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Sabrina Carpenter has ruffled some British feathers with a very Sabrina Carpenter performance.
Over the weekend, the still somewhat freshly single singer hopped across the pond to perform at the BRIT Awards.
She performed a mash-up of “Espresso” and “Bed Chem,” interspersed with some rousing British instrumentals.
So what’s the problem? Apparently, this performance was simply too steamy for some of the tea-drinking audience.
What has the Brits so steamed about Sabrina Carpenter?
Some folks prefer their shows a little tepid. By some standards, Sabrina Carpenter’s needed more time to cool. (Is that a tea joke or an “Espresso” pun? You decide)
On Saturday, March 1, Sabrina delighted the live audience with her performance of the mash-up.
On stage, Sabrina wore a sparkling jacket — one that she paired with dancers dressed as royal guards — over some very thorough red lingerie. Her backup dancers were split between the guardsmen and the lingerie-clad synchronized dancers.
This delightful performance was exactly what anyone familiar with Sabrina Carpenter might expect. However, not everyone has the “Taste” (Get it? She has a song with that title) to be familiar with her work.
Furious British viewers took to the tattered remains of what was once Twitter to howl and wail over the “pure soft porn” that they had witnessed. (If that’s soft porn, what is their actual porn like? Mouth-kissing?)
“It’s cool to be sexy and empowered. Unfortunately, this throw back was none of those things. Cheap and tacky,” spat one disgruntled viewer.
Sabrina Carpenter learned what ‘watershed’ means
When it comes to British television, “watershed” is the cutoff point at which the BBC may air television that might be unsuitable for children. Usually, this time is around 9 PM.
Another social media user tweeted: “Some people threatening to complain to Ofcom about Sabrina Carpenter’s BRIT Awards performance need to get a life.”
The presumably British fan continued: “It was a fun show with great energy! If you can’t handle a little excitement before 9 pm, maybe it’s time to lighten up!”
Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter herself shared photos from the BRIT Awards and a somewhat cheeky caption.
“I now know what watershed is!!!!” she wrote on Instagram.
Simply put, when a lot of enraged people from beans-on-toast island start posting your name and “watershed,” you’re going to look up what it means.
This is a familiar experience for her
For years, some truly bizarre people have targeted Sabrina Carpenter with outrage over her performances.
Her wardrobe is actually not that different from many other singers, and her dancing is far from the most erotic.
It is possible that some of her detractors are infantalizing Sabrina because she is 5 feet tall, even though she’s a grown woman. But let’s be honest: when have weirdos ever needed an excuse to condemn a woman for showing a hint of sexuality?
