Women cannot get a break, even if they are one of the most popular musicians in the world, we are still judged, scrutinized, and derided for how we choose to dress. Now, don’t get me wrong, we know this happens to men too, but the intensity of public scrutiny towards female bodies is much higher and much more deeply entrenched in our society. Bille Eilish, however, has had enough, as she claps back at the haters.
When she first rocked her way onto the scene, Eilish was known for her whispery and soft sound, but also for her baggy attire. The teenage artist was most commonly seen wearing oversized sweats that gave off a certain air of androgyny and also devil-may-care attitude when it came to her outward appearance. Though some people dug the style, many criticized her for not looking feminine enough, that if she just wore clothes that “accentuated” her figure she would look so much better, all of which are none of anyone’s business.
As the artist has grown up though, her style has changed and developed and she wowed everyone with her Vogue cover look as well as her MET Gala appearance back in 2021. Gone was the oversized silhouette and, instead, she opted for a much more feminine look, as she graced the cover of Vogue in lingerie that turned her into an elegant seductress, with her dark black hair swapped out for a blonde look. At the MET that year she was a vision in an ethereal ballgown, looking more Golden Age Hollywood than we had ever seen her before.
It would seem, with this rather sudden change, that some people have been unable to wrap their small little heads around it. Many took to social media to call Eilish a sell-out. The artist has had enough of people commenting on her body and what she chooses to put on it. Posting on her Instagram story over the weekend she wrote:
“I spent the first 5 years of my career getting absolutely OBLITERATED by you fools for being boyish and dressing how I did & constantly being told I’d be hotter if I acted like a woman. Now when I feel comfortable enough to wear anything remotely feminine or fitting, I CHANGED and am a sellout.”
She called the haters “true idiots” and “f***ing bozos,” telling them to simply “let women exist.” She also further hammered home the point that women are not one unchanging object there for your own personal consumption, writing “FUN FACT! did you know that women are multifaceted!? Shocking right? Believe it or not women can be interested in many things.”
Eilish is her own person, one who has the freedom to express how she feels and wants to be perceived in any which way she chooses, even if that changes year to year, month to month, hell, even day to day. We can only imagine a future where this level of scrutiny towards women and the way people looks is no longer an issue, but with social media becoming more of a hellscape every day, this is what we deal with.