. Rodrigo reiterated that women should not feel responsible when a man sexualizes them in a way they never intended.
The babydoll dress has appeared in several recent projects. Rodrigo wore one in the music video for "Drop Dead," the first single from her upcoming album. She also wore one during her Spotify Billions Club Live show.
Her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, is set for release on June 12.
